Public education in the United States has consistently and persistently failed significant numbers of students of color labeled with dis/abilities in terms of providing a quality education that leads to graduation. DisCrit theory provides a lens for understanding the impact of students' intersectional, marginalized identities of race and…

Drawing on Bandura's social learning and social cognitive theory, we empirically investigate contextual factors that may influence perceived benefits of coteaching for teachers. Special and general education coteachers have reported that necessary contextual factors for them to be effective include: sufficient coplanning time, relationship…

Student understanding of content can be dependent on the pedagogies that co-teachers plan and implement, regardless of which co-teaching model they use. However, when co-teachers vary instruction using different co-teaching models, secondary students with and without disabilities have more opportunities to take advantage of having two teachers and…

The field of special education is in flux, with high shortages and attrition and increasing requirements around quality teachers and teaching contexts. In this study, we explore how preservice teachers develop identities as special education-certified teachers within this context. Data include focus groups, admissions essays, and class assignments…

This paper is an extension of a prior research project where Kenyan primary school teachers began using inclusive education strategies that proved beneficial for meeting the needs of diverse primary school students. Specifically, this paper highlights a project where these inclusive practices were expanded to a second region of western Kenya. This…

Co-teaching is a promising practice for educating students with disabilities in regular education classes. However, teachers often report being given co-teaching assignments without requisite training. Without adequate preparation, many teachers have difficulty conceptualizing co-teaching as a model and working collaboratively as teaching…

Since the inception of ESEA of 1965 student achievement has been one focus on public education. Fast-forward to NCLB of 2001, a reenactment of the ESEA of 1965; school leaders have been pushed to demonstrate student achievement to all learners. With increased demands to close the achievement gap and track struggling learners co-teaching models…

Inclusive education is generally conceptualized as "access" to learning opportunities, "participation" with typically-developing peers and adults, and systems-level "supports" (Division for Early Childhood [DEC] & National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], 2009). This definition has become…

A total of 77 teachers working in inclusive settings in North Eastern USA were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the barriers that may hinder the use of co-teaching. Results indicated that (a) teachers lack the necessary skills required for implementing co-teaching, and (b) co-teaching may require a lot of resources for its successful…

In this interview study, three middle school students with disabilities and seven without disabilities were interviewed about their experiences in a co-taught classroom. Also, data from their co-teachers who taught mathematics, social studies and science were gathered. Both students and teachers reported that co-teaching provides extra help for…

This article examines the use of a range of co-teaching models when teaching mathematics. The approaches suggested have potential for all students, but in this instance their importance as a pedagogical approach with students with special educational needs (SEN) in inclusive classrooms is considered. The study was based in the first-year…

The purpose of this non-experimental casual comparative study was to examine the relationship between the educational environment (i.e., co-taught, or resource room), and academic growth with oral reading fluency (ORF) measures for second and third grade students with disabilities. The study also explored possible unique predictors of increased…

Co-teaching was originally conceived as a way to push student with special needs into general education so that they could access the general curriculum alongside their peers. What was often lost, however, was the meticulous attention to these students' special needs, as identified in their individualized education programs (IEPs). In this…

When an elementary school learns that its upcoming 4th grade class will include 10 students with special needs, six of whom have significant disabilities, it decides to include these students in a large team-taught classroom. There, everyone belongs--students with disabilities, English language learners, gifted math students, and avid and…

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…