Training Teachers to Provide Opportunities for Parents to Support Learning at Home via Remote Distance Technology

Family-school partnerships are valuable and are associated with improvements in students' academic success. However, teachers often do not receive sufficient training to confidently collaborate with families. Furthermore, parents report feeling unsure of how to support learning at home and dissatisfaction with the special education process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of remote behavioral skills training on special education teachers' use of evidence-based meeting steps for collaborating with families to support a student's individualized education program goals at home. A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Pre and post data were also collected on teacher practices and confidence in working with families. All participants demonstrated a significant increase in steps completed following the training. The teachers reported high levels of satisfaction with the training and improved confidence in working with parents. Future research should examine parents' perceptions of teachers' use of the skills taught.