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Parental consent, action planning, and gaining stakeholder buy-in

Developed by Niki Kendall on Behalf of the DE-PBS Project

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Please take note:

These webinars were developed in response to the frequent requests we have received at the DE-PBS Project for guidance on selecting a universal social-emotional and behavior (SEB) screener. �
As a reminder, our State MTSS policy (14 DE Admin. Code § 508.6.1.1 - 508.6.1.1.4) requires the use of a universal screening process (not a screener) to identify students who are not meeting academic and non-academic benchmarks. �
Regulation 508 and the DE Department of Education do not endorse use of a specific tool. Instead, LEAs are required to implement a comprehensive universal screening process. A comprehensive screening process typically includes a combination of screening methods such as:

Existing schoolwide data (e.g., attendance, office discipline data, course grades)
Requests for assistance from teachers, families and students
Norm referenced, criterion-referenced, or curriculum-based screening tools�

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Credits and Background

The DE-PBS Project serves as a technical assistance center for the Delaware DOE to actualize the vision to create safe and caring learning environments that promote the social-emotional and academic development of all children.

The statewide initiative is designed to build the knowledge and skills of Delaware educators in the concepts and evidence-based practices of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) as a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS).

https://www.delawarepbs.org/universal-screening/

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Installing a Universal SEB Screener Series

Key Webinars in this Series:

Webinar 1: introduction
Webinar 2: universal SEB screener selection
Webinar 3: universal screening readiness, resource mapping, gap analysis
Webinar 4: parental consent, action planning and gaining stakeholder buy-in
Webinar 5: data-based decision making

Bonus Content for Enhanced Learning:�

Webinar 1 bonus content: Top Ten Questions about Universal Screening
Webinar 2 bonus content: a review of select SEB screening tools

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Universal Screener Installation Action Steps

Learn about comprehensive screening in the context of MTSS
Establish a district implementation team
Complete tool selection process
Determine readiness criteria and select schools to participate
Organize school team(s) to support screening work
Complete resource map
Confirm that each school has adequate SEB supports
Introduce screening initiative to school community
Consult with LEA policies regarding consent/finalize consent forms
Train/coach teachers to administer
Conduct screening (2 or 3 times)
Create data reports
Prioritize needs and act on data
Evaluate your screener implementation

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8. Introduce screening initiative to school community

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Communicate with stakeholders before screening

Who: administrator in collaboration with screening coordinator(s)

�Provide information, seek feedback and answer questions regarding the screening with the following groups:

Caregivers and students:

Involve parents and students before asking for consent (when possible)
Explain the purpose and intended use of screening method (in language they can understand)
Address concerns regarding the impact of “screening” (e.g., labeling students)
Frame the discussion from a strengths-based context
Provide information about mental health problems and the value of intervention�

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019

It is recommended that you communicate with stakeholders about the new screening method before you begin asking for consent or training teachers to complete or administer the tool. As I stated before, buy-in is an incredibly important determinant of the success or failure of any new initiative.

To ensure consistent communication about the new screening method across the school (and school community) a school administrator would be an ideal candidate to deliver these messages alongside the building level, and potentially district level screening coordinators.

The first group to consider are the caregivers and students who will be impacted by the new screening method. Spend time introducing your new initiative and encourage families to ask questions and express their concerns. Establishing this type of buy-in before asking for consent will likely increase the number of families who consent to participation. And, of course, involving families during the initial screening selection and planning process is ideal.

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Sample slides from Capital School District

Brown, 2022

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Communicate with stakeholders before screening (cont.)

Provide information, seek feedback and answer questions regarding the screening with the following groups:�

School staff

Involve staff in the development of the screening process
Communicate intent, screening process and procedures
Remind staff that informal screening occurs every day and,
They should not wait to report their concerns on a screening tool

Community organizations/agencies

Include roles and responsibilities related to screening process in memorandum of understanding
Provide professional development around implementation of the screening process
Communicate legal/ethical guidelines

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019

The district and school screening coordinator(s) should also prepare specific talking points for school staff and community organizations or agencies about universal SEB screening and the forthcoming plans for administration. Make sure staff are given ample time to express their concerns and ask questions. A good rule of thumb is

to get buy-in from at least 80% of participating staff before implementing a new initiative like screening (Sugai & Horner, 2002).

When talking to community organizations, it will be helpful to ensure their role in the screening process is well defined and situated in your Memorandum of Understanding. They may also benefit from communication about the purpose of universal screening in schools, namely that screening is used to identify students who may need support and not diagnose specific disorders such as anxiety.

