co-teaching 101: a beginning presented by janice putman and maureen rauscher improvement consultants
TRANSCRIPT
Co-Teaching 101:A Beginning
Presented byJanice Putman and Maureen Rauscher
Improvement Consultants
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Participants should be able to:
Define co-teaching and distinguish it from other concepts related to inclusive practices;
Explain the rationale for co-teaching, the benefits and pitfalls;
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Participants should be able to:
Discuss how collaboration enhances co-teaching and outline strategies for developing a collaborative co-teaching relationship;
Clarify the personal, pedagogical and discipline-specific qualities and skills that co-teachers need to possess;
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Apply six approaches for co-teaching to classroom practice and outline issues that co-teachers should periodically discuss to monitor and enhance their practice.
Know how to evaluate and improve their co-teaching practices.
Participants should be able to:
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Research-Based Practice
Material presented today will be based on research by:• Co-teaching Marilyn Friend
• Change Margaret
Wheatley• Interpersonal Styles Anita DeBoer• Co-planning Lisa A. Dieker
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What is co-teaching?
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Defining Co-Teaching
Co-teaching occurs when two or
more professionals jointly
deliver substantive instruction
to a diverse, or blended, group
of students in a single physical
space.
Cook and Friend, 1995
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What is co-teaching?
Co-teaching is first and foremost an approach for meeting the educational needs of students with diverse learning abilities.
Cook & Friend, 1995
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What is co-teaching?
Co-teaching is a service delivery option for providing special education or related services to students with disabilities or other special needs while they remain in their general education classes.
Friend & Cook
2007
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What is co-teaching?
Co-teaching occurs when two or more teachers, one general educator and the other a special service provider (e.g. special education, related services, ELL, reading) share physical space in order to actively instruct a blended group of students, including students with disabilities.
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What’s the difference?
Co-teaching Class-within-a-class Collaboration Paraprofessional Assigned to
Class
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Co-teaching Vs. Other Delivery Options
Who plans the lessons? Who provides the instruction to
all students? Do both teachers interact with
all parents, or are students divided into groups (yours and mine)?
Who determines grades for all students?
Who makes adaptations and does follow up?
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Co-teaching is a service delivery system, in which:
Two (or more) professionally credentialed staff
Share instructional responsibility
For a single group of students
Primarily in a single classroom or workspace
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Co-teaching Definition (continued)
To teach required curriculum
With mutual ownership, pooled resources, and joint accountability
Although each individual’s level of participation may vary.
Marilyn Friend (2007)
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Co-teaching is not:
An extra set of hands in the classroom;
The general education teacher providing instruction as if she or he was teaching alone while the special educator roams;
Two individuals taking turns teaching;
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An individual pulling a small group of students aside to deliver instruction completely separate from that being provided to the rest of the class.
Shoring up incompetent staff.
Co-teaching is not:
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Co-teaching will not resolve
issues of incompetent staff…
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Why co-teach?
Teachers with different specialties, e.g. general and special education, can better meet the needs of a diverse population of students.
“Co-teaching should result in direct instructional and social benefits for students who have IEPs.”
Friend and Cook, 2007
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Why co-teach?
Special educators have developed a tendency to “own” students on IEPs which decreases participation of general ed teachers in collaborative problem solving
General educators have more ownership when they have background knowledge and a chance to participate in the decisions
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Pros of Co-Teaching
All children learn from each other• Typical children become more
accepting of individual differences
• Improved self-esteem for special needs students
• All students exposed to a variety of teaching styles and strategies
• Students have role models
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Pros of Co-Teaching
Provides for highly qualified teachers in the least restrictive environment
Provides a “strategies expert” for ALL students who are having difficulty
Students become active learners through frequent interaction and feedback.
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Student Benefits of Co-Teaching
Cohesive programming occurs when connections are made between students’ individual needs and the regular classroom curriculum.
Individualization of instruction increases.
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Student Benefits of Co-Teaching
Research indicates that special education students score higher on achievement tests when they are exposed to content knowledge in a regular education classroom.
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Why co-teaching? Why now?
