After reading this chapter, check to make sure you know:

WHAT IS COLLABORATION?

History

Collaboration among general and special education teachers has been most prominent over the past 25 years. (p. 67)

Definition and Key Concepts

• Collaboration consists of individuals working together toward a common goal. (p. 65)
• Collaboration is a style of interaction between two or more equal partners. (p. 66)
• Collaboration should be voluntary. (p. 68)
• Collaboration should involve sharing resources, responsibility, and decision-making. (p. 68-69)
• Collaboration involves working towards achieving common goals and building community. (p. 69)
• Collaboration involves parity among the participants, although the level of work involved may not be equal at all times. (p. 69)
• Collaboration can be a formal, planned process or an informal, spontaneous process. (p. 70)

Barriers to Collaboration

• Barriers to collaboration can be conceptual, pragmatic, attitudinal, or professional. (p. 70-72)

Roles of Teams

• Teams, such as MFE ( multi-factored evaluation ) and IEP teams, are formal structures for collaboration. (p. 72)
• Team members may need training and support to be effective in collaboration. (p. 72)

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES?

Increasing Student Involvement

• Students should be invited to and involved in the IEP process as appropriate. (p. 73)
• Involvement can be encouraged by providing students with background knowledge. (p. 73)
• Focus on strengths and not just on deficits. (p. 74)
• Increase student responsibility for planning. (p. 74)
• Involve peers and community members as appropriate. (p. 74)
• Involvement can be encouraged through the Making Action Plans (MAPs) process and person-centered planning; these planning procedures involve the student, families, peers, and other parties aside from educators. (p. 74)

Increasing Parent and Family Involvement

• Parents may need assistance in understanding and participating in the IEP and other collaborative processes. (p. 74-75)
• Parents may have differing levels of involvement from having basic awareness of the process and outcomes to being fully participating team members who are directly involved in planning and implementing their child's educational program. (p. 74-75)
• Professionals should respect that parents may prefer differing levels of involvement in their child's educational program. (p. 74-75)

Increasing Sibling Involvement

• Siblings may need assistance in understanding how to help their family member and in dealing with any issues they may experience. (p. 76)
• Siblings can be encouraged to participate by: receiving information, talking with and observing their sibling and school personnel, becoming involved in support group, and taking part in directed participation in planning meetings. (p. 76)

Conflict Management

• IDEA 04 encourages mediation of conflicts among schools and families. (p. 77)
• Parents should not be blamed for their child's problems. (p. 76)
• Educators should recognize the important role that parents play in their child's life. (p. 76-77)

Increasing Parent and Family Involvement in Diverse Families

• Teachers may need special training in understanding and collaborating with families from diverse cultures. (p. 77)
• Teachers should learn responsive methods of communication. (p. 77)
• Teachers should learn to appreciate diversity. (p. 77)
• School personnel should ensure policies, procedures, and activities reduce the likelihood of prejudice. (p. 77)

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLABORATION AMONG SCHOOL PERSONNEL?

Co-teaching Models

• Co-teaching can follow one of six models that involve various levels of collaboration between general education and special education teachers. Models include One Teach. One Observe, One Teach. One Drift, Station Teaching, Parallel Teaching, Alternative Teaching, and Team Teaching. (p. 78-80)

Role of Administrators

• Administrators may have in-service needs themselves to be effective in supporting collaboration. (p. 80-82)

Role of Paraprofessionals

• Paraprofessionals play a vital role in educating students with disabilities through direct instruction and participation in collaborative team activities. (p. 82)

Role of Related Services

• Related services are needed for students to benefit from their education and involve many types of professionals who participate on collaborative teams. (p. 83-84)
• Related services are a significant aspect of many students' IEPs. (p. 83-84)

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES?

Best Practices for Collaboration in Early Childhood

• Effective early childhood education requires effective collaborative teaming as children move from early intervention to preschool to school-age programs. (p. 85-86)
• Full service schools provide a collaborative approach to an array of services such as after school care, recreation, health services, and counseling, which can aid families in gaining access to those services. (p. 86)

Best Practices for Collaborating for Transition

• Transition to adult living requires a coordinated set of activities related to employment, postsecondary education, independent living, and community participation. (p. 87-88)
• Although improved over time, the adult outcomes for students with disabilities suggest there is a need for more collaborative and coordinated transition programs. (p. 88)
• Through a collaborative team approach, students should be encouraged to develop self-determination skills. (p. 88)
• Interagency collaborative teams, established through interagency agreements, are designed to outline the shared responsibilities among educational and community agencies in working with families in either early childhood or transition programs. (p. 89-90)