Consultation in Educational Settings (SPSY 561)
Fall 2003
Time: Mon. 12:20 – 3:20 pm, 117 CEDAR
Instructor: James C. DiPerna, Ph.D. Email:
Office: 105 Cedar Building Phone: (814) 863-2405
Office Hours: Mon/Wed: 3:30-5:00 pm (or appointment) Fax: (814) 863-1002
Students with Disabilities
I want to fully include students with disabilities in this course. As such, it is critical that students with disabilities, including those with hearing and sight loss, inform me at the outset of the course (no later than the fourth week of the semester).
Course Purpose & Overview
The purpose of this course is to teach students how to provide a variety of intervention services through a consultative model of service delivery. Students will achieve proficiency in implementing a behavioral consultation model and will become familiar with other consultative models of service delivery. In addition, students will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills related to the provision of in-service training for teachers. Finally, students will develop a prevention-oriented program that can be implemented through a systemic consultation framework.
Course Objectives and Student Outcomes
The objectives for this course have been developed to promote multiple learning outcomes for students. Specifically, students who actively participate in the course (i.e., complete readings, contribute to class discussions, complete required activities) should know and be able to do the following.
- Articulate a rationale for consultation as a framework for provision of services to students.
- Identify and define a problem through a behavioral consultation framework.
- Analyze student problems within the context of his/her learning environment(s).
- Plan and facilitate the implementation of interventions within a consultation framework.
- Evaluate change in client and consultee skills.
- Facilitate consultee engagement/participation and handle resistance.
- Consider diversity within the context of a consultative relationship.
- Identify ethical and legal considerations related to the provisions of consultation services in schools.
- Compare and contrast various models of consultation (e.g., mental health, systems).
- Articulate current and future research issues in school-based consultation.
- Facilitate consultation services through school-based teams.
- Demonstrate understanding of issues and models for organizational/system consultation.
- Define a professional statement of consulting competence for providing consultation services within schools.
- Develop and implement training for pre-service and in-service educators.
- Develop a prevention program that can be implemented through a consultative framework.
Readings
One text (Kratochwill & Bergan, 1990) is required for the course, and other required readings are available for copying in Room 111 CEDAR Building. In addition to the required readings, two optional texts may be useful in mastering the content of the course. All of these texts are listed below.
Kratochwill, T. R., & Bergan, J. R. (1990). Behavioral consultation in applied settings. An individual guide. New York: Plenum Publishers. (Required)
Brown, D., Pryzwansky, W. B., & Schulte, A. C. (2001). Psychological consultation. Introduction to theory and practice. (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Optional)
Zins, J. E., Kratochwill, T. R., & Elliott, S. N. (Eds.) (1993). Handbook of consultation services for children. Applications in educational and clinical settings. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers. (Optional)
Learning Activities
The learning activities for this course have been developed to help students gain proficiency in providing consultation services to individuals, and, to a lesser extent, groups. In addition, learning activities are intended to help students gain experience in the design and implementation of in-service training for teachers as well as the development of prevention programs that can be implemented through a consultative framework.
Consultation Casework with Student Teachers. You are expected to complete two individual consultation cases with students enrolled in the pre-service teaching seminar. Ideally one case will be with an elementary teacher and the second will be with a secondary teacher; however, the cases may vary depending on the needs of the student teachers. Each case will involve a minimum of three sessions with the consultee (student teacher). These sessions should occur in the clinic, and are to be videotaped for supervision/feedback purposes. (NOTE: Please only schedule consultee sessions when at least one other individual will be in the clinic.) Supervision sessions should be scheduled to take place within approximately 3 days of the meeting with your consultee. Prior to the supervision meeting, you should review your tape, complete a proficiency checklist, and identify specific strengths/weaknesses that you would like to discuss during supervision. You will complete a brief report for each case that will be submitted after the last meeting with your consultee. You also will be expected to present and discuss one of these cases during the latter part of the semester.
