Parity, Parity, Parity

How do you and your co-teaching partner convey to students that your teaching relationship is truly collaborative, that it
is a partnership based on parity? The following checklist might help you to think through ideas about how you, your
teaching partner, and students can observe parity (or its absence).

Already Should
Not
Do
Do
Applicable
_____

___x__

_____

1. Both teachers names are on the board, door, or posted in

the classroom.

_____

__x___

_____

2. Both teachers names are on schedules and report cards.

__x___

_____

_____

3. Both teachers handwriting is on student assignments (that

is, each teacher participates in grading).

__x___

_____

_____

4. Both teachers have space for personal belongings.

_____

___x__

_____

5. Both teachers have similar furniture (desks, chairs, etc).

___x__

_____

_____

6. Both teachers take a lead role in the classroom.

_____

__x___

_____

7. Teacher talk during instruction is approximately equal.

__x___

_____

_____

8. Both teachers give directions or permission without checking

with the other teacher.

__x__

_____

_____

9. Both teachers work with ALL students.

__x___

_____

_____

10. Both teachers are considered teachers by all students.

Notes / Comments: _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Marilyn Friend, 2009

Preliminary Discussion Questions

The questions below are designed to serve as a starting point for co-teaching discussion. Depending on previous
experiences working together, some questions may not be relevant. Remember that differences of opinion are
inevitable; differences are okay and perfectly normal. Effective co-teachers learn and grow professionally from their
work together. Competent professional skills, openness, and interest in working together are more important than
perfect agreement on classroom rules.

1. What are your expectations for students regarding:

a. Participation?
Ms. Connolly: I expect that all students are actively engaged in the lesson taking notes,
completing activities, even if they dont raise their hand to contribute verbally.
Ms. Monaghan I agree, although I would ideally like each student to raise their hand and
participate at least once during each class.
b. Daily preparation?
Ms. Monaghan Students need to have a pencil and their notebook.
Ms. Connolly Agree.
c. Written assignments and/or homework completion?
Ms. Monaghan Each week, students need to complete their article of the week and study their
spelling and vocab words.
Ms. Connolly Agree. I do give students the opportunity to hand in the articles late for reduced
points.
2. What are your basic classroom rules? What are the consequences?
Ms. Connolly Students need to follow directions, participate actively, and respect their
classmates and their teacher. If they dont, it will result in calls home and a detention.
Ms. Monaghan I agree. I also reduce their behavior/participation grade for the class as a
consequence. I do not really give detentions.
3. Typically, how are students grouped for instruction in your classroom?
Ms. Connolly We group the students homogenously when we are doing centers so that I can do
guided reading with students with IEPs. When we doing whole-group instruction, students choose
their own seat and are grouped heterogeneously.
Ms. Monaghan Agree.
4. What instructional methods do you like to use (i.e. lectures, class discussions, stations,
etc)?

Adapted from Walter-Thomas, C. & Bryant, M. (1996). Planning for effective co-teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 17(4).

Ms. Monaghan I use very few lectures, except when I am introducing new types of writing. I like
to work with small groups and have other students engaged on computers, reading, or writing in
journals.
Ms. Connolly I agree that I prefer centers. When I work with a small group, I like to lecture for
fewer than 5-10 minutes and give them plenty of time to practice.
5. What practice activities do you like to use (i.e. cooperative learning groups, labs, etc)?
Ms. Monaghan In Reading, students mostly do their practice independently. They are completing
comprehension questions on their own or practicing their writing.
Ms. Connolly I like to incorporate games/competitions as practice. For example, this week in my
center students were competing to assemble a paragraph out of sentence strips.
6. How do you monitor and evaluate student progress?
Ms. Monaghan I grade students daily journals, spelling tests, articles of the week and look at
their progress on the Reading Plus intervention programs.
Ms. Connolly I also use the articles of the week for progress monitoring and look at Reading
Plus. I also do CBMs of students oral reading fluency and comprehension skills.
7. Describe your typical tests and quizzes.
Ms. Connolly I do not tend to assess reading/writing with tests. We do have a short
spelling/vocab each week, but other than that I prefer to use projects.
Ms. Monaghan agree.
8. Describe other typical projects and assignments.
Ms. Monaghan Students write in a journal every day, which is graded. Students complete a
packet on the book/story we are reading, which has comprehension questions, writing activities,
and group discussions involved.
Ms. Connolly I also work with small groups and create other assignments. I have students keep a
writing notebook for progress monitoring.
9. Do you differentiate instruction for students with special needs? If so, how?
Ms. Connolly Yes. During SSR, I have students working on sight words or phonics on a laptop.
During stations, I often work on these skills with the necessary students instead of grade-level
content. I run guided reading groups for students with IEPs that utilize texts that are on their
instructional reading level. I also give different spelling tests and different article of the week
homework to different students.

