Collaborative problem-solving involves people who share their resources, expertise, knowledge, and strategies to solve a common problem via effective communication. The success of group problem-solving relies on participants' communication skills (clear, concise, culturally appropriate, and direct), attention to the problem-solving steps, trust and respect, and administrative support (Cook & Friend, 2010).

Step 1: Identify and define the problem - Identify the urgency of the problems as proactive, an anticipated situation, or reactive, a condition that requires your imminent attention and action

Step 2: Generate Solutions - use strategies like brains to, brainwriting, and NGT (Nominal Group Technique) to generate as many solutions as possible

Step 3: Evaluate Potential Solutions - in this step, each potential solution is evaluated and examined from a balanced perspective

Step 4: Select the Solutions - selection of solutions is based on intrusiveness, feasibility, and individual preference.

Step 5: Implement Solutions - Ensure that minute details are thoroughly considered in the planning phase 

Step 6: Evaluate Outcomes - evaluate whether the established goal has been reached. If not, try another previously proposed solution, or start from scratch and reanalyze the context and the problem.

References

Friend, M. P., & Cook, L. (2020). Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals. Boston, MA: Pearson (Chapter 1).

 

Reference
Plus Minus Interesting [PMI]  Strategy - Teacher/Parent - On The Job. (n.d.). https://www.onthejob.education/teachers_parents/Lesson_Strategies/PMI_Strategy.htm

MTSS is an umbrella framework that includes Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). RTI is a multi-tiered framework primarily for academic support, whereas PBIS is a multi-tiered framework for behavioral support (What Is MTSS? Multi-Tiered System of Supports Ultimate Guide - Branching Minds, n.d.). 

References
What Is MTSS? Multi-Tiered System of Supports Ultimate Guide - Branching Minds. (n.d.). https://www.branchingminds.com/mtss-guide

References
Friend, M. P., & Cook, L. (2020). Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals. Boston, MA: Pearson (Chapter 1).

1. They support the view that Special education should continue as the most intensive tier with little change in the nature of its programs.
2. They also view high-incidence disabilities as valid.
3. They provide a more valid method of disability identification.

Panel B shows an expanded general education and smaller special education (Fuchs et al., 2010).

The advocates of NCLB are of the view that, with the “right” general education in place and with a reformed service delivery system (RTI) that emphasizes early intervention and the unification of general education and special education, will be the disappearance of high-incidence disabilities (such children will prove capable). 

Panel C depicts an NCLB’s vision of a new unified system of service delivery.
1. The top tier represents individualized instruction.
2. The tiers represent the intensity of classroom instruction. 3. An absence of the special education continuum supports the view that special education should no longer “own” a separate tier within such an RTI framework (Fuchs et al., 2010).

References
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S., & Stecker, P. M. (2010). The “Blurring” of Special Education in a New Continuum of General Education Placements and Services. Exceptional Children, 76(3), 301–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291007600304

2. The special educator works directly with the students and has the freedom to select and change interventions; the responsibility to accelerate students’ academic performance. 3. For experimental teaching to be successful, the teacher must be committed to a focused, analytical, data-based, recursive (test-teach-test) process, requiring patience, perseverance, ingenuity, tolerance of ambiguity, and deep knowledge of assessment and instruction.

Behavioral Consultation
1. In NCLB’s problem-solving approach to RTI, the behavioral consultant affects students’ academic performance or school behavior only through the actions of the teacher with whom he or she is working. 

2. Therefore, the consultant’s problem-solving success ultimately depends on the effective collaboration between the consultant-teacher pair to make decisions regarding the treatment options. 

3. Hence, the problem solver requires strong social and communication skills, the capacity to be understanding and aware of the teacher’s limits and constraints, and the ability to negotiate on behalf of the student.

The behavioral consultation approach to problem-solving calls for individualizing instruction at all tiers and hence is more efficient than the use of standard protocols (Fuchs et al., 2010).

References
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S., & Stecker, P. M. (2010). The “Blurring” of Special Education in a New Continuum of General Education Placements and Services. Exceptional Children, 76(3), 301–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291007600304