EIP Subgroup

1. EIP Subgroup Consultation, Collaboration, & Teaming • Definitions • Essential Skills • Types & Models • Effectiveness 2003-2004 Dave Cormier • Ann Marie Dubuque • Donna Merritt

2. “Collaboration is the essential element of effective instructional support.” (Kovaleski, Tucker, & Stevens, 1996)

3. Early Intervention Problem Solving Process Researched-Based Intervention & Strategies Collaborative Culture Process to Support Collaboration

4. Culture for Collaboration & Teaming • How do we assess culture? • Where are we? • Where do we want to be? • How do we want to get there? • How do we change/impact the culture?

5. Culture & Process Cannot wait for the culture to be established to work on process components. • Culture • Attitudes around collaboration and change • Behaviors around collaboration and change • Expectations & accountability • Reflection • Process • Meeting times • Paper work • Team roles/function • Evaluation Implications on Leadership

6. Leadership Implications

7. Conceptual Framework Fullan, Leading in a Culture of Change. (2001).

8. Conceptual Framework Moral Purpose Intention to make a positive difference in the lives of students, families and the community. Understanding Change • The goal is not to innovate the most; • It is not enough to have the best ideas; • Understand the implementation dip; • Resistance can be a positive force; • Re-culturing is the name of the game; • Never a checklist, always complexity. Relationship Building “If relationships improve, things get better.” Knowledge Creation and Sharing Growth comes from constant generation and sharing of knowledge. Coherence Making Balancing ambiguity while seeking coherence. Personal Characteristics of Effective Leaders: Energy Enthusiasm Hopefulness

9. “The job of administrative leaders is primarily about enhancing the skills and knowledge of people in the organization, creating a common culture of expectations around the use of those skills and knowledge, holding the various pieces of the organization together in a productive relationship with each other, and holding individuals accountable for their contributions to the collective results.” (Elmore, 2000)

10. “Developing communities of learners in which all participants contribute to their own and each other’s growth (Pugach & Johnson, 1995) and to develop collaborative work cultures and partnerships is a critical element in educational reform (Fullan, 1992).” (Fleming & Monda-Amaya, 2001)

11. Heartland AEA 11 Guiding Principles & Beliefs • All children can learn. • Proactive instruction should be provided within the general education curriculum whenever appropriate, so children are assisted before concerns arise. • Our educational system must provide opportunities for all students to achieve their visions for future employment, adult living, and life long learning. • The best educational strategy is the one that works.

12. Heartland AEA 11 Guiding Principles & Beliefs Continued • The effectiveness of any educational strategy must be evaluated frequently. • Assistance is designed to improve learning; accurate information about student progress should be communicated regularly. • Educators are responsible to meet student’s needs. • Student Centered versus Program Centered • Reutilization of staff – staff not locked into roles • “Parent involvement should remain constant at all levels.”

13. Heartland AEA 11 Guiding Principles & Beliefs Continued • Parents have vast knowledge about their children and should be partners in the educational system. • Solutions and strategies can best be justified and implemented when educators, parents, and other involved individuals work collaboratively. • Teachers and parents deserve the resources necessary to meet the education needs of children. • “Communication between parents and the teachers is opened as parents are informed of initial concerns.”

14. Level IV IEP Consideration Level III Consultation With Extended Problem Solving Team Level II Consultation with Amount of Resources Needed to Solve Problem Other Resources Level I Consultation Between Teachers-Parents INTENSITY OF PROBLEM Relationship Building The Problem Solving Levels Heartland AEA 11

15. “… a greater degree of implementation integrity can be expected with explicit, user-friendly innovations for which a great deal of training is offered and when (staff) perceive that the innovation meets a need and have participated in the planning for the innovation. If the program is complex, more effort must be expended to increase clarity and perceived need. Greater integrity can be expected in schools that have highly skilled (staff) who communicate well and have high sense of self-efficacy, cultural norms that do not reject the innovation, strong district- and school-level leadership, staff stability, central office support, and a climate supporting change.” Gottfredson (2001)

16. School Capacity School Capacity - The collective power of the full staff to improve student achievement school-wide. “…student achievement is affected most directly by the quality of instruction. Instruction in turn is affected by school policy or programs on a variety of issues.” Aspects of school capacity include teachers’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions; Professional community; program coherence; technical resources; and principal leadership. Newmann, King, & Young (2000)