Adapted from Walter-Thomas, C. & Bryant, M. (1996). Planning for effective co-teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 17(4).

Ms. Monaghan In my other classes, I do not always do enough differentiation. But in the class we
co-teach, we are doing a lot of different assignments and readings for different students based on
their reading levels.
10. Is any special assistance given to students with disabilities during class? On written
assignments? On tests and quizzes?
Ms. Monaghan I have students with difficulty with written expression use Chromebooks for writing
assignments.
Ms. Connolly Yes we dont really give students tests and quizzes. I also do some behavioral
assistance by working with students to earn breaks, cool off when they are frustrated, etc.
11. How and when do you communicate with families?
Ms. Connolly I made an introductory phone call to each of the students on my caseloads families
at the beginning of the year. Beyond that, I have been making phone calls home with behavioral
concerns. I also communicate with parents to set up IEP meetings and discuss students progress
at those meetings.
Ms. Monaghan I also tend to communicate with parents when there are behavioral concerns.
12. What are your strengths as a teacher? What are your areas of challenge? How about
your pet peeves?
Ms. Monaghan My classroom management is much stronger than when I started teaching. I like
to stick to a routine, which works well with the kids. I am working on my ability to differentiate to
reach all of kids and stick to my less plans.
Ms. Connolly I think I am the reverse. Planning is my stronger suit, but I am not as good at
classroom management. I need to work on my ability to give clear directions and hold kids
accountable.
13. What do you see as our potential roles and responsibilities as co-teachers?
Ms. Connolly I see it as you are the expert on the general education curriculum for 7th grade and I
am the expert on how to incorporate students IEP goals into our classroom.
Ms. Monaghan Agree.
14. If we co-teach together, what are your biggest hopes for our work as a team? What are
your biggest concerns?
Ms. Connolly We already do co-teach together, but my hope is that we can continue to work on
finding routines that work for us. It is so hard to get everything done that we need to do in 90

Adapted from Walter-Thomas, C. & Bryant, M. (1996). Planning for effective co-teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 17(4).

minutes (writing, textbook instruction, novel instruction, Reading plus online intervention program)
but I think the stations we have been using recently have been working so much better.
Ms. Monaghan I agree. I hope we can continue to find activities/lessons that get the kids
engaged. It is definitely better than the beginning of the year but I want students to be excited to
come to Reading.

Adapted from Walter-Thomas, C. & Bryant, M. (1996). Planning for effective co-teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 17(4).

Beginning:
(may include:
Opening;
Warm Up;
Review;
Anticipatory
Set)

Lesson

One Teach,
One Support
Parallel
Alternative
Station
x Team

(can select more

than one)

Co-teaching
Approach

8:15
8:30

Time

Prompt students to keep

reading, reminders of how
much time is left.

Instruct students to take out

their SSR books and read
quietly for 15 minutes.

General Education
Teacher

Accomodation for Imir and

Ellis use computer for
daily journal due to
difficulty with written
expression.

Modification to Tina, Imir,

Ellis, Antonio word work
instead of SSR in order to
strengthen sight words and
spelling skills.

Considerations (may
include adaptations,
differentiation,
accommodation, or
student- specific needs).

Instruct students to take out

their daily journals and
Provide range of reading
answer the Do Now on the levels in classroom library
board How can the
for SSR books.
setting of a story affect the
story?

Prompt students to keep

reading, reminders of how
much time is left.

Set up Tina, Imir, Ellis,

Antonio on computer to
complete daily Word
Work video
(tinyurl.com/msconnollysd
p).

