Effective Collaboration for Educating the Whole Child

"In this day and age, schools are seen as more then a place where a child receives an education. Schools now must also instill responsibility, be surrogate parents, and contribute to creating a well-rounded person. Not only have the authors explained the research, they have also given ways to accomplish the goal of educating the whole child. After reading the book, there would be no reason for practitioners to not examine their own school and determine any changes that could be made."

"This book woke me up to many possibilities for collaboration and coordination within my school and community. It helped me view the whole picture and see the school as just a part of that picture. The book provides the ‘how-to’ that folks are looking for. The author identifies the purpose, points out the players, backs the purpose with research and specific success stories, breaks the how-to into bite-size pieces, and assures the reader that success can happen at any school."

"It is important for educators, and future educators, to understand how collaboration affects all individuals in and out of the educational setting. This book makes a distinct contribution to the field because it clarifies the importance of how and why collaboration will affect student learning and academic achievement."

"As educators strive to focus on the whole child, we are called on to join forces with families, community agencies, and other school professionals to address the cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and ethical development of students. This book comprehensively describes the characteristics of effective collaborative teams for educating the whole child, how to create them, and how to make them successful."

"The authors eloquently capture the tasks and interconnections of school and community professionals who share the responsibility of developing healthy environments so that all children have the opportunity to learn. This text presents models of school collaboration and agency coordination and real-life strategies for veterans and novices. Of utmost importance is that the tools discussed are for students with disabilities as well as those who might not meet the criteria to receive special education services but who require additional supports to experience success."

"A long-overdue response to a critical issue in our schools—that one size does not fit all—coupled with the need to educate the whole child. Finally, a practical look at how professionals from different disciplines can work together and blend their skills and talents to address the developmental needs of all students."

"This book is full of wonderful ideas that can easily be implemented in any school counseling program. A must for counselors preparing to go into schools to make a difference for every child they work with. I can't think of any text that could be more useful for teachers and counselors."

"A very timely book on an extremely important subject. Much of the emphasis on education in the past decade has shifted too far in the direction of standards and accountability to the detriment of educating the whole child. This book clearly articulates the need to revisit educational philosophy and practice in American public education and provides excellent guidelines and information on how to accomplish educating the whole child."