Wilbert, Adelbert L, PhD

Co-Teaching for High School: Lessons Learned and Considerations for Future Applications Wilbert, Adelbert L, PhD

The progressive movement in education fostered a new methodology for the creative inclusion and development of special needs children in the 1960's. This progressivism mandates that schools should be "child-centered", with the curriculum and instruction tailored to facilitate the development of the individual, based on scientific methodology. John Dewey was instrumental in advancing the merits of a progressive education and co-teaching is a prime example of the kind of progressive thinking so integral to furthering a child's development and learning. Due to the ever-changing nature of education in an increasingly more diverse society, modified forms of instruction, such as co-teaching, are becoming more widely utilized in the effort to increase the effectiveness of educating America's youth. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), have focused attention on students with increasingly diverse learning characteristics and the expectations that they perform at the same level as those deemed to be "normal" learners. This is a common misunderstanding among educators that must be addressed promptly, if those children with special needs are to be truly cared for in a manner in which promulgates successful intervention. This book serves to highlight the attributes of co-teaching in serving a more diverse student population, as well as amplifying some of the problems being encountered in a high school setting versus that of a primary or intermediate school.