The Status of Consultant Teacher Services in Special Education on Long Island,New York: 1989-1990

A questionnaire was mailed to the Directors of Pupil Personnel Services in the 122 school districts of Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, NY to determine the extent and type of consulting services offered. Of the 63 districts responding to the questionnaire, only 39 offered the model in some form. It was offered about equally at elementary, junior-middle, and high school levels. Major issues determining the weaknesses and strengths of this service included the proportion of administrative, teacher, and parent input in the implementation of the model, the degree of voluntary teacher participation, provision for regular scheduling of consultation time, and the determination of union and financial accords. We suggest that state guidelines be clarified, and the nomenclature be modified to reflect the collaborative nature of consultation. Additionally, we recommend the need for strong administrative and union support, ongoing training for both the special education and regular classroom teachers, and that, initially, participation of regular educators be on a voluntary basis.