Inclusion/Co-teaching/Collaborative Teaching

Rethinking Inclusive Education~ It’s an Equity Issue

Fostering a Culture that includes ALL students in an Inclusionary, Diverse, and Equitable Setting through Co-teaching/Collaborative Teaching.

What are the necessary components to be successful?

Co-teaching and inclusion have been around for decades. This workshop will focus on delivering service to ALL students in an inclusive setting and creating an understanding of best practices for teaching in a co-taught environment.  While reviewing the key elements to a successful co-teaching model, you as a school/ district will review the six approaches to co-teaching, common language, and the strategies for instruction that support the DESE teacher rubric, focusing on Standard II…Teaching ALL Students.

This work will emphasize the need for all adults in the school to create a mindset that everyone is responsible for the social, emotional, and academic achievement of ALL students.

  • This workshop will explore the nuances and criteria that make up Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and what makes it different from other instructional practices within the classroom. Participants will gain an understanding of the six approaches to co-teaching and develop an understanding of how SDI can be applied within each of these approaches. Common planning protocols and lesson plan templates will be examined to help teams develop an effective way to ensure specific students’ SDI is being addressed within the instructional block.

  • A multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) is a proactive and preventative framework that integrates data and instruction to maximize student achievement and support students’ social, emotional, and behavior needs from a strengths-based perspective. MTSS offers a framework for educators to engage in data-based decision making related to program improvement, high-quality instruction and intervention, social and emotional learning, and positive behavioral supports necessary to ensure positive outcomes for districts, schools, teachers, and students. For the MTSS framework to be implemented successfully, educators must lead, communicate, and participate in many (if not all) areas of implementation. Educators must also understand the importance of student-level work, systems-level problem solving, and assist in building a mindset that every student is the responsibility of every teacher and helping all staff take ownership of the continuous improvement process (Marlowe, 2021).

    Components of a Multi-Tiered System of Support and the Role of the S.S.T. (Student Success Team): How do both structures impact teaching and learning?

    The workshop will explore the core components of a multi-tiered system of support and provide a guide of looking at an effective delivery system that is intended to provide an educational experience for all students with a focus on effective instruction, scientifically based interventions, and student outcomes. The workshop will also explore how the S.S.T. (Student Success Team) augments the MTSS framework in its role as a problem-solving, multidisciplinary team deeply examines individual student needs and helps identify the supports needed to promote student success.

  • Staff and students` sense of belonging is a critical condition for academic success. Staff and students who feel a sense of belonging "feel socially connected, supported, and respected." They trust their teachers and their peers, and they "feel a sense of fit at school" due to efforts at the school level to promote a safe and supportive learning environment. To engage with students as authentic partners, we must approach engagement with a focus on equity.

    This means:

    A. Establishing meaningful engagement activities and systems that do not characterize or treat specific groups as deficient in their level of engagement or approach to education

    B. Acknowledging and navigating cultural differences through communication, humility, and sensitivity.