Proactively Communicating With Parents about MTSS

Participant Workbook

June 21, 2017

Karee Atkinson, Michelle

Murphey, Rebecca Peterson

Session Objectives:1. Identify the top four questions parents have about MTSS.2. Name at least two common barriers to meaningful parent–school communication.3. Describe two or more resources that you can use to help you communicate effectively with parents

about MTSS.4. Create an action plan to aid you in communicating with parents about MTSS.

“Years of research, and hundreds of studies, indicate the major roles of families in promoting social, emotional and behavioral outcomes among youth” (Barton &Coley, 2007).“Intentional planning and effort to address parent-school communication barriers can increase parent involvement and engage parents as essential partners in student learning outcomes” (Reschly & Christenson, 2009).

Objective 1: Identify the top four questions parents have about MTSS.1.2.3.4.

Objective 2: Name at least two common barriers to meaningful parent-school communication Barriers to effective communication: Fear:Lack of understanding about MTSS:

Feedback Loop Game Instructions: Sit in a group of 7 Number off. Person number 1 is the originating teacher. Person number 4 is the parent.

Round 1: Teacher: Write a word that has to do with student progress on the 3X5 card and pass it to person 2 without showing the word to anyone else. Person 2: Look at the word from the teacher without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that the teacher wrote on the 3X5 card. Pass your card (without the word on it) to person 3. Person 3: Look at the picture from person 2 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 2 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Pass your card (without the picture on it) to person 4.Parent: Look at the word from person 3 without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that person 3 wrote on the 3X5 card. Pass your card (without the word on it) to person 5. Person 5: Look at the picture from person 4 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 4 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Pass your card (without the picture on it) to person 6.Person 6: Look at the word from person 5 without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that person 5 wrote on the 3X5 card. Pass your card (without the word on it) to person 7. Person 7: Look at the picture from person 6 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 5 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Compare your card to the original word card that the teacher started with.

Reflection– How did your communication go?

Round 2Teacher: Write a word that has to do with student progress on the 3X5 card and pass it to person 2 without showing the word to anyone else. Person 2: Look at the word from the teacher without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that the teacher wrote on the 3X5 card. Pass your card (without the word on it) to person 3. Person 3: Look at the picture from person 2 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 2 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Pass your card (without the picture on it) to person 4.Parent: Look at the word from person 3 without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that person 3 wrote on the 3X5 card. Now take your card and check back with the teacher before passing it

on. If it is not correct, make a correction to your picture and then pass your card (without the word on it) to person 5. Person 5: Look at the picture from person 4 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 4 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Pass your card (without the picture on it) to person 6.Person 6: Look at the word from person 5 without showing it to anyone else and draw a picture of the word that person 5 wrote on the 3X5 card. Pass your card (without the word on it) to person 7. Person 7: Look at the picture from person 6 without showing it to anyone else and write a word for the picture that person 5 drew on the 3 X 5 card. Now take your card and check back with the parent before passing it on. If it is not correct, make a correction to your picture and then pass your card to the teacher. Compare your card to the original word card that the teacher started with.

Reflection- How was your communication this time? What changes did you notice as compared to round 1?

- How can you relate this to parent-school communication about MTSS?

Facilitating Parent UnderstandingHow can you provide meaning and utility for parents when you provide scores or information to them?

What information would help parents to understand and make use of this information?

Objective 3: Describe two or more resources that you can use to help you communicate effectively with parents about MTSSUtah Parent Center:

■ Call our statewide office at 801-272-1050 for individual consultations■ District Consultants in Granite, Davis, SLCSD, Nebo, Alpine, Canyons and Washington■ Free parent workshops on MTSS and related topics such behavior and section 504■ MTSS parent resources on our website at www.utahparentcenter.org

District-Parent Communication Template

Objective 4: Create an action plan to aid you in communicating with parents about MTSS

Tiered Interventions

Tier 3A few students receive intensive evidence-based interventions and supports.

What kinds of intensive one on one supports do my students have access to?

When and where is the intensive support provided?

