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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.
April 2006
Dear FINE Member,
Here are this month's FINE member updates. Please feel free to forward this information to friends and other colleagues.
New on the FINE Website
William Jeynes discusses his meta-analysis of parent involvement research, which brings together the results of 77 recent studies. Jeynes shows that parent involvement has an overall positive effect on student achievement and that the largest effects are associated with parental expectations.
Michael Hayen, assistant principal at Mt. Faulkner Primary School in Australia, shares his ideas about parent–school accountability. He raises several questions about collaboration and communication within the school community that must be addressed before teachers hold parents accountable.
New from Harvard Family Research Project
Research Brief: Family Involvement Makes a Difference in School Success
This two-page research brief, prepared for the 2006 National Parent Teacher Association Legislative Conference, presents findings from our ongoing, in-depth review of research and program evaluations that link family involvement in children's education to student outcomes.
Our new issue of The Evaluation Exchange focuses on evaluating professional development across a range of fields, including after school and youth development, education, early childhood education, and child welfare.
Parental Information Resource Center (PIRC) Grant Opportunity
PIRCs help implement effective parental involvement policies, programs and activities that promote student achievement and strengthen home–school relationships to meet the educational needs of children.
On March 27, the Notice of Final Priorities and Eligibility Requirements and the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 for the PIRC program was published in the Federal Register. To view the Request for Proposals, go to the above link.
The PIRC Program will use an electronic process on the grants.gov site for grant application submission. To register, visit the above link.
To facilitate your use of the Grants.gov site and Education submission procedures, it is important to read the U.S Department of Education document, Grants.gov Submission Procedures, and Tips for Applicants. If you have additional questions, please contact patricia.kilby-robb@ed.gov.
HFRP Evaluation Tools for PIRC Grant Applicants
HFRP, in collaboration with RMC Research, has compiled a set of tools that will help PIRCs in completing current grants and in applying for the next round of grantmaking from the U.S. Department of Education.
View a quick breakdown of the various measures programs use to evaluate family processes.
Recent Reports
This policy brief from The Future of Children explains why efforts to combat childhood obesity should focus on schools and suggests ways for schools to target the problem. Strategies include raising standards for nutrition and physical activity during the school day and communicating with parents to improve children’s nutritional intake at home.
This report explores the results of a survey of high school dropouts, including the relationship between parent involvement and school completion. Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported that parents became involved in education only after learning that their children might soon drop out. Many parents reported a lack of knowledge about their children's grades and attendance patterns. You can see suggestions for increasing graduation rates including improving parent-school communication and engagement strategies and building stronger relationships between students and school staff.
The American Youth Policy Forum looks at what schools and communities can do to connect with young people who have dropped out of school and help them build successful lives. You can find profiles of twelve communities and seven national programs that are working to engage these young people and their families.
Websites
Broadcast Information Center: Education News Parents Can Use
The Department of Education produces a monthly television show exploring themes in education that you can share with parents. Upcoming topics include “Inspiring Excellence: Great Teachers, Great Principals” and “New Tools for Parents: Getting Informed & Getting Involved.” The link above provides details about past and future shows and lists television stations that air the shows. You can also watch the broadcasts live and or view archived video at connectlive.com/events/ednews.
Edutopia: “Scientists Say Parents Partnering With Teachers Can Change the Future of Education”
Edutopia lists best practices for successful parent involvement programs and describes how several schools have implemented these ideas. The website includes five specific ways that schools can use technology to improve communication with parents.
Upcoming Events
The 10th Annual Birth to Three Institute for early childhood professionals, community partners, policymakers, and researchers will be held in Baltimore, May 16–19. Workshop topics include suggestions for building relationships between parents and the community, working with parents to improve literacy outcomes, providing continuity between child care and home, and dealing with cultural differences, families of children with disabilities, and military families.
The 2006 National Forum of the Coalition for Community Schools will take place in Baltimore, June 14–16. This event will bring together professionals from education, government, family and community support services, and many other fields to focus on how to create the conditions for learning, which include core instructional programs, family–school collaboration, and community engagement.
Contact Us
Have a problem with the website or questions and comments concerning our work? Send an email to fine@gse.harvard.edu.
Enjoy!
FINE – The Family Involvement Network of Educators
© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project