The Colorado Department of Education

Offices | Staff Contacts | Colorado.gov

6 Components of RtI - Family, School and Community Partnering

Why: When families, schools, and communities work together, children are more successful in school and schools improve.

Family, School and Community Partnering Across the Tiers: Effective partnerships include parents, families, students, community members and educators. Indicators of an effective partnership include 1) sharing information, 2) problem-solving, and 3) celebrating student successes. Central to effective partnership is the recognition of shared responsibility and shared ownership of student challenges and successes.

In forming partnerships, it is important to nurture the collaborative process. To develop true collaboration, parents and families must be fundamentally involved in the entire educational experience. Parents should be recognized as having important information and expertise that they can contribute to the partnership. It is important for school personnel to provide the parents with information and empower them as equal partners in supporting their children’s learning. At Tier I, parent involvement in school decision making leads to an improved positive school climate. Parents and families are seen as key partners in all aspects of RtI, but their role may shift at each tier of intervention. In particular, at the targeted (Tier II) and intensive (Tier III) levels their expertise regarding the individual student is vital. At these tiers, members of the student’s family may provide information about the student and strategies that will lead to improved student outcomes.

Collaboration is more than simply working together and more than just linkage; it is agreeing to formally work together to achieve mutually desired outcomes. If one is to believe the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” then the community has a vested interest in supporting a positive school climate, which research has shown leads to better academic results. It is critical that schools recognize that cultural understanding requires more than just awareness. Understanding and respect for cultural differences is vital when attempting to engage families and foster community support.

For more information on Family, School and Community Partnering, please contact Cindy Dascher

Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Conference

PEP Conferences are family-centered events designed to offer support, information and education to both parents and professionals who work with children with disabilities across Colorado.  PEP promotes the partnerships between parents and professionals that are essential in supporting and including children with disabilities in schools and communities.

 

Additional Tools & Resources

Family, School and Community Partnering (FSCP) Support Network

The RtI and PBIS Offices are pleased to offer a family, school, and community partnering (FSCP) network to support practitioners in the field who have participated in a CDE face-to-face or online training. The goal is to provide updated resources and information through a periodic electronic mailing and request "two-way" sharing of successes, stories, and solutions. The FSCP Support Network Bulletin will be posted here. Please contact Cindy Dascher at dascher_c@cde.state.co.us for more information.

Stakeholder Training:
Some of these resources can be found in adaptable Word versions in the Family and Community Partnering: "On the Team and At the Table" Toolkit at http://www.cde.state.co.us/rti/FamilyCommunityToolkit.htm

Brochure:

  • Colorado RtI Stakeholder Brochure (DOC)
  • English (DOC)
  • Spanish (DOC)
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    • Toolkit and Multi-Tiered Resources:

    Articles:

    Websites: