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Evaluating Family-School Collaboration: A Preliminary Examination of the Family-School Collaboration Inventory

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Abstract

Family-school collaboration is a key component of practice within the field of School Psychology. Promoting an effective partnership between parents and educators can be difficult, as a variety of factors influence the quality of the relationship. Currently, no scale exists to measure constructs related to family-school collaboration in a practical manner. The current study sought to create a reliable measure to assess parents’ perceptions about the practice of family-school collaboration by their child’s school that could provide actionable steps to increase family-school collaboration. The Family-School Collaboration Inventory (FSCI) was created from a review of best practices in the field of school psychology. The survey was completed online by 304 participants (parents/caregivers of school-aged children) recruited through social media websites. A principal component analysis was completed and identified three factors comprising family-school collaboration: (1) Collaborative Communication of Standards and Services (CCSS), (2) Inclusive Partnership (IP), and (3) Disconnected Experience (DE). Limitations and future directions are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was conducted as part of the first three author’s completion of the LoneStar Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LoneStar LEND) fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston through grant #T73MC22236 from the Health Resources and Service’s Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The team also thanks Tamara Sneed and James Harris for their assistance in data collection and preliminary analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical, Health, and Applied Sciences, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX, 77058, USA

    Samantha E. Malchar, Sarah E. Praytor, Aston C. Wallin, Steven L. Bistricky & G. Thomas Schanding Jr

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  1. Samantha E. Malchar
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  2. Sarah E. Praytor
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  3. Aston C. Wallin
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Correspondence to G. Thomas Schanding Jr.

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Malchar, S.E., Praytor, S.E., Wallin, A.C. et al. Evaluating Family-School Collaboration: A Preliminary Examination of the Family-School Collaboration Inventory. Contemp School Psychol 24, 206–216 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-019-00227-2

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