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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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WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND FAMILIES DEVELOPMENT PERIODS
COMPLEMENTARY LEARNING CONNECTIONS

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 Mixed Method Approach to Understanding Family-School Communication

This paper presents the initial findings from an ethnographic case study, focusing on the mixed-method research strategy used in the MacArthur Comprehensive Child Development Project Follow-up Study. The aim of the study was to expand the understanding of children's developmental trajectories as they traverse the elementary school years. This paper presents three case study vignettes of children in the second grade, each highlighting a different aspect of family-school communication from the perspective of the children's parents, and highlights the methodological strengths of ethnography. The third vignette uncovered the complexity and contradictions and race, racism, and informal communication between home and child for one African-American child. (Available in ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED422111)

Heather Weiss , J. Dirks, K. Friedman, G. Hanley, H. Kreider, E. Levine, E. Mayer, C. McAllister, P. Vaughan, J. Wellenkamp (July 1998) Research Report

Academic Achievement

This issue of FINE Forum explores new forms of and strategies in family involvement, all of which share a common goal: expanding and deepening family and community roles to help students meet high standards.

Harvard Family Research Project (Winter 2001/2002) Research Report

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

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

After School Programs as an Oasis of Hope for Black Parents

Gerard Robinson discusses how and why low-income and working-class Black parents are involved in enrolling their children in after school programs.

Gerard Robinson (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Beyond the Bake Sale: How School Districts Can Promote Family Involvement

This article is adapted from Chapter 9, “Scaling Up: Why Can’t All Schools in a District Create Strong Partnerships With Families?” of Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family–School Partnerships by Anne Henderson, Karen Mapp, Vivian Johnson, and Don Davies. 

Anne T. Henderson , Karen L. Mapp, Ed.D. (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Beyond the Parent-Teacher Conference: Diverse Patterns of Home-School Communication

Discussions about home-school communication generally focus on formal, scheduled school activities offered to all parents, such as parent-teacher conferences or back-to-school nights. In contrast, this paper examines a variety of alternative communication patterns that are important mechanisms for parents and teachers to gain information and make decisions about children. 

Heather B. Weiss , Holly Kreider, Eliot Levine, Ellen Mayer, Jenny Stadler, Peggy Vaughan (April 1999) Research Report

Bibliography of Transition Research

What is the evidence base to support family engagement in the transition to school? You can check out the articles in this bibliography to read about why transition to school matters for children, families, and communities.

Harvard Family Research Project (March 19, 2015) 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

Blending Evaluation Traditions: The Talent Development Model

 Veronica Thomas and Velma LaPoint describe the Talent Development approach to evaluating an urban family-school-community partnership program.

Veronica Thomas , Velma LaPoint (Winter 2004/2005) Evaluation Exchange Article

Bridging Multiple Worlds: Building Pathways From Childhood to College

Students' pathways through school can be seen as moving through an academic pipeline to adulthood. The Bridging Multiple Worlds model focuses on how diverse youth, beginning in their middle childhood years, navigate across their worlds of families, peers, schools, and communities as they move along their pathways to college, careers, and family roles in adulthood.

Catherine R. Cooper , Gabriela Chavira, Dawn Mikolyski, Dolores Mena, Elizabeth Dom (January 2004) Research Report

British Bangladeshi and Pakistani Families and Education Involvement: Barriers and Possibilities

This study explores the experiences of British Bangladeshi and Pakistani parents in their interactions with schools and their involvement in children’s education.

Gill Crozier , Jane Davies (May 2005) 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

Challenges and Opportunities in Moving Family Involvement Research Into Practice (Presentation)

This presentation by HFRP staff was part of a conference entitled “Family–School Relations During Adolescence: Linking Interdisciplinary Research and Practice.” The conference was held July 20–21 and was hosted by the Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University, sponsored by the American Psychological Association. The goal of the conference was to establish better links among research, practice, and policy related to family educational involvement during adolescence, particularly for families from ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.

Harvard Family Research Project (July 20, 2006) Conferences and Presentations

Co-Constructing Family Engagement Roles in Federal Way, Washington

Through open communication and a mutual investment in solving a problem, one parent, school principal, and district-level family advocate helped bring about positive change in a Federal Way, Washington, middle school. Kelley O’Carroll and Angela Griffin write about the shared responsibility of co-constructing an effective solution and how this effort inspired a parent to advocate for the entire student body, not just her own child.

Kelley O'Carrol , Angela Griffin (November 2009) 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

Connecting Latino Families With Out-of-School Time Opportunities

Nathaniel Riggs describes the implementation and evaluation of the Generación Diez program, which connects Latino families with after school programming, social services, and the school community.

Nathaniel Riggs (Fall 2006) Evaluation Exchange Article

Counseling and Intervention in Multicultural Settings

This course focuses upon the unique challenges diversity brings to the provision of counseling and psychological services to children, youth, and parents. Students will learn the history, culture, and expectations of various ethnic and cultural groups and develop the cross-cultural communication skills necessary to effectively work with families of varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students will also explore how issues such as immigration, poverty, sexism, and racism affect counseling practices and the development of effective interventions.

Michael Hass (Fall 2001) Syllabus

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

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

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

Developing a Parent-Derived Measure of Latino Family Involvement

Christine McWayne and Gigliana Melzi from New York University’s Department of Applied Psychology discuss their investigation of Latino family involvement in early childhood education.

Christine McWayne, Ph.D. , Gigliana Melzi, Ph.D. (Spring 2008) Evaluation Exchange Article

Diverse Communities

This issue of the FINE Forum provides some promising approaches to preparing teachers to partner with diverse families and communities.

Harvard Family Research Project (Summer/Fall 2001) Research Report

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