EFE-FT Resource Bank

• Establish a data collection calendar that considers time of year and/or other planned school activities. For example, pair survey administration with planned school events to increase response rate (see P.1 for more). A sample survey dissemination checklist can be found here.

• Build data routines with families to increase predictability and participation. 

• Focus groups can be held with support by the local Parent Center. A sample focus group protocol can be found here.

The type of information includes perspectives, preferences, and needs. 

• The Feedback and Input Survey Suite (National Center on PBIS), a set of four surveys for school teams to learn about how students, school personnel, and family members are experiencing the school’s behavior support systems to obtain detailed feedback to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and sustainability of those systems can be found here.  

• The School Climate Survey Suite (National Center on PBIS), a set of four multidimensional surveys to measure student, teacher, administrator, faculty, and family perceptions of school climate can be found here.  

• The Family-School Relationships Survey (Panorama) provides schools with a clear picture of family attitudes about several key topics including school fit, barriers to engagement, and roles and responsibilities can be found here.   

• Qualitative data (e.g., focus group notes and open-ended questions from surveys) are summarized with AI to determine themes and frequently mentioned ideas. 

• Data from surveys is reported by question and includes response rate by demographic subgroup, highlighted themes, and may include information from other relevant EFE-FT items (e.g., annual goals). A sample data collection and organizational tool can be found here, and an analysis tool can be found here. 

• Dissemination is done through various modalities (i.e., website, annual report, newsletters, presentation) that match the expressed preferences of families and is accessible (consider suggestions to increase accessibility in item I.1).  

• A sample checklist to guide annual report creation can be found here.  

• Recruit family members using multiple modalities such as existing school communication app/website/flyers, school events. A sample flyer from Florida PBIS titled Families and Communities can be found here. 

• Consider using existing groups such as the PTA, parent advisory groups for recruitment. Consider using direct asks from staff who have existing relationships with families. 

• Recruit from various grade levels and community demographics to ensure that engagement is sustainable.  

• Disaggregate school data to have a clear picture of local context and identify historically underserved student and family subgroups (e.g., disability status, military connectedness, race/ethnicity). 

• Consider various recruitment strategies that may include the use of cultural brokers, community liaisons (see additional strategies in previous item)  

• Information about PBIS including the essential elements and a tiered approach can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here. 

• Consider using available resources at the Center on Multi-tiered Systems of Support website, here (and other regional/state centers).  

• Self-study or facilitator-lead training resources from the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network titled Serving on Groups prepares and empowers families to serve on decision-making groups can be found here. A set of modules from the National Center for Systemic Improvement titled Leading by Convening, have been designed to bring diverse groups together to work collaboratively and can be found here. 

• School teams include communication with families as part of their consensus building process using various modalities (surveys, opportunity to provide feedback at school events, flyers with proposed edits). 

• Families and community partners have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on existing artifacts (i.e., schoolwide expectations, mission statements, available interventions). An example activity can be found the Appendix D of the Center on PBIS’ Culturally Responsive Field Guide, here.

• A graphic from IDEA Partnership titled Ensuring relevant Participation Rubric provides ways to ensure diversity on teams in and can be found here.

• A graphic from IDEA Partnership titled Partnership: A Hybrid of Top down and Bottom Up may assist with team norms and agreements and can be found here.  

• School teams periodically review agreements to evaluate adherence to co-development. An example of a checklist from NJ PBSIS titled Universal Prevention Team Reflection Checklist can be found here.

• School team facilitates professional learning with specific classroom level practices that foster meaningful engagement 

• A rubric from the Flamboyan Foundation titled Classroom Family Engagement Rubric describes specific actions and competencies related to Classroom Family Engagement can be found here. 

• Educator uses multiple methods to gather information from their students’ families (e.g., surveys, phone calls, email prompts). 

• Guidance for making phone calls home, including tips to increase feasibility and tracking data can be found in an Edutopia articled titled, Why a Positive Phone Call home is Worth the Effort here.  A sample welcome template and family questionnaire can be found in a National Center for Pyramid Model Interventions guide titled, Teacher’s Guide: Relationship Building with families, here. A script for introductory welcome communication and a Relationship and Communication Tracker from the Alaska Family Engagement Center website can be found here.  

• School team drafts plan to implement consistent practices across all classroom educators 

• School team provides support for educators and families on sharing student data to collaborate on goals and learning plans. A guide from the Delaware Department of Education titled, Sharing Student Data with Families Fosters Partnerships for Learning can be found here.  

• A checklist from NJ PBIS titled, Try First Strategies may serve as a purposeful guide to co-develop a response plan, can be found here.  

• A sample plan from NJ PBIS titled, Developing a Class of Student Self-regulation Plan may serve as a purposeful guide to co-developing a response plan can be found here.  

• A sample tier 3 parent input form can be found here.  

a review of sample response plans and fidelity data indicate that methods are used consistently (i.e., in 4 out of 5 samples, or in at least 80% of instances reviewed).  

• Established plans can be used to collect fidelity data using various methods including teacher self-reflection and direct observation.  

• Teams complete the Equitable Family Engagement Fidelity Tool (EFE-FT) during a baseline phase and then annually. 

