Evaluation of the status of a co-teaching instructional delivery approach in urban and multicultural middle school settings

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Stages of Concerns of middle school regular and special education teachers in the San Diego City School District regarding their use of co-teaching as an instructional delivery approach. The study surveyed regular education and special education middle school teachers at three small urban middle schools located in the mid-city section of San Diego, California. Using an eight-point Likert scale, the 35-item survey enabled respondents to reflect concerns about co-teaching. An analysis of data gathered from teachers at each small school was conducted to determine the level of concern teachers revealed towards the co-teaching instructional approach. Areas of concern among general and special education teachers included being able to prioritize co-teaching while maintaining additional responsibilities associated with the first year of implementing a small school model and concern with the management tasks associated with co-teaching. Implications of the study revealed the conditions needed to ensure the successful implementation of co-teaching within the structures of such small urban middle schools. Summary and recommendations of this study include a framework for understanding the change process as it relates to implementation of co-teaching. Key words: Level of concern, co-teaching, urban school restructuring for inclusio