Embedding Family-School Collaboration

into PBS

2009 National PBIS Leadership Forum:Implementing a Continuum of Effective Systems & Practices

Debby Boyer and Kathleen Minke University of Delaware, Center for Disability Studies

Family-School Relationships

• Families have a profound impact on academic, social, and emotional development of their children (Parke & Buriel, 2006).

• Positive school-home relations are an important characteristic of effective schools; instrumental in comprehensive school reform efforts (e.g., Comer, Haynes, Joyner, & Ben-Avie, 1996).

Minke & Boyer, 2009

Family-School Relationships

• There is increasing evidence of a CAUSAL relationship between parents’ participation and achievement

• Parents’ efforts increase child engagement in academics that, in turn, leads to improved achievement

Minke & Boyer, 2009

PCPFBA/BSP

PBS Training in DelawarePBS Training in Delaware

Developing Self-Discipline in the ClassroomFamily-School Collaboration

Creative Response to Conflict: Bias AwarenessSchool-wide Team Training

80-90% students

w/0-1 referrals

5-10% students

w/2-5 referrals

1-5% students

w/6+ referrals

Intensive

Targeted

Universal

Targeted Team

Minke & Boyer, 2009

Family-School Conferences

Family participation in planning, implementing, and evaluating School-wide program

Information sharing to and from families

Problem solving meetings

Com

mun

icat

ion

Skills

PCP

Wraparound

FBA/BSP System

s ThinkingFamily Collaboration at all LevelsFamily Collaboration at all Levels

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Overview of Skills/StrategiesThe CORE Model of Collaboration

• THINKING DIFFERENTLYo Ecosystemic approacho CORE Model

• TALKING DIFFERENTLYo 7 Communication Strategies

• BEHAVING DIFFERENTLYo Proactive outreach strategieso Conferences and Problem-solving Meetings

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Overview of Skills/StrategiesThe CORE Model of Collaboration

Connected

Optimistic

Respected

Empowered

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Thinking Differently • Systems Theory/Principles

o Wholeness Each member affects, and is affected by, every other

member When a member is added, subtracted or changes behavior in

some way, the entire system must reorganize to accommodate the change.

System as a whole is greater than the sum of its partso Patterns of Interaction

Behavior occurs in circular patterns with each person contributing

Circularity = Repetitive cycles in which the same outcomes occur repeatedly a to b to c to a

Punctuation = View of reality reflected by arbitrary starting point

 

Teacher criticizes child

Child complains about teacher to

parent

Parent criticizes teacher

Child misbehaves in class

Behavior Problem from a Systemic ViewA to B to C to D to A

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CORE Model: Talking Differently7 Communication Strategies

o Attend to non-verbal communicationo Listen to understand: reflecting and

summarizingo Model the collaborative role: avoid labeling,

jargon and advice giving!o Search for strengthso Reframingo Delivering/Receiving negative information o Blocking blame

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CORE MODEL:Behaving Differently

• Proactive Outreach Strategies• Conferences and Problem-

solving Meetings

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Proactive Strategies:The School-wide Team

• Family members as participants?

• School climate data from families?

• Input from families in planning, implementing, and evaluating the school-wide discipline plan?

• Sharing information about the program with all families?

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Proactive Strategies:The Physical Plant

How welcoming to families does the school appear?

Are visitors a priority?

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Proactive Strategies:Written Communications

• Forms and policies

• Personal communications

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Written Communications:Forms, Policies and General Information

• What reading level is required to interpret the documents?

• Is there jargon that can be removed or better explained?

• How do we ensure that families with limited written English literacy have access to this information?

• To what extant do these documents encourage:• Parental choices and options (indent)• Two-way communication

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Written Communications:Personal

• “Good news” notes are usually welcome and helpful.

• Avoid using notes home or emails to communicate about problems.

• Communicate about concerns early and directly.

• Concentrate on your main goals.• Consult with others when needed.

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Proactive Strategies:Activities at School

• Examine Current Activities for Opportunities for Relationship-building

• Needs Assessment/Evaluation

• Build in Options

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Behaving Differently:Routing Conferences and Problem-Solving Meetings

• Two types of conferences are discussed

oRoutineoProblem-solving

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Conferences and Meetings• 5 ways family-school conferences

are differento All parties prepare in advanceo Students are active participantso Educator concentrates on receiving rather

than giving information.o Educator acknowledges, expands and

underscores the strengths of the family.o The conference is a “conversation.” At no

time is the educator the “presenter.”

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Conferences and Meetings

• Outcome goalsoA plan is developed collaboratively

for supporting the student’s continued success, including plans to remediate identified difficulties

oAll participants leave feeling hopeful about their participation and future success

oStudents leave feeling greater ownership of their own learning

Conferences and Meetings

• Process goalsoEach participant has ample time to

share thoughts in the conferenceoShared expectations for the child are

developed by the groupoEach participant is both a teacher and

a learner

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Traditional Conferences

“…it’s just you start at 8 in the morning, and that’s where you stay, parked at your table, just pulling folders and papers and talking, and then that person leaves, pulling folders, papers again. So it’s like being a mannequin or a robot, I guess...I’m lucky if I can talk after the second day. It’s unbearable.”

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Family-School Conference

“My students were active participants in the conferences. I solicited information from parents prior to the meeting. All parents attended. About 95% of the students attended the conference with their parents. I plan on doing this again with every family in the spring!”

