Instructional Consultation Teams: Collaborating For Change

Book excerpt: 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.