Getting Better, Together: The Effects of Coaching for Team Teachers

• In Event: Division L Roundtable Session 2

Abstract

The use of team teaching to improve instructional effectiveness, meet the needs of students with disabilities, and train novice teachers has increased substantially over the past decade. Although it is widely accepted that teachers need support to learn how to collaborate effectively, minimal research has investigated the impact of professional development strategies for team teachers. We address this gap in the literature by evaluating the effect of one rapidly growing external support provider that has worked with over 250 teachers serving 80,000 students since 2010. We found that their coaching program increased achievement for students without disabilities in Integrated Co-Teaching classes by improving the ability of teacher teams to differentiate instruction.

Authors

• Melissa A Lyon, Brown University

• Shani Shalev Bretas, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Isabel Linacre, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Douglas Ready, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Emma Zorfass, Teachers College, Columbia University