You are seeing this message because your web browser does not support basic web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.

www.HFRP.org

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 ▼


Browse by Topic
 | 
All Publications & Resources
WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND FAMILIES DEVELOPMENT PERIODS
COMPLEMENTARY LEARNING CONNECTIONS

Demographic Differences in Patterns of Youth Out-of-School Time Activity Participation

This paper examines whether demographic differences exist in getting youth “in the door” of OST activities, as well as in the number of activities and the amount of time youth spend in activities. Results from two nationally representative datasets show that disadvantaged youth were less likely to participate in a variety of activities than their peers and that they participated in fewer activities. 

Suzanne Bouffard , C. Wimer, P. Caronongan, P. Little, E. Dearing, S. Simpkins (2006) Research Report

The Best Dissertation I Never Wrote

HFRP asked leading family involvement researchers about the most important research questions facing the field today and in the future. The highlights below represent just a cross-section of their responses to the following question: Based on your experience and the state of the family involvement field today, what are the most critical questions or topics for future research?

Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D. (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Family Involvement Policy: Past, Present, and Future

Family involvement experts discuss federal, state, and local policies—where these policies have been, where they are headed, and what strategies are necessary to seize the current policy window.

Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D. , Abby R. Weiss (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

A Conversation With Rudy Crew

Rudy Crew, Superintendent of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, talks about his book, Only Connect, and his efforts to close the achievement gap in Miami-Dade County.

Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D. (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Thinking Big: A New Framework for Family Involvement Policy, Practice, and Research

Suzanne Bouffard and Heather Weiss reframe family involvement as part of a broader complementary learning approach to promoting children’s success in education and in life.

Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D. , Heather Weiss, Ed.D. (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Parenting Programs and Poverty: What's Our Evidence?

Anne Brady and Julia Coffman of Harvard Family Research Project summarize the long-term evidence about two-generational interventions aimed at improving child development, parenting, and family economics.

Anne Brady , Julia Coffman (1996) Evaluation Exchange Article

Achieving and Measuring Results: Lessons From HFRP's Parenting Study

Anne Brady and Julia Coffman of Harvard Family Research Project share results and lessons from HFRP's Parenting Study.

Anne Brady , Julia Coffman (1997) Evaluation Exchange Article

Working With Families in the Rural South: Findings From the REA-Funded Promising Readers Program

In an elementary school in the rural south, parents, preservice teachers, and others come together to strengthen children's literacy and learn from their experiences with children and one another.

Devon Brenner , Teresa Jayroe, Angela Boutwell (November 2002) Research Report

Transforming Family Engagement

In this Commentary, Harvard Family Research Project’s Evelyn Brosi Semenza and Heidi Rosenberg examine how innovative approaches and tools—including digital media—are helping to transform family engagement. Approaches include community–school partnerships that help promote school readiness; the integration of digital media in educators’ family engagement strategies; and the use of online tools to gather information about parents’ perspectives.

Evelyn Brosi Semenza , Heidi Rosenberg (February 7, 2013) Research Report

Continuous Improvement: Being Responsive When There is Need for Change

Deborah J. Brown, external evaluator for Save the Children, discusses how continuous improvement processes have helped strengthen one of Save the Children’s language development and pre-literacy programs, Early Steps to School Success.

Deborah J. Brown (September 17, 2013) Research Report

Rethinking the Evaluation of Family Strengthening Strategies: Beyond Traditional Program Evaluation Models

Charles Bruner of the Child and Family Policy Center outlines three factors of good family strengthening programs that evaluators are not adequately measuring in their evaluations.

Charles Bruner, Ph.D. (Summer 2004) Evaluation Exchange Article

Insights From Teaching a Graduate Evaluation and Improvement Science Course

In teaching Learning From Practice: Evaluation and Improvement Science at Harvard Graduate School of Education, Candice Bocala creates ample opportunities for students and partner organizations to work together as they explore the complexities of program evaluation. Discover the three insights Bocala has learned about program evaluation along the way.

Candice Bocala (November 12, 2015) Research Report

Why We Need to Slow Down When It Comes to Evaluation

Read about lessons HFRP has learned from supporting evaluation efforts in the field. This commentary highlights the value of investing time to carefully consider the theory behind a program for evaluation to yield usable and actionable information.

