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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.

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“Syneducation” (Synekpaidefsis): Reinforcing Communication and Strengthening Cooperation Among Students, Parents, and Schools

Educators need to develop an effective synergy between parents and schools to promote student success. We use the term syneducation (synekpaidefsis;3 synergy + education) as the acquisition of a common educational experience (simultaneously and in cooperation) by individuals of different ages and educational backgrounds (Mylonakou, 2004). Our approach focuses mainly on how schools can give clear messages to parents about the necessity of their collaboration with schools.

Iro Mylonakou , Ioannis Kekes (March 2005) Research Report

Accomplished Teachers and Their Interactions With Parents: A Comparative Analysis of Strategies and Techniques

This study found that teachers with National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification have more positive attitudes, are more tenacious in their approaches, and have more strategies for engaging families than noncertified teachers.

Rick Ginsberg , Lauri Hermann-Ginsberg (March 2005) Research Report

The Welfare-to-Work Transition and Parent Involvement in Education: A Southern Case Study

This exploratory case study examines whether the transition from welfare to work influences parental involvement in elementary school education.

Catherine D. Shiffman (February 2005) Research Report

Reading, Writing, and Reform in the Bronx: Lessons for Community Engagement in Schools

Five community-based education organizing groups use various strategies to build trust and commitment among parents and teachers.

Celina Su (January 2005) Research Report

Evaluating Family Involvement Programs

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange brings together the current knowledge base of programs in family support and family involvement, providing a continuous perspective on family processes with regard to children's learning and development, from a child's early years through adolescence. Articles address the challenges of evaluating family programs, such as the need for conceptual clarity, methodological rigor, accountability, and contextual responsiveness. Rounding out the issue are examples of ongoing evaluations of parent leadership and organizing to ensure that schools serve all children at high standards.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Helping Every Student Succeed: Schools and Communities Working Together

This four-session discussion guide by the Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center)is intended for communities trying to close the achievement gap in their schools.

Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) (2005) Tool for Practice

Engaging Parents in an Urban Public High School: A Case Study of Boston Arts Academy

An urban public school successfully engages parents by offering a variety of school-based activities, a welcoming environment, and frequent communication between staff and parents.

Monique Ouimette , Jay Feldman, Rosann Tung (December 2004) Research Report

Family, School, and Community Connections Symposium: New Directions for Research, Practice, and Evaluation

We teamed up with the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to present this 1-day Family, School, and Community Connections Symposium: New Directions for Research, Practice, and Evaluation.

Cathy Jordan , Mary Grassa O'Neill, Heather Weiss (December 2, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

The Effects of Comprehensive Parent Engagement on Student Learning Outcomes

This study examined the school-level effects on tested student achievement in 129 high poverty elementary schools that implemented a common set of comprehensive parent-engagement strategies over a 2-year period.

Sam Redding , Janis Langdon, Joseph Meyer, Pamela Sheley (November 2004) Research Report

Do Educational Programs Increase Parents' Practices at Home?: Factors Influencing Latino Parent Involvement

Latino parents become more involved in their children's education when they understand the school system and know how to help their children.

Janet Chrispeels , Margarita González (November 2004) Research Report

“Daddy Says This New Math Is Crazy”

Beth Martin, a fourth grade teacher, finds her students respond well to the new mathematics curriculum she is using in her class, but at home parents struggle to understand the new math and help their children with homework. How should Beth and her colleagues respond to parents' skepticism about the new curriculum and support their involvement at home?

Becky Smith McCarthy (2004) Teaching Case

Preparing Teachers to Engage Parents

This research report reviews parent involvement modules created for preservice teachers focusing on parent-teacher communication and collaborating with community. The online, problem-based modules were designed by the North Texas Partnership for Parent Engagement.

Mary M. Harris , Arminta Jacobson, Rebecca Hemmer (November 2004) Research Report

The Promotive Effects of Family Educational Involvement for Low-Income Children

Article in the Journal of School Psychology, 42(6), 445–460. In this article the authors longitudinally examined associations between family involvement, children's feelings about literacy, and children's literacy achievement from kindergarten through fifth grade. Children's feelings about literacy mediated associations between family educational involvement and literacy achievement. Also, family involvement was more positively associated with literacy outcomes for children whose mothers were less educated compared with children whose mothers were more educated.

