Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify and describe the support systems that sustain a high school interdisciplinary team, (2) to identify the barriers that hinder a sustained high school interdisciplinary team, (3) to identify the strategies used in five high schools located in Los Angeles County, California in overcoming the barriers in order to build an effective interdisciplinary team. Methodology. The researcher used descriptive and ex post facto research. The population consisted of five high school interdisciplinary teams located in Los Angeles County, California. The teams, which had existed for at lust three sequential years, were composed of two to eight members. An informational survey and questionnaire were utilized to collect quantitative data from the interdisciplinary team members. The qualitative data were collected through an interview process. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed and ex post facto research was used. Findings. The findings indicated a strong association between the qualitative and quantitative techniques used in this study in the essential areas of Participatory, Leadership, and Structural supports. The qualitative data verified the low mean scores in the essential area of Environmental supports. A significant barrier was lack of time. Strategies for overcoming the barriers were (1) teachers themselves, (2) their perseverance and communication, and (3) recruitment of appropriate students. Conclusions. The conclusions were (1) teachers are essential participatory supports and supports to overcoming barriers, (2) key administrators are an essential leadership support, (3) a team coordinator is an important structural support, (4) regular meeting times are a strategy in overcoming the barrier of not having a common planning time for the team, (5) counselor support is an important leadership support, (6) communication within the team, school site, and district personnel is a strategy for sustaining an interdisciplinary team, (7) having students who are a good match for the team's focus is a strategy for sustaining an interdisciplinary team.