Inclusion Series- Aligning Parental Engagement with the Pyramid Model

This issue of NASET’s Inclusion series was written by Monica I. Floreani. The analysis of meaningful family engagement in the context of early childhood education draws on the conceptual framework of the Pyramid Model (Hemmeter et al., 2021). To promote a shared understanding of student needs and improve academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes, the Pyramid Model relies on a strong family-school relationship. A lack of meaningful parental engagement, however, can delay or halt the process of delivering appropriate interventions and services intended to help students meet their social and academic potential. By understanding the factors that impede the Pyramid Model’s process, multidisciplinary teams working to support students can better align family engagement with the implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (Weist et al., 2017). 

Abstract

This analysis of meaningful family engagement in the context of early childhood education draws on the conceptual framework of the Pyramid Model (Hemmeter et al., 2021). To promote a shared understanding of student needs and improve academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes, the Pyramid Model relies on a strong family-school relationship. A lack of meaningful parental engagement, however, can delay or halt the process of delivering appropriate interventions and services intended to help students meet their social and academic potential. By understanding the factors that impede the Pyramid Model’s process, multidisciplinary teams working to support students can better align family engagement with the implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (Weist et al., 2017). 

Keywords: At-Risk Students, Cultural Broker, Cultural Competence, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)/Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Pyramid Model

Introduction

The Pyramid Model is a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development. Employed in early childhood settings such as Head Start, a federal program that fosters school readiness for low-income families, the Pyramid Model is a system of supports that includes early screening and identification of students with or at risk for developmental, cognitive, and emotional or behavioral challenges. Like the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)/Response to Intervention (RtI) used in K-12 to provide a range of interventions and supports to meet the diverse needs of all students, the Pyramid Model consists of a tiered system of interventions that includes universal supports for all, targeted interventions for at-risk children, and intensive interventions for those with significant needs (Hemmeter et al., 2021). Specifically designed to provide a foundation for addressing the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all young children within an inclusive learning environment, the model is often embedded within Head Start programs.

To predict school readiness, Head Start screeners evaluate a child’s development in language, literacy, cognition, and general knowledge. The program also integrates systematic approaches to teaching social skills that prevent and remediate challenging behaviors. Within this framework, individualized behavior support plans can be developed from the assessment-based intervention results. Through evidence-based practices that advance social-emotional competence in young children, the Pyramid Model aims to promote strong and responsive interactions among adults and children within a positive learning climate.

While proper implementation of screenings track growth, identify specific strengths and weaknesses of individual students, and help identify concerns, parental involvement is an invaluable part of the model’s process. Lifelong health, developmental, and academic outcomes have been linked to families’ involvement in children’s learning and development (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Educators can help communicate what meaningful engagement entails in their specific children’s education with the foresight that parents are often a source of information in the identification of barriers affecting the progress of a student. At times, educators may have to overcome sociocultural challenges for families to truly participate as essential partners in providing students with special needs the attention, time, and dedicated resources that promote learning and development. In many cases, culturally responsive strategies and multidirectional communication can help engage them as equal partners (Garcia & Otheguy, 2016). 

 

Figure 1. The Pyramid Model (adapted from the Discovery Source, 2025).

Because family-centered practices seek and honor parental voices and guidance, the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact effectively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds is key to successful family engagement efforts. Sensitivity, respect, and adaptation to different sociocultural backgrounds can be expressed by sharing relevant information and resources from an array of formats (Becker et al., 2015). Facilitating information may also require sharing it at times and locations that are more convenient to families. In this context, cultural competence may include efforts to reduce the stigma of behavioral health services so that school-family exchanges emphasize strengths rather than a deficit-based school environment (Trimble, 2003). Together, schools and families can improve students’ academic, social, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes when commitment to a shared agenda is clearly articulated.

Key points about the Pyramid Model

While MTSS/RtI is an integrated and comprehensive framework to identify and match the needs of students to achieve systematic change in any educational setting, the Pyramid Model is specifically designed to address the unique social-emotional needs of young children. Like MTSS/RtI, the Pyramid Model utilizes a tiered system, typically with three levels: Tier 1 (universal supports for all students), Tier 2 (targeted interventions for at-risk students), and Tier 3 (intensive interventions for students with significant needs). The first level proactively promotes positive social-emotional development through high-quality classroom practices and early intervention strategies to help prevent behavioral issues. A variety of assessments, including standardized and structured instruments, are used to track children’s development and progress. These screenings, which often involve both observation-based and direct assessments, serve as a basis for individualization within the program year and inform adjustments in teaching and learning strategies. 

Cultural Considerations

Mitigating obstacles to shared family-school understanding in communities that face multiple socioeconomic challenges is key to achieving better outcomes. Head Start school readiness programs in high-poverty communities actively forge connections between students’ school and home lives through open and regular communication to increase student achievement. Though finding effective means of actively involving families in the learning process can be challenging, deepening family involvement practices has measurable benefits (Hart & Risley, 1995). Dorfman and Fisher (2002) note that while research supports fostering family involvement to increase student achievement, it does not clearly describe what family involvement looks like in practice. For one thing, students with disabilities often require a greater degree of parental involvement and advocacy than their peers without disabilities. Moreover, families may grapple with meaningful differences between school expectations and family culture in the everyday experience of young children. Overall, successful approaches to building partnerships between schools and families share a welcoming environment that helps pave the way for understanding (Garcia & Otheguy, 2017).

