Beyond Bureaucracy !

Beyond Bureaucracy! Developing High-Performing Pre- Referral Intervention Teams

The Educational Leader’s Role • Administrative support, is the most important factor influencing the effectiveness of pre-referral intervention activities. • Most administrators have limited knowledge and skill about pre-referral intervention activities.

The Educational Leader’s Role (continued) • School administrator’s create the conditions that either support or discourage the effectiveness of pre-referral intervention teams. • Educational leaders must have the knowledge and skill required to design, establish and support effective problem-solving teams.

Five Phase Model • Analysis and Decision Making • Planning and Preparation • Start-Up • Providing Assistance • Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Phase 1 Analysis and Decision Making

Advantages vs. Disadvantages Poor or low levels of implementation of pre-referral practices generates no significant difference in student performance.

Benefits • Reduction of inappropriate referrals to special education. - Cost savings due to fewer inappropriate special education referrals. • Timely and responsive interventions. • Enhanced teachers skills and attitudes. • More inclusive, collaborative school environment.

Costs • Increased demands on time and energy of referring teacher. • Threatening nature of shifting focus for the source of the student’s “problems”.

Feasibility Are there factors that will be major obstacles to initiating and sustaining high quality pre-referral intervention programs? • Political barriers • Structural/Material barriers • Cultural barriers • Personal

Decisions • Do the benefits of making the changes required outweigh the costs associated with those changes? • Is it feasible to make the required changes considering your current circumstances?

Establishing and Analyzing the Task Step 1 – Describe the task the pre-referral intervention team is expected to accomplish as specifically and concretely as possible.

Example Our schools’ pre-referral intervention teams will serve as a systematic, collaborative, problem-solving team. All of the teachers can access this team for assistance with creating and implementing interventions designed to eliminate or mitigate student’s learning, behavior, health or social-emotional problems.

Establishing and Analyzing the Task (continued) Step 2 – Determine who will receive or review the outcomes of the services the pre-referral intervention team provides. Step 3 – Determine how those receiving or reviewing the services will assess the quality of the services received.

Sample Statement Teachers accessing this service will believe they have been provided with effective ideas that can be realistically implemented in their classrooms.District administration will see a decrease in the number of referrals to special education, with a high percentage of those being referred being eligible for classification. Most importantly, students of the teachers accessing this service will demonstrate improved academic performance and/or classroom conduct that generalizes across time and settings.

Establishing and Analyzing the Task (continued) Step 4 –Evaluate the relative importance of effort, knowledge and skill, and performance strategies to the successful completion of the task.

Establishing Authority Leader’s role in relation to the pre-referral intervention team. • Support of the school leader is essential. • Membership on the team may be detrimental. • Inhibit discourse because of fear of being evaluated/appearing less competent. • Inhibit discourse because of deference to leader’s opinions.

Establishing Authority (continued) • Analyze task demands to determine nature and types of authority team must have to effectively complete their task. • Will team members be willing to operate within this level of authority?

Areas to Consider • Ability to call upon knowledge and skills of other staff members for solving various types of classroom problems. • Curricular and instructional modifications. • Expenditure of funds.

Phase 2 Planning and Preparation

Team Composition Composition of the team has a direct and significant impact upon the amount of knowledge and skill the team can apply to their collaborative problem solving activities.

Team Composition (continued) • Dysfunction tends to occur in large groups. - Difficulties making decisions and coordinating activities. • Ideal group size between 4 and 6 members. - “ad-hoc” members when necessary.

Team Composition (continued) Step one - review staff members and determine who has high levels of task relevant expertise. • knowledge of curriculum and instruction • classroom management skills • classroom assessment techniques • differentiate or individualize instruction

Team Composition (continued) Step two – Determine individuals identified in step one that also have at least moderate levels of collaborative skill? • Communicate effectively. • Interest in assisting colleagues.

Team Composition (continued) Step Three –Balance between the homogeneity and heterogeneity of team members. • Wider the variety of training and expertise, greater the range of interventions and support that can be offered. • Too much diversity makes it difficult to understand and coordinate with one another.

Designing and Communicating the Task Design and communicate the task in a manner that team members perceive as being both clear and motivating.

Motivating Potential of Tasks • Require use of a variety of members’ talents and skills. • Result in completion of a “whole” and identifiable piece of work. • Provide opportunity to make a significant, meaningful difference. • Provide substantial freedom, independence, and discretion for scheduling task related activities and determining procedures. • Provide feedback mechanisms so the group receives trustworthy feedback about their performance.