IDEA and NCLB requirements• Gives students access to highly
qualified subject- matter teachers (HQT)
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Access to general education curriculum
• Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
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Wider range of instructional alternatives for all students
Reduces fragmentation of learning
Enhances the participation of students with special needs as full classroom members
Why co-teaching? Why now?
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Why co-teaching? Why now?
Creates conditions in which students with disabilities and other groups can make AYP
Provides powerful support for the professionals who teach
Reduces stigma for students
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It’s not about us (the educators); it’s about them (the students).
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Think of special education as a service, not a place.
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Inclusive Schools. . .
Don’t ask, “How does this
student have to change in
order to be in this class?” But
rather, “How do we have to
change in order to offer full
membership to our students
with disabilities?”
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How can co-teaching help meet students’ needs?
Can any one teacher meet the educational, social and physical needs of all students?
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Benefits of Co-Teaching
Shared responsibility for educating all students
Shared understanding and use of common assessment data
Shared ownership for programming and interventions
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Benefits of Co-Teaching
Creating common understanding
Teachers learn from each other
Collegial relationships are created along with professional development
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Resources are shared
Management strategies are more consistent with frequent feedback
Individualization of instruction is fostered with multiple views of the students
Benefits of Co-Teaching
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Challenges
Must provide team planning time
High ratios of students-teachers
People’s perceptions and expectations
Speed of curriculum
Behavior
Scheduling issues
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Building Bridges
Walking across the bridge, leaving the familiar ground of working alone, is the first act of collaboration. All parties are on neutral territory, with the security of knowing they can return to land better, stronger and changed. And perhaps they will return to the same side of the bridge even though they started from opposite sides.
Steele, Bell, & George, 2005
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Points to Ponder
What has been your experience with co-teaching?
What role is co-teaching playing in your schools’ efforts to address the requirements of NCLB and IDEA?
When you think about co-teaching, what are the concerns or questions you have?
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Examples of Co-Teaching
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Co –teaching Approaches
One Teach, One Observe
Station Teaching Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Team Teaching One Teach, One Assist
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Take a look at co-teaching…
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One Teach, One Observe
One teacher teaches and the
other systematically collects
data on a student, group of
students or entire class on
behaviors the professionals
have previously agreed upon.
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One Teach
One Observe
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One Teach, One ObserveBenefits: Opportunity for observation of
students and data collection• Jointly decided specifics to observe and analyze in advance
• Both professionals should discuss the results of the observations
Deepen understanding of each other’s teaching styles
Requires little joint planning
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One Teach, One Observe
Drawbacks, if used to excess:
Special service provider is relegated to the role of assistant
Students do not see teachers as having equivalent responsibility and authority
Recommended Use:
Periodic (5-10%)
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Station Teaching
Students in groups of three or
more rotate to various teacher-
led and independent work
stations where new instruction,
review, and/or practice is
provided. Students may work at
all stations during the rotation
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Gro
up
1
Group 2
Gro
up
3
Teacher 2
Teacher 1
• Computer center
• Silent reading
• Project table
• Assessment table
Students move rotating to each group
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Station Teaching
Benefits: Involves both educators in
instruction Enables a clear division of labor
for planning and teaching Allows for different teaching
styles Students benefit from a lower
teacher-pupil ratio Students with disabilities are
integrated into groups, rather than singled out
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Station Teaching
Drawbacks: Noise and movement within the
classroom• Teachers or students may be distracted by two teachers talking in the classroom at the same time.
Teachers need to think about how to divide instruction. Hierarchical material cannot be presented using this approach.
Lessons must be timed so groups can move as scheduled.
Recommended Use: Frequent (30-40%)
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Parallel Teaching
Students are divided into two
heterogeneous groups. Each
partner teaches a group
essentially the same material.
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Teacher 1
Teacher 2
Both teachers teach the same content in the same room simultaneously
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Parallel Teaching
Benefits:
Lowers the teacher-student ratio, while insuring diversity in each group;
Is good for review, drill-and-practice activities, topics needing student discussion, or projects needing close teacher supervision.
