Push-In Support Models
Push-In Support Models are teaching strategies that incorporate support services directly into the general education classroom, thus enabling specialized staff to work together with teachers to achieve the goals set for various students. Cooperation, inclusivity, student engagement are the main concerns of this model which provide assistance specifically to those students who need to remain in the classroom rather than going to a pull-out program.
The advantages of Push-In Support Models are numerous, with student engagement rising the most as a result of being in a supportive learning environment, collaboration between general and special education teachers being higher and the practices being more inclusive.Promoting inclusive practices is one of the many benefits that are found through Teacher Collaboration and the supportive Learning Environment that Push-In Support models offer. For instance, students with disabilities have the opportunity for direct support in the classroom and stay with their classmates, thus developing their social skills and feeling of acceptance.
Under Pull-Out Support Model, students are taken out from their general education classroom where they receive specialized instruction in a separate setting that might affect their learning process. Contrary to that, in the case of Push-In Support Models the support staff is allowed to work directly in the classroom, give help without displacement of the students, thus help them to sustain their connection with the curriculum and their fellow students.
Teachers in a Push-In Support Model collaborate closely with support staff to design and implement differentiated instruction that meets the diverse needs of all students. General education teachers remain accountable for overall classroom management and content delivery, while support staff contribute expertise in specific areas, such as special education or English language learning, enhancing the learning experience for all students.
Teachers who adopt the Push-In Support Model in their classrooms are able to leverage targeted professional development on co-teaching strategies, inclusive practices, and effective differentiation techniques. Empowerment comes to teachers through the training that focuses on co-teaching models, classroom management in heterogeneous settings, and data-driven decision-making, thus they can maximize the effectiveness of this model, and consequently, the students' outcomes can be improved.