Although vital to the learning experience of children with disabilities, home–school partnerships are nonetheless often hampered by hurdles that can leave families and schools not knowing how to negotiate appropriate and effective means of instruction. Many families with low literacy may already be overwhelmed by a variety of concerns related to their children’s overall care and may not perceive themselves as effective partners to the school (Lynch, 2002). Moreover, the referral and evaluation phases can be intimidating and confusing to families who may not understand all their rights or the rights of their children. Because parents’ perceptions of their own ability to engage in a meaningful partnership with their children’s school can determine how effectively the Pyramid Model is implemented, educators can scaffold them in advocating for their children during the decision-making process by explaining school policies and expectations. Indeed, parents whose own educational background is marked by negative experiences or who lack a formal education themselves might benefit from extra support in understanding how the system of supports works to promote positive social-emotional development in their children’s early learning. 

In other words, a curriculum that makes connections between students’ school lives and their home lives is an involvement strategy that can help individualize education. Parents tend to use the same methods of child rearing that were used for them when they were growing up. Therefore, identifying adverse behaviors affecting children is key to developing appropriate recommendations for early interventions. Spanking, hitting, or other forms of physical punishment can cause increased anxiety and behavioral problems affecting emotional wellbeing and school performance. Likewise, psychological control that manipulates a child’s emotions through shaming, love withdrawal, or guilt induction can undermine their sense of autonomy and self-worth, impacting their development and academic success. Inconsistent or harsh parenting can also lead to children having difficulty regulating their emotions. Similarly, parental over-involvement can hinder a child’s ability to develop self-regulation skills and build independence. Nurturing classroom relationships and evidence-based interventions are key responses to negative parenting styles that affect children’s well-being and academic performance. Moreover, linking families with appropriate human-services organizations also enables support for children who are impacted by adverse behaviors.

A Cultural Broker

If members of an education team believe they lack knowledge or skill to effectively integrate cultural diversity, professional training through a university-community partnership can help meet this need. Collaborating with a cultural broker can also bridge positive behavioral interventions and supports with family preferences and needs. Cultural brokers often share the cultural and linguistic background of the parents that they help to engage in the Pyramid Model’s process. These individuals foster trust and collaboration by building respectful relationships to help families understand and access information, resources, and opportunities. Thereby, they help leverage the combined knowledge and resources of families to support student growth and well-being (Delgado-Gaitan, 2012). In a more reciprocal conceptualization than currently exists in the literature, cultural brokers also help institutions to understand and change to better address community needs and priorities (Ishimaru, 2019). When integrating cultural diversity into practice, it is important to keep in mind that building knowledge and skills in culturally responsive ways involves a continual process of evaluation and re-evaluation (Trimble, 2003). 

Conclusion

Early childhood education introduces children to activities and experiences that are intended to affect their development prior to their entry into elementary school. Children with disabilities in families with significant socioeconomic challenges are more likely to experience academic and behavioral struggles that feed into a cycle of poverty and low literacy that can span generations. Public schools across the United States use Title I funds to provide additional academic support and learning opportunities to help low-achieving children meet academic state standards. Under the Head Start program, states are responsible for ensuring that appropriate early intervention services are made available to all eligible children through the Pyramid Model. The model’s focus on prevention and support helps stimulate greater growth in children’s literacy and social skills with universal, targeted, and individualized approaches (Hemmeter et al., 2016). Therefore, identifying, understanding, and mitigating the factors that could delay or halt the process of delivering appropriate interventions and services for at-risk students is vital to multidisciplinary teams working to support students and families to accomplish greater improvement in their behavior.

Declaration of Competing Interest

None.

References

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The Discovery Source. (2025). https://thediscoverysource.com/the-pyramid-model/

Dorfman, D., & Fisher, A. (2002). Building Relationships for Student Success: School-Family-Community Partnerships and Student Achievement in the Northwest.

García, O., & Otheguy, R. (2016). Interrogating the Language Gap of Young Bilingual and Bidialectal Students. International Multilingual Research Journal, 11(1), 52–65.

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children.

Ishimaru, A. M. (2017). From Family Engagement to Equitable Collaboration. Educational Policy, 33(2), 350-385. https://10.1177/0895904817691841

Hemmeter, M. L., Snyder, P. A., Fox, L., & Algina, J. (2016). Evaluating the implementation of the Pyramid Model for promoting social emotional competence in early childhood classrooms. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 36, 133-146.

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Weist, M. D., Garbacz, S. A., Lane, K. L., & Kincaid, D. (2017). Aligning and integrating family engagement in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS): Concepts and strategies for families and schools in key contexts. Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education). Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon Press.

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About the Author (Monica I. Floreani)

Born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Monica’s long service in Education and Human Services continues to take place in Miami, Florida. Her professional life in teaching and directing started within Montessori. As a state certified English and Spanish teacher, she had the opportunity to teach all grade levels. After pursuing an Ed.M. in Curriculum and Instruction, she earned an Ed.S. from Florida International University. Her position of Center Director and Educational Specialist for Easterseals South Florida in a low-SES community of Miami inspired her to analyze various challenges to the delivery of appropriate services and interventions for young children. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Teaching and Learning at FIU.