Co-Teaching Strategies to Facilitate Success with

the CCSS
Utilizing small, flexible groups
to meet the needs of all learners

Colleen Connolly, Assistant Principal Troy 30C

Tyler Haymond, Assistant Principal Troy 30C
Deb Marco, Director of Special Education Troy 30C

Co-taught classes

At Troy 30-C, our goal for co-taught classes is to limit whole group instruction to
mini-lessons. This allows the majority of class time to be spent in teacher led
small, flexible groups, structured cooperative learning groups, and independent
work activities.

Flexible groups empower teachers to differentiate instruction, addressing student

needs as they relate to learning targets.

Heacox, D. (2002) Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom. Minneapolis,

MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

Hattie Rankings on Effect Size

Using formative assessment to inform instruction 0.9

Classroom behavior 0.8
Comprehensive Interventions for students with Learning Disabilities 0.77
Teacher Clarity 0.75
Reciprocal Teaching 0.74
Feedback 0.73
Teacher-Student Relationships 0.72
Meta-cognitive Strategies 0.69
Problem-solving Teaching 0.61
Teaching strategies 0.6
Cooperative learning vs. individualistic learning 0.59
Goals 0.56
Peer tutoring 0.55
Small group learning 0.49
Match style of learning 0.41
Time on task 0.38

Hattie, J. (2009). Influences and effect size related to student achievement. Visible Learning Diagram. Retrieved from http:
//visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/.

What is co-teaching?

General education teacher, ELL Specialist, and/or Special Education Teacher

collaborating
Plan
Teach
Assess
Manage
Facilitate success for all students
Instruction toward the same learning target
Co-Planning to meet the needs of all learners
Reach students with different needs within the same setting
Give and take of content knowledge and student needs

Perez, K. (2012). The co-teaching book of lists. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Co-Teaching is NOT...

Special education teacher assumes the role of Teaching

Associate/Paraprofessional, previously known as, One Teach, One Assist
Just an extra adult in the room
One teacher doing all of the work/planning
One teaching, the other grading
General education teaches general education students, special education teacher
teaches students with IEPs
One teaches, the other individualizes

Perez, K. (2012).

Co-Teaching Benefits General Education Students

More contact time with teachers for greater individualized instruction

Unique learning needs met for students
Peer tutoring develops leadership skills
Development of social skills
Attention to individual learning styles
Receive small group instruction
Benefit from peers
More comfortable asking questions
Flexibility to address different learning styles

Perez, K. (2012).

Co-Teaching Benefits Students with Special Needs

Receive more responsive instruction with two teachers

Benefit from peer tutoring
Feel part of the school - not isolated
Access to Least Restrictive Environment
Benefit from content expertise of general education teacher
Interaction with peers
Exposure to modelling by students with successful learning skills
Benefit of combined skillsets of two different teachers
More one on one attention

Perez, K. (2012).

Advantages of Co-Teaching for All Students

Increased engagement
Less time off task
Less fragmented learning
Shorter wait time for assistance
Exposure to different teaching styles
Positive social outcomes for all students
High behavioral and academic expectations for all students

Perez, K. (2012).

Co-Teaching Benefits General Education Teachers

Gain background information of special education students

Assistance with student organizational skills and effort
Feedback available from special education teacher on content presentation
Supports for all students
Learn and share strategies from special educator to reach all students
More opportunity for family contact

Perez, K. (2012).

Co-Teaching Benefits Special Education Teachers

Greater awareness of student progress and performance in the context of grade

level expectations
Partnering with colleagues to support IEP goals
Gain content knowledge
Empower students to generalize information
Requires goals to address prioritized, grade level CCSS
More positive feedback from parents

Perez, K. (2012).

Advantages of Co-Teaching for All Teachers

Flexibility in activities and assessments

Easier to conduct hands on activities
Increased creativity, ideas
Double the man/woman power
Share expertise, and provide feedback
Personal support and collaboration
Different perspective
Co-planning can be exhilarating - having a colleague to share ideas, and provides
increased opportunities to implement innovative practices
Help more students
Learn new strategies

Perez, K. (2012).

One Teach, One Assist

Unfortunately, the most prevalent co-teaching model in schools today is One

Teach, One Assist.
At Troy 30C, we are moving beyond One Teach, One Assist
Our teachers are capable of so much more
Demeaning to be the assistant
Does little to increase student engagement or achievement
Small, flexible groups allow students to better meet the challenges of the
CCSS

Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. (2007) Co-teaching in inclusive classrooms: a

metasynthesis of qualitative research. Exceptional Children, 73(4), 392-416.

Four Co-Teaching Models

1.
2.
3.
4.

Station Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Skills Groups/Supplemental Teaching
Differentiated Teaching Groups

Selected from Perez, K. (2012).

Station Teaching

Instructional content divided into learning centers.

Two teachers at two different stations.
Typically between two and four stations; up to two independent or collaborative
small group stations, such as Kagan Structures.
Students rotate after a set time.
Both teachers interact with all students throughout the lesson.

Kagan, M., Kagan, S. (2009). Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA:
Kagan Publishing.
Perez, K. (2012).

Effective Uses of Station Teaching

Differentiate Instruction at the end of a unit

Review before an assessment
Fill skill gaps
Reteaching
Maintenance/review of previously learned concepts
Technology use

Parallel Teaching

Classroom is divided into two groups

Groups may be homogenous or heterogenous
Participation is increased by having smaller group sizes.
Teachers teach the same material to the classroom, but can differentiate methods
to better meet student needs.