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Parallel Teaching
Drawbacks: Cannot be used for initial instruction
unless both educators are qualified to teach the material (primarily at the high school level)
Noise and activity levels need to be monitored;
Teachers need to pace instruction similarly
Requires that both teachers are familiar with content and how to teach it
Recommended Use: Frequent (30-40%)
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Alternative Teaching
One teacher works with a small
group of students, while the
other instructs the large group
in some content or activity that
the small group can afford to
miss.
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Small group
Teacher 1
Whole group
Teacher 2
Pre-teaching
Reviewing
Enrichment
Special interest
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Alternative Teaching
Benefits:
Provides highly intensive instruction;
Ensures that all students get to interact with a teacher in a small group;
May assist with reducing behavior problems with some students;
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Alternative Teaching
Drawbacks: Students with disabilities may be
stigmatized by being grouped repeatedly for preteaching or re-teaching
Each teacher must take turns working with the small group or may be viewed as an assistant
The same students must not repeatedly selected for the small group. Documentation must be kept so all students may participate
Recommended Use: Occasional (20-30%)
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Team Teaching
Partners plan and share
instruction of all students,
whether it occurs in a large
group, in monitoring students
working independently, or in
facilitating groups of students
working on shared projects.
Marilyn Friend
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Teaming
Benefits:
Shared planning and instruction by both teachers for the large group
Allows teachers to play off one another
Can be energizing and entertaining
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Teaming
Drawbacks:
Loss of the valuable instructional technique of grouping;
May not be comfortable for new partnerships of teachers.
Recommended Use: Occasional (20-30%)
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One Teach, One Assist
One teaches while the other
supports the instructional
process by assisting students
who need redirection or who
have questions.
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Teacher 1
Teacher 2
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One Teach, One Assist
Benefits:
Allows for individual and classroom support during a lesson
Allows for more effective and efficient instruction while one can check student responses and carry out management tasks such as distributing materials
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One Teach, One Assist
Drawbacks: Has the greatest potential to be
over-used and abused, with little benefit to the students over a traditional, one-teacher classroom
May distract students from attending to the teacher during instruction
Recommended Use:
Seldom (<20%, <10% is better)
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Concerns to Expect
Special ed teacher is intimidated by the content and protective of students with IEPs
Content teacher is intimidated by wider range of students’ needs or over turf issues
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Philosophical differences between teachers
Lack of enough planning time
Questions from parents
Concerns to Expect
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Sources of Failure
Failing to distinguish clearly among the roles of the various adults who might be in the classroom---teachers, related service providers, paraprofessionals, student teachers, volunteers.
Basing co-teaching on the preferences of the staff rather than on clear standards, expectations and the needs of the students.
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Sources of Failure
Teachers lack personal prerequisites, e.g. ability to give up control.
Teachers lack pedagogical prerequisites, e.g. failure to understand the educational process and culture.
Teachers lack professional prerequisites, e.g. expertise in their discipline.
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Sources of Failure
Teachers lack a collaborative relationship
There are no specific plans for accomplishing their goals.
Lack of planning/designing instruction
Failure to implement instruction and co-teaching with fidelity
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Selecting A Co-Teaching Approach
Student characteristics and needs
Teacher characteristics and needs
Curriculum, including content and instructional strategies
Pragmatic considerations
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Co-teaching Models
Which of the 6 co-teaching models do you see yourself using within the next month?
What lesson(s) would be most effective for utilizing the selected co-teaching model?
What needs to happen prior to using this model with students?
How are you going to evaluate the effectiveness of the lesson and model?
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Periods of Change Are Not Easy. . .
Requires commitment to alter practice
No change is completely orderly
• Requires a period of “chaos” from which the new practices evolve
• Strive for “planned change”
Margaret Wheatley Leadership and the New
Science
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We can’t do what we’ve always done and expect
better results.
To improve, you must change what you are currently doing.• Get rid of some old habits• Learn some new strategies
To have all students LEARN, we must change what we do in education.
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Change is about RESULTS
Webster defines
“results” as “a
measurable success”
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If you want different results…
Start with the END GOAL• What do you
want the end results to be?
• Ask, “What steps are needed to reach our goal?”
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To get different results
Must have a shift in thinking
Must do something different
Results are about CHANGE
Definition of InsanityDoing what you’ve always done and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
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Fundamental change is. . .
