Co-Teaching:

Principles,
Practices,
and
Pragmatics

New Mexico Public Education Department

Quarterly Special Education Meeting
Albuquerque, NM
April 29, 2004

Lynne Cook, Ph.D.

California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8265
818.677.2554
[email protected]
 Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics

Overview

The No Child Left Behind Act and the reauthorization of federal special
education legislation have brought increased pressure for educators.
School reformers have set higher standards and teachers are responsible
for ensuring that students meet them. Students with disabilities and other
special needs generally are expected to achieve the same success as
other learners, and so there is an increased emphasis on educating them
in general education settings. And all educators are finding that an
increasing number of students come to school with any of a variety of
problems that make them learners at-risk. Among the many ideas and
options for meeting these diverse yet somehow related challenges, one
that is receiving widespread attention, is co-teaching.
The purpose of this workshop is to provide both an overview of co-
teaching as well as detailed information about planning, implementing,
and evaluating co- teaching programs. Participants will have the
opportunity to explore both the conceptual and the operational aspects
of this innovative approach to service delivery as well as learning other
collaborative skills that can help co-teachers succeed in teaching ALL
students.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop participants will be able to

1. Define co-teaching and distinguish it from terms such as

collaboration, team teaching, and inclusion.

2. Relate co-teaching to current trends toward collaboration in

public schools, both in general education and in special
education.

3. Provide a rationale, supported by philosophy, research, and

recent legislation for implementing co-teaching.

4. Discuss critical components of a teacher’s model for co-

teaching.

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5. Describe a process and activities for teachers to analyze their
readiness to co-teach.

6. Identify and discuss with the collaborative aspects of co-

teaching.

7. Outline school and district factors that influence co-teaching

effectiveness.

8. Describe at least six different types of co-teaching

arrangements, and determine situations for which each is
appropriate and inappropriate.

9. Identify key topics to that should be addressed with co-teachers

prior to co-teaching.

10. Describe strategies for addressing pragmatic issues related to

co-teaching (e.g., scheduling, planning time, assignment of
students to classes, amount of co-teaching).

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 The Basics of Co-Teaching

During this part of the workshop you will learn...

1. The definition and characteristics of co-teaching.

2. The roles that para-educators and others play in
co-teaching.
3. Co-teaching’s relation to other school inclusive
practices.
4. The rationale for including co-teaching as part of
students’ programs and services.
5. A five-part model for effective co-teaching and its
importance for co-teaching.

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Co-Teaching as a Service Delivery Option

DEFINITION

• Two (or more) educators or other certified staff

• Contract to share instructional responsibility

• For a single group of students

• Primarily in a single classroom or workspace

• For specific content (objectives)

• With mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint

accountability

• Although each individual's level of participation may

vary.

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What Co-Teaching Is Not
In the rapidly evolving world of special services and supports for students,
terminology often becomes an issue. For clarification, these are some
terms often used in confusion with co-teaching:

• Collaboration

Although it is generally preferred that co-teaching be

collaborative, it might or might not be. Collaboration generally
refers to how individuals interact, not the activity they’re doing.
Thus, any activity—including co-teaching, and problem solving,
consultation--may or may not be collaborative. This topic will
come up again later in the workshop.

• Team teaching

The term team teaching is often used to describe the situation in

which two general education teachers combine classes and
share instruction. In an elementary school, this might occur
when two fourth grade teachers decide to open the portable
that divides their rooms and teach the entire group as one. In a
secondary school, this might occur when an English teacher and
a history teacher combine two classes to present an American
studies course. Co-teaching is different from this type of team
teaching in two important ways: First, in co-teaching the
teacher-student ratio is drastically improved. Second, in co-
teaching, two significantly different orientations toward teaching
are blended. Finally, team teaching in the middle school
literature often refers to a process for planning interdisciplinary
instruction, but not sharing instructional delivery.

• Inclusion

Although co-teaching is integral to the inclusive practices in

many schools, it is not a requirement for inclusion to occur.
Inclusion refers to a broad belief system or philosophy
embracing the notion that all students should be welcomed
members of a learning community, that all students are part of
their classrooms even if their abilities differ.

