1. Collaborative Practices of General & Special Education Teachers:
Making a Difference in Students’ Mathematics Learning
DeAnn Huinker, UW-Milwaukee Judy Winn, UW – Milwaukee Mary Spidell, Milwaukee Public Schools Chris Guthrie, Elmbrook Schools WMC Green Lake Conference May 7, 2010

2. Presentation Objective & WALT
Develop a stronger alliance between special education teachers and general education teachers.
Investigate strategies that are showing promise in reaching the needs of students struggling to learn math.
WALT (We Are Learning To)…
Collaborate with special education and general education teachers to plan and implement effective mathematics instruction.
Chris
What will you walk away with?
Methods for collaborating during instruction
Methods for collaborating during planning for that instruction
Resources to guide you on this journey 2

3. Alliance for Teaching Mathematics to Special Education Learners
Vision
Improve mathematics performance for students in grades 4-8, particularly for students with special needs and for students who struggle, and
Support a school culture for collaboration of general and special education teachers on improving math for all students
Judy

4. Alliance for Teaching Mathematics to Special Education Learners
Goals
To strengthen the mathematics content knowledge of general and special education teachers;
To enhance mathematics instructional and assessment practices, focusing on appropriate accommodations and modifications for special education students;
To increase collaboration on math instruction between general and special education teachers.
Judy

5. Alliance for Teaching Mathematics to Special Education Learners
DeAnn

6. Alliance for Teaching Mathematics to Special Education Learners
3-year project funded by WI DPI, Mathematics and Science Partnership Program, ESEA Title II Part B
 17 credits over the 3 years
35 participants
17 special education teachers
12 teachers of math
2 special education diagnostic teachers
4 math teacher leaders
6 instructors
Meet on Tuesday evenings during the school year and summers
DeAnn

7. Vocabulary Activity
Everyone will have a vocabulary card taped to his/her back.
Move around the room asking each person a yes or no question to try to figure out the vocabulary word or phrase on your back.
You may not ask the same person two questions in a row. 
You have 10 minutes to try to figure out your word or phrase.
When you think you know your word, find others who have the same word and form a group.

8. Vocabulary Activity Inclusion Resource Support Parallel Accessibility
Barriers
Plans
Station

9. Three arrangements for math instruction for students with disabilities
Inclusion without special education support
Resource/pull-out without regular education support
Co-teaching
There is not one best way to collaborate; what is important is that there is collaboration.
Chris

10. 6 Models of Co-teaching One teach, One support One teach, One observe
Station Teaching
Parallel Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Team Teaching
Source: Friend, M.
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

11. One teach, One support
One teacher leads the lesson while one teacher moves around the room providing support to students as needed.
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

12. One teach, One observe
One teacher leads the lesson while the other teacher observes the lesson.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

13. Station Teaching
Teachers work with students at different stations that students rotate through.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

14. Parallel Teaching
Both teachers give the same lesson at the same time to different heterogeneous groups.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

15. Alternative Teaching
One teacher provides instruction to the large group while the other teacher works with a smaller group of students.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

16. Team Teaching Both teachers share the instructional activities equally
Strengths
Weaknesses
Chris
Six models of co-teaching with examples on slides
(Then Chris and Mary talk about how it is done in their schools and the different ways it is used. Also there are slides that follow taken from Alliance participants on their initial surveys
Draw from participants about any co-teaching they do

17. Alliance Participants
We collaborate daily on what we need to work on the next day by discussing our thoughts on student achievement for that days activities
Our conversations are mostly around management and the attainment of IEP goals at about the time the IEP is due. Occasionally we talk about content.
We talk on a daily basis about concepts being taught in classroom. We work on assessments together
Mary

18. Alliance Participants
Talk about strategies we use what has worked, what hasn’t, what they seem to understand.
We meet at least once per month to discuss pacing and strategies
We are collaborating to teach a small group of learners-primarily with cognitive disabilities. We just started collaborating but we expect 50/50 share in teaching
Mary

19. Essentials for Co-teaching
Voluntary participation
Time to plan together
Mutual respect
Administrative support
Flexibility & creativity
Personal and professional compatibility
Shared instructional philosophy
Chris

20. Planning Strategies Addressing Accessibility in Mathematics
Focus on mathematics
Focus on students
Identify potential barriers
Brainstorm accessibility strategies
Share the strategies
Plan follow-up actions
Judy

