Together is Better (TIB) is a program that supports the implementation of a co-teaching English Learner (EL) model in a small subset of District schools. In the TIB model, a general education teacher and an English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) teacher are paired to collaboratively teach in a classroom that includes EL students. This practice of co-teaching provides embedded support to EL students, and ESOL-informed instruction to all students.

The TIB program was facilitated by the Office of Multilingual Curriculum and Programs (OMCP) with the assistance of SupportEd, which offers professional development, coaching, and other resources to support educators of Multilingual Learners (MLs). The work of SupportEd is framed around the following five guiding principles:

1. ELs bring many strengths to the classroom.
2. ELs learn best when they are taught in a welcoming and supportive school climate.
3. ELs should be taught language and content simultaneously.
4. ELs benefit when their teachers collaborate to share their expertise.
5. ELs excel when their teachers leverage advocacy and leadership skills.

This report focuses on the final year of grant-funded TIB program implementation (2022-23) in order to understand program implementation and participants’ experiences with the program, and to inform future supports for teaching EL students and co-teaching.

Key findings include:

• Respondents were satisfied with the professional development and coaching support that Together is Better provided.
• Participants felt positively about their school’s approach to teaching EL students and their school’s approach to collaboration and professional development in support of EL students during the program year.
• Respondents expressed that all students, not just EL students, benefitted from co-teaching and collaboration.