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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Dear FINE Member,

Here are this month's FINE member announcements. Please feel free to forward this information to friends and other education colleagues.

New on the FINE Website

• FINE Forum e-Newsletter, Issue 6, Spring 2003

  “All young Americans must learn to think mathematically and they must think mathematically to learn.” This statement from the National Research Council underscores that today's students will live in a world where the requirements for mathematical proficiency will be substantially higher that they are today. This issue of the FINE Forum focuses on promising practices to engage families and communities in supporting students' mathematical proficiency.

  • Program Spotlight highlights two programs that strengthen parents' roles as parents, learners, and teachers and equip teachers with the skills to integrate home mathematics in the curriculum. Based on the “funds of knowledge” approach these programs draw attention to the social and cultural practices in which mathematics is embedded.

  • In Questions & Answers Marta Civil from the University of Arizona shares her perspective on the opportunities and challenges of applying funds of knowledge to mathematics education.

  • Parent Perspective describes how Kentucky parents have initiated projects to support schools in the implementation of state standards in mathematics.

  • Teacher Talk features five expert teachers who identity critical factors in successfully integrating families' into their mathematical projects.

  • In Lessons From Leaders, Johnny Lott, the President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and Marilou Hyson, Associate Executive Director for Professional Development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children, share how teachers and families can work together to help children know and love mathematics.

  We have included an online survey with this issue. After you have finished reading the FINE Forum, please complete this survey to share your feedback. It will help us improve future issues. The survey is short and should take two minutes!

• Syllabus: “Schools, Families, and Community”

  Joel Knitzburg, Senior Faculty at Cambridge College and Director of Massachusetts Parent Involvement Program, offers a new course for students working and preparing to work in education to help them engage and support families.

Suggested Reading

• A Meta-Analysis: The Effects of Parental Involvement on Minority Children's Academic Achievement

  William H. Jeynes claims that the impact of parental involvement is significant for minority groups. The article was published in Education and Urban Society (Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 202–218).

• The Civic Mission of Schools

  This report examines the research about civic education and describes promising approaches to civic education.

• Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement (Sociocultural, Political, and Historical Studies in Education)

  In this book John Ogbu and Astrid Davis compare the academic performance of African-American students in inner-city and in middle-class settings to white students, other minority groups, and Black immigrant populations.

• Northwest Denver Parent Focus Groups

  The Piton Foundation website links to two documents that summarize parent focus group findings on issues of school choice and school improvement.

New Toolkits

• Courage After a Crisis: Family and Community Activities for Healing

  The activities and handouts in this book offer hands-on help for individuals, families, and communities dealing with trauma.

• Every Voice Counts: Holding a Shared Leadership Event to Make Decisions Together

  This book describes how a shared leadership event can be organized to effect change in the neighborhood or in an organization. It provides sample agendas, tracking and planning charts, and other tools.

Standards

• The Minneapolis Public Schools Family Involvement Standards

  These standards were developed to create a common vision of what needs to be in place for quality family involvement in the district.

Upcoming Conference

• Increasing Community and Social Capital for Children and Families

  On April 30 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm CST, this free satellite teleconference sponsored by FAST (Families and Schools Together) will bring together parents and early childhood educators to discuss the importance of monthly, parent-led, multifamily meetings, which form the cornerstone of FAST's eight-week family program. To register for this free conference and to find a downlink site near you, call 608-663-2336 or email tammysaysfastworks@tds.net.

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