Exploring how general education teachers use school‐based consultation

Understanding general education teachers' experiences with and goals for school‐based consultation is warranted to address class‐wide and individual student concerns. In a sample of 66 general education teachers, we described their experiences with (1) informal consultation with colleagues, (2) school team meeting consultation, and (3) ongoing, structured consultation. Results indicated teachers received consultation most often for challenging individual student behavior and individual student academics (rather than for class‐wide behavior management or academic instruction) and received consultation from teachers and administrators (rather than from school psychologists or behavioral consultants). Teachers reported higher satisfaction during informal consultations than in team meetings. When teachers received ongoing, structured consultation, most reported three or more sessions with one to two observations. Implications for assessing and improving school‐based teacher consultation are discussed. Practitioner points General education teachers reported seeking informal consultation support from colleagues or administrators. Teachers most often sought support to address individual students' challenging behaviors rather than class‐wide concerns. School psychologists and intervention experts were less frequently sought out by teachers.