The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
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Volume XIV, Number 1 & 2, Spring 2008 Issue Topic: Building the Future of Family InvolvementThis double issue of The Evaluation Exchange examines the current state of and future directions for the family involvement field in research, policy, and practice. Featuring innovative initiatives, new evaluation approaches and findings, and interviews with field leaders, the issue is designed to spark conversation about where the field is today and where it needs to go in the future. |
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From the Director's Desk
An introduction to the issue on Building the Future of Family Involvement by HFRP's Founder & Director, Heather B. Weiss, Ed.D.
Theory & PracticeThinking Big: A New Framework for Family Involvement Policy, Practice, and Research
Suzanne Bouffard and Heather Weiss reframe family involvement as part of a broader complementary learning approach to promoting children’s success in education and in life.
Ask the ExpertBuilding the Field
HFRP talks with five leaders in the family involvement arena about the current state of the field and promising areas for its future.
Ask the ExpertFamily Involvement Policy: Past, Present, and Future
Family involvement experts discuss federal, state, and local policies—where these policies have been, where they are headed, and what strategies are necessary to seize the current policy window.
Ask the ExpertGetting Serious About Excellence With Equity
Ronald Ferguson, Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative and Lecturer at Harvard University, proposes that parents must be part of a broader movement for excellence with equity.
Ask the ExpertStandards for Success: Linking Families, Schools, and Communities to Support Student Achievement
Sheri DeBoe Johnson from the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) discusses the PTA’s newly revised National Standards for Family–School Partnerships.
Ask the ExpertThe Best Dissertation I Never Wrote
HFRP asked leading family involvement researchers about the most important research questions facing the field today and in the future. The highlights below represent just a cross-section of their responses to the following question: Based on your experience and the state of the family involvement field today, what are the most critical questions or topics for future research?
Promising PracticesPromoting Parent–School Relationships During the Transition to Kindergarten
Amy Schulting from Duke University explores the role of teacher outreach to families during the transition to kindergarten.
Promising PracticesLocal School Councils and Parent Involvement in Chicago
Melissa Marschall’s study on Latino parents’ participation in school governance underscores this issue’s theme of the importance of coconstructing family involvement.
Promising PracticesImplementing Family and Community Engagement: Opportunities and Challenges in Boston Public Schools
Abby Weiss and Helen Westmoreland look at the lessons learned from the evolution of Boston Public Schools’ family and community engagement strategy.
Promising PracticesSupporting Family Engagement Through District-Level Partnerships
Mavis Sanders from Johns Hopkins University looks at how school districts can promote family–school partnerships by collaborating with community based organizations.
Promising PracticesWhole Children, Whole Families, Whole Communities
Jonathan Zaff and Danielle Butler from America’s Promise Alliance look at how winners of the 100 Best Communities for Young People employ family involvement strategies.
Promising PracticesAfter School Programs as an Oasis of Hope for Black Parents
Gerard Robinson discusses how and why low-income and working-class Black parents are involved in enrolling their children in after school programs.
Promising PracticesA City-Wide Effort to Support and Involve Families
Brenda Miller and Ginger Peacock Preston from the Jacksonville Children’s Commission describe how the city of Jacksonville, Florida, is integrating family involvement into a system of care for children and families.
Promising PracticesEmpowering Parents to Improve Education: Evidence from Rural Mexico
Paul Gertler, Harry Patrinos, and Marta Rubio-Codina summarize a study on the outcomes associated with a school-based management intervention in Mexico.
Book ReviewOnly Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools
Helen Westmoreland of HFRP reviews Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools by Rudy Crew.
Questions & AnswersA Conversation With Rudy Crew
Rudy Crew, Superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, talks about his book, Only Connect, and his efforts to close the achievement gap in Miami-Dade County.
Evaluations to WatchA Strategic Evaluation Approach for the Parental Information and Resource Centers
Helen Westmoreland and Suzanne Bouffard describe the evolving evaluation strategy for the national Parental Information and Resource Centers program, the program’s potential to build the family involvement field, and the role of the National PIRC Coordination Center.
Evaluations to WatchThe Indiana State PIRC’s Collaborative Evaluation Process
Jerrell Cassady and Jackie Garvey illustrate how an ongoing, collaborative process between director and evaluator has informed and im-proved the Indiana State PIRC’s programs to support family involvement.
Evaluations to WatchBuilding Family Involvement Through a Targeted District Approach
Marianne Kirner and Matt Storeygard explain how the Connecticut State PIRC is implementing and evaluating an effort to promote family involvement at the school district level.
Evaluations to WatchReaching More Parents Through a Complementary Learning Approach
Lisa St. Clair and Barbara Jackson describe how the Nebraska State PIRC connects with 21st Century Community Learning Centers to foster family involvement.
Evaluations to WatchStrengthening Family Ties
Sharon Hemphill and Holly Kreider describe how the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is implementing and evaluating an initiative that goes “beyond the walls” to support families in order to promote children’s success.
Evaluations to WatchParents as Educational Leaders
Bruce Wilson and Dick Corbett describe an evaluation of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership.
Evaluations to WatchUpcoming Evaluations
HFRP takes a look at upcoming family involvement and complementary learning evaluations.
Evaluations to WatchDeveloping a Parent-Derived Measure of Latino Family Involvement
Christine McWayne and Gigliana Melzi from New York University’s Department of Applied Psychology discuss their investigation of Latino family involvement in early childhood education.
SpotlightMeasuring the Implementation and Impact of the Kentucky Family Resource Centers
John Kalafat from Rutgers University describes how he and his colleagues used Innovative Configuration Analysis to evaluate a statewide family resource initiative’s implementation and impact.
SpotlightOvercoming Practical Obstacles to Meaningful Program Evaluation: The Booklet Approach
Steven Harvey and Gregory Wood describe how they created a methodology to capture data across a series of parenting workshops.
SpotlightCost-Effectiveness and Cost–Benefit Analyses of Family Involvement Initiatives
Brian Yates from American University explains the value of both cost-effectiveness and cost–benefit analyses in promoting investments in family involvement.
Beyond Basic TrainingBeyond the Bake Sale: How School Districts Can Promote Family Involvement
This article is adapted from Chapter 9, “Scaling Up: Why Can’t All Schools in a District Create Strong Partnerships With Families?” of Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family–School Partnerships by Anne Henderson, Karen Mapp, Vivian Johnson, and Don Davies.
Beyond Basic TrainingA Collaborative Approach to Parent Outreach
Amy Aparicio Clark and Amanda Dorris describe how the PALMS Project supports educators’ efforts to engage Latino parents in college preparation and enrollment.
New & Noteworthy
This section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue’s theme.
EndnotesSeven Takeaways About the Future of Family Involvement
HFRP summarizes key observations raised in this issue of The Evaluation Exchange. Based on findings from research and evaluation, these themes highlight what the field needs to know and do to move family involvement forward in policy and practice.
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