1. Collaboration and Effective Partnerships
Fall 2009

2. Components of Collaboration
two or more parties work together
parties collaborate as equal partners
participation is voluntary
responsibility is shared among the parties
parties work toward a common goal
Process is influenced by factors (such as school climate and culture) other than the parties themselves
can be either a planned, formal process or a spontaneous, informal process
resources are shared among parties
leads to community building

3. Your Experience
Reflect on your experience working on the Referral and Evaluation Pipeline project. How did your team reflect the components of effective collaboration?

4. Barriers to Collaboration
Conceptual barriers
Pragmatic barriers
Attitudinal barriers
Professional barriers

5. Samuel’s Story
Consider Samuel’s story from the video clip. Who would need to be involved in Samuel’s IEP?
What do you perceive will be the challenges and rewards of the collaboration process when including Samuel in the general education classroom?

6. Negotiation The Goal of Negotiation is:
to produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible
to produce an efficient, effective agreement
to improve, or at least not damage, the relationship

7. 4 Steps to Successful Negotiation
Separate the people from the problem
Focus on interests, not positions
Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do
Insist that the result be based on some objective criteria

8. Cultural Responsiveness in Education
Use culturally responsive feedback and methods of communication.
Show appreciation for and include cultural diversity in the curriculum and school activities, as well as during meetings with the family.
Ensure that policies, procedures, and activities are in place to reduce the likelihood of prejudice.