Co-­teaching is the newest initiative to be implemented in school districts. Students with special needs can no longer be simply physically "included" in general education classes. These students need and deserve authentic opportunities to access and participate in the curriculum. To accomplish this goal, co-­teaching has been embraced.…

This study examined the academic impact in reading and mathematics when Collaborative, Co-Teaching Team Model of high incidence special education student service delivery implemented in a suburban school district. This study hypothesized that the implementation of an inclusive collaborative co-teaching model of service delivery could possibly…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 states that individualized education program (IEP) teams are composed of members with distinct identities, roles, expertise, and histories. Although team members must work together to implement educational and related services for learners with special needs, little is known about…

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,…

Communication and professional dialogue are essential elements of a high-quality education environment in which all students can succeed. Such an environment is especially important for the success of students with special needs. Unfortunately, collaboration between special educators, general educators, and other professionals is often hindered by…

This study was based on the need for additional research to explore the nature of collaborative teaching experiences in the K-12 education setting. For that reason, this study was designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of special education and regular education teachers with respect to inclusion and the perceptions of these teachers…

In classrooms and schools across the United States, educators struggle to meet the requirements of standards-based reform that was enacted by federal legislation. Secondary schools can use coteaching with mixed-ability groups of students to meet increased curriculum demands and provide mandated strategies and accommodations for students with…

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…

Adolescents with learning disabilities are not educated in a vacuum. Successful programming for these students involves many school professionals working together to integrate their programs for the benefit of students with learning disabilities. Collaborative teaming probably can best be described as an attitude rather than a certain way of…

This paper describes co-teaching as a collaborative, equal relationship between a regular classroom teacher and a special educator which allows for meeting the needs of a greater number of students with disabilities within a single regular classroom program. The co-teaching relationship is thought to develop through a series of three stages: (1)…

Using a teaching case based on an actual experience of a first-year resource teacher, this article explores several issues related to the effective and efficient implementation of collaborative models. It examines forms of collaboration; skills, qualities, and competencies needed; barriers and facilitators; and potential benefits. (JDD)

The Individual Student Planning Team Process is presented as a method for planning effective educational programs for all students in inclusive classrooms. The process involves identifying student educational strengths and needs, determining which needs can be met through general education activities, supporting individual student programs in…

Five regular and special education teachers collaborating in mainstreamed classes in Virginia elementary, middle, and high schools were interviewed to determine how the teachers came to collaborate; how they collaborated; changes they experienced as a result of collaboration; and benefits (instructional, professional, affective) and concerns…

This paper reports findings of a study examining the nature of collaboration between special educators and general educators in two elementary schools. In addition, personal perspectives are presented on the linkages between conducting research and gaining experiences as a special educator at one of the elementary schools the year following…

This manual presents the trainee's workbook and the trainer's guidelines for the fifth of six modules in a teacher inservice series developed to promote the unified effort of both regular and special education personnel in understanding and applying nationally recognized practices to implement fully inclusive education for students with diverse…