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.
Volume XI, Number 1, Spring 2005
Issue Topic: Complementary Learning
New & Noteworthy
The New & Noteworthy section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, and initiatives related to the issue’s theme.
The 2004 National Awards for Museum and Library Service were recently presented. The winners represent diverse locations and foci, but each has found innovative ways to use resources to address community needs and promote lifelong learning. www.imls.gov/news/2005/031505.shtm
Bodilly, S., & Beckett, M. K. (2005). Making out-of-school time matter: Evidence for an action agenda. Santa Monica: RAND. This literature review identifies, frames, and assesses several current issues in out-of-school time, including the extent of program demand, outcomes associated with participation, and research on quality. www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG242.sum.pdf
Community focused learning [Special issue]. (2005). Community Schools Online, 4(2). This issue of Community Schools Online, an e-newsletter published by the Coalition for Community Schools, focuses on using the community as a resource for learning, with topics on civic learning, service-learning, and place-based learning, among others. www.communityschools.org/newsletter/newsletterv.4.2.html
Duffet, A., & Johnson, J. (with Farkas, S., Kung, S., & Ott, A.) (2004). All work and no play?: Listening to what kids and parents really want from out-of-school time. New York: Public Agenda. This national survey of teenagers and parents examines support for out-of-school time programs, priorities for families, and differential access among diverse families. www.publicagenda.org/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=2
The Family Strengthening Policy Center, an initiative of the National Human Services Assembly, is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is part of Casey's Making Connections initiative, which aims to improve outcomes for children and families in disadvantaged or isolated neighborhoods by supporting community-based efforts to strengthen family–community connections and promote opportunities within communities to earn a living, build assets, and access reliable services. www.nassembly.org/fspc; www.aecf.org/initiatives/mc
Forum for Youth Investment. (2005, January). When school is out, museums, parks, and libraries are in (Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary No. 9). Washington, DC: Author. This Commentary describes how community museums, parks, and libraries can support youth during the nonschool hours. www.forumfyi.org/files/OSTPC9.pdf
Hirsch, B. J. (2005). A place to call home: After-school programs for urban youth. New York: Teachers College Press. Drawing on his research with clubs in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America program serving low-income urban youth, Hirsch describes the positive role that after school programs can play, as well as the qualities that lead youth to see such programs as a “second home.”
Honig, M. I. (2004). The new middle management: Intermediary organizations in education policy implementation. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 26(1), 65–87. This journal article examines the role of organizations “that operate between policymakers and implementers” in effecting education policy and reform. www.education.umd.edu/EDPA/papers/HONIG_EP_%202004_19.pdf
Judith P. Hoyer Early Childcare and Education Enhancement Program Evaluation. The Maryland Department of Education reports evaluation results for the first Judy Centers, which promote collaborations among community-based agencies and provide comprehensive school-readiness services, including education, health, and family support, to disadvantaged children ages 0–5.
Mahoney, J. L., Larson, R. W., & Eccles, J. S. (Eds.). (2005). Organized activities as contexts of development: Extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. This volume brings together a multidisciplinary group to examine the role of organized activities in child, youth, and early adult development, and includes discussions of empirical research and policy implications.
Rabin, N., & Redmond, R. (Eds.). (2004). Putting the arts in the picture: Reframing education in the 21st Century. Chicago: Columbia College. This book argues for integrating the arts into school curricula, describing how the arts improve student engagement, school culture, and deeper learning; it includes cognitive research, successful examples, and practical integration strategies. artspolicy.colum.edu/education_book.html
School readiness: Closing racial and ethnic gaps [Special issue]. (2005). The Future of Children, 15(1). This issue features articles on the potential causes of achievement gaps, including socioeconomic resources, early childhood education, parenting, and health disparities. www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/Volume_15_No_1.pdf. A webcast of a related conference hosted by the Brookings Institution is also available, at www.futureofchildren.princeton.edu/schoolreadiness/events.asp.
Spielberger, J., Horton, C., & Michels, L. (2004). New on the shelf: Teens in the library. Chicago: University of Chicago, Chapin Hall Center for Children. This report describes evaluation findings from the Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development Initiative, which aimed to develop innovative models for public libraries to provide educational enrichment and career development programs to underserved youth. www.wallacefunds.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). CCDF and 21CCLC: State efforts to facilitate coordination for afterschool programs. Washington, DC: Author. This report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Child Care Bureau describes how states are coordinating funding from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants program and the Child Care and Development Fund to support after school programs. nccic.org/afterschool/CCDF21CCLC.pdf