• Teams add these activities to their data collection calendar and designate one team meeting to completing the EFE-FT. 

• Surveys include demographic items that allow for disaggregation to monitor equitable representation of voice. 

• Attendance at school-based events is collected in a format (e.g., family/student names) that allows for disaggregation to monitor equitable representation of engagement. 

• Multiple modalities are used to collect attendance to increase feasibility and accessibility (e.g., QR code, available computers/tablets for sign in, translators, cultural brokers).  

• Regularly collect and monitor data. A template for data collection and monitoring can be found here. 

• Use an analysis procedure to create summary statements from multiple data sources to identify strengths and opportunities for growth. A sample procedure and template can be found here.  

• Following events and surveys, overall (and de-identified) responsiveness data is shared with families and community partners.  

• A summary of data (including perception, engagement, and impact), identified priority items, and goals are shared in the team’s annual report.  

• Information is shared using multiple modalities to increase accessibilities (e.g., translation services, digital and print, appropriate reading level, purpose explicitly stated and defined)  

Communication is in a format that matches the expressed preferences of families (e.g., email, text, communication app.) 

• School teams use demographic and survey data to identify preferences and communication needs for families; review responsiveness data (see G.5) to evaluate effectiveness.  

• Review flyers, documents, presentations, and websites for accessibility using built-in accessibility checkers. Tutorials for these actions from the General Services Administration website can be found here.

• Consider additional actions as indicated by data to promote inclusivity (e.g., non-gendered terms, representative of various family structures). A checklist from the Human Rights Campaign titled Welcoming Schools can be found here
• Have speaker notes available in multiple languages at school-based events.

• In each communication, specific school personnel is identified as a point of contact, including phone number and email.  

• Phrases such as, “We want to hear from you!” and “We need your perspective!” accompany each communication to promote two-way dialogue as an established priority. 

a review of a sample indicates that methods are used consistently (e.g., in 4 out of 5 samples or in at least 80% of instances). 

• A template is available to guide this review can be found here.  

• Information about PBIS including the essential elements and a tiered approach can be found at the National Center on PBIS website, here.  

• A sample PBIS Newsletter can be found here. A template PBIS Parent Letter from the National Center on PBIS can be found here.  

• A sample back to school/open-house checklist to guide planning can be found here.  

• School team takes inventory of where/when/how framework is presented to families, identifies missed opportunities and plans to address. 

• Information about tier 2 supports can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here.  

• A guide from the Center on PBIS titled, Tier 2 School-level Systems Guide provides Information about characteristics of evidence-based, tier 2 interventions and key features of effective tier 2 systems can be found here.  

• A sample tiered support flowchart that describes a school’s available resource and associate processes can be found here.  

• Information about tier 3 supports can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here. 

• A guide from the Center on PBIS titled, Tier 3 School-level Systems Guide provides information about characteristics of evidence-based tier 3 interventions and key features of effective tier 3 systems and can be found here. 

• School team inventories current training and identify gaps that limit effective partnerships with families. 

• Team members work together to find useful, efficient resources for training family members, school staff, or both. 

• Self-study or facilitator-lead training resources from the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network titled, Serving on Groups prepares and empowers families to serve on decision-making groups can be found here. A set of modules from the National Center for Systemic Improvement titled Leading by Convening, have been designed to bring diverse groups together to work collaboratively and can be found here. 

The school provides training opportunities (at least 2 each academic year) for educators to strengthen their understanding of family engagement practices; and 

• Information to inform training including the research that supports meaningful family engagement, what it looks like across all tiers, and guides to implementing improved family engagement practices can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here.  

• A guide to benefits, challenges (logistic, family and educator), and actions team can take to increase engagement from the Center on PBIS titled, Enhancing Family-School Collaboration with Diverse Families can be found here.  

• A rubric from the Flamboyan Foundation titled Classroom Family Engagement Rubric describes specific actions and competencies related to Classroom Family Engagement can be found here. 

• Create a predictable routine for educator feedback; consider existing structures such as staff meetings and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).  

• Share family engagement data summaries with a known data protocol to document educator feedback; report team decisions back to full staff. 

A system exists for welcoming/acclimating families who are new to the school within 1 month of enrollment; and 

• A PBIS team member is specifically tasked with identifying new families (or coordinating with school personnel who already serve in this role) to introduce PBIS and review schoolwide operations using accessible formats (e.g., flyers, phone calls, pre-recorded presentations, current and past PBIS newsletters, link to school PBIS website, training and leadership opportunities). 

• A sample orientation process for new students, families, and educators can be found here.  

• Information about PBIS including the essential elements and a tiered approach can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here.  

• A sample PBIS Newsletter can be found here. A template PBIS Parent Letter from the Center on PBIS can be found here. 

• A PBIS team member is specifically tasked with identifying new school personnel (or coordinating with school personnel who already serve in this role) to introduce PBIS and review schoolwide operations, resources, educator expectations, and leadership opportunities. 

• Information about PBIS including the essential elements and a tiered approach can be found at the Center on PBIS website, here.  

