What is your biggest instructional problem with LD students in the classroom? Co-Teaching: A Method of Inclusion Do you have a name? Learning Disabled? Slow Learner? Dyslexic? Manic Depressive? Anger issues? Autistic? Mentally Challenged? A.D.H.D? Try again. John Max Clay Elijah Rylie Pedro Sanjee Teach to them, not their label. Co-Teaching: A Method of Inclusion History In 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) encouraged mainstreaming. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004 requires inclusion. Gaskin Settlement Agreement (6/94) establishes Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) compliance monitoring. The number of students enrolled in special education has risen 30% over the past ten years (NEA, 2009) Societal Waves of Changes (Lipsky and Gartner, 1992) First wave was standards and curriculum Second wave was teacher empowerment, school-based management Third wave was school reform Underfunded Programs Under IDEA, the federal government committed to pay 40% of the average per student cost for every special education student. On November 19, 2004, Congress reauthorized IDEA with new provisions and yet is only providing local school less than 20% of the promised funds, a $10.6 billion shortfall for our schools. Pennsylvania pays flat rate 15% for Special Education. High-School Teachers in Inclusion Classrooms require dual certification. What is Co-Teaching Two teachers: one education teacher and one special service provider. Shared responsibility in planning and teaching A minor portion of students have special needs Research No single ideal model Co-teaching forces teachers to collaborate and it is that collaboration, not the model, that ensures student success. Skits #1 and #2 go here. Hempfield Co-Teaching Core Teacher Taught Lesson Pictures of coteachers go here Learning Support Teacher Taught Skills Pros Beneficial and effective for all students, teaching to every students need Has parental buy-in Potential strong administrative support (provide scheduling and planning time) Co-teaching reduces existing replacement services. Skits #3 and #4 go here. Considerations Planning time Scheduling Program effectiveness School buy-in Parental buy-in Skits #5 and #6 go here. More Considerations Cost Co-teacher relationships Professional development Impact on curriculum Co-Teaching Wiki Co-Teaching Practices DO: Consider students with special needs as full members of your class. DONT: Cluster all the students with disabilities in one place in the room at the back, on one side, or in their own row Co-Teaching Practices DO: Work with your co-teacher as a real partner, negotiating and sharing all aspects of work in the class. DONT: Have the co-teacher act as a teacher helper, copying or filling out forms. Co-Teaching Practices DO: Staff share responsibilities. Students know that there are two (or more) teachers in the room. DONT: Have the co-teacher work only with students with disabilities. Co-Teaching Practices DO: Make sure that students with special needs are part of all aspects of the class so that outsiders find it difficult or impossible to identify the special kids. DONT: Enclose an included student within a wall of file cabinets to keep behaviors in check. Co-Teaching Practices DO: Work together to design teaching at multiple levels that includes all students. Spend 90% of your collaborative time this way and 10% on accommodations and adaptations. DONT: Use co-teacher to develop adaptations for your lesson. Collaboration is the Key Our team finds that inclusion in the form of co-teaching forces teachers to collaborate and it is that collaboration, not the model, that ensures student success. Recommendations for Implementation Begin Small to Pilot the Program Show Support by Providing: Reasonable Schedule Adequate Space Planning Time Staff Development Educate Parents Budgetary Considerations How could you foresee using this at your school? Can you afford not to?