The purpose of this study was to identify and examine how schools implementing schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) were engaging families in their Tier I PBIS systems. In addition, reported implementation of practices and the availability of resources were examined in relation to fidelity of PBIS implementation. Participants included PBIS Leadership team representatives from 302 schools across three states. Findings revealed the most common ways in which schools (a) communicated with families about their PBIS systems, (b) worked with families to support PBIS at school, (c) supported family use of PBIS at home, and (d) built partnerships to support PBIS. Finally, communicating with families about PBIS and supporting families to help their child follow school expectations were related to fidelity of PBIS implementation. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
BoethelM. (2003). Diversity: School, family & community connections (Annual Synthesis). Austin, TX: National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools.
2.
BronfenbrennerU. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32, 513–531.
3.
ChristensonS. L. (2004). The family-school partnership: An opportunity to promote the learning competence of all students. School Psychology Review, 33, 83–104.
4.
ChristensonS. L.SheridanS. M. (2001). Schools and families: Creating essential connections for learning. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
5.
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
6.
CohenR.KincaidD.ChildsK. E. (2007). Measuring school-wide positive behavior support implementation: Development and validation of the benchmarks of quality. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 9, 203–213.
7.
CronbachL. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297–334.
8.
CrosnoeR. (2015). Continuities and consistencies across home and school systems. In SheridanS. M.KimE. M. (Eds.), Processes and pathways of family-school partnerships across development (pp. 61–80). New York, NY: Springer.
9.
DauberS. L.EpsteinJ. L. (1989). Parents’ attitudes and practices of involvement in inner-city elementary and middle schools. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools.
10.
DearingE.KreiderH.SimpkinsS.WeissH. B. (2006). Family involvement in school and low-income children’s literacy: Longitudinal associations between and within families. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 653–664.
11.
DishionT. (2011). Promoting academic competence and behavioral health in public schools: A strategy of systemic concatenation of empirically based intervention principles. School Psychology Review, 40, 590–597.
12.
DishionT. J.ShawD.ConnellA.GardnerF.WeaverC.WilsonM. (2008). The family check-up with high-risk indigent families: Preventing problem behavior by increasing parents’ positive behavior support in early childhood. Child Development, 79, 1395–1414.
13.
DishionT. J.StormshakE. A. (2007). Intervening in children’s lives: An ecological, family-centered approach to mental health care. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
14.
DominaT. (2005). Leveling the home advantage: Assessing the effectiveness of parental involvement in elementary school. Sociology of Education, 78, 233–249.
15.
DunstC. J.TrivetteC. M.HambyD. W. (2007). Meta-analysis of family-centered helpgiving practices research. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13, 370–378.
16.
EpsteinJ. (1992). School and family partnerships: Leadership roles for school psychologists. In ChristensonS. L.ConoleyJ. C. (Eds.), Home-school collaboration: Enhancing children’s academic and social competence (pp. 499–515). Silver Spring, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
17.
EpsteinJ. L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 701–712.
18.
EpsteinJ. L.DauberS. L. (1991). School programs and teacher practices of parent involvement in inner-city elementary and middle schools. Elementary School Journal, 91, 289–305.
19.
FanW.WilliamsC. M. (2010). The effects of parental involvement on students’ academic self-efficacy, engagement, and intrinsic motivation. Educational Psychology, 30, 53–74.
20.
FanX.ChenM. (2001). Parental involvement and students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 13, 1–22.
21.
FantuzzoJ.TigheE.ChildsS. (2000). Family involvement questionnaire: A multivariate assessment of family participation in early childhood education. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 367–376.
22.
FixsenD. L.NaoomS. F.BlaseK. A.FriedmanR. M.WallaceF. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature (FMHI Publication #231). Tampa: Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network.
23.
GarbaczS. A.McIntoshK. A.EagleJ. W.Dowd-EagleS. E.HiranoK. A.RuppertT. (2016). Family engagement within schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 60, 60–69.
24.
GarbaczS. A.SheridanS. M.KoziolN. A.KwonK.HolmesS. R. (2015). Congruence in parent-teacher communication: Implications for the efficacy of CBC for students with behavioral concerns. School Psychology Review, 44, 150–168.
25.
