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.

Terms of Use ▼

• Permission to Use Materials: In consideration for your agreement to the terms and conditions contained here, the President and Fellows of Harvard College, c/o the Harvard Graduate School of Education, grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use Harvard Family Research Project publications hosted on the Global Family Research Project Site.
• User may download material from the Site only for User's own personal, non-commercial use. User may not otherwise copy, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, publish, commercially exploit or otherwise transfer any material. The burden of determining that use of any information, software or any other content on the Site is permissible rests with User.
• User will seek permission or licensing for any commercial use requests from the Harvard Graduate School of Education Office of Sponsored Projects.

• Home
• Research Areas
  • Complementary Learning
  • Family Involvement
  • Out-of-School Time
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Evaluation
  • Other Research Areas
• Publications & Resources
  • Search Publications
  • Browse Our Publications
  • Publications Series
  • Copyright and Reprint Permissions
• HFRP News
  • News & Announcements
  • Blog: New Directions in Family Engagement
  • In the Media

• Complementary Learning
• Family Involvement
  • Overview
  • Professional Development
  • Informing Family Engagement Policy
  • FINE: Family Involvement Network of Educators
  • Projects
  • Publications & Resources
• Out-of-School Time
• Early Childhood Education
• Evaluation
• Other Research Areas

• Large text size
• Normal text size
• Small text size
• Print this page

The FINE Newsletter shares the newest and best family involvement research and resources from HFRP and other field leaders. Visit our subscription center to receive the FINE Newsletter via email.

Click on a year to access additional issues; select a title to view the full newsletter.

Special Issue, December 2010
FINE Newsletter Special Anniversary Issue: Celebrating 10 Years

This issue marks an exciting milestone for us at HFRP as the Family Involvement Network of Educators, a.k.a. "FINE," turns 10 years old! To celebrate, we have created a special anniversary issue that both draws from the past and offers a glimpse into the future. This issue of the FINE Newsletter includes a handful of our favorite FINE resources from the last 10 years, all of which are related to some of the content areas we will be exploring in greater depth during FINE’s 2011 anniversary year: teacher preparation and professional development, early childhood, data use and technology, and evaluation. Meanwhile, this special issue’s commentary reflects on how the field of family, school, and community engagement has evolved over the last 10 years, as well as outlining the upcoming projects in the field that HFRP aims to showcase through FINE in the coming year

Volume II, Issue 3, October 2010
October FINE Newsletter: Using Student Data to Engage Families

A new wave of family engagement strategies is emerging in tandem with education reform. Making student data a centerpiece of family engagement is one such strategy, and one that is both supported by research and promoted by policy. Schools and families are beginning to use student data as a point of communication in support of children’s learning, thus making family engagement a shared responsibility that is integrated into instructional practice. This engagement can begin with data use in preschool and continue through high school, with student data opening multiple possibilities for family engagement in the home, school, and community. In this issue of the FINE Newsletter, we focus on examples of districts and schools that have begun using data to engage families for student success in bold and powerful ways.

Volume II, Issue 2, May 2010
May FINE Newsletter: Innovations in Family Engagement

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, 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. The issue also includes two new resources focused on innovation—a case study of New Visions for Public Schools summarizing a pioneering effort in New York City to engage families in students’ academic success and college readiness by supporting parents in understanding student data, and 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—in addition to our Voices from the Field and teaching case resources.

Volume II, Issue 1, April 2010
April FINE Newsletter: Family Engagement Across the Developmental Continuum

Family involvement supports children’s learning and growth across the developmental continuum—from birth through young adulthood. Parents’ interactions and activities help shape children’s readiness for school, and consistent engagement during children’s elementary years is also related to positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Family engagement remains important in adolescence and predicts healthy youth behaviors and higher rates of college enrollment. In this month's issue, we discuss how families and educators can tailor their family engagement strategies to ensure that the activities they use are developmentally appropriate and effective.