Special Education
Teacher

General Education Teacher: Brooke Monaghan

Special Education Teacher: Emma Connolly
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Reading/Writing
Content Area Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Measurable Goal for Lesson: SWBAT identify and describe the setting of a story and make predictions about how it will affect the story.
Essential Questions: How does an author design elements of a story in order to impact the reader?
Key Vocabulary: setting, plot, elements of a story
Pre-Assessment: Do Now in daily journal
Materials Needed: journals, Sleepy Hollow Ravenscourt books, Holes books, computers, headphones

Co-Teaching Lesson Plan

One Teach,
8:30
One Support 9:30
Parallel
Alternative
x Station
Team

One Teach,
9:30
One Support 9:40
Parallel
Alternative
Station
x Team

Middle:
(may include:
Instruction;
Checking for
Understanding;
Independent or
Group
Practice)

End:

They Do: Write a paragraph

predicting how the setting
may impact the other story
elements of Holes
(characters, plot, etc.)
Instruct students to log off of
Chromebooks, turn in work,
clear desks, etc.

We Do: Read Chapter 1-2 of

Holes. Read with partners,
read under our breath,
popcorn read. Stop and
discuss what we know about
the setting and how it may
impact the setting as we go
along.

Due to difficulties with

attention, chunk
assignments for Khalid,
Melan. Ask to work with
the group for 10 minutes
and then take a brief break.
Repeat until lesson is over.

Provide computer for

writing assignment for Imir
and Ellis due to difficulties
with written expression.

Modified reading on 2-3

grade level for Group B
and D.

Line students up at the door

to bring to next class.

We Do: Read Chapter 1 of

Sleepy Hollow. Read with
partners, read under our
breath, popcorn read. Stop
and discuss what we know
about the setting and how it Due to difficulties with
may impact the setting as
organization and written
we go along.
expression, provide guided
notes for Group B.
They Do: Write a
paragraph predicting how
the setting may impact the
other story elements of
Sleepy Hollow (characters,
plot, etc.)

I Do: Define setting,

provide examples of how
setting may affect story
while students take notes.
Group B takes guided
notes.

I Do: Define setting, provide

examples of how setting may
affect story while students
take notes.
I Do: Define setting, provide
examples of how setting may
affect story while students
take notes. Group B takes
guided notes.

Teach Group Bs station

while Group D is on
reading plus (then they
switch at 9:00).

Teach Group As station

while Group C is on Reading
Plus on laptops (then they
switch at 9:00).

**This is the schedule that I am following for administering reading and math probes and doing
observations of behavior goals***
IEP Progress Monitoring Schedule

Week A
Reading
Math
Behavior
Melan
Ellis
Taylor
Imir
Aquilah
Jeremiah
Nashawn
Amaya
Kaseem
Nassir
Jibril
Antonio
Khalid
Chyenne
Guiliani
Michelle

Week B
Reading
Math
Behavior
Ellis
Melan
Khalid
Amaya
Imir
Lamont
Jibril
Nashawn
Naheem
Nassir
Khaseym
Lamont
Tina

Week C
Reading
Math
Behavior
Khalid
Kiron
Melan
Lamont
Naheem
Imir
David
Anthony
Guiliani
David
Tina
Antonio
Khaseym
Chyenne



**This is the progress monitoring sheet I use for math probes, reading probes, and behavior
observations. Each student has a binder with their goal sheets. The probes and CBMs that go
with that goal are placed behind that goal sheet.***

IEP Progress Monitoring Goal Sheet

Student Name: Chyenne
IEP Goal Area: Reading

GOAL: Given a 5th grade level math concepts probe involving multi-digit multiplication and division,
multi-digit addition and subtraction, addition and subtraction of decimals, addition and subtraction
of fractions with common denominators, multiplication of fractions, simplification of fractions,
conversion of fractions to decimals, and conversion of decimals to fractions, Chyenne will accurately
solve problems with 3 out of 4 probes at 80% by 10/31/2017.

Progress Monitoring

Date

Probe

Result

 I have started using a Google form for input from general education teachers prior to IEP
meetings. The form can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWr1vRxyfQnGRPI2dPIpLXXpfA9XIotVy7T_7RPTk
F__5JZw/viewform

I have also created a Google form for student input on their academic performance. I hope to
administer this survey to students every quarter. The form can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGG94Z_nqIjTjD5wcS28koE4UVT0wBtx_NuE3tvse
wWgF0Uw/viewform

I use a pencil and paper Parent Input to IEP form as many parents do not have Internet access at home. I send it
home with the Invitation to Participate. I also offer that we can discuss it at the IEP meeting and I can type their
responses, as some parents are not comfortable with writing.
The form is below:

PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Input for Annual IEP Meeting
The following questionnaire is being sent to you to ensure parental input in the development of
_________s annual IEP. Please complete the form and return to Ms. Connolly.
1. What are your goals for your child in the next year?

