The Monroe News had two articles in Sunday’s paper about the concept of co-teaching as a tool that helps more students attain AYP.
Collaborative Teaching Growing
Collaborative teaching, where a special education teacher works with students in the classroom instead of pulling them out, has been practiced in schools in the region and beyond for some time.
More Assistance in the Classroom
“We’ve seen tremendous improvements,” Ms. Arbour said. “There is value in keeping the students together with their peers.”
This change in philosophy has affected hundreds of students. Except for a small group at Monroe Middle School, special education students — most are diagnosed as learning disabled — are co-taught. At the high school, about 80 percent of the ninth-grade special ed students were in pull-out classes. Now, only about 10 percent are removed.
Ms. Arbour said test scores for the subgroup have increased across the board, sometimes dramatically. Low Michigan Education Assessment Program scores within that subgroup is what caused the high school to not make AYP year after year. That changed with the 2008 scores, which rose in all six subjects.
1 response so far ↓
1 Tela // Oct 15, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Thanks for covering this subject and I am glad the MEN took some time to report on this. My husband teaches special education at the high school level in a district north of here. This is the first year they are co-teaching and so far he feels it is a success. The kids just feel better about themselves being in class with the general population of the school and in high school who couldn’t use a little boost to the self esteem! The students are just responding really well. In fact the only ones having trouble are the general education teachers not really wanting to share the teaching time with him. They are having trouble giving up that control. They will come around. Thanks again!
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