Meaningful and effective family and community engagement is critical to positive student development and educational success and is required by both ESEA and IDEA. It is vital that parents be informed and engaged as team members implementing a systematic problem-solving process at all levels of the MTSS. At regular intervals, families and educators should engage in meaningful discussions regarding student-centered response to instruction/intervention data to make informed instructional decisions. Parents should be actively engaged in all steps of the problem-solving process and particularly, engaged in all decisions regarding adjustments to interventions and related changes to a student’s curriculum.

Schools have a responsibility to facilitate parent understanding and engagement in problem-solving efforts. Parental resources are key components for effective problem-solving within a school.