There are three essential components in Collaborative Response that are integral to providing a system of supports to ensure success for all students.
These components, when dismantled into three foundational components—collaborative planning, data and evidence, and a continuum of supports—highlight the necessity of careful examination and understanding. However, the real impact of Collaborative Response lies in putting these pieces back together with alignment, consistency, and intentionality.
Four Fundamental Layers
Within collaborative structures and processes, there are four fundamental layers of teams crucial for every school to ensure success for every student.
The four layers of collaboration have dedicated teams who are working on providing supports for students from the classroom level to the most intensive level of individualized needs. These layers of teams include collaborative planning which is time for teachers to collaborate on curriculum, instruction and pedagogy. The second layer is collaborative team meetings in which teachers collaborate to share their practices in their classrooms based on key issues that are arising for their students. The third level is the school support team in which the school leadership plans and provides for school wide intervention for students or small groups of students who have identified needs. The fourth level is the case consult team that are meeting to plan programming and to ensure individualized supports are available for students with intensive needs.
Understanding the School Support Team
The third level is the school support team, positioned as the hub of decision-making within a school. While many schools may already have this structure in place, the degree of its implementation varies. This team most often includes the principal, assistant principal, learning support teacher and counselor. In larger schools there may be additional members added to this team (academic counselor, family school liaison, grad coordinator, literacy lead, mental health workers, etc.) The primary focus is on the leadership roles involved in providing student support.
Here is a Reflecting on School Support Team Meetings - Template which will provide you with further information regarding the school support team.
Access additional information on this important team of Collaborative Response here.
Purpose and Function of the School Support Team
The purpose of the school support team within the four layers is that it serves as the hub, an integral team determining the direction of classroom and school-wide supports. The team decides when to transition to case consults, access external supports, or return to collaborative team meetings for additional classroom support. It acts as the proactive hub of decision-making rather than a reactive entity only addressing needs as they arise.
The following diagram demonstrates the flow of the discussion of supports for students. A student will be referred to the school support team either through a formal student referral or during the collaborative team meeting. When the school support team reviews the needs of the student, they consider what has already been done through the collaborative team meeting and the supports within the classroom. The school support team then determines what level of support is required for a student and who will be deployed to provide that support or if there are interventions available at the school level to provide additional support beyond the classroom. They may also determine if external specialized services are required such as a psychologist or behaviorist.
Proactive vs. Reactive Decision-Making
While some schools may take pride in responding in the moment to student needs, this sometimes can be a reactive approach and we can forgo some difficult circumstances when we plan forward with regular discussion. Having a structured, regular meeting time is crucial for systematic support. A proactive approach ensures proper documentation, communication, and alignment of systems, fostering a dependable support network for students. The intentional coordination ensures a seamless continuum of support for students with varying needs.
A proactive, intentional, and aligned approach to decision-making within the school support team can significantly impact the support systems provided to students. We encourage educators and school leaders to delve deeper into this critical layer, fostering a culture of collaboration that truly leaves no student behind.
Email or if you have questions or something you wish to share related to the topic of school support teams.
Layering Teams: Processes that Guide the School Support Team
