System Consultation in School Discipline Reform
The purpose of this course is to integrate and apply two interrelated broad literature bases within the field of education: (1) system change and data analysis literature informing best practices in analyzing system school data and needs assessment findings and using the findings to plan for system level discipline change; and (2) best practices in the school leadership and teaming to effect system level reform in school discipline. The focus of the course will be on the systems change process as it relates to the issue of school discipline. Through the course, students will gain skills and experience reviewing and analyzing school and district-level data, and they will develop and administer a needs assessment tool relating to school discipline and multi-tiered systems of support in their respective settings. They will also analyze system level variables, which have historically prevented true discipline reform (e.g., unreliable data collection systems, poorly structured teaming, access to systematic and ongoing professional development and technical assistance and rooted beliefs and biases).