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Rationale for Co-Teaching

Why would the staff at a school decide to use co-teaching as a service

delivery option? Here are some of the reasons experienced co-teachers
provide:

1. Co-teaching is one way to deliver services to students with

disabilities or other special needs as part of a philosophy of inclusive
practices. As a result, it shares many benefits with other inclusion
strategies, including a reduction in stigma for students with special
needs, an increased understanding and respect for students with
special needs on the part of other students, and the development
of a sense of heterogeneously-based classroom community.

2. In co-taught classrooms, ALL students can receive improved

instruction. This includes students who are academically gifted or
talented, students who have average ability, students who are at-
risk for school failure as well as students with identified special
needs.

3. In co-teaching, the instructional fragmentation that often occurs in

other service delivery options is minimized. Students benefit by not
having to leave the classroom to receive services. At the same
time, the special service provider or other co-teacher has a better
understanding of the curriculum being addressed in the classroom
and the expectations for both academics and behavior.

4. Co-teachers often report that one of the most noticeable

advantages of sharing a classroom is the sense of support it fosters.
Co-teachers report that when they have a spectacular lesson,
someone is there to share it, and when they have a particularly
challenging day, someone really knows just how difficult it was.

5. And……

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Taking a Moment………
We've just completed a segment of workshop material that may have a direct
impact on co-teaching at your school or your plans to create or revise co-
teaching as a service delivery system. This page is included in your packet to
enable you to spend a few minutes capturing critical information that you want
to take back to your school to share with others.

1. What are the five most important points that have been made during
the just-completed segment of the workshop?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. Based on the information most critical to you, what points do you wish to
remember to take back to school to share with others?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

3. What are the questions or concerns you have (for the workshop group or
colleagues at school) you have at this time?

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A Teacher’s Model for Co-Teaching

I. THE CORNERSTONE: A PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS

The members of successful co-teaching teams share several common beliefs that
constitute a philosophy or a system of principles that guide their practice.

II. INDIVIDUAL PREREQUISITES

Individual teachers voluntarily bring certain characteristics, knowledge, and skills to the co-
teaching situation.

A. Co-teachers have personal characteristics that enable them to work effectively

with another adult.
B. Co-teachers have sets of common knowledge and skills.
C. Co-teachers have discipline-specific knowledge and skills.
D. Co-teaching is voluntary.

III. THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP

Co-teachers have unique professional relationships.

A. The professional relationship is built on parity, communication, respect, and trust.

B. Co-teachers make a commitment to building and maintaining their professional
relationship.

IV. CLASSROOM DYNAMICS

The interactions in a co-taught classroom are unique to this teaching arrangement.

A. Co-teachers clearly define classroom roles and responsibilities.

B. Co-teachers’ instructional interactions reflect their professional relationship.
C. Co-teachers successfully maintain the instructional flow of the whole class by
providing support to individual students.
D. The curriculum in co-taught classes explicitly addresses academic,
developmental, compensatory, and life skills and reflects the needs of students in
the class.
E. Co-teachers monitor their efforts.

V. EXTERNAL SUPPORTS

External support facilitates successful co-teaching.

A. Administrators support co-teaching

B. Appropriate professional development activities enhance co-teaching.

Based on Adams, L., Cessna, K., & Friend, M. (1993). Effectiveness indicators of collaboration in
special education/general education co-teaching: Final report. Denver: Colorado
Department of Education.

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Co-Teaching in the Big Picture

In most schools, co-teaching cannot exist alone as the means through

which inclusive practices are implemented. Instead, co-teaching should
be one out of a wide variety of service delivery systems that provide
supports to students with special needs. These are some of the other
service delivery options that need to exist:

• Consultation

In consultation, professionals skilled in working with students with

special needs meet on a regular basis with teachers to problem
solve. A school psychologist, behavior specialist, speech-
language therapist, or special education teacher might serve as
a consultant. By meeting to identify a problem, systematically
developing an intervention, gathering data , and judging the
intervention’s effectiveness, teachers and consultants can
maximize student learning.

• Teaming

Grade-level elementary teams (or primary -intermediate teams),

middle school teams, and interdisciplinary or department high
school teams meet regularly to discuss curriculum and problem
solve about students. Special educators and other support
providers can join these teams to help create strategies and
interventions as well as to address issues related to curricular
adaptations. This helps to make communication more
consistent and more efficient.