Minke & Boyer, 2009

Family-School Conference

“I felt more relaxed . . .I felt less like [my son’s] defender . . . and I felt [the teacher] was less defensive. I thought she was more open . . . I don’t know if it was her tone or her mannerism or her body language . . . it just felt less like something you want to go smoke a cigarette after.”

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Professional Development Evaluation Data

• Does participation in collaboration training have a positive effect on teacher:oBeliefs about parent involvementoPractices (e.g., number and type of contact

with families)

Reflections Activities

• Systems Principles• CORE Elements and Beliefs• Communication Strategies• The School-wide Team and Families• Physical Plant• Written Communications• Relationship-building opportunities • Conferences

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Reflections Data• Most frequent positive comments concerned

communication strategies

o Increased positive contacts

o More attention to wording of notes home

o Increased effort to translate documents and positive notes

o Greater attention to seeking information and limiting advice giving

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Reflections Data

• Meeting changes were discussed frequently

Avoiding jargon

Avoiding advice

Listening more carefully

Including positive information

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Reflections Data• Innovative strategies

o Welcome back activity for “frequent flyers” and their families

o Using email to elicit parent ideas on the School-wide program

o Creating a spreadsheet to monitor positive contacts

o Using the district’s world languages teachers to help with parent contacts

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Planning and Evaluation Tools

Planning and Evaluation Tools: Family School Collaboration Emphasis

• Delaware Self-Assessment

• School-wide Evaluation Tool, Delaware version (SET-D)

• Delaware School Climate Survey (students, staff and families)

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Highlights from Key Features

• Prevention of problem behaviors includes promoting positive teacher-student, student-student, and school-family relations

• Uses problem-solving team process for planning, development, implementation, and evaluation across all three levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary). The team is representative of the school staff and community including students and parents as active participants

• PBS requires sensitivity to individual and cultural differences

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Five Components of the Self Assessment

1. Promoting Positive Behavior with Effective Classroom and Schoolwide Management

2. Developing Self-Discipline3. Correcting Behavior Problems 4. Addressing the Needs of Students Who are

Currently Exhibiting Serious and Chronic Behavior Problems (or who are at-risk of such)

5. Program Development and Evaluation

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Family Collaboration embedded in the Self Assessment

• Families are informed about SW programs and are given multiple opportunities to engage with school

• Families receive more positive contacts home then negative contacts

• Collaboration with family and community for individual student support

• Families are part of the PBS leadership team

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SET-D

• Revised version of the SET• Some items added to highlight

important elements of PBS in Delaware

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New SET-D Items Related to Family-School Collaboration

• D. On-going System for Rewarding Behavioral Expectations

– “Do 90% of staff asked indicate that they have contacted a parent about positive student behavior in past 2 months?”

• F. Monitoring, Evaluating, & Decision-Making- “Does the administrator report that program evaluation includes teacher, parent, and student surveys of school climate?”- “Is there a documented system for involving families in the development and evaluation of the school discipline plan?”

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Delaware School Climate Surveys

• Survey of students, staff and families• Used in grades 3-12 (may use home

and staff version at all grade levels)• 37-50 items • Administered in January and February

1. The school rules are fair.

3. Consequences of breaking school rules are fair.

4. The rules in this school are too harsh. *

13. The school’s Code of Conduct is fair.

19. The rules in this school are clear.

26. Students know what is expected of their behavior.

29. Students understand what the rules are.

30. The school makes it clear how students are expected to act.

Home School Climate Survey: Rules and Expectations Subscale

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Home School Climate Survey: Teacher Relations with Students and Home Subscale

5. Teachers do a good job communicating with parents.7. Teachers are fair when correcting misbehavior.9. Adults who work in this school care about the students.11. Parents are informed not only about their child’s misbehavior, but also about good behavior.12. Teachers care about their students.15. Teachers work closely with parents to help students when they have problems.17. Adults in this school treat students fairly.18. Teachers listen to the concerns of parents.21. Teachers show respect toward parents.23. Teachers treat students with respect.25. Teachers listen to students when they have a problem.

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Positive Techniques (3 items)2. I was informed about my child's good behavior. 6. My child told me that he or she was recognized or praised by a teacher or other school employee for good behavior.7. My child told me that he or she was rewarded by a teacher or other school employee for good behavior.

Punitive Techniques (4 items)1. I was informed by the school that my child violated the Code of Conduct.3. My child was suspended out of school. 4. I was informed that my child was sent out of class because of misbehavior.5. I was informed that my child received in-school suspension

Use of Positive and Punitive Techniques

For each item, the parent is asked how often the given behavior has happened during the past week

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Overall comparison of surveys

• Student and parent perception of climate was very consistent

• Some discrepancies between staff perception and students/parents

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Contact Information

Kathleen Minke: minke@udel.edu

Debby Boyer: dboyer@udel.edu

Website: www.Delawarepbs.org

For Further Reading

Minke, K.M., & Anderson, K.A. (2003). Restructuring routine parent-teacher conferences: The family-school conference model. Elementary School Journal, 104(1), 49-69.

Vickers, H. S., Minke, K. M., & Anderson, K. A. (2002). Best practices in facilitating collaborative family-school routine conferences. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.). Best practices in school psychology –IV (pp. 431-449). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

For Further Reading

Minke, K. M. (2000). Preventing school problems and promoting school success through family-school-community collaboration. In K. M. Minke & G. G. Bear (Eds.). Preventing school problems – promoting school success: Strategies and programs that work (pp. 337-420). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Good resource for Relationship- building Opportunities

Christenson, S. L., & Sheridan, S. M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York: Guilford.