Translate 
Employment Opportunities
District Served
Facilities Rental
State Support Team 3
Educator Quality Programs
Connect ITC
Parent Resources
Kindergarten Registration
background image
NCEMC
Ohio Online
ODE
Paraprofessional Testing
ESC Bridge
Superintendent's Message
Newsletters
Governing Board
Translate 

Family Engagement within PBIS

Parents and caregivers are the ultimate experts on our students, and while it is not always a simple endeavor, engaging families as true partners within our schools can have a profound impact on student success.


The Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center and The Ohio State University College of Education have created planning tools for PBIS teams to consult when they are ready to partner with families. 

The Family Engagement Rubrics identify key areas pertaining to family involvement and include a progression of engagement, from Level 1 (emerging practices) to Level 4 (optimal practices). The areas to consider when evaluating your family engagement practices at Tier I are:


  1. Communication

  • Are families informed about school activities in a number of ways?

  • Are feedback and ideas from parents and caregivers integrated into team planning?

  1. Decision Making

  • Are family members a part of the PBIS team?

  • Is data gathered via surveys to obtain feedback from families?

  1. Volunteering

  • Are families of all students invited to be active participants in PBIS activities?

  • Are leadership roles provided to family members?

  1. Parenting and Learning at Home

  • Are families provided with tools for supporting positive behavior at home?

  • Do staff receive professional development on building trusting relationships with families?

  1. Collaboration with the Community

  • Does the school build partnerships with community organizations that work with families?

  • Are educational offerings provided within the community?


While the list can be daunting, the resulting partnerships will have lasting impact. Some schools have found it helpful to form a family engagement team as a subcommittee of the PBIS team. The work of this group might include reviewing family survey responses, creating action plans, implementing strategies to create a welcoming school environment, and organizing family informational sessions. 


There are many helpful resources to guide PBIS teams in enhancing involvement of families at all levels. Here are just a few:


OSU Family Engagement Center 


The visual below can be found on their website. Consider asking these questions when assessing your family engagement activities.




Framework of Six Types of Involvement

School, Family, and Community Partnerships          

PBIS - Family Engagement



Districts that put effort into engaging families see increased attendance, enhanced partnerships, and improved behavior, all of which lead to greater student learning and success.  If you would like assistance with engaging your families, reach out to Carrie Sullivan, Family and Community Partnership Liaison at [email protected].


1 Boone, B., Pizzuti, A., Peachock, M., Wellman, M., Offredo, M., Jordan, E., & Adams, K (2018). PBIS: Tier I  Family Engagement Rubric Guide. The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 

Print This Article