E-PATH Parent Center Resources

This page has been developed specifically for Parent Center representatives who may have been contacted by a school that is implementing the Equitable Partnerships Across School and Home (E-PATH) process. These resources are intended to provide an overview of the project, the training scope and sequence, and what partnership with Parent Centers might look like.  

The E-PATH Project is an approach to enhance equitable partnerships between schools and families, especially underserved families (including students with disabilities) by leveraging a school’s existing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (), or multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework.

Schools implementing this approach center the voices and experiences of their families and establish equitable partnerships across tiers (of their PBIS/MTSS framework) and home. This approach has been developed in partnership with the Navigating Excellence Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team (NE-PACT), and we encourage schools, districts, and states to partner with their local Parent Centers to contextualize their own implementation of E-PATH. You can learn more about the E-PATH approach at the project website here. 

Next, hear from Jamie Betances, Family Engagement Specialist at the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network about how E-PATH authentically engages parents:

https://youtu.be/ANoylBdfj4E

MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Supports) is a way schools organize support so every student gets what they need to learn, grow, and succeed. It helps schools respond early when students need extra help—academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.

MTSS can support students across all grades- from early childhood through high school and in alternative settings. MTSS is backed by strong research that shows when schools do MTSS well, students experience better outcomes. 

Parent Center representatives are collaborative partners in the implementation of E-PATH. Local leadership teams comprised of educators, administrators, individuals with academic and behavioral expertise, parents, and community members steer implementation of PBIS/MTSS. 

At the start of E-PATH implementation, school teams (supported by a local TA provider) are encouraged to contact their local Parent Center representative and invite them to join their PBIS/MTSS leadership team and participate in E-PATH training and coaching events (see the training sequence below).  

1. Review the demographics of the school/district to familiarize yourself with student enrollment characteristics including locale, race/ethnicity, and percentage of free and reduced-price eligible, percentage of students participating in special education, percentage of military-connected families and attendance trends.

Visit the school/district’s website to familiarize themselves with available programs, existing groups, or resources. 

The E-PATH materials have been developed as a “self-study process” in which schools progress through a series of activities to:

• Increase their understanding of equitable family engagement;
• Build into and enhance existing systems (e.g., teaming, training, & coaching structures);
• Implement a continuum of evidence-based family engagement practices; and
• Use data to monitor and support their progress

The self-study activities are delivered by a local technical assistance (TA) provider, which could include an external or district-level PBIS coach (or another individual) with extensive MTSS/PBIS implementation experience. The training sequence spans multiple years, with a gradual release of TA support.