• Informal problem solving

Teachers in inclusive schools often need to meet one-to-one to

proactively or reactively problem solve regarding students they
share. For example, a classroom teacher and a special
education teachers might meet to discuss whether a student
with an IEP who has violated a school rule should receive special
consideration or be excluded from the upcoming field trip.

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• Instruction in a separate setting

Although the goal in an inclusive school is for most instruction to

occur in general education settings, occasionally student needs
indicate this is not appropriate. Examples of situations in which
instruction in a separate setting might be indicated include a
student needing physical therapy that cannot be integrated into
classroom routines, a student who needs highly specialized
articulation therapy, and a student not learning as expected so
that diagnostic teaching is needed.

• Collegial staff development

A hallmark of inclusive schools is the sense that there is always

new information that can help teachers better address student
needs. If teachers and administrators attend workshops, classes,
or other staff development opportunities, they share what they
have learned with colleagues. Topics might include instructional
techniques, approaches for responding to student behavior,
and strategies for promoting staff collegiality.

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Taking a Moment………
We've just completed a segment of workshop material that may have a direct
impact on co-teaching at your school or your plans to create or revise co-
teaching as a service delivery system. This page is included in your packet to
enable you to spend a few minutes capturing critical information that you want
to take back to your school to share with others.

1. What are the five most important points that have been made during the just-
completed segment of the workshop?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. Based on the information most critical to you, what points do you wish to
remember to take back to school to share with others?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

3. What are the questions or concerns you have (for the workshop group or
colleagues at school) you have at this time?

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 Co-Teaching Approaches

During this part of the workshop you will learn...

1. Guidelines for selecting an approach for co-teaching.

2. Six specific approaches for structuring a co-taught class.
3. Suggestions for making each co-teaching approach
maximally effective.
4. Lesson plan ideas for each co-teaching approach.

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Basis for Selecting a Co-Teaching Approach

Co-teaching is most effective when the approaches used are deliberately

selected. Here are four factors to weigh in selecting a co-teaching
approach:

1. Student characteristics and needs.

The first considerations in thinking about co-teaching approaches

are student characteristics and needs. For example, if students
tend to become disruptive during transitions, an approach should
be selected that minimizes transitions. Conversely, if students need
extra motivation, an approach with frequent changes might be
preferred.

2. Teacher characteristics and needs.

Co-teaching will be different in different classrooms and at different

times of the school year based on teacher characteristics and
needs. For example, if co-teachers vary significantly in their
teaching styles, it might be best to select approaches that enable
them to teach independently. Alternatively, if co-teachers work
easily together, a more shared approach might be appropriate.

3. Curriculum, including content and instructional strategies.

The content to be taught and the instructional strategies that are

most effective for addressing the content are additional
considerations in selecting co-teaching approaches. Highly
structured content and procedures, such as teaching steps in a
process, would require one approach while less structured content,
such as a discussion of ideas, would suggest another approach.

4. Pragmatic considerations.

The preference for co-teaching approaches should also be

tempered by the pragmatics of the setting. For example, in an
open school, noise is a consideration in selecting an approach. In a
crowded classroom, an approach not particularly dependent on
space might be the best choice.

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Co-teaching Approaches

1. One Teach, One Observe. One of the advantages in co-teaching is

that more detailed observation of students engaged in the learning
process can occur. With this approach, for example, co-teachers
can decide in advance what types of specific observational
information to gather during instruction and can agree on a system
for gathering the data. Afterward, the teachers should analyze the
information together.

2. One Teach, One Drift. In a second approach to co-teaching, one

person would keep primary responsibility for teaching while the
other professional circulated through the room providing
unobtrusive assistance to students as needed.

3. Parallel Teaching. On occasion, student learning would be greatly

facilitated if they just had more supervision by the teacher or more
opportunity to respond. In parallel teaching, the teachers are both
teaching the same information, but they divide the class group and
do so simultaneously.

4. Station Teaching. In this co-teaching approach, teachers divide

content and students. Each teacher then teachers the content to
one group and subsequently repeats the instruction for the other
group. If appropriate, a third "station" could require that students
work independently.

5. Alternative Teaching: In most class groups, occasions arise in which

several students need specialized attention. In alternative
teaching, one teacher takes responsibility for the large group while
the other works with a smaller group.

