Teachers’ Guides to Inclusive Practices

Collaborative Teaming

Third Edition

by Margaret E. King-Sears, Ph.D. Rachel Janney, Ph.D. and Martha E. Snell, Ph.D.

Contents

• About the Forms
• About the Authors
• Acknowledgments
• Overview of Collaborative Teaming
• Collaborative Teams
• Why Is Collaboration So Important in Schools Today?
• Collaboration and Collaborative Teaming
• Service Delivery Models and Methods
• Components of Collaborative Teaming
• Benefits and Challenges of Collaborative
• Problem Solving and Action Planning

About the Authors

Margaret E. King-Sears, Ph.D.

• Professor in the Division of Special Education and disAbility Research at George Mason University since 2005.
• Developed and coordinated the inclusive education program at The Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 2005.
• Research interests: co-teaching, self-management, universal design for learning.

Rachel Janney, Ph.D.

• Independent scholar and consultant with experience in special education.
• Former professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Radford University.
• Specializes in inclusion of students with extensive learning and behavioral support needs.

Contributors

• Melissa Ainsworth, Ph.D.: Former high school English teacher and current special education teacher.
• Leighann Alt, M.A.: Special educator since 1997, experienced in inclusive elementary classrooms.
• Kimberly Avila, Ph.D.: Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist.
• Colleen Barry, M.Ed.: Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
• Michelle Dunaway, M.Ed.: Teacher of middle and secondary students with disabilities.
• Rachel Hamberger, M.Ed.: Preschool supervisor for an inclusive preschool.
• Catherine Morrison, M.Ed.: Teaches high school students with disabilities in Hawaii.
• Julia Renberg, M.Ed.: General middle school science teacher.
• Karen King Scanlan, B.S.N., RN, CCRN: Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse.
• Philip Yovino, M.Ed.: General education teacher in a co-teaching model.

WHY IS COLLABORATION SO IMPORTANT IN SCHOOLS TODAY?

Quality teaching is not an individual accomplishment; it results from a collaborative culture that enables teachers to work together to enhance student learning. Collaboration is critical in today’s diverse classrooms, where students bring varied skills, motivations, and backgrounds. Special education laws require collaboration as part of the process involving the development and implementation of IEPs.

Overview of Collaborative Teaming

Collaborative teaming is essential to inclusive education and acts as the glue that connects educational programs and support services for students. The IDEA emphasizes the importance of participation in IEP teams and access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.

Table 1.1. Seven critical characteristics of inclusive education

1. All students are welcome in their neighborhood schools.
2. The school culture reflects values of equality, diversity, and collaboration.
3. Students are full members of age-appropriate classes.
4. Administrators motivate and support school staff.

Table 1.2. What inclusion is and is not

Inclusion is:

• Students with disabilities attending schools with their peers.
• Students receiving individual and relevant learning objectives.

Inclusion is not:

• Requiring all students with disabilities to be in general education all day.
• Denying individualized instruction when needed.

Best Practices for Schoolwide Systems of Support

Integrated, responsive schoolwide systems for student support lead to achievement gains and reduced rates of special education referrals. Important features include:

1. A unified system of support for general and special education.
2. Use of least intrusive supports.
3. Student performance data to determine the need for specialized methods.
4. Services viewed as portable and not confined to special education locations.

Teachers and staff must possess the skills to implement evidence-based practices widely, and ongoing collaboration is essential to ensure success in inclusive education.