Before the Special Education Referral

Matthew Jennings is currently the superintendent of schools for the Alexandria Township Public School System. Prior to serving in this position, Jennings served as an assistant superintendent of schools, a director of student services, a supervisor of curriculum and instruction, and a classroom teacher. In addition to presenting at numerous state and national conferences, Jennings has served as an organizational behavior consultant to school districts throughout New Jersey. He works as an adjunct professor for Rutgers University, where he teaches courses on curriculum development, school administration, and the supervision of instruction. His work has been published in Kappan, Preventing School Failure, the New Jersey English Journal, Channels, and The Writing Teacher. His most recent publication, Leading Meetings, Teams and Work Groups in Schools and Districts, was released by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in June of 2007. He earned his master's degree and doctorate in educational administration from Rutgers University.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. An Introduction to Prereferral Intervention Teams Variations on a Theme Educational Leader's Role Conclusion 2. The Analysis and Decision-Making Phase Costs and Benefits Establishing and Analyzing the Task Establishing Authority Conclusion 3. The Planning and Preparation Phase Determining Group Composition Designing and Communicating the Task School and District Supports The Team Charter Conclusion 4. The Start-Up Phase Team Boundaries Task Redefinition Norms and Roles The Start-Up Meeting The Importance of the Start-Up Meeting Initial Prereferral Intervention Team Training Staff Awareness Staff Training Conclusion 5. The Assistance Phase Eliminating Barriers Technology Reflection Activities Assistance With Group Processes Conclusion 6. Evaluating Prereferral Intervention Teams Evaluation Tools Data Analysis and Action Planning Conclusion 7. Connecting Prereferral Intervention Teams and Response to Intervention The Connection Implementation Decisions Universal Screening Decisions Intervention Tier Decisions Intervention Management Team Training and Staff Awareness The Combined Process Identifying the At-Risk Pool Tier Placement Conclusion Final Thoughts Resource A: Putting It All Together: The Implementation Plan Resource B: Implementation Tools References Index

"Clearly and concisely outlines 'good practice procedures' for prereferral teams. The author has put together a very thorough, thoughtful outline from start to finish concerning how to implement these procedures in a true-to-life setting." -- Jodie L. Greene, Coordinator of Special Education "A practical approach to the real problems administrators face when dealing with intervention and referral. The writing is clear and concise, providing examples and solutions to real-world situations. This book belongs in every school administrator's professional library." -- Jack Dennis, Principal