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Include screening as part of your schoolwide SEB messaging

Expectation	Specific Behaviors, Mindsets or SEB Competencies
Be Safe	Keep hands and feet to self
Be Safe	I tell an adult when I am worried about a friend
Be Respectful	Use the signal to ask a public or private question
Be Respectful	Make sure everyone gets a turn
Be Responsible	Turn in all work on time
Be Responsible	Check in with my feelings during the day

As you think about the various types of stakeholders that you intend to communicate with, it might be helpful to consider the ways you can situate your new screening initiative in existing messaging about your school wide SEB practices. For example, many schools in Delaware have engaged in End the Stigma campaigns to share supportive messaging about mental health with students, staff and families. End the Stigma campaigns and screening for SEB needs are complementary approaches that strengthen our prevention systems. Relatedly, when you communicate with stakeholders about your Tier 1 SEB practices (such as teaching, prompting and reinforcing school-wide expectations) you may also choose to share information about how your universal screener will help monitor how students are responding to these practices.

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Communication ideas

Share consistent messages about screening in multiple formats:

Phone calls and/or text messages
School website
Mail/flyers sent home
Information as part of registration packets
Discussions with students in class
Discussions with parents/guardians at meetings
Signs displayed around the school
Script read to students prior to administration

National Center for School Mental Health, 2019

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9. Consult LEA policies regarding consent/finalize consent forms

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Guiding principles for screening

First, do no harm
Obtain consent

Screening should be voluntary – except in emergency situations
Consent (active or passive depending on the method) should be obtained from parents/guardians
Informed assent from students should be obtained
Clear, written procedures for requesting consent and notifying parents/guardians and students of the results should be available

Use a scientifically sound screening process
Safeguard the screening information and ensure its appropriate use

Screening should never be used to make a diagnosis or label a student
Ensure your system for collecting, storing, and using data protects student rights to privacy

Link assessment to support

If a concern is detected, screening must be followed by additional problem solving
When additional follow up is warranted, notify parents/guardians of the results and next steps (e.g., additional assessment with linkages to services and supports)

Adapted from Federal/National Partnership (FNP) for Transforming Child and Family Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, 2011

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Safeguard the screening information

Ensure your system for collecting, storing, and using data protects student rights to privacy, including:

How will you inform students/families?
Who will have access?
Where will the data be stored?
How will the data be used?

�Consider:

Guidance from your district’s legal team
Federal, state, district guidelines
FERPA and HIPAA (e.g., limit access to screener data to those with legitimate educational interest)
Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

�

Adapted from Park et al., 2021

In advance of screening, your plans should include discussions about how your system for collecting, storing, and using data protects student rights to privacy. Discussing questions such as, how will you inform students and families about the screener? Who will have access to the data? Where will the data be stored? How will the data be used? Are important to ensure student rights to privacy are upheld. As you do so, it is important you consider local and federal regulations and guidelines. And of course, always consult with your district’s legal team. In the next slide we will talk more closely about the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment or PPRA because it provides specific requirements related to the collection of screening data.

(for reference) Screening module link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5TjoLSFV2s&list=PL64anp4FPpRVSUziUawCEEbck7qDW91PX&index=7

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Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA):

PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. Including (but not limited to) the right to:

No student may be required to submit without prior consent to a survey, analysis, or evaluation funded by the DOE that reveals information concerning:

Political affiliation
Mental or psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or his or her family
Sex behavior and attitude
Illegal, antisocial, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior
Critical appraisals of other individuals who respondents have close family relationships
Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with doctors, lawyers, ministers, etc.
Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility�

Receive notice and an opportunity to opt out of any information gathering activity that pertains to one or more of the 8 items listed above�
Inspect instructional material, excluding academic tests or academic assessments, used by an LEA as part of the educational curriculum for a student.

The PPRA of 1978, sometimes referred to as the Hatch Amendment, is a law to protect the rights of pupils and the parents of students in programs funded by the department of education. It was written to protect the rights of parents and students in two ways. 1. any material used by students in Department of Education funded surveys, or evaluations will be made available for parents to inspect before use with their child. 2. ensures that schools acquire consent before a child is required (or asked) to participate in any survey that may reveal personal information about any of the 8 categories listed above. Parents have the right to opt their child out of sharing such information with the school.

In developing your communication and consent procedures, you should review materials provided by the Department of Education related to PPRA. Particularly, districts may choose to include their new screening method in a general notice of rights at the beginning of the school year. You can find this general notice of rights, and a model opt out consent form for specific activities on our website.

