Maintaining School-Based Prereferral Teams: An Eight Year Study

Abstract

The establishment of prereferral intervention teams has become a recommended practice for educators to use to address the diverse needs of students within the classrooms. Although the concept of utilizing prereferral teams is widely accepted, educators are continually facing challenges at maintaining these teams within their schools. All too often, the teams are formed and operate for 1 or 2 years and then the teams are dismantled and their operations are discontinued. This article will explore the many factors that support and hinder the operations of prereferral teams. Follow-up data will be analyzed from prereferral teams within a tri-school district who have had their teams in operation for approximately 8 years. Common factors that team members stated supported and hindered their operations will be summarized.

Keywords

rural special education disabilities longitudinal study early intervention teaming transdisciplinary inter-professional maintenance burn-out

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