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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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The January issue of Catalyst Chicago, an independent newsmagazine that documents, analyzes, and supports school-improvement efforts in the Chicago Public Schools, reported on education experts’ call for the federal government to create a dedicated funding stream for quality after school programs as part of the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. The article cites 40 years of research confirming that out-of-school time (OST) programs can help close the achievement gap for low-income students.

According to the article, Chicago has embraced OST programming as an essential addition to students’ learning in school. The article cites a key principle in Harvard Family Research Project’s work—namely that schools alone cannot meet students’ needs, especially the needs of those students who are the most disadvantaged. These students in particular need the benefits of a complementary learning approach, in which an array of school and nonschool supports complement one another to create an integrated set of community-wide resources that support learning and development from birth to young adulthood.

Excerpt from the article:

Indeed, the Harvard Family Research Center [sic] advocates re-defining what is considered a high-quality education to include after-school programs as "complementary learning." This position is shared by prominent educators who signed the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education platform, an effort that aims to have the federal No Child Left Behind Act revamped to tackle issues outside of school.

“Schools need help. They need support," says Priscilla Little, associate director at the center.

Read the full article on Catalyst Chicago’s website.

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