6. Team Teaching: In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the

same instruction at the same time. Some teachers refer to this as
having “one brain in two bodies.” Others call it “tag team
teaching.” Most co-teachers consider this approach the most
complex but satisfying way to co-teach, but the approach that is
most dependent on teachers’ styles.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

1. One Teach, One Observe

One of the advantages in co-teaching is that more detailed observation

of students engaged in the learning process can occur. When one
teaches and one observes during co-teaching, the teachers should
decide in advance what types of information are to be gathered during
the observation and should agree on a system for gathering the data.
Afterward, the teachers should analyze the information together. That is,
observation should be a deliberate part of the lesson, not just teachers’
incidental checks of student activity.

WHEN TO USE

• In new co-teaching situations

• When questions arise about students
• To check student progress
• To compare target students to others in class

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Low

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• Which students initiate conversations in cooperative groups?

• Which students begin/do not being work promptly?
• Is Anne’s inattentive behavior less, about the same, or greater
than that of other students in the class?
• What does James do when he is confused during an
assignment?

OTHER COMMENTS

• If you use blank NCR form or carbon paper, you can make two
copies of your data at once--and share immediately.
• Once you’re experienced co-teachers with a mutual sense of
comfort, observation of each other can serve as a form of
coaching.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

2. One Teach, One Drift

In some cases, the most effective use of two adults in one classroom is to
have one person keep primary responsibility for teaching while the other
circulates through the room providing unobtrusive assistance to students
as needed. Although this approach to co-teaching has value, it is also
often over-used, possibly because it makes few demands for change on
the part of the teachers.

WHEN TO USE

• When the lesson lends itself to delivery by one teacher

• When one teacher has particular expertise for the lesson
• In new co-teaching situations--to get to know each other
• In lessons stressing a process in which student work needs close
monitoring

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Low

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• “This is my absolute favorite lesson to teach. Am I wrong to want

to teach it myself?”
• How well do the students understand the steps to follow in long
division?
• Are all students following as they learn how to take notes?
• “I’ve never taught geometry or worked with this teacher. I need
to get a sense of the flow of the class.”

OTHER COMMENTS

• This approach is not particularly useful to help focus student

attention. Instead, it has the risk of distracting students during
large-group instruction.
• Each teacher should have the opportunity to lead instruction
and drift if this approach is used.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

3. Parallel Teaching

On occasion, student learning would be greatly facilitated if they just had

more supervision by the teacher or more opportunity to respond. In
parallel teaching, co-teachers are both teaching the same information,
but they divide the class group and conduct the lesson simultaneously.

WHEN TO USE

• When a lower adult-student ratio is needed to improve

instructional efficiency
• To foster student participation in discussions
• For activities such as drill and practice, re-teaching, and test
review

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Medium

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• More students would have a chance to share their alternative

ending to the story if they are split into two groups.
• If each teacher took a group of students and presented
environmental issues--one from the point of view of business and
industry and one from the point of view of environmentalists--the
class could later have a spiritedly discussion on the topic.
• Student use of the science materials could be more closely
monitored if the group is divided in half.

OTHER COMMENTS

• This approach gives each teacher an active--but separate--

instructional role in the classroom.
• Any topic with multiple dimensions can be presented using this
approach if the groups are then brought back together for
discussion.
• Students can be strategically placed in the two groups.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

4. Station Teaching

In station teaching, teachers divide content and students. Students rotate

from one teacher to another and also to an independent station so that
each teacher repeats instruction three times and each student accesses
both teachers and the independent station. If appropriate, the third
station could be set up to require that students work in pairs instead of
independently.

WHEN TO USE

• When content is complex but not hierarchical

• In lessons in which part of planned instruction is review
• When several topics comprise instruction

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• Medium

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• During language arts instruction when one station will address

comprehension of a recently-read piece of literature, one
station will focus on editing of a writing assignment, and one
station will consist of an activity related to a skill being taught.
• In social studies to examine the geography, economy, and
culture of a region or country.
• In math, to teach a new process while reviewing applications of
other concepts already presented.

OTHER COMMENTS

• Variations of station teacher, carried out across two days, are

sometimes more appropriate in secondary settings with
traditional class periods.
• If students cannot work independently, two groups can be
formed. If a student teacher is available, four groups might be
arranged.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

5. Alternative Teaching

In most class groups, situations arise in which a small group needs to work
with one teacher while the larger group works with the other teacher. In
alternative teaching, the large group completes the planned lesson while
the small group either completes an alternative lesson or the same lesson
taught at a different level or for a different purpose. This arrangement
might take an entire class period, or it might be used for just a few minutes
at the beginning or end of a lesson.

