Designing for Investment: The Essential Role of the Special Ed Teacher in Collaborative Planning
(Room 555B)
12 Nov 26
4:00 PM
-
5:00 PM
Tracks:
Educational Leadership: Leading with Purpose
Designing for Investment: The Role of the Special Education Teacher in Collaborative Planning Collaborative planning is often positioned as a shared responsibility, yet special education teachers are frequently relegated to reactive roles—modifying lessons after instruction has already been designed. This session reframes collaborative planning as a design space for investment, where special educators serve as architects of access and partners in proactive instructional design. Grounded in observational data, department chair feedback, and systems-level analysis, this session examines what meaningful special educator engagement in collaborative planning looks like, sounds like, and produces. Participants explore common structural and cultural barriers that limit the integration of specially designed instruction (SDI) during planning and consider how scheduling, role clarity, and planning norms either support or undermine equitable collaboration. Through practical examples and planning frameworks, attendees learn how special education teachers contribute distinct expertise in learning processes, data-based individualization, and IEP goal alignment—shifting planning conversations from general lesson review to intentional design for student access, rigor, and independence. The session highlights the critical distinction between large-group collaborative planning and protected co-planning, emphasizing when and how each is most effective. Participants leave with clear takeaways for designing collaborative planning structures that value special educators as equal partners, embed SDI from the start, and move instruction from reactive accommodation to proactive, co-designed learning experiences that benefit all students.