Longstanding concern about how learning disabilities (LD) are defined and identified, coupled with recent efforts in Washington, DC to eliminate IQ-achievement discrepancy as an LD marker, have led to serious public discussion about alternative identification methods. The most popular of the alternatives is responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI), of which there are two basic versions: the “problem-solving” model and the “standard-protocol” approach. The authors describe both types, review empirical evidence bearing on their effectiveness and feasibility, and conclude that more needs to be understood before RTI may be viewed as a valid means of identifying students with LD.

Responsiveness-to-Intervention: Definitions, Evidence, and Implications for the Learning Disabilities Construct.

ABSIRACT:The relationship between efficacy and selected instructional vareables was explored for two types of special education teachers. Teachers were categorized either as direct service providers, who provided direct instruction or behavioral interventions to students with mild disabilities, or as indirect service providers, who spent at least 50% of their time consulting, collaborating, or team teaching with general educators. Significant positive correlations found between efficacy and three instructionally-relevant factors were for both types of teachers. Type of service was related to only one instructional component, Instructional Experimentation. Recommendations for teacher education are addressed.

The Relationship Between Efficacy and the Instructional Practices of Special Education Teachers and Consultants

T: Thirty-two qualitative investigations of co-teaching in inclusive classrooms were in- cluded in a metasynthesis employing qualitative research integration techniques. It was concluded that co-teachers generally supported co-teaching, although a number of important needs were iden- tified, including planning time, student skill level, and training; many of these needs were linked to administrative support. The dominant co-teaching role was found to be "one teach, one assist," in classrooms characterized by traditional instruction, even though this method is not highly rec- ommended in the literature. The special education teacher was often observed to play a subordinate role. Techniques often recommended for special education teachers, such as peer mediation, strategy instruction, mnemonics, and training of study skills, self-advocacy skills, and self-monitoring, were infrequently observed.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/001440290707300401

Co-Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research

Background/Context: A review of the literature demonstrates that schools are frequently called upon to improve by developing high levels of teacher collaboration. At the same time, there is a paucity of research investigating the extent to which teachers’ collaborative school improvement practices are related to student achievement. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the literature and empirically test the relationship between a theoretically driven measure of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement. Setting: The data for this study were drawn from students and teachers in a large urban school district located in the midwestern United States. Population: The population for this study came from the elementary schools in one large midwestern school district. Survey data were drawn from a sample of 47 elementary schools with 452 teachers and 2,536 fourth-grade students. Research Design: Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was the primary analytic method. Survey data were collected approximately 2 months before students took the mandatory state assessments, which provided the scale scores that served as dependent variables in this research. HLM accounted for the nested nature of the data (students nested in schools). This was a naturalistic study that employed secondary data analysis. There was no intervention, treatment, or randomization. Naturally occurring differences in teachers’ levels of collaboration were measured, and statistical controls for school social context were employed. At the student level, the study employed controls for children’s social and academic backgrounds.

/pdf/a-theoretical-and-empirical-investigation-of-teacher-3e4sknv7hx.pdf

A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of Teacher Collaboration for School Improvement and Student Achievement in Public Elementary Schools.

Database: The link information below provides a persistent link to the article you've requested. Persistent link to this record: Following the link below will bring you to the start of the article or citation. Cut and Paste: To place article links in an external web document, simply copy and paste the HTML below, starting with \"<a href\" To continue, in Internet Explorer, select FILEthen SAVE AS from your browser's toolbar above. Be sure to save as a plain text file (.txt) or a 'Web Page, HTML only' file (.html). In Netscape, selectFILE then SAVE AS from your browser's toolbar above.

/pdf/co-teaching-guidelines-for-creating-effective-practices-2v8tm6x0x9.pdf

Co-Teaching: Guidelines for Creating Effective Practices.

1. The Fundamentals of Collaboration. 2. Teams. 3. Co-Teaching. 4. Consultation. 5. Staff Development. 6. The Pragmatic Issues of Collaboration. 7. Interpersonal Problem Solving. 8. Interpersonal Communication. 9. Using Statements. 10. Asking Questions. 11. Difficult Interactions. 12. Perspectives and Issues.

Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals

THE PAST DECADE has been characterized by significant changes in expectations related to students with disabilities and other special needs Like all students,
those who struggle to learn because of intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional,
communication, or learning disabilities or other special needs must be taught using
research-based practices, and nearly all are expected to reach the same high academic standards as other students Importantly, teachers, administrators, and other
professionals are more accountable than ever for ensuring that these challenging but
appropriate goals are accomplished

Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers

Although collaboration among service providers has been a hallmark of special education almost since its inception, co-teaching, the sharing of instruction by a general education teacher and a special education teacher or another specialist in a general education class that includes students with disabilities, is a relatively recent application. As a result of recent federal legislation and related policy changes, co-teaching has evolved rapidly as a strategy for ensuring that these students have access to the same curriculum as other students while still receiving the specialized instruction to which they are entitled. Despite considerable enthusiasm expressed by those who write about co-teaching and those who implement it, co-teaching illustrates the complexity of conceptualizing and studying collaboration in special education. Most inquiry on co-teaching has emphasized co-teachers' roles and relationships or program logistics rather than demonstrating its impact on student achievement and other key out...

/pdf/co-teaching-an-illustration-of-the-complexity-of-x092crhj59.pdf

Co-Teaching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education.

This article provides a national perspective on the schools and school programs for students with emotional disturbances (ED) who are served in special education, using nationally representative da...

Marilyn Friend

Papers

Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals

Co-Teaching: Guidelines for Creating Effective Practices.

Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers

Co-Teaching: An Illustration of the Complexity of Collaboration in Special Education.

Educating Students With Emotional Disturbances: A National Perspective on School Programs and Services