HornerR. H.SugaiG.SmolkowskiK.EberL.NakasatoJ.ToddA. W.EsperanzaJ. (2009). A randomized, wait-list controlled effectiveness trial assessing school-wide positive behavior support in elementary schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 11, 133–144.
26.
JeynesW. (2012). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of different types of parental involvement programs for urban students. Urban Education, 47, 706–742.
27.
KincaidD.ChildsK.GeorgeH. P. (2005). School-Wide Benchmarks of Quality. Unpublished instrument, University of South Florida, Tampa.
28.
LochmanJ. E.WellsK. C. (2004). The coping power program for preadolescent aggressive boys and their parents: Outcome effects at the 1-year follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 571–578.
29.
LucyshynJ. M.AlbinR. W.NixonC. D. (1997). Embedding comprehensive behavioral support in family ecology: An experimental, single-case analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 241–251.
30.
MappK. L.HongS. (2010). Debunking the myth of the hard-to-reach parent. In ChristensonS.ReschlyA. (Eds.), Handbook of school-family partnerships (pp. 345–361). New York, NY: Routledge.
31.
MathewsS.McIntoshK.FrankJ. L.MayS. L. (2014). Critical features predicting sustained implementation of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16, 168–178.
32.
McIntoshK.MercerS. H.HumeA. E.FrankJ. L.TurriM. G.MathewsS. (2013). Factors related to sustained implementation of schoolwide positive behavior support. Exceptional Children, 79, 293–311.
33.
McIntoshK.PredyL. K.UpretiG.HumeA. E.TurriM. G.MathewsS. (2014). Perceptions of contextual features related to implementation and sustainability of school-wide positive behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16, 29–41.
34.
MercerS. H.McIntoshK.HoseltonR. (2016). Comparability of fidelity measures for assessing Tier 1 school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 19, 195–204.
35.
MooreK. J.GarbaczS. A.GauJ. M.DishionT. J.BrownK. L.StormshakE. A.SeeleyJ. R. (2016). Proactive parent engagement in public schools: Using a brief strengths and needs assessment in a multiple-gating risk management strategy. Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 18, 230–240.
36.
OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. (2015). Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) implementation blueprint: Part 1—Foundations and supporting information. Eugene, OR: University of Oregon.
37.
SheridanS. M.BovairdJ. A.GloverT. A.GarbaczS. A.WitteA.KwonK. (2012). A randomized trial examining the effects of conjoint behavioral consultation and the mediating role of the parent–teacher relationship. School Psychology Review, 41, 23–46.
38.
SheridanS. M.KnocheL. L.KupzykK. A.EdwardsC. P.MarvinC. A. (2011). A randomized trial examining the effects of parent engagement on early language and literacy: The getting ready intervention. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 361–383.
39.
SimonB. S. (2001). Family involvement in high school: Predictors and effects. NASP Bulletin, 85, 8–19.
40.
SmolkowskiK.SeeleyJ. R.GauJ. M.DishionT. J.StormshakE. A.MooreK. J.GarbaczS. A. (2017). Effectiveness evaluation of the positive family support intervention: A three-tiered public health delivery model for middle schools. Journal of School Psychology, 62, 103–125.
41.
StormshakE. A.ConnellA. M.DishionT. J. (2009). An adaptive approach to family-centered intervention in schools: Linking intervention engagement to academic outcomes in middle and high school. Prevention Science, 10, 221–235.
42.
StormshakE. A.ConnellA. M.VéronneauM.-H.MyersM. W.DishionT. J.KavanaghK.CaruthersA. S. (2011). An ecological approach to promoting early adolescent mental health and social adaptation: Family-centered intervention in public middle schools. Child Development, 82, 209–225.
43.
SugaiG.HornerR. H. (2002). The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 24, 23–50.
44.
SugaiG.HornerR. H.ToddA. W. (2000). PBIS Self-Assessment Survey 2.0. Eugene, OR: Educational and Community Supports.
45.
SugaiG.Lewis-PalmerT. L.ToddA. W.HornerR. H. (2001). School-Wide Evaluation Tool (SET). Eugene, OR: Educational and Community Supports.
46.
WeistM. D.GarbaczS. A.LaneK. L.KincaidD. (2017). Aligning and integrating family engagement in positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS): Concepts and strategies for families and schools in key contexts. Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education). Eugene, OR: University of Oregon.
