The Teacher Assistance Team: A Pre-Referral Support System

Abstract

The national focus in education is toward greater emphasis on remedial programs, concern over student failure, and the classroom teacher's role in effective instructional activities. To address these needs, educational personnel must coordinate their efforts to ensure that all students who are experiencing failure are afforded individualized, supportive instructional alternatives within the regular classroom setting. The utilization of teacher assistance teams is a powerful prototype to accomplish this noble-and attainable-goal of an appropriate education for all.Recent writing has highlighted the need to address the ever widening gap between regular and special education, particularly in response to the burdensome number of children with learning problems in regular and special education (Sheppard, 1987;Lilly, 1987;Hagerty & Abramson, 1987). The urgency of readdressing failure in the regular classroom, and the ability of teachers to meet escalating needs, is exemplified by the current national focus on educational reform, excellence, and accountability (e.g., teacher competency testing). Yet another concern of regular educators seeking supportive educational assistance from special education is that many students do not meet eligibility requirements to receive special services. This problem is national in scope. Therefore, the solution requires a vehicle for change that can be applied to any school in the country.The teacher assistance team (TAT) offers one solution. A pre-referral support system, the TAT is directed at eliminating the gap in services in general education while also "filling in the cracks" through which too many children fall when present methods are unable to facilitate a variety of educational alternatives for them. The TAT represents a step toward meeting the individual needs of each student who experiences educational problems in the regular classroom environment.

Maintaining School-Based Prereferral Teams: An Eight Year Study

“…Helen Hammond and Lawrence Ingalls University of Texas at El Paso U sing prereferral intervention teams have become a preferred educational practice for educators within our schools (Chalfant & Van Dusen Pysh, 1989;Dodd, Nelson & Spint, 1995;Hayek, 1987;Kruger, Struzziero, Watts & Vacca, 1995;Strickland & Turnbull, 1990;Walsh, 1989). These teams have been used successfully to assist general educators with the academic and behavioral concerns they encounter with their students in the classroom.…”

“…These teams have been used successfully to assist general educators with the academic and behavioral concerns they encounter with their students in the classroom. In particular, researchers have found that the use of prereferral teams within a school can be extremely effective in reducing the number of referrals to special education services (Chalfant & Van Dusen Pysh, 1989;Dodd, Nelson & Spint, 1995;Fuchs, Fuchs, & Bahr, 1990;Hayek, 1987;Howard, 1984;Kruger et al, 1995;Morgan & Jenson, 1988;Rivera & Smith, 1997;Smith, Polloway, Patton & Dowdy, 1998). Additionally, the teams have been extremely effective in helping to maintain a student, who is encountering academic or behavioral problems, within the general education setting.…”

“…Generally, the teacher, who has concerns about a child's behavioral or academic performance, refers the concerns to the prereferral team. Following the referral, the teacher, who initiated the concern, meets with the school-based prereferral team members to discuss the concerns, interventions that have been tried and the results of such interventions (Chalfant & Van Dusmen Pysh, 1989;Dodd et al, 1995;Harris, 1995;Hayek, 1987;Kruger et al, 1995;Rivera & Smith, 1997;Smith et al, 1998;Strickland & Turnbull, 1990). After this discussion, the teacher and…”

“…Changes or continuation of the interventions may be recommended by the team. Typically, these interventions are tried for approximately six to nine weeks to determine effectiveness (Chalfant & Van Dusmen Pysh, 1989;Hayek, 1987;Smith et al, 1998) Thus, if the prereferral intervention is successful, the student will not be referred for a special education assessment. Since assistance is being provided in a timely manner to the teacher and, consequently, to the student, the inevitable frustrations the teacher and student would have encountered is reduced.…”

“…The prereferral teams have had a significant positive impact nation wide (Chalfant & Van Dusmen Pysh, 1989;Dodd et al, 1995;Hayek, 1987;Howard, 1984;Ingalls & Hammond, 1996;Kruger et al, 1995;Morgan & Jenson, 1988;Rivera & Smith, 1997;Smith et al, 1998;Strickland & Turnbull, 1990;Walker & Shea, 1995). More and more schools within United States are attempting to form school-based prereferral teams.…”