Family Engagement and Tiered Approaches for Middle and Secondary Students

Tiered instruction and social/emotional supports (such as Response to Intervention or Positive Behavior Intervention Supports) are not only for elementary students. Middle and high school educators are now implementing these strategies to close the skills achievement gap and support students in various classes. One crucial component often neglected in professional literature involves ways to collaborate with families, especially when their student is receiving specialized tiered instruction. Due to the importance of engaging and empowering families, this article describes ways middle and high school personnel can strengthen the family–school collaboration when a student is receiving support in tiered systems.