ABSTRACT
Community–university partnerships create opportunities for researchers and practitioners to collaborate on the implementation and measurement of innovative consultation frameworks, and to explore the role of consultant competencies in working with school leadership teams. The purpose of this article is to introduce an empirically based approach, the School Leadership Team Consultation Framework (SLTCF). The SLTCF is used to define processes and competencies necessary to support school leadership teams in systems-level problem solving to improve school climate. A description of key research-based phases of a problem-solving process and core consultant competencies within the SLTCF are outlined, and practical examples illustrating the application of university consultant-school team partnerships are described. Finally, lessons from early implementation are posited for advancing community–university partnerships to promote systems change in schools.
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Notes on contributors
Alicia Raia-Hawrylak
Alicia Raia-Hawrylak Ph.D., is a Manager of Evaluation for the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP) at the Center for Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University. Her work focuses on data-driven school climate improvement and the development of mixed methods instruments and protocols for assessing school climate and culture.
Todd A. Glover
Todd A. Glover PhD, is an Associate Research Professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. His research focuses on integrating evidence-based interventions and high quality professional development into systems of support for students.
Lori A. Guerriero
Lori A. Guerriero Psy.D., is a Manager of Training and Consultation for the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP) at the Center for Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University. Her work focuses on promoting supportive and inclusive school environments through consultation with school leadership teams on the effective application of a data-driven school climate change process.