17. Student Achievement Instructional Quality School Capacity Teachers Knowledge, Skills, & Dispositions Professional Community Program Coherence Technical Resources Principal Leadership Newmann, King, & Young (2000)

18. Building Relationships “A key to successfully meeting the educational needs of all students is the development of collaborative relationships among the school staff, so that expertise may be shared.” (Villa & Thousand, 2000)

19. Relationship Building Schools need to be restructured to develop a more collaborative, problem-solving culture in which interdisciplinary teams structure the service delivery framework. (Rosenfield, 1992) Successful consultation entails having an authentic working relationship between the partners in the process. (Block, 1981) “It is also fundamental that a collaborative school culture encourages professionals to work together without high personal cost; a task of the team is to work toward building this culture for the school. (Gravois & Rosenfield, 1996)

20. Relationship & Process

21. Classroom Teachers Classroom Teachers Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Classroom Teachers EIP Core Team Classroom Teachers Classroom Teachers Classroom Teachers Classroom Teachers Relationship Building Membership & Organization Administrator School Psychologist Parent Speech & Language Curriculum Specialist Nurse Guidance Social Worker Special Educator Gravois & Rosenfield, 1996

22. Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Case Manager Relationship Building Membership & Organization Administrator School Psychologist Parent Speech & Language Curriculum Specialist Nurse Guidance Social Worker Special Educator EIP Core Team Teacher Gravois & Rosenfield, 1996

23. Collaborative Consultation Primary Classroom Teacher Paraprofessional Special Area Teacher Knowledge Base Intrapersonal Attitudes Indirect Secondary School Psychologist Speech-Language Pathologist Social Worker Guidance Counselor Administrator Parent Special Educator Consulting Teacher Itinerant Teacher Content Specialist Communication, Interpersonal Skills, & Problem-Solving Skills Idol, Nevin, & Paolucci-Whitcomb, 2000)

24. Coherence Making “Time for regularly scheduled team meetings appears to be an essential component of the collaborative process. (Doyle, York-Barr, & Kronberg, 1996) The school organization leaders must explicitly create opportunities, incentives, rewards and training for collaboration. (Nevin et al., 1990) Methods for promoting collaborative teams within teams within schools have been identified and include flexibility in teaching assignments, formation of teaching teams, and job redefinition. (Miles & Darling-Hammond, 1998)

25. Definition of Team • …a collection of individuals formed to carry out a set of tasks or to accomplish a goal. (F. Rees) • …people thinking, working and learning together. (C. Nilson) • “Effective teams are purpose-driven…Strong, cohesive groups have a sense of who they are and a clear, definable identity.” (Harvey and Drolet, 1994)

26. Definitions of Collaboration Collaboration an interactive process that enables people with diverse expertise to generate creative solutions to mutually defined problems. (Idol, Nevin, Paolucci-Whitcomb, 1994) Consultation is a collaborative process in which a trained, school-based consultant assists one or more consultees in efforts to make decisions and carry out plans that will be in the best educational interest of their students. (Kampwirth, 1999)

27. Definitions of Collaboration Collaborative school consultation is interaction in which school personnel and families confer and collaborate as a team within the school context to identify learning and behavioral needs, and to plan, implement, and evaluate educational programs for serving those needs. A collaborative consultant is a facilitator of effective communication, cooperation, and coordination who confers and collaborates with other school personnel and families as one of a team to serve the special learning and behavioral needs of students. (Dettmer, Dyck, & Thurston, 1996)

28. Research Base of School Consultation & Collaboration • Descriptive research has identified key variables in the effectiveness of consultation/collaborative processes. • No empirical research on consultation & collaboration in practice. • Determining interactions among variables • Assessing integrity of consultation plans • Measuring impact on student outcomes “Research on teacher assistance teams has often omitted direct measures of student performance outcomes. As with much of our work in collaboration and teaming, student outcomes are one of the most critical indicators of team effectiveness.” (Fleming & Monda-Amaya, 2001)

29. Research Base of School Consultation & Collaboration Where Is the Research on Consultation Effectiveness? Fuchs, Dulan, Roberts & Fernstrom (1992) The study reviewed research on school consultation over a 29 year period. Effectiveness of the consultative relationship was more often measured in terms of influence on teacher behavior or attitude and rarely focused on influence on student academic performance or achievement. Quoting Grecham & Kendell (1987) “To say that there are “experts” in consultation is an oxymoron because expertise denotes than an individual has special knowledge in a particular field. We simply do not know enough about consultation, how it works, under what conditions it works, or the most important variables in predicting successful consultation outcomes. (p. 314)