WHEN TO USE

• In situations where students’ mastery of concepts taught or

about to be taught varies tremendously
• When extremely high levels of mastery are expected for all
students
• When enrichment is desired
• When some students are working in a parallel curriculum

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• High

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• The large group completes a practice exercise related to the

concepts just taught; the small group receives additional direct
instruction
• The large group checks homework; the small group is pre-taught
vocabulary related to the day’s lesson
• The large group is working on projects in small groups; the small
group is being assessed. All students will be assessed across two
days.

OTHER COMMENTS

• For this approach to be successful, the purpose for the small

group and its membership should vary.

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Co-Teaching Approaches (continued)

6. Team Teaching

In team teaching, both teachers are delivering the same instruction at the
same time. This implies that each speaks freely during large-group
instruction and moves among all the students in the class. Instruction
becomes a conversation, not turn-taking.

WHEN TO USE

• When two heads are better than one or experience is

comparable
• During a lesson in which instructional conversation is appropriate
• In co-teaching situations in which the teachers have
considerable experience and a high sense of comfort
• When a goal of instruction is to demonstrate some type of
interaction to students

AMOUNT OF PLANNING

• High

SAMPLE APPLICATIONS

• In science, one teacher explains the experiment while the other

demonstrates using the necessary materials.
• In social studies, the teachers debate U.S. foreign policy issues.
• In language arts or English, the teachers act out a scene from a
piece of literature.
• As the steps in a math process are taught, one explains while the
other does a “Think Aloud” activity.
• One teacher talks while the other demonstrates note-taking on
the board or an overhead projector.

OTHER COMMENTS

• This co-teaching approach is affected more than any other by

individuals’ teaching styles.
• This is the most interpersonally complex co-teaching approach.

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Taking a Moment………
We've just completed a segment of workshop material that may have a direct
impact on co-teaching at your school or your plans to create or revise co-
teaching as a service delivery system. This page is included in your packet to
enable you to spend a few minutes capturing critical information that you want
to take back to your school to share with others.

2. What are the five most important points that have been made during
the just-completed segment of the workshop?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. Based on the information most critical to you, what points do you wish to
remember to take back to school to share with others?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

3. What are the questions or concerns you have (for the workshop group or
colleagues at school) you have at this time?

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 The Pragmatics of
Co-Teaching

During this part of the workshop you will learn...

1. Classroom issues that effective co-teachers discuss

and clarify.
2. Ideas for deciding how much co-teaching should
occur and who should be involved.
3. Strategies for creating co-teaching schedules.

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TOPICS FOR CO-TEACHERS TO DISCUSS

1. Instructional content and expectations for students.

2. Planning, including time to do it and who does which part.

3. Instructional format, including who will do which part of the

instructional delivery.

4. Parity, or how it will be clear that both educators have the same
status in the classroom.

5. Space, related to both students and teachers.

6. Noise and each educator’s tolerance for it.

7. Instructional routines.

8. Organizational routines.

9. The definition of “help.”

10. Discipline procedures for the classroom.

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11. Safety matters (e.g., for students with hearing impairments).

12. Feedback, including when and how to discuss issues with each
other.

13. Student evaluation, including grading.

14. Teaching chores such as grading, duplicating, assignment

preparation, and so on.

15. Responsibilities and procedures for substitutes.

16. Confidentiality.

17. Pet peeves.

18. Other ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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Parity, Parity, Parity
How do you and your co-teaching partner convey to students that your
teaching relationship is truly collaborative, that it is a partnership based on
parity? The following checklist might help you to think through ideas
about how you, your teaching partner, and students can observe parity
or its absence! NOTE: Do keep in mind that how many of the following
parity signals pertain to your situation depends on many factors.

Already Should Not

Do Do Applicable

_____ _____ _____ 1. Both teachers’ names on board.

_____ _____ _____ 2. Both teachers’ names on report

cards.

_____ _____ _____ 3. Both teachers’ handwriting on

student assignments.

_____ _____ _____ 4. Both teachers with space for

personal belongings.

