Events That Help and Hinder Family–Teacher Communication Within SWPBIS: A Qualitative Analysis

To explore family–professional partnership within schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS), we conducted a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of family members of students with Tier 1 and Tier 2 behavior support needs related to events that impact the quality of their communication with teachers. Family member participants were recruited from three elementary schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity. Family members reported experiences that they perceived as having helped and hindered communication with teachers related to their children’s behavior. Participants also described ideas that they wished to express to teachers related to supporting their children’s appropriate behavior and preventing challenging behavior. Findings were consistent with the family–professional partnership research literature and highlight the importance of the consistent implementation of SWPBIS practices for building and fostering effective family–teacher relationships. Implications for practice, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.