Overview
While there is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of school consultation teams for interventions with difficult or at-risk students, relatively little has been written on the implementation of such teams. This book details that process and describes the important features of the Instructional Consultation Team, including methods and instruments for evaluating student progress and system functioning.Instructional Consultation Teams functions as a handbook for change. The authors convincingly argue that the improvement of schools' response to at-risk students requires major modifications in the school culture, and to engender that change professionals need special skills. Bringing together literature on school consultation and school change, this volume enables the school-based professional who takes the role as change facilitator not only to implement new, more effective services, but also to ensure that the services become established functions of the school system.
Discusses the collaborative consultation process/the change facilitator/professional development of team skills.
Synopsis
While there is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of school consultation teams for interventions with difficult or at-risk students, relatively little has been written on how such teams are most effectively developed and integrated into school culture. This book details that process and describes the important features of the Instructional Consultation Team, including methods and instruments to help build cohesive teams, identify and analyze problems in collaboration, and plan and implement interventions.
Instructional Consultation Teams functions as a handbook for change. The authors convincingly argue that the improvement of schools' response to at-risk students requires major modifications in the school culture, and to engender that change professionals need special skills. Bringing together literature on school consultation and school change, this accessible volume enables the school-based professional who takes the role as change facilitator not only to implement new, more effective services, but also to ensure that the services become established functions of the school system.
To address the joint issues of consultation and the change process in relation to Instructional Consultation (IC) Teams, chapters first describe the current context for developing interdisciplinary consultation support services in relationship to school and special education reform. Then, after outlining the essential dimensions of the IC-Team and the role of the change facilitator, the authors focus on the transition to a new service delivery system. Utilizing a stage-based model for innovation design, they provide a road map for initiating, training, implementing, and institutionalizing IC-Teams. At each interval, procedures for evaluating progress are described and illustrated with numerous case examples. Four appendices contain reproducible forms useful for developing instructional consultation teams.
A hands-on guide to forging effective collaborative relationships in the educational setting, this book is essential reading for all school system personnel, including school psychologists, guidance counselors, principals, and other administrators and consultants. It is also a useful resource for other professionals interested in collaborative work and serves as a text for consultation courses in school psychology and general or special education.
Booknews
Details processes for consultation-team intervention with at-risk students, and describes important features of the instructional consultation team, including methods and instruments for evaluating student progress and system functioning. Outlines a design for initiating, implementing, and institutionalizing a consultation-based service delivery system, with sample forms and other materials. For school-based professionals and consultants. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Editorials
From the Publisher
"School reform has not done a good job in enhancing classroom teachers' ability to handle common learning and behavior problems. To address this deficiency, the authors not only propose the concept of a school-based Instructional Consultation Team, they provide detailed guidelines for creating and institutionalizing this approach. Their extensive experience in developing ICT's shines through on every page. The work serves to elevate consultation in schools to the level of a tool for fundamental systemic change. As such, it should help reduce the demand for special services, increase the efficacy of mainstreaming, and eliminate a host of preventable problems." --Howard Adelman, PhD, Professor of Psychology, UCLA"This book will be an essential resource for school teams who desire to engage in the process of changing practices in fundamental ways. Drs. Rosenfield and Gravois have met the goal of successfully bringing together information from the literatures on school change and school consultation in a way that will be very helpful to readers. They provide detailed, practical information on achieving systematic and lasting change in practice." --Janet L. Graden, PhD, Professor & Director, School Psychology Program, University of Cincinnati