Purpose: This study examines coteachers’ use of student data for decision making and addresses three questions: (1) What types of student data do coteachers use and for what purposes? (2) In what ways do general and special education coteachers approach data similarly or differently in the coteaching process? (3) What contextual factors affect coteachers’ use of data? Research Methods: This qualitative study used prompted recall interviews to gather data from four coteaching dyads working in high-need classrooms across elementary, middle, and high school levels. Findings: This study found high levels of collaboration in coassessment and coplanning, with strong agreement within and across dyads on the value and validity of data. Two conditions seemed to facilitate this collaboration: the perception of shared ownership for all students and the presence of similar sources of data for all students. Findings also highlight the importance of data features on teachers’ data use. Teachers reported revisiting results from a discontinued assessment because its format provided valuable information for instructional planning. Implications: Our study reveals a high-level collaboration around data use and complementary perspectives on data use, contrasting with the extant interpretation of coteaching practices characterized by the predominance of the “one teach/one assist” model that suggests unequal roles. This points to the need for future research on coteachers’ use of student achievement data and a deeper understanding of collaborative practices. Schools and districts should provide support and training on data use and instruction for coteaching contexts and consider the usability of data for instructional planning.
Wu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.