Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT)

Students with disabilities who receive Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) services are educated with age-appropriate peers in the general education classroom. ICT classes are taught by two teachers, one general education or content area teacher and one special education teacher. The teachers collaborate to adapt and modify instruction so all students can access the grade-level curriculum. 

Unlike Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS), where the focus of services is the individual student with a disability, in ICT the focus is on the group of students recommended for this service. Students in ICT classes are intentionally grouped together based on similarity of need to receive specially designed instruction. Different or additional services should be considered for students with needs that are not common to the group and for students who require instruction that is not otherwise provided during instructional time, e.g., instruction in foundational reading or math skills in grades where such skills are no longer part of the grade level curriculum.

According to Wendy Murawski, the co-author of "Leading the Co-teaching Dance: Leadership Strategies to Enhance Team Outcomes" (CEC, 2013) practices that will increase the chances of success of a co-teaching partnership and change outcomes for students are professional development for all faculty regarding what co-teaching is and is not; allowing teachers to volunteer to co-teach and have a voice in their partnerships; and schedules that ensure teachers have common planning time and a limited number of partners.