Schools examine responsiveness data when family perspective and feedback is solicited to determine response rate and representation across family groups (e.g., grade, race/ethnicity, disability, military connected families, multilingual learners, LGBTQIA+, foster care status); and  

• Teams familiarize themselves with their schools’ demographic data. Use existing, in-district record keeping systems or access demographic data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics School Locator tool, here.  

• Regularly collect and monitor responsiveness data. A template for data collection and monitoring can be found here. 

• Use an analysis procedure to create summary statements from multiple data sources to identify strengths and opportunities for growth. A sample procedure and template can be found here.  

• Review accessibility and inclusivity strategies for communication listed in feature I.1 above.  

• School team has a standard procedure for sharing information across relevant school and community partners. This could be a system for regularly sharing meeting notes/action plans (e.g., email, shared repository). It may be most effective to designate a team member to facilitate this exchange.  

• A guide from The Idea Partnership titled, Leading by Convening – Coalescing Around Issues may be helpful to identify relevant teams for larger schools and can be found here.  

• School teams use demographic and survey data to identify preferences and communication needs for families; review responsiveness data (see G.5) to evaluate effectiveness 

• Review flyers, documents, presentations, and websites for accessibility using built-in accessibility checkers. Tutorials for these actions can be found on the General Services Administration website, here.

• Consider additional actions as indicated by data to promote inclusivity (e.g., non-gendered terms, representative of various family structures). A checklist from the Human Rights Campaign titled Welcoming Schools can be found here. 

• Attendance at school-based events is collected in a format (e.g., family/student names) that allows for disaggregation to monitor equitable representation of engagement. 

• Multiple modalities are used to collect attendance to increase feasibility and accessibility (e.g., QR code, available computers/tablets for sign in, translators, cultural brokers). 

• A template for data collection and monitoring can be found here. 

• Use an analysis procedure to create summary statements from multiple data sources to identify strengths and opportunities for growth. A sample procedure and template can be found here. 

• Create a volunteer hub/repository that regularly lists volunteer opportunities for families and community members. Consider a website, monthly flyer, or emails using assessable and inclusive language (see I.1 above) with an identified point of contact at the school.  

• When planning for an event, consider various opportunities to contribute including monetary donations, buying necessary items, setting up the area, sharing information through social media, decorating, clean-up, greeting at the door, etc.  

• Create or evaluate existing pathways for families or (school personnel on behalf of a family) to request assistance and share this approach widely, with clear definitions of resources available. This may be through an online portal, by emailing a specific staff member, or completing a written request (consider accessibility and inclusivity strategies identified in I.1).  

proactively provide targeted and/or intensive support to identified families; and 

• Ensure that a list of local, state, and school-based resources has been created (and maintained). Proactively predict needs (based on anecdotal or survey data) and consider what areas of support may be lacking.  

• Document when families are connected with these resources and monitor on-going level of need.  

• Use these data to drive future support acquisition and distribution.  

• Find parent resource centers in your community on the Center for Parent Information and Resources website here.

• Reach out to community organizations that support students and families (e.g., town/city youth and family/social services, boys’ and girls’ clubs, YMCA, after school care providers, mental health agencies, libraries, local businesses, community centers). 

• A practice brief from the Center on PBIS titled, Supporting Families with PBIS at Home provides recommendations for how families can use PBIS to support social, emotional growth can be found here.  

• Communicate examples of how to implement universal PBIS practices in the home setting through various formats (e.g., flyers, website, trainings). A sample PBIS at Home Flyer can be found here. Review accessibility and inclusivity strategies listed in I.1 above. 

academic skill practice and enrichment activities; and 

• Communicate opportunities for skill practice and enrichment using various formats (e.g., flyers, website, email) that meet the accessibility and inclusivity strategies listed in I.1 above.  

home-based application of tier 2 and 3 initiatives (e.g., Check-In/Check-Out for out of school time; academic resources; functional-based support for student behavior), where appropriate. 

• For families of students receiving intensified supports, training and resources include specific actions that support the implementation of the identified initiatives at home.  

A system is in place for gathering information and feedback about the equitable distribution of resources related to supporting students at home (e.g., knowledge, technology); and 

• Include items in existing feedback methods (e.g., surveys, focus groups) to gather information about context-specific resources needed to support students at home (e.g., reliable internet access, technology support, school supplies).  

• Develop a system to review, respond, and document these needs (review P.3 for strategies) 

• Find parent resource centers in your community on the Center for Parent Information and Resources website, here.

• Reach out to community organizations that support students and families (e.g., town/city youth and family/social services, boys’ and girls’ clubs, YMCA, after school care providers, mental health agencies, libraries, local businesses, community centers). A sample resource list from the New Jersey PBSIS website can be found here. 

• Use data from various feedback methods (e.g., surveys, focus groups) to determine need and preferences.   

• Consider opportunities for families who share characteristics to gather at booths during school-based events (e.g., military-connected families, families of foster children, families new to the district/country). 

• Identify a community member who may be connected personally or professionally to a family group to support these initiatives. 

a system is in place for gathering information and feedback about the impact of these efforts. 

• Use a survey to gather information about participant perspective, feedback, and engagement impact to drive future planning. A sample survey can be found here.