Challenges of Family-School Partnerships within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

A partnership between the school and family is an important aspect of the student support process. Each partner adds important contributions required to provide the student with personalized academic, behavior, and social-emotional support. For example, a student who receives Tier II interventions but continues to struggle in reading will benefit from a collaborative effort to evaluate the causes of the failure and plan for the continuum of services in the process. A challenge that may arise as partnerships develop is that of helping the parents feel that they are an integral part of the team. The school arranges collaborative opportunities to make decisions about the appropriate level of support for the student (Howell, Patton, & Deiotte, 2008). According to the authors, during the collaborative meetings, parents can assist as part of the team by providing a holistic view of the student for the discovery and planning stages. During the intervention stages, parents can ensure that the support is continuous as stated by the authors. The authors also stated that school staff can foster active parent involvement by providing team meeting logistics such as establishing meeting times, expectations, agendas, task assignments, and opportunities for open discussions. These contributions are beneficial to the development of positive dialogue that leads to strong partnerships between families and schools. The results include adequate academic support for the student.

Howell, R., Patton, S., & Deiotte, M. (2008a). Understanding response to intervention: A practical guide to systemic implementation. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press