Task Clarity • If the task is to be clear to team members, they must understand the parameters within which they must work. - Constraints and requirements • Team members must know who will be using and reviewing the group’s services, as well as the standards they will apply.

School and District Supports • Staff development and training • Data and information • Rewards and recognition • Material resources

Staff Development and Training • Access to training and technical assistance required. • May require or benefit from outside expertise. • Must know who has the relevant knowledge and skills, and how these individuals can be accessed.

Data Determine basic information team members need to conduct collaborative problem-solving activities and then make it possible for members to access this data. - No data means strategies developed will be left to chance.

Rewards and Recognition Team provided with something members value collectively, increases the probability actions will be repeated. • contingent on demonstrated excellence • team based

Material Resources Determine material resources required and provide those resources. Not provided with the necessary resources, commitment to process will be minimal or frustration may result from additional expectations placed upon team members.

The Team Charter Template designed to organize the information collected or decided on in phase one and two.

Phase ThreeThe Start-Up

Team Boundaries • Staff members part of multiple teams. • Some more established and permanent. • Members of the temporary, less well developed team prematurely seek input from more established, permanent teams. • Divisions as how to proceed. • Frustration & Poor performance result

Core Team Members • Individuals sharing responsibility for completion of the group task. - Accountable for final product or decision. • Must know who is and is not a team member.

Task Redefinition • Administrator believes task is clearly understood once it is explained. • Rarely the case. • Especially true when there are multiple or conflicting objectives. - Speed vs. Quality

Redefining the Task • Explain team’s charter • team’s task • effectiveness criteria • task parameters • Process understanding of the task.

Behavioral Norms • Members bring assumptions about appropriate group behavior. • Rarely discussed explicitly. • Norms developed ineffective for task completion.

Behavioral Norms (continued) • Focus explicit attention on types of behaviors valued – ways in which work will be managed. • Norms will evolve • Providing assistance in beginning gets process off to a good start.

Sample Norms • We will start and end our meetings on time. • We will actively listen to each other’s ideas and opinions. • We will place value on opinions based on the knowledge and skills of the individual and not the position they hold. • We will remain focused on the topic or task. • We will come to meetings prepared.

Roles • Reassuring/Productive to know who assumes what role in team. • Responsibilities assigned to each role. • Avoids overlap in completion of tasks/tasks not being completed.

Roles/Responsibilities Team Coordinator – Responsibility & authority to coordinate team activities. • Receive referrals • Establish case priorities • Schedule meetings • Consult with referring teachers

Roles/Responsibilities (continued) Resource group – Remaining team members - Use experience/expertise to generate alternatives. Referring teacher – has attempted interventions. Is seeking new ideas. He or she selects the ideas to be implemented.

Importance of Start-Up Meeting • Groups that get off to a good start perform better over time. • Problems of groups that struggle in the beginning compound over time. • Best time for authoritative intervention.

Start-Up Meeting Agenda • Introductions/Ice-Breaker • Review of Team Charter • Task-redefinition activity • Team norms activity • Team roles and responsibilities • Date for initial training on collaborative problem-solving process

Initial Collaborative Problem-Solving Process Training • Must be done in teams. • Should occur prior to team working with “clients”.

Training Agenda • Overview of flowchart describing process • Explanation of plan components • Explanation of collaborative-problem solving process • Problem identification • Problem analysis • Plan implementation • Plan review • Role-play activities

Staff Awareness • Staff members must know • purpose of the team • responsibilities as referring teacher • process used for requesting assistance • Staff meeting, memo, staff handbook

Sample Handbook Statement The purpose of the school’s pre-referral intervention team is to engage in collegial, collaborative problem-solving activities focused on assisting teachers in developing strategies for challenging student behavior, academic or health concerns. This is a voluntary activity and is not intended to serve as a barrier to initiating referrals for special education evaluations. Any teacher initiating a referral to this team is expected to complete parts I and II of the Pre-referral Intervention Plan form. Copies of this form are located in ____________. Upon completing this form, submit it in a sealed envelope to ___________________. He or she will then contact you to inform you of the status of your request and if appropriate, schedule the initial pre-referral intervention team meeting. All information discussed pertaining to the intervention process must be held in strict confidence. Staff is not to discuss any personally identifiable information with anyone outside the official function of this process. Should you have any questions about completing this form or the purpose of this team please contact ______________.

Beyond Bureaucracy !