Teaching practices are moving away from providing Special Education (SE) services by pulling students out of classrooms towards supporting students in General Education (GE) classrooms.

We know that maximizing SE teacher time with students by providing specific, targeted services is more effective than extended removal from the classroom. We also know that when SE and GE teachers work together to meet student needs, each can suggest resources, identify potential obstacles for students, and determine what skills should be pre-taught or retaught. This significantly improves students’ abilities to transfer skills from one learning environment to another.

Improvements in Student Achievement

Over a four-year period, Huberman et al (2012) examined policies and practices in four large districts in California that had strong academic performance in their SE populations. Three themes emerged as effective practices that lead to improved student achievement for SE students:

Inclusion and access to core curriculum
Collaboration between SE and GE
Administrative leadership in a highly collaborative school culture

Johnson, Reinhorn, and Simon (2018) reported similar findings in their study of six successful high-poverty, high-minority Massachusetts schools. Five of the six schools relied on collaborative teams as a centerpiece of their school improvement. Key factors in their research include:

Engaged support by school administrators
Sufficient regular time for meeting
Worthy purpose in support of school's mission
Facilitation by trained teacher-leaders

Stronger Together

Effective teams of educators improve student outcomes because of the safe, collaborative culture that empowers teachers to improve student learning beyond what any of them can achieve alone. Mclauglin and Talbert (2006) explain that teacher collaboration in strong professional learning communities:

Improves the quality and equity of student learning
Promotes discussions grounded in evidence and analysis rather than opinion
Fosters collective responsibility for student success

We Share More than Resources and Ideas

Collaborative educator teams share more than resources and ideas — they share energy and a desire to see all students succeed. This benefits not only students with disabilities but also students in their GE classes. This requires a different mindset for all teachers involved and ultimately, an entirely different delivery of services.

We shift from the concept that students must be ready to be included in GE classrooms to the concept that with the right strategies, knowledge and supports, the GE classroom is the right place for all students.

Next: SE and CTE Partnerships