How is progress monitored and communicated?

What do I do when students don’t make progress? How do my students get additional support?

Tier 2Some students receive evidence-based interventions and supports.

What kinds of additional supports do my students have access to?

When and where is the additional support provided?

How is progress monitored and communicated?

What indicators do I use to determine when tier 3 supports are needed?

What do I do when students don’t make progress? How do my students get additional support?

Tier 1All students receive high quality, evidence-based, differentiated tier 1 core instruction.

How do I measure and communicate the progress of all students?

What do I use to differentiate based on student need?

What indicators do I use to determine when tier 2 supports are needed (as opposed to differentiation)?

What do I do when students don’t make progress? How do my students get additional support?

Writing your plan:

Tier 1: Universal support - What kind of benchmarks and screenings will I do this year?

- When do I do them?

- What information will the benchmarks or screenings provide? Write a clear explanation of what the benchmarks or screenings actually measure – without jargon in clear and understandable language. If scores will be provided, what context and explanation will you provide to give the scores meaning?

- When will I communicate that information with parents?

- How will I communicate that information with parents?

- How will I create a feedback loop to get information back from parents?

- What will I do if a benchmark or screening indicates a need for additional tier 2 support? How will I communicate which supports (if any) are needed by a student?

- How will I explain the difference between differentiation in Tier 1, and Tier 2 supports?

Tier 2: Targeted support - How will I explain tier 2 supports and interventions to parents? What are some key things to remember to

communicate to help avoid misunderstandings?

- How will I meaningfully involve parents and students in the tier 2 interventions and supports process?

- How will I address parent concerns and worries about student progress and outcomes?

- How often will I communicate with parents (and students) about student progress?

- How will I communicate that information with parents?

- How will I create a feedback loop to get information back from parents?

Tier 3: Intensive support - How will I explain tier 3 supports and interventions to parents? What are some key things to remember to

communicate to help avoid misunderstandings?

- How will I meaningfully involve parents and students in the tier 3 interventions and supports process?

- How will I address parent concerns and worries about student progress and outcomes?

- How often will I communicate with parents (and students) about student progress?

- How will I communicate that information with parents?

- How will I create a feedback loop to get information back from parents?

Tools for Proactive Communication for Positive Parental Involvement in your Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Parents are an important part of your multi-tiered system of supports. Many studies establish the large positive impact that parent involvement has on student academic achievement and motivation (Gabel, Graybill, & Connors, 1977; Gonzalez De-Hass, Willems, & Holbein, 2005; Hattie, 2010; Topor, Kean, Shelton, & Calkins, 2011). Good communication habits harness the impact of parent involvement and help schools and parents to avoid misunderstandings. Proactive communication about student support within your school’s multi-tiered system of supports can engage parents as essential partners in student learning outcomes (Reschly & Christenson, 2009). However, ineffective communication is a missed opportunity for harnessing the power of parental involvement that can present unnecessary barriers (Gonzalez-DeHass & Willems, 2003). This document helps you identify the common questions and concerns that parents have about their students’ involvement in a multi-tiered system of supports and to create a proactive communication plan.

The basic components of an effective communication plan address five main issues:

1. Timely benchmark or screening identification2. A clear explanation of what the benchmark or screenings actually measure – written without jargon in

clear and understandable language. If scores are included, provide context to the scores by explaining what the scores indicate.

3. A clear explanation of your school’s “map” of student supports and interventions for tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 that answers the questions:

What do we do when students make progress? What do we do when they don’t make progress? How do we know if students are making progress or not (what data do we collect)? How do we let others know about student progress (what are our communication loops)?

4. A clear description of your school’s decision points that addresses how long you collect data on additional student supports and interventions before making a decision about whether to continue or change the supports and interventions.

5. Information on what parents can do to support their student and how you will communicate and involve them in their student’s progress.

Common concerns and emotions parents might feel: Fear, guilt, concern, relief, gratitude:

Does this mean my child has a learning disability? Does this mean my child will not catch up? Did I do something wrong as a parent or did I somehow cause this problem? I was wondering about his or her progress – I’m glad to know that I am not the only one to notice his or

her struggles. I am thankful to have help addressing my student’s challenges.