2. What do you see as your childs strengths?

3. What are your childs greatest needs?

4. How would you describe your childs attitude toward school?

5. How would you describe your childs peer relationships?

6. What are your future hopes and goals for your child?

7. What are your concerns, if any, in the following areas?

a. Academic (math, language arts, reading, science, oral communication)

b. Emotional and/or Behavior

The following page is an example of the daily report/self-monitoring tool that I am using with four
students. The students take the form out at the end of each period to assess if they met the
criteria (this is different for different students, but questions include: Did I get to class on time and
remain in class? Did I keep my hands to myself? Did I complete the assignment?). They then ask
the me or the general education teacher to fill out the teacher column. They also write down
their homework in that class. If students get a certain amount of yes matches (a yes from them
and the teacher), they earn a reward.
Ideally, students would bring the forms home and get a parent signature to ensure parent
communication. However, very few forms are being returned to school despite offering rewards
and incentives to the student for returning the signed form. As a result, I have started taking
pictures of the forms at the end of the day for data collection.
This tool helps me to get input especially from elective teachers, as I do not co-teach those
classes.

ELECTIVE

MATH

SCIENCE

SOCIAL
STUDIES

READING

Date:
_______

Melan

Melan
Teacher

Did I complete my classwork?

Melan

Salter & Croce (2006)

GOAL: 90 %

Write down the homework for this class.

Parent Signature________________________

Teacher

Did I arrive on time and

stay in the class for the
entire period?

Melans Daily Report

If I earn 5 teacher check points I choose_________________________

The following page is an example of the behavior chart that I keep for students with behavior
goals. After each period, I quickly put a check or an X for each behavior and write down any
significant incidents in the comments.

Arrived on time.
Remained in class for
the entire period.
Completed
assignment.
Behaved
appropriately
Comments:

SOCIAL STUDIES

Arrived on time.
Remained in class for
the entire period.
Completed
assignment.
Behaved
appropriately.
Comments:

Week of:
READING

This Weeks Goal:

This Weeks Reward if goal is met:

Khalids Weekly Behavior Chart

Th

Th

Data Collection Narrative

I currently collect data in a variety of ways. For academic goal progress monitoring, I
give students probes on a three-week rotating schedule. Since I do not have my own class and
move with the students throughout the building, I initially found it difficult to find time to give
students these probes. However, I am working on finding ways to build in time into my lesson
plans to give probes. For example, my math co-teacher and I have implemented Fall Back
Fridays during which all students work in self-guided groups on math skills that were
previously taught. I can group all of the students who get multi-digit multiplication probes and
give them the probe as a first activity. During Reading, I try to find time when much of the class
is engaged on computers to progress monitor oral reading fluency.

I continue to find progress monitoring for behavior goals a challenge. I have students on
a three-week rotating schedule to do observations of specific behaviors. Four students carry
around daily report sheets that they have teachers sign and bring home at the end of the day. I
have started using this tool in the past month. I like it because it facilitates communication
between me, general educators, the student, and the parent. However, I am struggling to get
students to use it consistently when I am not in the room. Finally, I keep behavior charts for
each period. These track overall work completion, lateness, and appropriate behavior. They are
not as detailed as the observations I do during that students week. Overall, I think that my
methods of collecting behavior data are not efficient and I am looking for ways to streamline
this.

Finally, I use a variety of methods to communicate with stakeholders. I communicate
frequently via phone and text messages with four parents about behavioral concerns. Parents
occasionally reach out to me via text message or phone. I would like to reach out to every
parent about their students IEP goal progress when I send home progress reports (December,
February, April, June). I am looking for more ways to get parents continually involved with their
students progress.

Since I co-teach with my students general education teachers, we often communicate
in person about students progress as we look over student work and assessments. At the
beginning of the year, I was asking them to fill out a paper input form prior to each IEP meeting.
Very few were returned to me and I ended up taking written input last minute. I hope as I move
to the Google form, this will change.

Finally, I am hoping to get students more involved in assessing their progress. I have
recently started having students graph their oral reading fluency and set a goal. When I give
students a probe, I also communicate their results and how far they have come from their
baseline. I want to receive more input from students and have created a Google form for this
purpose. I hope to administer the survey at least every quarter.