In-service Training and Group Consultation for Student Teachers. Our class will develop and provide two in-service trainings for elementary and secondary pre-service teachers enrolled in the student teaching seminar. These in-service trainings will be provided on Thursday, October 9th and Thursday, November 6th. (Both sessions will occur from 4-6 pm in the Chambers Building, Room 113A.) The first session will focus on practical methods for collecting data in classrooms, and the second session will focus on the evaluation and interpretation of classroom-based assessment data. Approximately the first half of each session will be used to share and discuss key concepts and considerations, and the latter half will be used to provide consultation to small groups of teachers who have identified students with similar types of problems (e.g., reading, math, social skills).
Consultation Logs/Reflections. Each student is expected to maintain a log of their consultation experiences (individual and group). This log should include personal reflections on each consultative interaction (i.e., what went well, what could have gone better, why you made certain decisions/statements within a consultation session). In addition, the logs should include reflections about the development of one’s own theoretical orientation/framework for providing consultation services. Log reflections will be discussed during individual supervision sessions, and the complete log will be submitted with each report.
Professional Statement of Consultation Competence. Each student will write a 3-4 page professional statement regarding their professional competence/framework for providing consultation services. Ideally, the statement will serve as a culminating activity to the consultation logs/reflections generated throughout the semester. The statement should address theoretical orientations, diversity within the consultation process, consultee and client population(s), etc., and will be submitted at the end of the semester.
Consultation-based Prevention Project. Each student will develop an intervention program in an area of professional interest that can be implemented through a consultative framework. This program should draw upon evidence-based practices and include the materials that will be used to implement the program. In addition, it should specify the consultation approach that would be used to implement the project in a school setting. These projects can use resources from existing intervention program materials, when appropriate and available. Each student will present and discuss their project with their colleagues during one of the last two class sessions. Concept papers outlining the project should be submitted for feedback by September 29th. Completed projects are due on the day of your class presentation.
Summative Evaluation
Grades are assigned based on the total number of points earned during the course. There is a maximum of 200 points that can be earned during the semester, and these points are distributed as follows.
Points / Activity / Due25 / Consultation Case #1 / November 10th
25 / Consultation Case #2 / December 15th
20 / In-service training #1 / October 9th
20 / In-service training #2 / November 6th
15 / Consultation Log/Reflection / November 10th December 15th
20 / Professional Statement of Consultation Competence / December 15th
50 / Consultation Prevention Project / December 8th or 15th
10 / Presentation of Prevention Project / December 8th or 15th
5 / Presentation of Consultation Case / Varies
-- / Completion of Readings and Active Class Participation*
*These activities are not awarded points, but they are required to successfully complete the course.
Points will be awarded for each activity according to the preceding table. Course grades shall be assigned in the following manner:
Point Range /Grade
/ Percentage of Total Points190-200 / A / 95% and above
180-189.99 / A- / 90-94.99%
174-179.99 / B+ / 87-89.99%
166-173.99 / B / 83-86.99%
160-165.99 / B- / 80-82.99%
154-159.99 / C+ / 77-79.99%
146-153.99 / C / 73-76.99%
140-145.99 / C- / 70-72.99%
All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. The equivalent of one letter grade will be deducted from the total points earned for any assignment that is one week late. (Point deductions will be prorated on a daily basis for periods of time less or greater than one week.) I recognize that students occasionally may need to turn assignments in late due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g., clients cancel appointments, personal emergencies, etc.) As soon as it becomes apparent that you may be in this situation, please contact me via email so we can discuss an alternative due date. Late assignments submitted under these circumstances will be scored based on the total number of points possible for the particular assignment.
Concluding comments. As with all of your courses here at Penn State, academic integrity is expected, and academic misconduct will be not tolerated.Please see statements in Penn State Graduate Bulletin and School Psychology Handbook regarding examinations, plagiarism, citation of other's work, etc.
There is a lot to learn in this course, and as a result, there is a fair amount of work. I want to help you succeed in this course and welcome suggestions regarding how I can make the course more effective for you and/or future students. Please share any obstacles that might prevent you from completing assignments on time (e.g., availability of participants or tests) with me, privately or in class. If an unusual problem or circumstance prevents you from meeting the expectations of an activity, please see me before the assignment is due. It is more professionally responsible to reschedule deadlines in advance rather than apologize for missing them! I look forward to assisting you in your mastery of the concepts and skills covered within this course.
