Evaluating the use of co-teaching strategies to improve student reading

Developing and implementing effective service delivery models for students with special needs is both challenging and critical. Emerging research supports the use of co-teaching strategies during which a general and special educator share roles and responsibilities to instruct a group of students with and without disabilities. This quasi-experimental, action research study explored the impact of co-teaching on the reading fluency and comprehension scores of fifth grade students with and without disabilities. The study collected the following data: student achievement data (DIBELS) from students in the treatment and comparison classes; teacher memos and interviews; logs of time that participating teachers spent in collaborative meetings; and logs of time that teachers engaged in each form of co-teaching. Findings from the study suggest reading fluency and oral retell fluency growth in the treatment and comparison classes was statistically insignificant; however, some changes in student achievement suggest co-teaching was an effective method for some of the participating students. Findings reveal the experiences of the participating teachers, the amounts of time they spent planning, and the amounts of time they engaged in each type of co-teaching model. Additionally, findings give depth to the numerous elements necessary for successful co-teaching, most poignantly the professional relationships between participating teachers. The study discusses further research necessary to investigate the impact of co-teaching on students with learning disabilities in schools nationwide.