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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.
May 2005
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
Based on surveys and focus groups with teacher educators and new teachers, Carolyn Flanigan explores how colleges of education can better prepare teachers to partner with parents and communities.
Gill Crozier and Jane Davies describe their study of the experiences of British Bangladeshi and Pakistani parents in their interactions with schools and their involvement in children's education.
Conference Presentation: Understanding and Evaluating Family Engagement in Out-of-School Time
This workshop introduces participants to the latest research and evaluation findings on family involvement in out-of-school time programs, and presents strategies for engaging with families, using two case studies to illustrate these practices in context.
Syllabus: Risk and Resilience in Children and Families: Implications for Public Policy
Julie Boatright Wilson, the Harry Kahn Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, teaches a course that looks at past, present, and future trends in child and family policy and the policy implications of risk and resilience in children and families.
Books, Reports, and Articles
In her new book Jean Anyon argues that the organizations that shape public policy are crucial collaborators in urban education reform efforts. Anyon explains the relevance of her book to FINE members: “To achieve lasting reform, educators, parents, and community groups will need to collaborate not only with each other, but also with organizations influencing areas like minimum wage, tax law, and public transit. In this book, I make the case that these public policies often overshadow education policy and urban school reform, reducing opportunities for graduates.”
This book explores how a child- and youth-care approach works in daily interactions with children, youth, and their families. The book is available for purchase from the publisher at the link above.
This meta-analysis of 41 studies examines the relationship between parental involvement and the academic achievement of urban elementary school children. Results indicate a significant relationship between parental involvement overall and academic achievement. The full article is available for purchase at the link above.
This article describes the activities, influence, and multiple perspectives of middle-class parents on schools, and raises questions about how to harness the engagement of middle-class parents for the benefit of all students. The full article is available for purchase at the link above.
This report examines the resources that African American and Latino/Latina families have or need to raise children that thrive. It is a second study in an ongoing collaboration between YMCA of the USA and Search Institute around strong families and parenting.
Toolkits
Staying involved in the education of middle and high school students can be challenging for many parents. The article introduces a model that helps parents understand how older students learn. It explores the roles that parents can play in supporting the learning process during adolescence.
This template from the Penn State Cooperative Extension's Children, Youth, and Families Are Resilient project is designed to help after school programs create their own parent involvement plan.
Building State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems
This series of reports from the National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy is designed to support the planning and implementation of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau State Early Childhood Comprehensive Services initiative. Two of the reports, “Promoting Positive Parenting Practices Through Parenting Education” (#13) and “Family Support: Fostering Leadership and Partnership to Improve Access and Quality” (#14), provide guidance on state policy development in the areas of parenting education and family support.
La Lectura es lo Primero (Put Reading First)
This brochure, now available in Spanish, provides a brief overview of the findings of the National Reading Panel for parents and offers information about what to expect from a school's reading program based on research evidence. The brochure also suggests ways parents can reinforce reading instruction at home with everyday activities and interactions.
Workshops
Workshops From Community Schools: The Time is NOW!
Presentations from the 2005 Coalition for Community Schools National Forum are now available online. There are five presentations related to parent engagement which cover topics such as No Child Left Behind and the school–parent compact, parents connecting with hard-to-reach parents, and building a school community by engaging parents in the learning lives of their children.
Program
Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities: A Violence Prevention Parent Training Program
The Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities Program is a strength-based prevention-intervention training program for parents with children between 3 and 18 years that addresses violence against the self, violence in the family, and violence against the community. The program's message,“keep the value—change the process,” encourages parents to try new methods to teach traditional positive family, cultural, and spiritual values.
Upcoming Events
The School of the 21st Century (21C) is a community school model that incorporates early childhood programs, after-school care, and other family support services designed to promote the optimal growth and development of children beginning at birth. Yale University is hosting the annual national 21C conference for professional development of staff from Schools of the 21st Century, family resource centers, school-age programs, community schools, and other school-based family support programs in New Haven, Connecticut, from July 18th to 20th.
The Brazelton Touchpoints Center promotes partnerships between health care and child care professionals and parents to support the health, social, emotional, and cognitive well-being of children. The National Forum will be held in Providence, Rhode Island, from June 2nd to 5th.
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