Collaboration Rubric Part Four: Secondary Collaboration

“Instructional-level factors” refers to the instructional practices and habits in which teachers must become skilled in order to collaborate successfully.  Part Two of the collaboration rubric is divided into four sections.  The four sections are based on the four instructional elements of collaboration that have been identified to clarify what is expected of ELL and general education teachers. The four instructional elements of collaboration are:

• Planning
• Co-Teaching
• Assessment/Evaluation
• Reflection

Supporting Information: Co-Teaching

The most visible aspect of collaboration is co-teaching, in which two teachers work together in the planning, delivery, and assessment of instruction.  In addition, teachers jointly reflect on their teaching practice and refine their approaches and skills as necessary to facilitate student learning.

Basic Standards for Co-Teaching

There are five characteristics of successful co-teaching that characterize effective co-teaching and enable teachers to take full advantage of the skills and expertise of both.

• Both co-teachers should be professionals, i.e., not paraprofessionals or volunteers.
• Co-teaching involves the delivery of substantive, academic instruction and not activities such as buddy reading or art projects.
• Co-teaching takes place with a diverse group of students.
• Co-teaching takes place in a single space or utilizes other shared spaces in addition to the mainstream classroom.  When alternative spaces are used, those spaces should be seen as shared space by all students.  Students should not be consistently placed in only one space.
• Co-teaching results in a reduced student-teacher ratio.  
• Co-teachers should possess two different types of professional expertise, e.g., an ELL teacher and a general education teacher.  

Classroom Configurations (Models) for Co-Teaching

There are numerous configurations in which teachers can share classrooms.  Teachers should determine the most appropriate model for each lesson or activity based on student needs and instructional goals.  Six common models and their descriptions are shown in the following pages.