October 2011 | Links updated, January 2013
Research shows that collaboration between general and special educators benefits the quality of instruction and supports for students with disabilities. Students without disabilities benefit, too. These are among the findings of a metasynthesis of co-teaching research conducted by Scruggs, Mastropieri, & McDuffie (2007) and summarized in NICHCY’s Structured Abstract 81.
To help you co-teach effectively, we’ve developed this companion page of additional resources on co-teaching. (Also see the additional resources listed on the right sidebar under Related Info.) We’ve grouped the resources below into these sections:
- Different approaches to co-teaching
- Short and sweet reads
- Setting up shop together | Tips, strategies, & checklists
- Professional development modules on co-teaching
- Co-teaching blogs
- Resources from your state department of education
Different Approaches to Co-Teaching
Want to know more about the approaches to co-teaching mentioned in our Research Summary? Try these resources, including videos!
Types of co-teaching, summarized.
http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=collaboration/cooperative_teaching/teacher_tools/types_of_co_teaching
See them demonstrated in this 5-minute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCn4qDyuZVE
More videos.
View 5 short videos, which give examples of various co-teaching practices.
http://education.byu.edu/cpse/co_teaching/co_teach_models.html
Effective co-teaching strategies.
Discusses the basics of each approach to co-teaching and compares and contrasts them: supportive coteaching, parallel teaching, complementary teaching, and team teaching. Also identifies challenges or cautions with each.
http://www.teachhub.com/effective-co-teaching-strategies
State-level approaches to co-teaching.
This 2009 Project Forum brief describes how state education agencies are supporting co-teaching in schools, including through policies and guidance and co-teaching initiatives.
http://projectforum.org/docs/State-levelApproachestoCo-Teaching.pdf
Short and Sweet Reads on Co-Teaching
Need more info quick and to the point? Here are a few resources to get you going.
6 steps to successful co-teaching.
From NEA.
http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.html
Understanding co-teaching components.
An 8-page article about the 8 components of co-teaching. In TEACHING Exceptional Children, 33(4).
https://inclusiveed.wikispaces.com/file/view/Understanding+CoTeaching+Components.pdf
Is co-teaching effective?
Article from CEC.
http://www.maine.gov/education/speced/tools/b5lre/reports/effective.pdf
Collaboration between general and special education: Making it work.
http://www.ncset.org/publications/issue/NCSETIssueBrief_2.1.pdf
Collaboration: A must for teachers in inclusive educational settings.
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/infoBriefs_local/shure/collaboration.pdf
Superintendent leadership: Promoting general and special education collaboration.
From Project Forum, this document examines the role of the superintendent in promoting, developing, and sustaining a culture of collaboration between general and special educators.
http://projectforum.org/docs/SuperintendentLeadership-PromotingGeneralandSpEdCollaboration.pdf
Setting Up Shop Together: Tips and Strategies, Checklists, and Questions to Ask
We’ve gone through dozens of resources, and these are our favorites for framing those first steps you and your co-teacher take at setting up classroom operations.
Nuts and bolts of cooperative teaching.
This intro describes the basics of cooperative teaching, where and when it’s used, the research base as to its effectiveness and benefits, and case studies. It will also connect you with easy-to-use tools to promote your own collaborations with colleagues.
http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=collaboration/cooperative_teaching
Tips and strategies for co-teaching at the secondary level.
Prepare to co-teach with (a) questions to ask yourself and others; (b) the SHARE checklist (sharing hopes, attitudes, responsibilities, and expectation); (c) and examples of teacher actions during co-teaching (if one of you is doing this, the other can be doing that). From a TEACHING Exceptional Children article by Wendy Murawski and Lisa Dieker.
http://bsnpta.org/geeklog/public_html//article.php?story=Co_Teaching_Tips
Thorough guidance.
Here’s a great Powerpoint slideshow with lots of questions to ask yourselves, 5 “musts” for parity between co-teachers, checklists for co-teaching, classroom management, examples, and much more.
http://www.nbpts.org/userfiles/File/Bost-Co-Teaching_Bost_Woodson_NBPTS_Conf_09.pdf
Instructional strategies for co-teaching & inclusion.
This document includes a co-teaching self-evaluation checklist, guidance on how to evaluate the effectiveness of co-teaching, tips for administrators for planning collaboration time between co-teachers, and co-teaching principles for principals.
http://www.vcld.org/pages/newsletters/03_04_fall/Collaborative%20Working%20Relationships.pdf
Using co-planning time: Strategies for a successful co-teaching marriage.
A feature article published in TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus [Volume 5, Issue 4, March 2009].
http://tinyurl.com/426ybnc
More on co-planning.
This article in TEACHING Exceptional Children [Volume 33, Issue 4, 2001] is called “Building a strong BASE of support for all students through coplanning.”
http://edsp-389.wikispaces.com/file/view/hawbakerBASE.pdf
Professional Development Training Modules in Co-Teaching
Need training modules to launch a co-teaching initiative in your school—or just to inform yourself and your co-teacher? Here are several professional development training modules that will do just that.
Co-teaching: 3 academies.
This module introduces the many faces of co-teaching relationships, exemplars and non-exemplars of successful co-teaching strategies, approaches for developing co-teaching skills, and opportunities to co-plan lessons. Download facilitator guides, slideshows, and participant handouts, starting at:
http://www.niusileadscape.org/pd/co-teaching
Visit the IRIS Center.
You’ll find a diverse collection of training modules at IRIS, including these two on co-teaching:
Effective School Practices: Promoting Collaboration and Monitoring Student’s Academic Achievement | This module focuses on the entire school population and highlights partnerships between general education and special education faculty that result in the creation of a ‘collective responsibility’ and shared high expectations for all students. (En español)
Serving Students with Visual Impairments: The Importance of Collaboration | This module underscores the importance of the general education teacher’s collaborating with professionals and other individuals knowledgeable about the needs of students with visual disabilities.
Blogs on Co-Teaching
Because no one knows like another teacher…
The Evidence Base on Co-Teaching: Are WE There Yet?
http://christinesouthard.blogspot.com/2008/04/evidence-base-on-co-teaching-are-we.html
The Ins and Outs of Co-Teaching.
http://www.niusileadscape.org/bl/?p=421#more-421
Reflections on This Past School Year
http://www.teacher-world.com/teacher-blog/?p=1330
My Co-Teaching Comfort Level.
http://www.cecreality101.org/collaboration/
Co-Teaching: General Guidelines and Procedures.
http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2010/10/01/co-teaching-general-guidelines-and-procedures/
Resources from Your State Department of Education
Many states offer guidance materials on co-teaching or lead co-teaching initiatives (e.g., Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Virginia). So it’s a good idea to check with your state department of education to see what’s available in your area.
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