Instructional Modifications,Adaptations,and Accommodations of Coteachers Who Loop

Abstract

When teachers move to the next grade with their students, they are sometimes referred to as teachers who loop with the children. In this descriptive case study, the authors describe the experiences of two teachers who collaborate with others as they move with a class of students from third to fourth grade (i.e., looping). The classroom context, coteaching procedures, and outcomes combine to illustrate how children with disabilities are provided access to the general education curriculum in an urban multicultural school. Results show both academic gains and social benefits for the students involved in this classroom. The concepts of coteaching and looping may inform teacher educators who prepare general and special education teachers to comply with state and federal mandates on behalf of students with disabilities in the general education setting, students who are learning English as a second language, and students who may be at risk for failure.