Perez, K. (2012).

Effective Uses of Parallel Teaching

Reteaching after an assessment based on student needs

Introduce new material at a different pace/level of support or scaffolding
Organize physical space to minimize distractions
Second whiteboard helpful
Heterogenous groups, peers work collaboratively

Skill Groups/Supplemental Teaching

Teachers divide students into flexible, homogeneous ability groups and provide
leveled instruction.
Students are shared by both teachers.
Rather than, your kids, and my kids, they are all our kids.

Perez, K. (2012).

Effective Uses of Skill Groups/Supplemental Teaching

Different reading levels of the same text (ReadWorks, NEWSELA, Reading

A-Z)
After a pre-test
Use exit slip to determine tomorrows groups
Use text at level of assessment, but chunked differently
Excellent for math - two teacher led groups
Excellent for writing too
Conferring with feedback to students

Differentiated Teaching Groups

Also referred to as Learning Styles Approach

One teacher may plan visual/auditory lesson, while the other teacher plans a
tactile/kinesthetic lesson.
Same learning outcome, but different methodology, scaffolding, or teaching
strategies.
Great way to incorporate student choice.

Perez, K. (2012).

Effective Uses of Differentiated Groups

Start school year with Learning Styles Surveys

Increased opportunities for kinesthetic learning activities

Butcher block paper on the floor
Fly swatter vocabulary
Shoot basket for each question written
Choreograph movements for each vocabulary word

Differentiation through Universal Design for

Learning Guidelines

http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines/udlguidelines_graphicorganizer

Using Groups
Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous groups?

Based on activity
Based on data
Based on student preference/choice

What is the objective of the group?

Improving skills
Remediating skills
Enriching skills
Teaching Strategies
Appropriate Social Interaction
Team Building
Schullery, N. & Schullery, N. (2006). Are heterogeneous or homogeneous groups more beneficial
to students? Journal of Management Education 30: 542-556.

Heterogeneous Groups

Students at varying ability and readiness levels

Heterogeneous groups effective for these activities
Critical Thinking Activities
Concept and Generalization Activities
Open-ended discussions
Cooperative Learning Groups (such as Kagan Structure Activities)
Multi-disciplinary Units, Examples: Hands-on science experiments and Current
event discussions

Schullery, N. & Schullery, N. (2006).

Homogeneous Groups

Students at similar ability and readiness levels

Use of homogenous groups
Differentiated drill and practice
Math computation/Fact activities
Differentiated stations
Guided Reading Groups
Guided Math Groups

Schullery, N. & Schullery, N. (2006).

Co-Teaching Requirements

Designated Co-Planning time

An interpersonal relationship between teachers
An understanding of co-teaching instructional methods
An understanding of student needs
Space to work with students
Shared content area knowledge
An understanding of classroom procedures and routines

Perez, K. (2012).

Content Teacher Responsibilities

Willingness to change or adapt

Willing to share function and control of classroom.
Strong interpersonal skills - ability to work with someone
Strong content area knowledge
Flexibility to implement a variety of best instructional practices
Familiarity with students requiring special education services, accommodations
and modifications

Perez, K. (2012).

Special Ed Teacher Responsibilities

Willingness to adapt to established classroom routines, procedures, and behavioral

management techniques.
Extensive knowledge of individual student needs, goals, and accommodations and
modifications.
An understanding of the content area to be instructed.
An understanding of instructional best practices.
Strong interpersonal skills.
A toolbox of interventions, strategies and scaffolding supports.

Perez, K. (2012).

Steps to Successful Co-Teaching

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Develop a personal relationship with your co-teaching colleague

Discuss teaching styles when preparing to co-plan
Share strengths and weakness with your partner so that you may support each
other and the students
Discuss goals for students, including IEP goals, and goals for general education
students
As a team develop a shared action plan
Step out of your comfort zone and grow as educators

Marston, N. 6 steps to successful co-teaching. Retrieved from http://www.nea.

org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.html

The Role of Administrators

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.

Mindset shift - help all educators see co-teaching as best practice through
professional development on co-teaching, small group instruction, and
differentiated instruction.
Build in time for co-planning into teachers schedules.
Consider teacher choice in establishing co-teaching pairs. If this is not possible,
carefully consider personalities when pairing teachers.
Observe co-teaching teams multiple times and more frequently to complete both
teachers evaluations at once.
Maintain a school culture that values co-teaching, with continual efforts for
improvement and increased implementation

Murawski, W. & Bernhardt, P. (2015/2016) An administrators guide to co-teaching.

Educational Leadership, 73(4), 30-34.

References
CAST (2011). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.0. Wakeeld, MA.
Hattie, J. (2009). Influences and effect size related to student achievement. Visible Learning Diagram.
Retrieved from http://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/.
Heacox, D. (2002) Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit
Publishing Inc.
Kagan, M., Kagan, S. (2009). Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.
Kagan, L., Kagan, M., & Kagan, S. (2016). 59 kagan structures. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.

References, continued
Marston, N. 6 steps to successful co-teaching. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successfulco-teaching.html
Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. (2007) Co-teaching in inclusive classrooms: a metasynthesis of qualitative
research. Exceptional Children, 73(4), 392-416.
Murawski, W. & Bernhardt, P. (2015/2016) An administrators guide to co-teaching. Educational Leadership,
73(4), 30-34.
Perez, K. (2012). The co-teaching book of lists. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schullery, N. & Schullery, N. (2006). Are heterogeneous or homogeneous groups more beneficial to students?
Journal of Management Education 30: 542-556.