General guidance: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/protection-pupil-rights-amendment-ppra-general-guidance

General notice of rights: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/ppra-model-general-notice-rights

Model opt out for specific activities: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/ppra-model-notice-consent-opt-out-specific-activities

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Consent

Remember:

Parents have the right to know the content of the screener
Both students and parents have the right to know that the completion of the screener is optional and voluntary
Parents have the right to access the screening results
In general, use of existing data (e.g., review of attendance, grades, discipline data) or requests for assistance (as part of your screening process) - does not require parental consent

Types of notifications/consent:

For each information gathering activity requiring notice and consent:

Letter of notification with passive consent (opt-out), OR
Letter of notification with active consent (opt-in)

**See sample notification/consent forms on our website

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Types of consent

Active Consent	Passive Consent
Opt-In School-based research studies using active consent procedures had a mean participation rate of 65.5% �(Blom-Hoffman, 2008) Use active consent when you have concerns about liability and your screening method	Opt-Out School-based research studies using passive consent procedures had a mean participation rate of 89% �(Blom-Hoffman, 2008) Generally, acceptable for most universal screening methods

Student Assent
Explain the purpose and process of screening to students Allow students to opt-out Allow students to opt-out even with parental consent Recommended when using passive consent process

An opt-out letter should include:

Purpose of Screening
Areas of focus in the tool
Plan for follow-up if concerns are identified
Contact name for questions
Date to return opt-out forms

Graybill & Roach, 2019

The two types of consent to consider are active, which means a student may only participate in screening if their parent or guardian gives written consent and passive which means a parent or guardian’s non-response serves as their consent to let their student participate in screening. There are some limitations and considerations with both approaches.

Generally, passive consent results in a larger participation rates than active consent. This is important because you do not want your process for obtaining consent to become a barrier to student participation. For example, active consent has been associated with the participation of fewer minority students. In most situations, passive consent is appropriate for your universal SEB screener. Keep in mind that if you use passive consent, any follow up screening for students identified as at risk, will require active consent. Also, if you are utilizing a screener that raises questions about liability (for example a screener that asks questions about self harm), it is likely in the district’s best interest to pursue active consent.

You should also consider how you will gain student assent; or expressed approval from the student to participate in the screener. If the student is the respondent and they are developmentally ready to participate in the screening process, a process of assent should be included in your administration. Assent can be in written form or students can be told before they begin that participation is option (even if their parent has provided consent).

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Sample consent opt-out example

Center for Leadership in Disability, n.d.

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10. Action Planning (Train/coach teachers to administer the screener)

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Professional development plan

Designate roles/responsibilities (see below)
Universal screener coordinator delivers training and coaching (relevant to each role):

What is the screener?
What is the purpose?
How long will it last?
What is the follow up plan?
How should the screener be introduced to students?

Develop a standardized script for proctors

Game day roles/responsibilities:

Universal screener coordinator: troubleshoot issues as they arise during (and after) administration
Technology support: district or school IT personnel to assist with technology issues
Screening proctors: administers the screener (e.g., teachers, support staff)
Support staff: provide immediate support to any students/staff/families experiencing distress during screening or indicates a need for immediate follow up (e.g., school psychologist or counselor)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019; Gordon et al., 2021

First, designate roles/responsibilities related to the day of administration of the screener. Your universal screener coordinator in the building (with support from the district coach) should differentiate coaching based on these roles. Training should address the following questions (what is the screener, what is the purpose, how long will it last, what is the follow up plan, how should the screener be introduced to students?) but will depend on the role and the respondent for the screener. For example, if teachers are completing the raters, take the time to train teachers how to complete the screener (e.g., encourage them to ask if they are being objective in their ratings of students).

For an example, Ci3t and Michigan’s MTSS technical assistance center has developed a nice overview slide deck for teachers who are implementing the SSRS-IE, which can be found on our website.

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjtO52PeffA&list=PL64anp4FPpRVSUziUawCEEbck7qDW91PX&index=6

Sample overview slide deck using the SRSS-IE

https://www.ci3t.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/6_SRSS-IE_Staff_Overview_Slide_Deck.pdf

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Sample script for proctors

(Please read the following aloud to your students) �
[Insert School Name] is committed to developing programs to help you learn better and feel better about your experiences in school. Today you are being asked to complete a survey to answer some questions about how you feel and how you have felt over the last few weeks. Please be honest in your responses as the counselors and other staff at your school will use this information to support students. The school staff will not share your answers with anyone unless they think you might benefit from extra support. We are truly interested in your opinions so we can help out students like you. This is NOT like a test! There are no right or wrong answers and your participation is optional. �
The survey link can be found [insert instructions for where to find the survey link]. You’ll be asked to provide some background information about yourself. Then you’ll be asked to respond to some statements. If you do not understand one of the statements or feel uncomfortable completing the survey, please raise your hand and I’ll come around. You can now begin.

Moore et al., 2018; Graybill & Roach, 2019

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11. Conduct screening (2 or 3 times)

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Screening timing and frequency

Regulation 508 (MTSS) indicates:

universal screening shall be conducted within the first four weeks of the school year or within four weeks of the student’s entry into school. Universal screening will take place at least two more times during the school year at spaced intervals.