Carolina Buitrago (November 12, 2015) Research Report

Framing Program Evaluation: Why We Should Tinker With Theories of Change and Logic Models

While evaluation needs may vary, all organizations can benefit from utilizing theory-based evaluation tools to frame evaluation efforts. This article explores how three organizations developed their program’s theory of change and logic model.

Carolina Buitrago (November 19, 2015) Research Report

Learning for All: The Value of Field Experience in Training a New Generation of Program Evaluators

Field experience in evaluation inquiry is a promising approach to preparing the next generation of evaluators. Learn what one group of student consultants and organizations did to make a field experience in evaluative inquiry a positive one.

Carolina Buitrago with Sunindiya Bhalla, Nomi Davidson, Sarah Davila, Anairis Hinojosa, Babe Liberman, and Katie Tosh (December 3, 2015) Research Report

Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice

Examine how effective family-strengthening interventions can positively impact families and children in this practitioner-friendly brief from Harvard Family Research Project. Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice is based on our review of interventions that have been rigorously evaluated through experimental and quasi-experimental studies. We offer educators, service providers, and evaluators recommendations for creating successful programs and evaluations.

Margaret Caspe , M. Elena Lopez (October 2006) Research Report

Bilingual Voices and Parent Classroom Choices

Ines, a Spanish speaker feels responsible for her daughter's trouble in an all-English first grade classroom. Based on advice from her daughter's teacher, who believes a bilingual placement might be best, Ines reads with Nina in Spanish, but is uncertain this is the right thing to do. How can parents and teachers reconcile their differences about bilingual education?

Margaret Caspe (2002) Teaching Case

Family Literacy: A Review of Programs and Critical Perspectives

This paper reviews the literature on family literacy and describes critical perspectives. It also explores guiding principles and examples of their application in three different programs.

Margaret Caspe (June 2003) Research Report

Update: New Skills for New Schools

Since the 1997 publication of New Skills for New Schools by HFRP, the education reform landscape has changed, making it necessary to align teacher preparation and professional learning for family engagement with the goals of a twenty-first century education. Harvard Family Research Project is working to gather information about promising teacher education practices to prepare teachers to partner with families for student success. A preview of these practices—to be published in our forthcoming policy brief—is summarized in this update.

Margaret Caspe , M. Elena Lopez, Ashley Chu, and Heather B. Weiss (March 2011) Research Report

Home-School Communication—What's All the Commotion?

This workshop, developed by Margaret Caspe for Harvard Family Research Project, helps teachers understand different approaches to home-school communication and how these shape relationships with families. Concepts are taken from a research study of first and second grade teachers in three sites.

Margaret Caspe () Tool for Practice

Teaching the Teachers: Preparing Educators to Engage Families for Student Achievement

Harvard Family Research Project and the National PTA® have teamed up to bring you the third brief in our ground-breaking series about family engagement policy, highlighting the need for teacher education programs to prepare teachers to better work with families.

Margaret Caspe , M. Elena Lopez, Ashley Chu, & Heather B. Weiss (May 2011) Research Report

Six Activities to Spice Up the Teaching Case Method Discussion

Margaret Caspe discusses how college and university instructors can use the teaching case method to prepare future educators for family engagement. She offers a suite of activities that instructors can combine with the cases to help students dive deeply into the family engagement issues and dilemmas of practice that are presented in each case.

Margaret Caspe (December 5, 2013) Research Report

How Teachers Come to Understand Families

Two key processes whereby teachers working in a low-income rural New England town come to understand families include gathering information and meaning making.

Margaret Caspe (May 2003) Research Report

Beyond the Head Count: Evaluating Family Involvement in Out-of-School Time

This brief offers an overview of how out-of-school time programs can evaluate their family involvement strategies and practices. It draws on findings from our OST Evaluation Database, interviews, and email correspondence.

Margaret Caspe , Flora Traub, Priscilla M.D. Little (August 2002) Research Report

Bridging Worlds: Family Engagement in the Transition to Kindergarten

This teaching case explores the complex issues surrounding the transition to kindergarten and the importance of family engagement in the process. Three expert commentaries and discussion questions are included. An interactive version is also available.

Margaret Caspe (2014) Research Report

© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project