Multi-level Consultation with an Urban School District to Promote 9th Grade Supports for On-time Graduation

This case study documents a multi-level consultation regarding a district-led initiative, designed to increase the number of students starting 10th grade on track for on-time high school graduation. The case study focuses on one neighborhood high school (9th grade student N = 440) in an urban district in the Intermountain West. Consultation occurred with teachers, teaching teams, support staff, school administrators, and district personnel. Data sources included consultation notes, observations, surveys, interviews, and district records. The findings included that students enter with various risk profiles that require immediate differentiation of supports, students’ entering risk profiles were not fully predictive of where they would be by the end of 9th grade, the consultation with teaching teams and teachers increased their ability to support student needs, and the systemslevel consultation led to significant building and district changes. Suggestions for the practice of school psychology and future research are given. C © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.