_____ _____ _____ 5. Both teachers with adult-size

furniture.

_____ _____ _____ 6. Both teachers with a lead role in

the classroom.

_____ _____ _____ 7. Both teachers talk during

instruction.

_____ _____ _____ 8. Both teachers give directions or

permission without checking with
the other teacher.

_____ _____ _____ 9. Both teachers work with all students.

_____ _____ _____ 10. Both teachers are considered

teachers by the students.

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Finding Time for Collaboration

Most professionals express concern about the time needed to form

collaborative working relationships with their colleagues, particularly for
activities such as co-teaching. They also worry about setting realistic
expectations regarding time for collaboration. Although there is no secret
to enable you to make more minutes in the day, these are some of the
ways--some for elementary settings and some for secondary settings--
professionals are making the most of the time they do have available:

1. Have two classes team to release one teacher (e.g., two fourth
grades, a third grade and a fifth grade).

2. Use other adults to help cover classes--including principals, assistant

principals, counselors, social workers, volunteers, paraprofessionals,
psychologists, and supervisors. Of course, be sure to follow local
policies on who can supervise groups of students.

3. Find funds for substitute teachers--some sources include grants from

your state or local foundations, parent-teacher organizations, and
disability advocacy groups.

4. Find “volunteer” substitutes--retired teachers, members of social or

civic organizations, teacher trainees from local universities

5. Use instructionally relevant videotapes or other programs supervised

by part of the staff to release the other part of the staff for planning.

6. When school-based staff development sessions are scheduled,

arrange for them to begin late or conclude early with the saved
time being used to collaboration.

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7. Experiment with a late arrival or early dismissal day. This time can
occur once per week, once per month, or once per grading
period. Typically, the school day is lengthened and the additional
minutes are “banked” to provide the release. The time thus
created must be used in working with colleagues. It is not
additional individual preparation time nor is it time to be spent on
large-group, formal meetings.

8. Stay late after school once per month, but make it enjoyable by
bringing snacks, flowers, music, or other pleasant “atmosphere”
items. If you bring walking shoes, you can accomplish both exercise
and collaboration!

9. Treat collaboration as the equivalent of school committee

responsibilities, especially if you are operating a pilot program. Time
that others in school spend in committee meetings is spent working
collaboratively.

10. In elementary schools, divide labor for instruction to save time.

That is, have each teacher take the lead for preparing materials for
different lessons, making enough copies for all involved.

11. Reduce other work to have time to meet--for example, have

students correct each others’ work or create self-correcting
materials.

12. For special educators, reserve time in the daily schedule that is not
obligated to specific responsibilities. Use this time flexibly with lunch,
planning, and other time to meet with teachers.

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How Many Students with Special Needs
Should Be in a Co-Taught Class?

One very common question concerning co-taught classes concerns the

proportion of students with IEPs or other special needs assigned to such
classes. Although is no single right answer to the question of how many
students, here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

• In an elementary school or a small secondary school, all students

with disabilities are sometimes grouped into a single section,
classroom, or team. Terms such as “inclusion class,” “inclusion
classroom” or “inclusion team” might even be used. Generally, it
is inappropriate to group students with disabilities in this manner,
unless student needs are very mild and behavior is not a
problem.

• In some schools, a decision is made that everyone should

participate in the education of students with special needs. In
these schools, the approach used is “one for you, one for you,
one for you,” with students being distributed equally across
classes or sections. This approach has a tremendous risk of
making it virtually impossible for special service providers to
adequately address or even monitor student needs.

• One effective strategy for distributing students is to have

teachers at a grade level or on a team, or the special education
teachers assign students based on their knowledge of the
students and their classmates.

• In secondary schools, it sometimes happens that co-taught

classes receive a disproportionately high number of students at-
risk, the logic being that with two teachers these students will
have a better educational experience. The problem with this
approach is that it may result in a de facto segregated class
being formed, one that looks very similar to a traditional special
education class. Students do not have positive role models
when this occurs, and the philosophy of inclusive practices is
undermined.

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• Professional common sense is the most logical way to make
decisions about the number of students with disabilities or other
special needs to place in a co-taught class. If a student with a
moderate or severe disability is enrolled, the class should not also
have several students with significant behavior challenges. If
several students with learning disabilities are similar in need, it
might be best if they are placed in the same location so that
services can more readily be delivered.

