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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.

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WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND FAMILIES DEVELOPMENT PERIODS
COMPLEMENTARY LEARNING CONNECTIONS

A Click Away: A Q&A With Chip Donohue About the Benefits of Online Distance Learning for In-Service Teachers

In this Q&A, Chip Donohue talks with HFRP about early childhood educators’ participation in online distance education courses and discusses how the topic of family engagement is being integrated into these classes.

Harvard Family Research Project (December 5, 2013) Research Report

A Human-Centered Approach to Family Engagement

A human-centered design approach – an approach that is based on observation, empathy, optimism, collaboration, and experimentation – opens new possibilities for educators to motivate and sustain family engagement.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

A Special Education Plan for Anabela: Does Supporting Her Needs Mean Holding Her Back?

A mother advocated strongly for her daughter's special education placement at a new school, but now appears under-involved to the teachers. The classroom and resource room teachers disagree about whether to retain the girl in second grade, and the classroom teacher must make a recommendation to the principal, knowing the family has opposed retention in the past.

Peggy Vaughan (2002) Teaching Case

A Strong Start for Family Engagement in Massachusetts

Through its Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge funds, Massachusetts has created strategic partnerships with museums and libraries, public television, family and community programs, community nonprofits, and public transportation to build a robust and growing statewide family engagement system.

Nathan Driskell (December 11, 2014) 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

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

After School for Cindy: Family, School, and Community Roles in Out-of-School Time Teaching Case

Second grade teacher Nikki believes that participation in a formal after school program would help her student Cindy academically at school. However, Cindy's single working mother Marla prefers to keep Cindy with her in the afternoons after her numerous struggles with securing quality affordable care in the community. What are the roles of family, school, and community in promoting children's learning and development in out-of-school time?

Ellen Mayer (2005) Teaching Case

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

Book Review: The Power of Family–School Partnering

Beth Schueler reviews the new book, The Power of Family–School Partnering: A Practical Guide for School Mental Health Professionals and Educators (FSP), a user-friendly handbook for developing and implementing a sustainable and effective Family–School Partnering strategy.

Beth Schueler (March 2011) Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Meet Esther Lasher, Head Start Educational Director

In this section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we meet Esther Lasher, the educational director of the Grant Head Start Program. Esther works to smooth the transition to kindergarten by planning with multiple community and school representatives.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Meet Maya Warren, Kindergartner

We begin the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case by meeting Maya Warren. Maya is a fun-loving 5-year-old girl who, despite success in preschool, is having a difficult transition to kindergarten.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Meet Nicole Warren, Maya’s Mother

In this section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we meet Nicole Warren, Maya’s mother. Nicole reflects on her daughter’s difficult transition to kindergarten and thinks about what she might do to improve the situation.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Meet Tanya Robinson, Kindergarten Teacher

In this section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we meet Tanya Robinson, Maya’s kindergarten teacher. Tanya is concerned that children and families are not kindergarten ready.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Meet Teresa Guzman, Preschool Teacher

In this section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we meet Maya’s former preschool teacher, Teresa Guzman. Teresa considers the role of early childhood programs in preparing children and families for kindergarten.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Piecing It All Together

In the final section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we piece it all together. We think about the principles guiding smooth transitions to school, assumptions people in the case make, and how difficult issues might be resolved.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Bridging Worlds Interactive Case: Supporting Data 

In this section of the Bridging Worlds Interactive Case, we examine some school-level data to develop a better understanding of the factors influencing Maya’s difficult transition to school.

Harvard Family Research Project () Research Report

Building Villages to Raise Our Children: Six Volume Set

This set of six volumes offers practical advice for establishing and managing a family support program.

Harvard Family Research Project (1993) Research Report

Building Villages to Raise Our Children: Staffing

Written for program administrators and staff, this guide offers practical advice for providing professional development to staff supporting family programs.

Harvard Family Research Project (1993) Research Report

Can We Talk About Family?

Latoya Roberts, a new first grade teacher, worries about Keon, a student being raised by his grandmother, when he begins to share information about his family in school. Will encouraging such sharing strengthen Latoya's bond with Keon and help him succeed? Latoya wants his grandmother's permission to encourage his openness, but she wonders if pushing the issue might strain her relationship with Keon's grandmother.

Peggy Vaughan (2003) Teaching Case

Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies: Training Child Care Providers to Support Families

Presents a framework of family-centered training.

Holly Kreider , Tracey Hurd, Heather Weiss (1999) Research Report

Communication Is Key to Strong Family‒School Partnerships During the Transition to School

One way to help educators better understand how parents and teachers think and feel during the transition to school is by pairing the Bridging Worlds case with an Empathy Map.

Jesús Paz-Albo (August 25, 2015) Research Report

Creating Coordination Among Families, Schools, and Communities: A Mock Team Meeting

Communication is key during the transition to school, and a mock team meeting based on the perspectives presented in the Bridging Worlds case helped school psychologists gain confidence talking with representatives from different learning settings.

Jon Lasser (August 25, 2015) Research Report

Culture Clash at Intermediate School #91

Disciplinary problems at an intermediate school in the Bronx are compounded by the lack of experienced teachers whose race and class backgrounds differ from their students'. When two students get into a fight, the new teachers seek solutions that sharply contrast with the norms of the students and their families. How can teachers come to understand the families and communities in which they teach?

Mary Katherine Moss (2002) Teaching Case

Defining “Fine”—Communicating Academic Progress to Parents

Molly is surprised when her son's teacher recommends he attend summer school. She thought he was doing just fine and the family had been doing a lot to make the home a rich reading environment. How can teachers better communicate academic progress with parents? How can administrators support teachers in this effort?

Holly Kreider , Margaret Caspe (2002) Teaching Case

Design Thinking: Catalyzing Family Engagement to Support Student Learning

Design Thinking cultivates fertile ground for promoting deep understanding and action-oriented partnerships between families and educators to support student learning. Discover five steps that enable families and educators to create meaningful strategies for family engagement.

Allison Rowland (April 2016) Research Report

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Published by Harvard Family Research Project