Family-school Collaboration in Multi-tiered Systems of Support

Family–school collaboration has proven benefits for students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning, yet many schools struggle to create and sustain effective partnerships with families. This timely resource provides an equity-focused, culturally responsive framework for embedding family collaboration within multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). The field-leading authors present best practices for involving families in data-based decision making and problem solving at Tiers 1, 2, and 3. Chapters from guest experts address key issues in implementation, including detailed case studies. In a convenient large-size format, the book provides implementation guides, practitioner vignettes, candid parent quotations, and reproducible checklists, forms, and sample scripts that can be downloaded and printed. 

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

S. Andrew Garbacz, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His work focuses on developing, testing, and scaling family–school–community partnership interventions in school and community settings to promote youth mental and behavioral health.

Devon R. Minch, PhD, is Implementation Specialist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has served in various roles supporting the implementation of best practices for students and families, including as a school psychologist, professional learning specialist, and technical assistance provider. Dr. Minch’s research focuses on the intersection of family–school collaboration and tiered systems of supports.

Mark D. Weist, PhD, is Professor of Clinical–Community and School Psychology at the University of South Carolina. His work focuses on advancing research, practice, and policy on effective school behavioral health programs involving mental health–education system partnerships.