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Co-Planning to Improve Outcomes for Students With Disabilities: Lessons From IGNITE Nashville

July 15, 2026
SCORE graphic titled Co-planning to improve outcomes for students with disabilities: Lessons from IGNITE Nashville, with educator helping a student.

In Tennessee, students with disabilities continue to face significant achievement gaps compared to their nondisabled peers. Yet research and practice show these gaps can be addressed when students have access to grade-level instruction, high-quality instructional materials, and the support they need to succeed. 

Through IGNITE Nashville, SCORE partnered with the Diverse Learners Cooperative and Marshall CoLab to support middle and high schools in implementing and strengthening co-planning between general and special education teachers. This report shares lessons from participating schools and highlights how co-planning can help educators more effectively implement high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), strengthen instructional alignment, improve collaboration, and better support students with disabilities.

 

Inside the report, you’ll learn:

  • How co-planning helped general and special education teachers collaboratively plan around HQIM and student needs
  • How schools structured and protected time for effective co-planning
  • The role of school leadership in successful implementation
  • Common challenges schools encountered and strategies to address them
  • Practical recommendations and success stories

Explore the Resources

New to co-planning? Start with our two-minute video (below) highlighting the IGNITE Nashville network. Learn how schools across Nashville implemented co-planning to strengthen instruction, improve collaboration between general and special education teachers, and better support students with disabilities. Hear directly from educators and leaders involved in the work and see co-planning in action. For a more in-depth look at this work, watch the five-minute version (also below).

 

Looking for practical implementation guidance?

Download the report to explore lessons learned, promising practices, and recommendations from participating schools.

Watch Highlights of IGNITE Nashville

Watch the Five-Minute Version