The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), Special Education is offering comprehensive professional development in the Co-Teaching Model. Schools that are implementing the model for the first time this year, schools that are interested in improving an existing program, and schools that are currently implementing and have participated in previous training cycles are eligible to participate. Schools that are interested in planning for future implementation should contact Rose Merry Kirkpatrick for planning assistance; however, must wait until the implementation year to attend.
The co-teaching model is designed to provide support to students with disabilities who are receiving instruction in a general education classroom by training general and special education partnerships to jointly plan, present, and assess the instruction provided to all students within the classroom. Based on research conducted on the Co-Teaching Model as well as data obtained from schools that have participated in previous professional development activities, the effectiveness of the model is dependent upon the degree to which general and special educators develop a collaborative co-teaching relationship and the level of system support. To this end, the co-teaching package includes three phases of professional development. These three phases are designed to address system support through the creation of a building leadership team charged with implementation planning and ongoing oversight, foundational training for the co-teaching partnerships, and follow-up support for the leadership team and the co-teaching partnerships.
Schools choosing to participate must commit to completing all three phases of training. In addition, participating schools must also agree to participate in a process to evaluate implementation efforts including system support, classroom application, and student outcomes. An implementation evaluation plan that has been revised based on data obtained from previous participants will be provided during the building leadership team training to assist teams with these requirements.
The following includes a description of the three phases as well as choices of available dates and locations:
Phase 1: One-Day Building Leadership Team Training
October 3, 2007, Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock
October 5, 2007, Northwest Arkansas Education Cooperative, Farmington
October 9, 2007, Southeast Arkansas Education Cooperative, Monticello
Phase 1-- a one-day training that is provided to a building-based leadership team to assist in planning, monitoring and evaluating the co-teaching program. The team must consist of at least the following members: a building-level administrator, one general education and one special education co-teacher, and one other school support staff (such as a special education supervisor, curriculum coordinator, math or literacy coach, professional development coordinator, school counselor, or Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan professional development committee member). Schools may send additional team members by paying a supplemental registration fee. Teams should indicate a choice of three regional locations on the application form.
Phase 2: One-Day Co-Teaching Partnership Training
October 17, 2007, Jacksonville Community Center Jacksonville or
October 18, 2007, Jacksonville Community Center Jacksonville
Phase 2 -- a one-day foundational training for the general and special education teachers using co-teaching in the classroom setting. Each building that participates must send the co-teaching partnership from Phase 1 and may send one additional partnership for no added fee. Schools may send additional co-teaching partnerships by paying a supplemental registration fee. Since training space is limited, administrators are encouraged to select partnerships to attend the training whose classrooms can serve as model sites for other co-teaching partners in the building. The building administrator or support person from the leadership team may also choose to attend this training in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the co-teaching process and its classroom application. Participants should indicate the preferred date of attendance on the application.
Phase 3: Follow-up
One-Day Co-Teaching Partnership Follow-up Meeting
May 7, 2008, Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock
Phase 3 – follow-up support will be provided to the building leadership team and co-teaching partnerships in the following ways:
- Web meetings – Seven web meetings will be provided including, three targeting co-teaching partnerships, two targeting members of the building leadership team, one for building administrators, and one targeting coaches (literacy, math or academic) supporting co-taught classrooms.
- Web discussion group for co-teaching partnerships and members of the building leadership team.
- Onsite technical assistance on request.
- E-mail and telephone technical assistance.
- Statewide co-teaching partnership follow-up meeting on May 7, 2008, in Little Rock designed to provide participants with an opportunity to share successful practices with other partnerships across the state. Registration will be processed separately.
On the attached application form, teams are to indicate preferred dates and locations. All trainings will begin at 8:30 AM (registration 8:00 AM) and conclude by 3:30 PM.
Individuals are responsible for hotel reservations and travel expenses. The Holiday Inn Presidential is offering accommodations at a special rate of $89 per double room for individuals attending the Little Rock Co-Teaching Building Leadership Team training. To make reservations at the special rate call (501) 375-2100 or (866) 900-7625 no later than 9/1/07 and reference the Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Co-Teaching Training.
The total cost of the professional development package is five hundred dollars ($500.00). This fee includes registration for the four-member building leadership team (building administrator, co-teaching partnership, and one additional support staff) as well as registration for one additional co-teaching partnership and all follow-up activities. The fee will offset the cost of meals and materials provided to the specified teams during all phases of the training. Additional team members and co-teaching partnerships may attend if space is available for a supplemental charge of $100.00 per person. Payment should be made in the form of a check made payable to the Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education, and mailed with the attached application to:
Pamela Lambert
ADE, Special Education
1401 W. Capitol, Suite 450
Little Rock, AR 72201
The deadline to apply is September 19, 2007. Space is limited; applicants are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Only application forms that include correct team member make-up and are accompanied by a check will be considered. Cancellation must be made at least 48 hours BEFORE the training date in order for the team to be eligible for a refund.
For questions about the Co-Teaching Model or the Co-Teaching professional development package, please contact Rose Merry Kirkpatrick at 501-835-3330 or by e-mail at rosemerry.kirkpatrick@arkansas.com.