Instructional Consultation in Middle Schools

Abstract

Abstract Many middle schools have support teams that discuss students who are experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties. However, professional experience suggests that minimal attempts are made to analyze antecedents and consequences of students' behavior, develop and implement sound interventions, and evaluate outcomes of intervention. This article describes a pilot project that extended Instructional Consultation (IC) (Rosenfield, 1987) into the middle school setting. The goal of the project was to develop an approach to training middle school teachers so that they could intervene early and effectively to address students' academic and behavioral needs. The training was based upon principles of systematic problem solving and data-based decision-making. In addition, collaboration between teachers was emphasized, along with considering instructional and environmental variables, when seeking to understand and ameliorate students' academic and behavioral difficulties.