Course Schedule & Readings
September 8: Course Overview; Things to Think About
September 15: Behavioral Consultation Overview; Problem Identification
Kratochwill & Bergan (1990). Chapters 1, 2
Watson, T. S., & Robinson, S. L. (1996). Direct behavioral consultation: An alternative to traditional behavioral consultation. School Psychology Quarterly, 11, 267-278.
September 22: Problem Analysis
Kratochwill & Bergan, Chapter 3
Ysseldyke, J., & Elliott, J. (1999). Effective instructional practices: Implications for assessing educational environments. In T. B. Gutkin and C. R. Reynolds (Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (3rd ed.) (pp. 497-517). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Twernbold-Schill, M., Kratochwill, T. R., & Elliott, S. N. (1998). Functional assessment in behavioral consultation: A treatment utility study. School Psychology Quarterly, 13, 116-140.
September 29: Intervention Planning & Implementation
Elliott, S. N., Busse, R. T., & Shapiro, E. S. (1999). Intervention techniques for academic performance problems. In T. B. Gutkin and C. R. Reynolds (Eds.), The handbook of school psychology (2nd ed.) (pp. 664-685). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Kratochwill & Bergan (1990). Chapter 4
Rosenfield (1987). Chapters 6 & 7
Conoley, C. W., Conoley, J. C., Ivey, D. C., and Scheel, M. J. (1991). Enhancing consultation by matching the consultee’s perspectives. Journal of Counseling and Development, 69, 546-549. (optional)
October 6: No class
October 9: Pre-service Teacher Seminar (4-6 pm)
October 13: Evaluation of Consultation Services
Brown et al. (2001). Chapter 10
Kratochwill & Bergan (1990). Chapter 5
Gresham, F. M., & Noell, G. H. (1993) Documenting the effectiveness of consultation outcomes. In J. E. Zins, T. R. Kratochwill & S. N. Elliott (Eds.), Handbook of consultation services for children (pp. 249-276). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
October 20: Mental Health Consultation
Brown et al. (2001). Chapter 2
Kenney, K. C. (1986). Research in mental health consultation: Emerging trends, issues, and problems. In F. V. Mannino, E. J. Trickett, F. M Shore, M. G. Kidder, & G. Levin (Eds.), Handbook of mental health consultation (pp. 435-469). Rockville, MD, USA: National Institute of Mental Health.
October 27: Consultant Considerations; Legal & Ethical Issues
Graham, D. S. (1998). Consultant effectiveness and treatment acceptability: An examination of consultee requests and consultant responses. School Psychology Quarterly, 13, 155-168.
Gutkin, T. B. (1999). Collaborative versus directive/prescriptive/expert school-based consultation: Reviewing a false dichotomy. Journal of School Psychology, 37, 161-190.
Brown et al. (2001). Chapter 13.
McCarthy, M. M. & Sorenson, G. P. (1993). School counselors and consultants: Legal duties and liabilities. Journal of Counseling and Development, 72, 159-167.
November 3: Consultee Considerations
Hagen, K. M., Gutkin, T. B., Wilson, C. P., & Oats, R. G. (1998). Using vicarious experience and verbal persuasion to enhance self-efficacy in pre-service teachers: “Priming the pump” for consultation. School Psychology Quarterly, 13, 169-178.
Sterling-Turner, H. E., Watson, T. S., & Moore, J. W. (2002). The effects of direct training and treatment integrity on treatment outcomes in school consultation. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 47-77.
Wickstrom, K. F. & Witt, J. C. (1993). Resistance within school-based consultation. In J. E. Zins, T. R. Kratochwill & S. N. Elliott (Eds.), Handbook of consultation services for children (pp. 159-178). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Zins, J. E. (1993). Enhancing consultee problem-solving skills in consultation interactions. Journal of Counseling and Development, 72, 185-190.
November 6: Preservice Teacher Seminar (4-6 pm)
November 10: Cultural and Family Considerations; Case Presentation #1
Henning-Stout, M., & Meyers, J. (2000). Consultation and human diversity: First things first. School Psychology Review, 29, 419-425.
Ingraham, C. L. (2000). Consultation through a multicultural lens: Multicultural and cross-cultural consultation in schools. School Psychology Review, 29, 320-343.
Rogers, M. R. (2001). Examining the cultural context of consultation. School Psychology Review, 29, 414-418.