Date of Award

8-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Teaching and Learning Sciences, Child, Family, and School Psychology

First Advisor

Cynthia Hazel

Second Advisor

Gloria Miller

Third Advisor

Lilian Chimuma

Keywords

Family school and community partnerships (FSCP), School psychologists, School-based consultation

Abstract

The urgency to prioritize equity-driven policies is amplified by the disproportionate education and health outcomes that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eradicating inequity demands the prioritization of robust family, school, and community partnerships (FSCP). For decades, research has highlighted the benefits of FSCP, which may include improvements in student academic achievement, behavior, ratings of school climate, and attendance; furthermore, FSCP is associated with higher guardian involvement, mentor opportunities, career development, and a reduced need for more intensive services such as special education (Adelman & Taylor, 2015; Anderson- Butcher & Anderson, 2018; Constantino, 2016). To reap the benefits of such partnerships, educators must be capable of engaging all families in meaningful ways. School psychologists are uniquely situated to support these efforts. Although the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) outlines the responsibility of school psychologists in facilitating educators’ engagement in FSCP (NASP, 2019), there is a dearth of literature that focuses on the practical aspect of such a task. Conceivably, school psychologists can best facilitate educators’ involvement and capacity building by consulting with teachers on their engagements with families. Currently school psychologists’ consultation engagements are guided by several evidence-based models, including problem-solving consultation, consultee-centered consultation, and conjunct behavioral consultation. Although supportive to a great extent, existing consultation models do not prioritize building educators’ ability to partner with families. Thus emerges the need for a specific consultation model that integrates research-based consultation and capacity-building strategies to strengthen educators’ ability to implement equity-oriented FSCP practices.

Manuscript One of this dissertation focuses on the development of this consultation model, which I have coined “Partnership Capacity Building (PCB) consultation.” PCB consultation is defined as a skill-building and problem-solving model wherein teachers consult with school psychologists to increase teachers’ efficacy in implementing FSCP. The PCB model is a conscientious combination of approaches from problem-solving, multicultural consultee-centered, and ecological consultation. In addition, the four overarching universal domains of FSCP summarized by Miller et al. (2021) are the focus of the consultation goals: 1) creating strong relationships with families, (2) creating a welcoming environment for families, (3) fostering multidirectional or two-way communication with families, and (4) creating mutual understanding with families. Research-based equitable engagement strategies from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) National Standards, Strengthening Families Approach (SFA), and FSCP Dual Capacity-Building Framework (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013) were utilized to address these four domains. Concrete steps for PCB consultation were provided. Moreover, interpersonal skills necessary for the successful implementation of PCB consultation were discussed.

To evaluate the utility of this model, Manuscript Two details a mixed-methods, multiple-case study with four middle and high school teachers receiving my consultation in southwest Denver, CO. The purpose of the study was to (1) evaluate the initial implementation of the PCB model from the perspectives of the teachers’ (consultees’) and I (consultant) and (2) examine if the PCB consultation influenced or improved teachers’ self-efficacy, interpersonal skills, knowledge, and use of high impact FSCP practices. Quantitative data were collected through the Working with Families Self- Efficacy Scales (Hollander, 2010) to assess for consultee’s self-efficacy. Pretest and posttest scores were compared using descriptive statistics to evaluate for change in consultee’s FSCP self-efficacy ratings. Overall, results revealed that PCB consultation delivered significant increases in teachers’ capacity for FCSP across the three domains on the WFSES and correspondingly across all areas within the four Cs from the Dual Capacity Framework (Mapp & Kuttner, 2013). Qualitative data were collected through interviews, memos, and observations to provide insight into my perspective as the consultant and the consultees' perceptions, behaviors, self-efficacy, and experience participating in PCB consultation. Qualitative findings revealed that participants expressed favorable perspectives of PCB consultation and noted that it was individualized to their needs. Moreover, the participating consultees and I provided recommendations for future use of PCB consultation. This study serves as a starting point for the further refinement and validation of the process and procedures of PCB consultation. In summary, Manuscripts One and Two seek to promote the use of school psychologists as consultants for building educators’ capacity to implement equitable FSCP.

Copyright Date

8-2023

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Bryanna S. Fatigate

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

305 pgs

File Size

2.3 MB

Discipline

Psychology

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