30. School Effectiveness Factors • Arthur Steller (1988) as quoted by Jim Tucker: • “Although there are variations in the school effectiveness research, five factors seem to be consistent across studies. These are: • Strong instructional leadership by principal. • Clear instructional focus. • High expectations and standards. • Safe and orderly climate. • Frequent monitoring of student achievement. • Apparently these factors interact with with one another to produce a good school (Gage, 1978). All must coexist for significant positive results to occur. ”

31. School Culture/Climate • Susan Rosenhotlz (1996) observed 2 distinct types of school cultures or climates • Normative Climate – • emphasis on collaboration and continuous improvement • Experimentation and occasional failure accepted and considered part of the teacher learning process • Seeking & giving collegial advice is expected and necessary for growth and learning to occur. • 2.Autonomous Climate – • Ambiguous goals • Not attempt to develop shared meaning • No agreement between teachers & administrators on desired outcomes & how to reach them • Teaching success is attained in individualistic and competitive ways

32. Process Variables Critical for Team Effectiveness • Research Review Examining Team Effectiveness - Larson & LaFasto (1989) • 8 Common Characteristics of High Functioning Teams: • A clear, elevating goal • Results driven structure • Competent team members • Unified commitment • Collaborative climate • Standards of excellence • External support and recognition • Principled leadership

33. Process Variables Critical for Team Effectiveness Research Review Examining Team Effectiveness – Chrislip & Larson (1992) Chrislip & Larson (1992) conducted a three-phase longitudinal study to investigate team effectiveness and “found that team goals emerged as the strongest factor for team success and that collaboration succeeds when there is strong leadership and openness in the team process.” Fleming & Monda-Amaya (2001) “Collegial support and professional development in schools are unlikely to have any effect on improvement of practice and performance if they are not connected to a coherent set of goals that give direction and meaning to learning and collegiality.” Rosenholtz (1989)

34. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Goals Team Roles and Team Membership Team Communication Team Cohesion Team Logistics Team Outcomes (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

35. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Goals: Purpose of the team is clear Team goals are understood by all members Team goals are regularly reviewed Team goals are established by team members Team goals are clearly stated Team goals are modified by team members Team goals arte supported by the family Team goals are attainable Team Goals are prioritized Members anticipate both positive and negative outcomes Members are satisfied with goals that have been selected (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

36. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Roles and Team Membership: Team members are committed to the team process The team has a leader Members are accountable to the team Team roles are clearly understood Team roles are perceived by members as being important New team members are added when practical The team leader is unbiased (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

37. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Communication: Decisions are made for the good of the student Team members have adequate listening time Team goals are regularly reviewed Decisions are alterable Team members have equal opportunities to speak Decisions are reached by consensus (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

38. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Cohesion: Members feel safe sharing ideas The team has strong trust among members Members (especially parents) feel equally empowered The team has a unified goal The team has time to celebrate The team has support from superiors Members have respect for each other The team has recognition for efforts The team has autonomy for decision-making The team has healthy regard for disagreement (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

39. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Logistics: Progress is evaluated internally, by members Team procedures are clearly understood (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

40. Critical Variables for Team Effectiveness Team Outcomes: Team makes modifications to the plan as needed Members are clear about their responsibilities for the plan Members are committed to implementing the plan Solutions are practical A plan was implemented Team reviews the impact of the plan A plan was developed Parent satisfaction is part of the evaluation Outcomes are evaluated internally, by members The family is generally feeling better A plan was agreed on A decision was made Outcomes are evaluated at regularly scheduled times Members are satisfied with the plan (Fleming and Monda-Amaya, 2001)

41. Components & Essential Skills • Communication • Problem Solving • Structures of Support • Research-Based Strategies • Conflict Resolution • Forms/Administrative Process • Group Process/Norms… • Change Process • Celebration • Defining Roles and Responsibilities • Involving Families • Technology to Support Collaboration • Staff Development • Assessment/Evaluation/Reflection of the Process

42. Next Steps • Search for tools and models to assess school culture/climate • Research/develop process for initiating work with school/districts/teams • Continue literature/research review

43. Subgroup Charge Definitions Essential Skills Types & Models Effectiveness