• In addition to students with disabilities, students at-risk also should

be considered in determining class composition. Just a few
students with significantly higher needs than other students can
affect the learning standards. The goal is to maintain the
standard for most learners while making needed
accommodations for students who need them.

• Yet another consideration in assigning students for co-taught

classes concerns students receiving assistance through other
programs. For example, in elementary schools a number of
students may be enrolled in a reading program or an ESL
program. Generally, students should not be grouped into classes
on the basis of services received. However, the number and
intensity of all services in a classroom is a factor to review when
assigning students.

• In middle schools and high schools, assigning students sometimes

becomes problematic because schedules are built by
computer. Few teachers report that the computer scheduling is
adequate. Two alternatives exist: Either teachers (usually the
special education staff) can schedule students by hand prior to
computer scheduling, or they can modify students’ schedules
after the computer has generated them. In most cases, when
the latter system is employed students needing in-class
assistance who are assigned singly in a class are re-assigned to a
co-taught class.

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How Much Co-Teaching Should One
Special Service Provider Do?
Special service providers, including special education teachers, school
psychologists, social workers, counselors, occupational therapists,
speech/language therapists, and reading specialists, sometimes wonder
what a reasonable amount of co-teaching is. They ask how many
different classrooms they should be expected to support through co-
teaching. Here are a few ideas related to this topic:

• If co-teaching is a new service delivery option, it is better to

implement it on a small scale--even in a single classroom setting-
-rather than to attempt a broad-based initial program. Co-
teaching typically requires the educators involved to re-visit and
re-think some of the most essential beliefs they have about
teaching and learning. Expecting this to occur throughout a
school or even in several classrooms at the outset is not realistic.

• Experiences co-teachers report that they are able to truly co-

teach in four-to-six classrooms at any one time. If they need to
provide services in additional classrooms, co-teaching is not
used. Instead, some type of more limited support (for example,
working just with certain students) is provided in some
classrooms.

• In an inclusive school, all special service providers should have

opportunities to co-teach, even teachers or others who are in so-
called “self-contained” settings. Staff members, with
administrative support, should identify times for this type of co-
teaching to occur. It might be for a limited amount of time
each week, or it might be for a limited part of the school year.

• Amount of co-teaching is strongly affected by other role

responsibilities. A school psychologist with significant
responsibility for assessing students and preparing reports clearly
cannot spend large period of time co-teaching. Special
education teachers with large caseloads or responsibilities for
other meetings likewise will be limited in their availability for co-
teaching.

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Should Co-Teaching Be Voluntary Only?
Even experienced co-teachers indicate that co-teaching should only
occur if both individuals participate willingly. Although this idea has
intuitive appeal, the matter is somewhat more complicated. Here are a
few questions to consider:

• At what stage of development is your co-teaching program?

In new programs, it is understandable to use volunteers. The

professionals who take the risks to develop the program and
work out the various challenges that will occur should be those
who do so willingly.

• On what basis are decisions made about who will co-teach?

A teacher who is reluctant to work with a colleague may have

valid reasons. For example, a teacher who is very near to
retirement might simply be too close to exiting his or her
profession to undertake this significantly different approach to
instruction. However, if a teacher does not want to participate
because of not wanting to work with certain students or not
wanting to share instruction, a serious problem exists.

• What about student needs?

Co-teaching should be arranged when students need this rather

intensive, in-class service delivery option. If it is based on student
need, care should be taken that teacher preferences are kept in
an appropriate perspective.

• What are the other options?

If a teacher does not want to co-teach, what happens? In some

elementary schools, principals have moved teachers to different
grade levels because of the need to establish co-teaching at
their original level. In high schools, some teachers have lost
preferred schedules because of the need to have co-teaching
during certain class periods in certain subjects.

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 Taking a Moment………
We've just completed a segment of workshop material that may have a direct
impact on co-teaching at your school or your plans to create or revise co-
teaching as a service delivery system. This page is included in your packet to
enable you to spend a few minutes capturing critical information that you want
to take back to your school to share with others.

1. What are the five most important points that have been made during the
just-completed segment of the workshop?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. Based on the information most critical to you, what points do you wish to
remember to take back to school to share with others?

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

4. What are the questions or concerns you have (for the workshop group or
colleagues at school) you have at this time?

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