Will I be included in this process? Is my opinion and experience valued by the school team?

Questions to answer: Help parents understand your multi-tiered system of supports and what it means for their child:

What data or information indicates that my child needs additional supports and intervention? How far is my student from the expected benchmark? How much growth does my student need to get to the expected benchmark? What does it mean if my child needs additional supports and intervention? What are tiered supports and interventions? What does your system of supports and interventions look like? What kind of supports and interventions will you provide for my student? How are the supports and interventions different from what they are already receiving? How do you anticipate the supports and interventions will help my student? What is the goal? What kind of data will you collect on my student’s progress? What kind of growth should we expect to see over time? How often will you collect data on the supports and interventions? At what point do you decide whether the supports and interventions are working? What happens

then? How will I know the amount of progress my student is making with the supports and interventions? How often will I get updates about his or her progress? What information can I provide that could be useful? How can I help my child?

ReferencesBarton, P. E., & Coley, R. J. (2007). The Family: America’s Smallest School. Educational Testing Service Policy Report. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

Gabel, H., Graybill, D., & Connors, G. (1977). Parent-Teacher Communication in Relation to Child Academic Achievement and Self-Concept. Peabody Journal of Education (0161956X), 54(3), 142.

Gonzalez-DeHass, A. R., & Willems, P. P. (2003). Examining the underutilization of involvement in the schools. School Community Journal, 13(1), 85–99.

Gonzalez-DeHass, A. R., Willems, P. P., & Holbein, M. F. (2005). Examining the Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Student Motivation. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 99-123. doi:10.1007/s10648-005-3949-7

Hattie, J. (2010). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London, London: Routledge.

Reschly, A.L., & Christenson, S.L. (2009). Parents as essential partners for fostering students’ learning outcomes. In R.G. Michael J. Furlong, Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (pp. 257-272). New York: Routledge.

Topor, D. R., Keane, S. P., Shelton, T. L., & Calkins, S. D. (2010). Parent Involvement and Student Academic Performance: A Multiple Mediational Analysis. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 38(3), 183-197. doi:10.1080/10852352.2010.486297

Model Communication Plan

Dear (parent/guardian),

Your student, (name), recently participated in (screening/benchmark) that indicated (brief description). We would like to add additional support and intervention to aid in your student’s growth and progress in (skill area); this is called a multi-tiered system of supports.

Parents are an important part of our multi-tiered system of supports. Research confirms what we know from experience - parent involvement has a large positive impact on student achievement and motivation (1). We value your input and involvement. Please take a few minutes to read the information below. Please contact us with any questions or suggestions you might have.

Student name: Date: Description of concern:What data or information indicates that the student needs additional supports and intervention?How far is the student from the expected benchmark? How much growth does the student need to get to the expected benchmark?

Explanation of the next step for student supports: What kind of supports and interventions will we provide for the student? How are the supports and interventions different from what the student is already receiving? How do we anticipate the supports and interventions will help the student? What is the goal? What kind of data will we collect on the student’s progress? How often will we collect data on the supports and interventions? What kind of growth should we expect to see over time? What do we do when the student makes progress? What do we do when the student doesn’t make progress? Who is involved in supporting the student at the school? How? How will the parent know if the student is making progress or not? How often will the parent get updates about the student’s progress?

Involve parents: Do you have any information that could be useful to us as we work to help your student?You can support your student’s progress by doing the following things: (list how the parent can help reinforce or practice skills the student is learning)

Please contact (child’s teacher, interventionist, etc.) with any questions or suggestions you may have about your student’s progress.

We look forward to working with you as we work together to make a positive impact on your student’s learning and growth.

Sincerely,

TeacherIntervention Team Members and any others involved

Example Tier 3 intervention detailed communication parent letter

You can also find a good parent letter on the DIBELS website: https://dibels.uoregon.edu/docs/dibelsparentguide.pdf