21. Planning Strategies Addressing Accessibility in Mathematics
1. Focus on the mathematics
What are the mathematics goals? What are the tasks?
What is most important for all students to learn?
2. Focus on students
What are your student’s strengths and weaknesses?
3. Identify potential barriers
What is the match or mismatch between the lesson’s mathematics content and the student’s strengths and weaknesses?
Judy

22. Planning Strategies Addressing Accessibility in Mathematics
4. Brainstorm accessibility strategies
What strategies would you use to meet students’ needs and enable them to reach the mathematics goals?
Judy

23. Planning Strategies Addressing Accessibility in Mathematics
5. Share the Strategies
What strategies would you choose for your student?
What strategies would you use if you had all these students?
Judy

24. The Problem Chris leads the group through the activity
Each group has one student
NOTE: I like the end question on the table about what you would do if you had all of these students in the class.
Share out
Mathematics goals, tasks, important for all students to learn
Then share strengths, weaknesses and potential barriers by student
Then strategies they have picked
Show them what we listed for each (KID – we need to decide who is doing that)

25. The Activity Solve the problem
Identify the Big Math Ideas for the problem
Based on your table’s student vignette, and using the provided planning sheet, identify:
The student’s strengths
Potential barriers for the students
How to make this problem accessible for the student
Be prepared to share
Chris
Chris, Mary and Judy with strategies we came up with
Chris leads the group through the activity
Each group has one student
NOTE: I like the end question on the table about what you would do if you had all of these students in the class.
Share out
Mathematics goals, tasks, important for all students to learn
Then share strengths, weaknesses and potential barriers by student
Then strategies they have picked
Show them what we listed for each (KID – we need to decide who is doing that)

26. Accessibility Strategies-
Kevin
Read descriptions to him or seat him with strong reader
Have him paraphrase descriptions once he hears them
Have him highlight important information in the story and then match to graph
Provide hints
(Adapted from Brodesky et. al, 2004)
Mary

27. Accessibility Strategies
Isabelle
-Allow Isabelle “movement breaks” during the problem.
-Ask Isabelle to repeat or rephrase instructions given by the teacher
-Have a secret code or signal between teacher and Isabelle to help “tune her back in”.
-When working in a small group, ask Isabelle to be the record keeper to help keep her on task.
Have Isabelle review her work and initial each step after she reviews it.
Mary

28. Accessibility Strategies
Danny
Use a planning sheet
Consider using only three graphs
Consider a template for his response
- Preview activity with Danny and review turn taking and listening skills
(Adapted from Brodesky et. al, 2004)
Mary

29. Accessibility Strategies
Sarah
Have Sarah paraphrase what she is to do
Have her tell identify places on graphs showing slow growth of the plant
Model linking one graph to the story and numbers for her
-Have her use graph paper to graph one set of numbers
- Give her written hints
(Adapted from Brodesky et. al, 2004)
Mary

30. Co-Teaching: What is the literature telling us?
Requires mutual respect, trust, commitment to planning and common philosophy
Requires administrative support
Requires TIME for planning
Difficult if teachers did not select models
Voluntary participants more favorable than those who are assigned
Gets better over time
(Reviewed in Friend, 2007; Mastroprieri et. Al, 2005; Stivers, 20)
Judy

31. Teachers speak out
The special educator I work with says she doesn’t really know the curriculum and is uncomfortable participating in instruction. I’m not sure what she is supposed to do.
The classroom teacher told me that I should not talk during instruction. He told me that after he finished, I could walk around and help “my” students. I feel like a teaching assistant.
We never have a chance to plan, so it is not a real partnership.
(M. Friend, 2007)
Judy

32. Teachers speak out
I knew this wasn’t going to work – after all, I don’t have special education training. But I have to admit, it’s the best thing we have ever done for our kids. I could never go back to the old system.
I never realized how much potential these students have. They’re making more progress than I ever thought possible when I had them in the special education classroom.
Why didn’t we do this years ago?
(M. Friend, 2007)
Judy

33. Card Activity Wrap-up How could you differentiate this activity?
Content:
Process:
Product:
Mary
If time, to wrap up, Mary returns to card activity and leads what you could do to make it accessible to the KIDs

34. Helpful website with many links to other helpful websites
Addressing Accessibility in Mathematics
This website has excellent planning tools and strategies as well as links to many other helpful websites.