Co-teaching models explained

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Co-teaching is a general educator and a special educator sharing one class. The six common models are one teach, one observe; one teach, one assist; station teaching; parallel teaching; alternative teaching; and team teaching. Pick the model from the lesson and the students' goals, change it often, and make sure the special educator is delivering the specially designed instruction the IEP promises.

Co-teaching puts two certified teachers in one room: usually a general education teacher who knows the content and a special education teacher who knows how to adapt it. On the IEP, a co-taught class is often where a student's specially designed instruction happens, so the model the pair uses decides whether that instruction is real or only on paper.

Federal rules do not define co-teaching or require it. They require the IEP to state the special education, supplementary aids and supports the student will get, and where and how often.^[1] Co-teaching is one way schools deliver those services inside the general education classroom, in line with the least restrictive environment requirement.^[2] For the wider set of options, see the special education service delivery continuum.

The six models

Model	What it looks like	Best for	Watch out for
One teach, one observe	One leads; the other collects data on specific students	Baseline and progress data, behavior observation	Using it so often the observer never teaches
One teach, one assist	One leads; the other circulates and helps	Short independent work blocks	The special educator becoming a classroom aide
Station teaching	Content split into 2 or 3 stations; each teacher runs one; students rotate	Review, skill practice, labs	Stations that are busy work
Parallel teaching	Class split in half; both teach the same lesson at the same time	Discussion, more response turns per student	Noise, and pacing drift between halves
Alternative teaching	One teaches most of the class; the other teaches a small group	Pre-teaching, reteaching, targeted SDI	The same students always pulled to the small group
Team teaching	Both lead the whole class together, trading roles	Modeling dialogue, think-alouds, debates	Heavy planning time; can drift into one teach, one assist

No model is "best." A strong pair might use alternative teaching on Monday to reteach a skill, stations on Wednesday for practice and one teach, one observe on Friday to take probe data. A weak pair uses one teach, one assist every day.

Which models deliver specially designed instruction

Specially designed instruction means adapting the content, method or delivery of instruction to address the student's needs.^[3] Some models make that easy and some make it hard.

Alternative teaching and station teaching give the special educator a small group, which is the most direct way to deliver SDI tied to a goal.
Parallel teaching can deliver SDI if the special educator's half gets the adapted method, such as explicit modeling or extra practice.
One teach, one assist rarely delivers SDI by itself. Brief help during independent work is closer to a supplementary aid.
One teach, one observe delivers no instruction during that time, but produces the data the team needs.

If the IEP counts the full co-taught period as SDI minutes, the pair should be able to show what the special educator taught and to whom, most days.

One student across a semester

This is a fictional, illustrative case.

Student: Jasmine, 7th grade, math goal on solving two-step equations. Baseline on September 8: 2 of 10 problems correct on a curriculum-based probe. IEP service: co-taught Math 7, daily, 50 minutes, general and special education teacher, general education classroom.

September 8 to October 3. The pair uses one teach, one assist almost every day. The special educator circulates. Jasmine's probes stay at 2, 3, 2 and 3 of 10. The case manager notices her service log shows 50 minutes a day, but the special educator cannot name a lesson she taught Jasmine's group.

October 6. The pair changes the plan. Twice a week they run alternative teaching: the special educator takes Jasmine and 4 other students for 15 minutes of explicit instruction with worked examples and a step checklist. Once a week they run stations, with one station on equation practice and immediate feedback. Fridays they use one teach, one observe for a 5-minute probe.

October 10 to December 12. Weekly probes for Jasmine: 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7 and 7 of 10.

December 15. At a progress check the team keeps the co-taught class and writes into the service description that it includes small-group instruction at least 2 days a week. That change makes the SDI visible to anyone reading the IEP.

The minutes never changed. What changed was what the special educator did during them.

How co-taught time is written on the IEP

States and districts differ on how a co-taught class is coded. Some count the whole period as special education minutes in the general education setting. Others count only the portion where the special educator works directly with the student. Many state forms list co-teaching as a location or a delivery method, not as its own service.

Question	Federal rule	Where states and districts differ
Is co-teaching required?	No; the IEP must state services, location and frequency^[1]	Some states encourage co-teaching for secondary core classes
Does co-taught time count as special education?	Not addressed directly	Some count the full period; some count only direct instruction
Does the special educator need content certification?	Special education teachers must meet state qualifications^[4]	Secondary content requirements vary by state
How many students with IEPs per co-taught class?	Not set	Some states or districts set limits; many do not
How is it shown in placement data?	Time in the general education classroom counts toward the regular class percentage	Coding conventions vary by state data system

Check your state's IEP form instructions and your district's coding guide before you write minutes.

Making co-teaching work in practice

Plan weekly, together, for at least 30 minutes. Without shared planning the pair falls back to one teach, one assist.
Write the model into the lesson plan. "Wednesday: stations; Ms. Ruiz runs equation practice." This also gives you documentation.
Rotate who leads. Students notice when one adult is always the helper.
Group by skill, not label. Alternative groups should include students without IEPs who need the same reteach.
Collect data inside the class. A 5-minute probe once a week is enough for most academic goals. The progress monitoring in the inclusion classroom guide covers how.

For how co-teaching compares with a student leaving the room, read push-in vs pull-out services. The practice set published by CEC and the CEEDAR Center describes the collaboration skills both teachers need.^[5]

Frequently asked questions

Is co-teaching the same as push-in?

Not quite. Push-in is any service delivered inside the general education classroom, such as speech therapy in the room. Co-teaching is two teachers sharing responsibility for one class over a whole period, usually daily.

Which co-teaching model is used most?

In many schools, one teach, one assist, because it needs the least planning. It is also the model least likely to deliver specially designed instruction, so it should be one option among several, not the default.

Can a paraprofessional co-teach?

No. Co-teaching means two certified teachers sharing instruction. A paraprofessional can support students in the class under a teacher's direction, which is a supplementary service, not co-teaching.

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Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.114: LRE requirements, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.39: Special education, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.156: Personnel qualifications, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children and CEEDAR Center

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.