Eric Dearing , Kathleen McCartney, Heather Weiss, Holly Kreider, Sandra Simpkins (October 2004) Research Report

Understanding and Evaluating Family Engagement in Out-of-School Time (Workshop)

Engaging with families is one of the many strategies that out-of-school time (OST) programs use to create quality, adult-supervised experiences for youth during nonschool hours. This workshop introduced participants to the latest research and evaluation findings on family involvement in OST programs, and shared strategies for engaging with families, using two case studies to illustrate these practices in context.

Harvard Family Research Project (October 26, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Parent Involvement and the Social and Academic Competencies of Urban Kindergarten Children

This study shows positive social and academic outcomes for low-income, minority kindergarten children whose parents promote learning in the home and contact schools regularly.

Christine McWayne , Marissa Owsianik (October 2004) Research Report

Parental Involvement in Homework: A Review of Current Research and Its Implications for Teachers, After School Program Staff, and Parent Leaders

Parents often become involved in their children's education through homework. In 2001 research on parental involvement in children's homework was conducted (Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2001). The review focused on understanding why parents become involved in their children's homework, what strategies they employ, and how involvement contributes to student learning. In this paper, findings from the 2001 review suggest several ways in which schools can invite parents' involvement in homework.

Joan M. T. Walker , Kathleen V. Hoover-Dempsey, Darlene R. Whetsel, Christa L. Green (October 2004) Research Report

Math Teachers' Use of Class Websites to Support Parent Involvement

Interviews with 84 math teachers about the use of their class websites suggest that sites could be used more effectively to share information with parents and to support parent involvement.

Ellen Lunts (October 2004) Research Report

Adolescence: Are Parents Relevant to Students' High School Achievement and Post-Secondary Attainment?

Analysis of National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) data shows that parents' high educational expectations positively affect students' academic achievement in high school.

Evanthia Patrikakou (September 2004) Research Report

Evaluating Family Support: Thinking Critically, Thinking Internationally (Keynote Address)

Evaluation plays a major role in shaping new directions for the field of family support. In her keynote address at the Participatory Evaluation and Parent Engagement Institute, sponsored by Family Support America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, in Kansas City, Missouri, September 20–22, 2004, Heather Weiss, Founder and Director of HFRP, described how evaluation can support learning, continuous improvement, and innovation. The four components of a family support evaluation strategy that she outlined were experimental studies to show program impact on families, utilization-focused evaluation to support policy and practitioner decision making, action research and empowerment evaluation, and performance standards based on solid research and evaluation.

Heather Weiss (September 20, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Families, Schools, and Community Resources

Analyzing family, school, and community resources and needs as related to the family life cycle, examining child welfare and education and ecological approach, and exploration of careers related to children and families. Strategies to improve communication and collaboration are emphasized with a focus on family types, cultures, economic conditions, school systems, community services, political forces, advocacy groups, and other factors that impact young children and their families.

Arminta Jacobson (Fall 2004) Syllabus

Working It Out: The Chronicle of a Mixed-Method Analysis

Chapter in Discovering Successful Pathways in Children's Development: Mixed Methods in the Study of Childhood and Family Life. Edited by Thomas S. Weisner. Published by University of Chicago Press. This chapter chronicles a mixed-method analysis of family involvement in children's learning, drawing observations about the process and added value of combining methods.

Heather B. Weiss , Holly Kreider, Ellen Mayer, Rebecca Hencke, Margaret Vaughan (Fall 2004) Research Report

The Role of the Family in the Educational Experiences of Second-Generation Chinese Americans

Chinese-American college students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds describe the role of their families in their paths to college.

Vivian Louie (September 2004) Research Report

Family and School Partnerships for Academic Success

Emphasis is on continuous family-school teamwork efforts. Attention is given to family background and social context. The course will cover effective family involvement programs/models and current research underscoring the dynamic interaction between families and schools on the academic success of pre-K through grade 8 students.

Randi B. Wolfe (Summer 2004) Syllabus

African-American and Chinese-American Parent Involvement: The Importance of Race, Class, and Culture

African-American and Chinese-American parents use alternative forms of social capital to support their children's education.

John Diamond , Ling Wang, Kimberly Gomez (May 2006) Research Report

Parents Write Their Worlds: A Parent Involvement Program Bridging Urban Schools and Families

A participatory research project examines a school-based writing workshop in which parents write stories for a literary magazine that is circulated in the school and community.

Janise Hurtig (May 2004) Research Report

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Published by Harvard Family Research Project