Children in a family system establish their identities through the interplay of roles and relationships. As they move from home into school, children become a part of another system. Both systems overlap and events in one system may affect the child's behavior in the other system. A systematic understanding of a child's behavior considers the context, the sequence of events, the reaction of others within the system, and the outcome. Viewing the family-school interaction from a systems perspective can lead the therapist to helpful interventions. An initial interview with parents, child, and teachers allows the therapist to observe the child's system in action and to formulate intervention strategies. This initial interview may extend into short-term family counseling involving all parties, or the therapist may choose to consult with teachers and family separately. Although a systemic approach holds promise for school psychologists in relation to family-school collaboration, several issues must be considered: (1) the psychologist's competency to use a systems orientation; (2) resistance to the new approach; (3) the speculative nature of systems orientation and the absence of research supporting its efficacy within the schools; (4) identification of the client system; and (5) the complexity of systems dynamics. (NRB)