This does not mean every student has to be screened with every method within the first four weeks of school.

Schools with an on-going schedule (e.g., monthly) to review existing data (e.g., attendance, grades, discipline data) to identify students or groups of students who may need additional support satisfy the regulation requirement.

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Timing of new screening administration

Schools should be supported to:�

Select which grade levels are appropriate for the new screening method (remember to start small to go big),�
Identify when during the school year the screening method should be administered

Teachers should be given sufficient time to get to know their students (e.g., at least one month)
Early elementary students may need more time to adjust to school than older students�

Integrate the SEB screening method with other district data collection systems�

That being said, is recommended that if schools are using teacher respondents on a screener, they should be given sufficient time to get to know their students (e.g., 6 weeks). Providing sufficient time for teachers to observe students in multiple contexts can allow for a more in depth understanding of students' strengths and concerns, likely leading to more accurate identification of any SEB concerns

Additionally, elementary students may need more time to adjust to school than older students, so even student ratings may be skewed if you administer the screener too soon.

Overall, keep in mind that it is advisable you choose grade levels or classrooms and pilot your screener (start small to go big). You should then establish administration timelines with an eye toward getting accurate data. Finally, it will likely be helpful to consider any other screening, assessment or progress monitoring that is scheduled (to not overwhelm your teachers and students).

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Sample assessment calendar

Adapted from the School District of Philadelphia

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Frequency of screening administration

No consensus regarding how many times to administer�
3 times per school year (generally recommended)

Fall (Sept/October)
Winter (December - if needed)
Spring (April/May)�

2 times per school year (more common)

Fall (Sept/October)
Winter (February)

Graybill & Roach, 2019

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Is it best to screen 2x or 3x per year?

Time 3 decision rule

Does the data indicate less than 80% of students are responding to universal supports?
Does the school have more than 5% of student showing high risk?
In the past, have students indicated greater risk at time 2 than at time 1?
Are you implementing a grade-or classroom level intervention and need “mid-year monitoring” data?

Graybill & Roach, 2019

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Screening Coordinator Checklist (implementation steps)

Adapted from Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support, 2020

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Questions?

Niki Kendall, DE-PBS Project

Robertsn@udel.edu

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References

Brown, J. (2022). William henry middle school student overview: Universal screening [Google Slides]. Google Drive. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Lw_z9ASCg-pae1_k86g3V3HoV07gXxjC00EpiBw6Pmk/edit?usp=sharing

Graybill, E., & Roach, A.T. (2019, November 6). Project AWARE universal screening webinar 4 [Webinar]. Project AWARE Georgia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkJZlsHC0Mhttps://cld.gsu.edu/ubs-school/#1617213755520-a0aa5311-adf0

Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MIBLISI). (2020). SSRS-IE coordinator professional learning plan. Retrieved from Ci3t website: https://www.ci3t.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/10_SRSS-IE-Coordinator-Professional-Learning-Plan.pdf

Moore, S. A., & Widales-Benitez, O., & Carnazzo, K. W., Kim, E. K., Moffa, K., Dowdy, E., & Furlong, M. J. (2018). Universal Complete Mental Wellness Screening Via Student SelfReport: Rationale and Step-by-Step Approach. Santa Barbara, CA: International Center for School Based Youth Development, Project CoVitality. https://www.covitalityucsb.info/ewExternalFiles/Universal%20Complete%20Mental%20Wellness%20Screening%20Via%20Student%20Self.pdf

National Center for School Mental Health. (2019, June 12-13). Mid-America (region 7) MHTTC training of trainers event: National school mental health training curriculum. Module 4: Screening [Webinar]. National Center for School Mental Health. https://mhttcnetwork.org/centers/mid-america-mhttc/product/national-school-mental-health-best-practices-screening-module-4

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References (cont.)

Park, C., Zhang, Y., & Gordon, K. (2021, May 15). Module 6: Management of social, emotional, & behavioral screening data [Webinar]. Birch Project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5TjoLSFV2s&list=PL64anp4FPpRVSUziUawCEEbck7qDW91PX&index=7

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2011). Identifying mental health and substance use problems of children and adolescents: A guide for child-serving organizations [Appendix D]. (HHS Publication No. SMA 12-4670). Rockville, MD. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/sma12-4700.pdf.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2019). Ready, set, go, review: Screening for behavioral health risk in schools. Rockville, MD. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/ready_set_go_review_mh_screening_in_schools_508.pdf

United States Department of Education Student Privacy Office. (2020). Protection of pupil rights amendment (PPRA) general guidance. Retrieved from Protecting Student Privacy website: https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/resources/protection-pupil-rights-amendment-ppra-general-guidance