Giving up some of the past which results in a new way of doing our work—a change in performance.
“If you continue to think the way you’ve always thought, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten.”
Unknown
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Changes with co-teaching
As you embark on co-teaching, what changes do you anticipate that you will need to make?
What are your personal concerns?
What steps can you take to be proactive in resolving these concerns with your co-teacher(s)?
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What makes a successful team?
Individual Prerequisites:• Can work effectively with
another adult
–Sense of humor
–Willingness to set aside differences
• Set of common knowledge and skills
• Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
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What makes a successful team?
Shared philosophy/core beliefs The professional relationship is
based on:• Parity• Communication• Respect• Trust
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• Co-teachers make a commitment to building and maintaining their professional relationship.
What makes a successful team?
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What are some of your beliefs?
Compare ideas about management strategies. How are you alike and how are you different?• Consider items such as:
• Noise level• Movement in the classroom• Use of whiteboards and other resources
• Compare ideas on:• Assignments• Homework• Teaching methods • Teaching strategies etc.• Grading
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Common beliefs
Consider factors which will influence the co-teaching experience. Which beliefs would enhance or impede the co-teaching process?
If you and your partner differ, how are you going to work together to make co-teaching work?
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Teachers should have a voice in choosing their teaching partners;
Teachers’ ability to get along was a critical factor in co-teaching success.
Keefe, Moore & Duff Study (2004)
Co-teachers thought the following were critical:
Effective Co-
Planning
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Planning for Instruction
Teachers need shared planning time, macro and on-going.
Always have an agenda for shared planning meetings.
Realize there will never be “enough” time.
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Planning for Instruction
This is where the alignment of special, ELL and general education occurs
Make this time as focused as possible
Take turns taking the lead in planning and facilitating
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Provide Weekly Scheduled Co- Planning Time
Co-Teaching teams should have a minimum of one scheduling/planning period (45 – 60 min/week).
Experienced teams should spend 10 minutes to plan each lesson.
Dieker,2001;Walther-Thomas,Bryant,& Land 1996
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Weekly Co-Planning
Effective weekly co-planning is based on regularly scheduled meetings, rather than “fitting it in”.
Important to stay focused
Review content in advance of meeting
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Weekly Co-Planning
Guide the session with the following fundamental issues:
• What are the content goals?
• Who are the learners?
• How can we teach most effectively?
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Agenda for Planning Meetings
The general education teacher should prepare a brief overview of curricular concepts to be addressed.
The co-teachers should decide how they will address the content using co-teaching approaches.
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Agenda for Planning Meetings
Teachers should determine the challenges for students and brainstorm ideas for differentiating instruction.
The last topic on the agenda concerns individual students.
Friend and Cook, 2007
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Make a Plan
Draw 4 columns on your paper. Label each as follows:• What do we need to do?• Who will do it?• By when will it be done?• What’s the product or outcome?
With your co-teacher, begin the planning process.
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Considerations
Eliminate or change titles, e.g. both are “teachers” or use neutral language such as “generalist” and “interventionist”
Eliminate divisive language, e.g. your kids, my kids or “my room”
Get both teachers’ names on the report cards, letters home and other correspondence
Vary who gives instructions or takes the lead
Be aware of seating and grouping arrangements
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Definition of Collaboration
Collaboration is a style for
interaction between equal
parties voluntarily engaged in
shared decision making as they
work toward a common goal.
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Collaboration means. . .
Two equal participants who labor together
•Col labor ation
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Be a collaborator. . .
Believe in the benefits of co-teaching
Work together as a team
Use each other’s strengths
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Defining Characteristics
Mutual trust
Mutual respect
Establishment of a sense of community
Contributions are equally valued
Equal power in decision making
Shared responsibility, accountability, and resources
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What Song Defines Your Co-Teaching Relationship?
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What’s your next step?
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Resources
www.csd.org
www.marilynfriend.com
www.powerof2.org
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/EffectivePractices/web_based.htm
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A thought in closing. . .
Quality is never an accident; it is
always the result of high
intention, sincere effort,
intelligent direction and skillful
execution; it represents the wise
choice of many alternatives. New York Times Ad,
1939
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Evaluation of Workshop
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