There is a national trend toward using teacher teams and collaboration to solve various learning and behavioral problems. Teacher collaboration is necessary because of teacher shortages, especially in special education, and increasing diversity in student needs. Collaboration is especially important in rural schools because of the need to share scant resources. During two summers, a rural preparation and training program for preservice and in-service special educators was conducted. The program consisted of three courses--methods of instruction, learning theories in special education, and assessment. To fulfill the practicum component, students worked with children with academic, social-emotional, or behavioral disabilities who were attending a summer school provided by the university. One student from each course served on a collaborative-consultative planning team. Assessment of the team process was conducted via an observation checklist, a self-evaluation survey, and instructor ratings of individual performance. For both summers, all teams progressed through the five stages of consultation: establishing the team, identifying the problem, generating interventions, implementing interventions, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. Across all three instruments, preparedness and participation were high. All but two students left with a good grasp of team process. Pre-service teachers were surprised to discover how many strategies, behaviors, and skills could be taught in such a short time and how strategies that were implemented worked in such a short time. (TD)