Although the co-teaching service delivery model is the most commonly used service delivery model used to support co-teachers in the inclusive setting (Cook et al., 2017), research indicates that co-teachers may need support in order to increase the use of specialized instruction to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities (Scruggs…

The inclusion of writing is implicit within the expectations of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), particularly within the science and engineering practices component of the standards. NGSS goals include educating all students in science and engineering and providing the foundational knowledge for…

Beginning special education teachers today are highly likely to be asked to co-teach with general education teachers at some point in their career. Besides supporting their students, new special education teachers may be tasked with persuading their colleagues to try out both new methods of collaboration and unfamiliar models of instructional…

Nearly 63% of students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms for some part of their day, and at the high school level, 79% participate in state reading and math assessments (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Middle and high school classes pose particular challenges because, unlike elementary classrooms, they are usually…

The beginning stage of any co-teaching relationship is similar to the initial aspects of any dating relationship. At first, the relationship is great, and the partners are blissful and happy. As time evolves, however, newly formed relationships need to be nurtured to create a stronger relationship, because performing as a team is hard work, if it…

Social studies instruction in upper elementary school (Grades 3-5) is important for building foundational content knowledge to equip students for the secondary school curriculum. Due to numerous school initiatives and demands on the time of teachers, social studies instruction can play second fiddle to reading and mathematics instruction, which…

A hearing loss of any type has the potential to adversely impact development leading to language, literacy, social, and academic delays. Currently, approximately 87% of students who are deaf or hard of hearing spend at least part of each day in a general education classroom. In order to optimally benefit from receiving educational services in the…

Co-teaching has recently gained popularity and attention as a viable service delivery option for students with disabilities and other special needs. Although co-teaching includes the three components of co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing, the professional literature has primarily focused on co-planning and co-instructing. Co-assessment,…

Adolescents who struggle in the area of literacy tend to experience difficulty accessing texts across many different content areas. These students could benefit from increased collaborative interactions between general education content area teachers, special education teachers, and other school personnel with expertise in the area of literacy…

Ms. Thomas, the general educator, and Ms. Merced, the special education teacher, plan to co-teach mathematics classes during the upcoming school year. Based on previous interactions with students and knowledge of students' abilities from school records, they know that several students, including students with disabilities, struggle with…

Researchers, teacher educators, and co-teachers are keenly aware of the issues related to obtaining--and more important, keeping--good co-teaching teams. In fact, educators frequently relate co-teaching to a marriage; unfortunately, research clearly indicates that many co-teaching marriages result in struggle, separation, or even divorce. This…

Paraprofessionals are an important part of the instructional team for students with disabilities. The primary job duties for most paraprofessionals included making copies, monitoring students during lunch, and taking attendance. Today, their jobs look more like those of teachers: Paraprofessionals help with instructional tasks and sometimes teach…

People faced with collaboration challenges are often reluctant to be honest about problems because in many schools collaboration is a norm. But whereas most special educators are intuitively skilled at working with others, "problematic professional encounters are inevitable barriers that will appear occasionally in the life of every special…

Much has been written about collaboration and co-teaching in secondary settings, including the importance of understanding one's partner's teaching approach; determining readiness to co-teach; clarifying roles, responsibilities, and expectations; scheduling shared planning time; and effective communication, including constructive dialogue and…