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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the components of creating a successful program?
Posted by: Tamara on 07-07-2001
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ANSWER: a. Limits- Schools should be mindful that there are limits to the effectiveness of the collaborative model when resources are overtaxed. Therefore, there should be a limit on the number of special education students in a collaborative class. Limits, however, should not be necessarily set by percentage, ratio or disability category. The criteria of academically-able should be the chief consideration irrespective of disability. Numbers of special education students should be commensurate with individual classroom resources. Furthermore, collaborative classrooms should not be treated as dumping grounds for non-eligible special education students with special needs.
b. Multiple Service Delivery Options- Collaborative classes should be only one option available to students with disabilities. A continuum of services should exist including self-contained classes, resource rooms, and mainstreaming environments. In some special cases, special education students might be part of a collaborative classroom (primarily), but also attend a resource room for more intensive work. Moreover, this will allow for students with more severe disabilities to be educated in more restrictive educational settings.
c. Planning Time- Effective collaborative teaching is predicated on planning time for collaborative teachers. Planning times should be given priority for all schools- elementary, middle, and secondary. It is thought so important that administrators should consider allowing collaborative teachers to be free of various school-wide duties (i.e. lunchroom, bus duty) in order to have planning time.
d. Program Evaluation- Collaborative teaching programs should be evaluated formally and systematically by administrators and teachers on an annual basis. In addition, views about the program should be solicited from parents of general and special education students themselves.
e. Feedback on Success- The success of collaborative teaching programs should be reported formally to the general faculty, parents, and the public. In this way the entire school community becomes knowledgeable about this school-wide program, and it engenders interest, support, and concern for the program.
f. Program Continuation- Students and their parents should be assured that the collaborative teaching program will be continued at the next grade level and at the next educational level. Elementary, middle, and high schools should cooperatively plan for a well articulated collaborative teaching program through the grades. Furthermore, they should agree on curriculum that, at a minimum, will be offered in each grade level (i.e. math, English, civics) throughout the educational continuum. Individual schools should decide whether they want to offer collaborative classes beyond those subjects.
g. Define Collaboration- There should be a minimum amount of time and effort that collaborative teams spend collaborating in the classroom for a program to be truly a collaborative classroom. This criteria can be identified in hours, percentages, and meeting IEP goals. Absolute standards are difficult to establish. Therefore, at a minimum, criteria for true collaboration should be set by schools and/or collaborative teams on a priority basis and be judged according to that standard.
h. Parent Informing- Parents whose children are in collaborative classes should have the program thoroughly explained to them prior to or at the beginning of the school year. Special education parents should have opportunities to know more about the program than information provided at the IEP conferences. General education parents need information about all aspects of the program as well. Printed material should be available about the collaborative teaching system. Scheduling is crucial to the success of the collaborative teaching model. Putting the student first should drive the process. This precept is necessary to protect the integrity of the program. Scheduling should be done after a thorough identification of individual student profiles and needs are developed. Only then can issues such as student mix, reasonable numbers, and number of collaborative teams (to name some) be planned for adequately.
i. Voluntary Participation- It is important that teachers collaborate on a voluntary basis. When teachers are forced into collaborative roles, it undermines the basis for the collaborative program in general and the collaborative relationship of the teacher in particular. It is imperative that teachers participate in the collaborative program voluntarily. Furthermore, it is important for teachers to be matched as teams with a sense of compatibility, including teaching philosophy and teaching styles.
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How do I deal with teachers/administrators who absolutely refuse to collaborate with me?
Posted by: Tamara on 07-10-2001
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ANSWER: As you begin to create collaborative structures, it is important to begin where you have the best chance for success. This may mean that you seek out those teachers with whom you already share a trusting relationship. When you have some initial successes behind you, the word will spread, and other teachers will be more willing to collaborate. You may want to have a newsletter or bulletin board in the staff lounge promoting your collaborative activities.
Administrators are another matter. Support of your building principal is critically important. You can build that support by planning ahead. (See online training ? Program Development) What is it that you hope to accomplish? What support will you need? What benefits can accrue to students and staff in your building/district? Take this information to your building administrator and seek her/his support.
Once your program is initiated, communication is vital. Keep teachers and administrators informed of your activities. Consider a newsletter. Monitor child-change and show resulting data to teachers and administrators. The key is to begin with realistic objectives and plans, then share news of mutual successes.
REMEMBER ? Most of your interactions will be positive. That is, you will be working with people who want assistance and who care about children. The few resistant ones will create dissonance for you, but they will not represent the majority of people with whom you will work.
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How can I establish a support network for myself as I implement collaborative structures?
Posted by: Tamara on 07-10-2001
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ANSWER: Successful collaborative structures are much easier to implement and maintain if you can share your successes and frustrations with others who have similar experiences. If you know other collaborative teachers, give them a call and get together once in a while.
Also count on KU Power of 2 Staff as sources of information. E-mail us your questions. We will be glad to provide some help or names of other collaborative teachers to network with.
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What are some ideas that schools have used to be sure that the ratio of students with disabilities to typical students does not become too high?
Posted by: bev colombo on 07-27-2001
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ANSWER: Your school counselor is your best friend when it comes to scheduling. It is important to educate counselors on special education needs. So many things have to be considered when scheduling students - student's exceptionality, student's ability, support needed, subject area, comfort level of the teacher, class size, etc. Successful schools plan together. Successful programs have the general education teachers, special education teachers, and counselors sitting down together and deciding the make up of the classes. This usually happens in the spring before the students go on to the next grade.
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How often should teachers meet with their paraeducators?
Posted by: Lauren Myers on 04-09-2002
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ANSWER: Every situation will be different depending on whether the program has already been established, whether the paraeducators are new or returning paras and whether the teachers are new or returning teachers. Even established programs frequently meet with returning paras and teachers before school and often several nights at the first of the year. Then, usually once a week is enough. There should be a set time every week so people can plan ahead. You might agree with the paraeducators to stay after school for thirty minutes once a week and if they are owed time, they can leave early some other day. Be sure to thank these people often for all they do!
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Archived Questions
1. Do I have to be involved in collaborative teaching if I?d prefer to maintain my resource room role?
2. How do teachers find time to plan?
3. What should the ratio of students with special needs be in a co-taught class?
4. Is it fair to grade students with special needs different than other students?
5. How can teachers be assured that they will be compatible?
6. Do I have to become a content expert in order to co-teach?
7. How can teachers who travel among different schools establish collaborative relationships?
8. How do I provide appropriate follow-up for problem-solving sessions with my itinerant schedule?
9. When I try collaborative consultation, won?t people expect me to be an expert?
10. How do I deal with resistant participants when using the Problem-Solving Process?
11. What do I do if a teacher is not willing to listen and just wants me to remove a student permanently from a class?
12. How can I be assured that I will be able to co-teach in a general classroom?
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