So…the Stakeholder Interview Collection has been posted on my site! Why do I feel so compelled to share these forms with you? Because finding out about student relationships and behaviors from other perspectives will allow for more objective data collection for you. This information helps understand the "why" of student performance, followed by assisting you with the "what" you will recommend and "how you will implement."
If you recall from a post, I made earlier in the year: “The stakeholder interview is an important aspect of the ecological approach –the evidenced based assessment methodology advocated for in school practice. These interviews facilitate engagement of those who are part of a child’s sphere of influence on development and know the child best. Questioning stakeholders help to answer the “why” of a student’s performance- information you might have missed if you did not interview the stakeholders in the student’s sphere.”
Knowing the “why” of student performance- one that you can share with a classroom staff member or other staff member can be the start of “a beautiful relationship”. Using a stakeholder interview will engage the teacher and help you to understand their concerns, building your relationship with them and facilitating buy in; my colleague Dr. Laurie Ray calls that the “therapeutic alliance”. Their perspective may shift your focus from an impairment oriented one to a more participation focused one; while you may be pre-supposing a student’s performance because of their medical diagnosis, the classroom staff member may be pointing you in a very different direction and one that might truly help mitigate a barrier and or select a much more appropriate test and measure.
The combo of interview, ecological assessment and appropriate test and measure use can help spell out the “why”! Just food for thought…. coming soon will be the collection of ecological assessments!