Collaborative Problem Solving

Schools have a responsibility to address the needs of struggling learners, pursuant to Florida law and the dictates of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Given that students may have academic difficulty for a variety of reasons, many of which may be unrelated to a specific disability, it is important that the individuals involved in identifying the concerns engage in a collaborative problem-solving process and identify students as disabled only where there is a shown disability.

Clear problem identification and subsequent analysis of the problems are the crux to generating effective interventions. Under Florida rules, teachers and parents are essential members of the school-based problem solving teams. Since problem-solving is a fluid process, evaluating the impact of the intervention strategies and modifying them as needed allow for a self-correcting methodology that serves the needs of students, educators, and families. Teachers’ communication with parents, colleagues, and school problem-solving teams provides the basis for facilitating the identification of students who are struggling and who may require additional support beyond the general assistance provided to all students.

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MYTH: The Child Study Team process is the “way” to ESE.

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