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Dear FINE Members,

With the introduction of the Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund (i3), innovation has emerged as a hot topic in education. In this issue of the FINE Newsletter, we consider what innovation means and how to foster it within the field of family engagement. In the commentary, HFRP Consultant Margaret Caspe talks with Heather Weiss, Sherry Cleary, and Jane Quinn about innovation in their respective disciplines and presents a framework designed to help schools and organizations develop breakthrough ideas.

This issue also highlights two new resources focused on innovation. The first is a case study from New Visions for Public Schools that describes a pioneering effort in New York City to engage families in students’ academic success and college readiness by helping parents understand student data. The second resource is a paper from the National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group that compiles 12 examples of leading innovations in family engagement as an integral and effective strategy in systemic educational reform.

Voices from the Field recounts how an Early Head Start/Head Start program in East Harlem rethinks its family engagement strategies to reach the many parents who are hesitant to get involved due to their status as undocumented immigrants. The program's innovative approach incorporates civic advocacy, while new evaluation tools ensure the impact of this outreach work is measurable. Rounding out the issue, our featured teaching case highlights the dilemmas that arise when innovations in teaching methods and curriculum are neither developed in collaboration with families and communities nor well-communicated to these critical stakeholders.  And, as always, we provide a listing of new family involvement articles, news, and resources.

We invite your feedback on the topics we explore in this FINE Newsletter, and encourage you to pass on this issue to interested friends and colleagues.

Harvard Family Research Project Commentary

Creating Environments to Promote Innovation

For this issue's commentary, HFRP Consultant Margaret Caspe talks with Heather Weiss, Sherry Cleary, and Jane Quinn about innovation in their respective disciplines and presents a framework designed to help schools and organizations move beyond typical problem-solving methods to discover new ways of thinking.

Resources & Research From Harvard Family Research Project

New Visions for Public Schools: Using Data to Engage Families

Barbara Taveras and Caissa Douwes from New Visions for Public Schools and Karen Johnson from BASE High School describe how high schools in New York City have begun to engage families in students’ academic success and college readiness by helping parents understand student data. Through this case, it becomes clear that supporting parents in grasping and using this information is a shared responsibility among schools, families, and students.

Resources & Research From Harvard Family Research Project

Taking Leadership, Innovating Change: Profiles in Family, School, and Community Engagement

This resource from the National Family, School, and Community Engagement Working Group, of which HFRP is a member, compiles 12 examples of leading innovations in family engagement as an integral and effective strategy in systemic education reform. Together, these innovations represent a vision of family, school, and community engagement as a shared responsibility and a continuous process that occurs wherever children learn and throughout their development from cradle to career.

Resources & Research From Harvard Family Research Project

Achieving Excellence and Innovation in Family, School, and Community Engagement Webinar Series

The U.S. Department of Education and its partners United Way Worldwide, National PTA, SEDL, and Harvard Family Research Project are proud to bring you a free webinar series on family, school, and community engagement, running April 2010 through September 2011.  These webinars are an opportunity for stakeholders representing national, regional, and local organizations to learn about family, school, and community engagement research, best practices from the field, and innovations that are making a difference in school improvement and student learning.

Tips & Tools From Harvard Family Research Project

Featured Teaching Case: "Daddy Says This New Math Is Crazy"

Harvard Family Research Project’s Teaching Cases support teacher training and professional development by highlighting challenges that schools, families, and communities may encounter in supporting children’s learning. In this issue, we feature "Daddy Says This New Math Is Crazy,"  which highlights the dilemmas that arise when innovations in teaching methods and curriculum are neither developed in collaboration with families and communities nor well-communicated to these critical stakeholders.

Voices From the Field

Advocating for the Rights of Undocumented Families

Moria Cappio and Melanie Reyes from the Children’s Aid Society share their experiences reinventing family engagement strategies in the East Harlem Early Head Start/Head Start program to reach out to immigrant families by including parent civic advocacy. Cappio and Reyes also describe how using an advocacy evaluation tool helped them navigate these uncharted waters.

Family Involvement News

May 2010 News

We at Harvard Family Research Project are committed to keeping you up to date on what's new in family involvement.  View our list of links to current reports, articles, resources, and events in the family involvement field.

Careers at HFRP

We're Hiring!
Harvard Family Research Project is seeking a Research Analyst to join our family involvement and out-of-school time evaluation-related projects.

Contact Us

If you experience a problem reading this newsletter or have questions and comments concerning our work, we would love to hear from you. Please send an email to fine@gse.harvard.edu.

Enjoy!

The FINE Team at Harvard Family Research Project