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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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Innovative Models to Guide Family Support and Education Policy in the 1990s: An Analysis of Four Pioneering State Programs

This research study evaluates and analyzes state initiatives in Missouri, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Maryland to support parents and early childhood. Lessons learned and evaluation methodologies are presented.

Harvard Family Research Project (March 1990) Research Report

Hard copy out of stock.

Putting an Equity Lens on Family Engagement in Oregon

Creating high-quality early childhood systems necessitates a strong focus on family engagement. Check out how Oregon is adopting an equity lens and building a strong foundation to engage families by leveraging federal funds, community leadership, and philanthropic investments.

Anairis Hinojosa and M. Elena Lopez (October 29, 2015) Research Report

Learning Together—Exploring a Nonprofit-Museum-Preschool-Family Partnership Model

Through a resourceful museum-preschool-family partnership involving cultural institutions across the city, an organization in New York City is providing rich anywhere, anytime learning opportunities for young children from low-income households. Learn how the Literacy Through Culture program hopes to increase families’ enthusiasm and appreciation for learning in a variety of contexts and build strong parent–child interactions around fun learning activities.

Barbara Palley, Cathleen Wiggins, Melissa Ptacek, Shanta Lawson, and Charlene Melville (June 9, 2014) Research Report

Reaching out to the Only One out There

Brian is struggling with his sexual orientation and confronts Jacob, a teacher whom he suspects is gay. Jacob reveals his sexual orientation to Brian and when Brian reports this information to his mother, Jill, she demands her son to withdraw from extracurricular activities led by a gay teacher. How can Jacob, knowing the risks of suicide among gay youth, best support Brian and gain Jill's confidence?

Elizabeth Berges (2001) Teaching Case

Free. Available online only.

Exploring the Parent, Family, Community Engagement Simulation: A Conversation With Brandi Black Thacker and Guylaine Richard

What you say to families and do with them matters! In this Q & A with Brandi Black Thacker and Guylaine Richards, we learn about how the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Simulation can be used as a professional development tool in Head Start/Early Head Start programs and beyond.

Brandi Black Thacker , Guylaine Richard (December 5, 2013) Research Report

“I'm Poor, I'm Single, I'm a Mom, and I Deserve Respect”: Advocating in Schools as/With Mothers in Poverty

Using role-play with school staff, poor single mothers reveal school prejudices toward parents and catalyze changes in the conduct of parent meetings.

Leslie R. Bloom (November 2002) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

Learning From Starting Points

This report analyzes experiences of grantees involved in Carnegie Corporation's Starting Points grant program to encourage states and cities to engage in practices to improve children's well-being. This work examines these grantees' experiences implementing key components of a learning system and presents the overall lessons for other localities intent on using information to improve outcomes.

Marielle Bohan-Baker , Diane Schilder, Fran O'Reilly, Jennifer Smith, Heather Weiss (1998) Research Report

$10.00 . 47 Pages.

The Transition to Kindergarten: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families

This brief offers a synthesis of findings based on a review of current research on the transition to kindergarten, especially the important role that families play in the transition. It focuses on promising transition practices and how schools can get involved in their implementation.

Marielle Bohan-Baker , Priscilla M.D. Little (April 2002) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

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

Advocating for the Rights of Undocumented Families

Moria Cappio and Melanie Reyes from The Children’s Aid Society share their experiences reinventing family engagement strategies in their East Harlem Early Head Start/Head Start program to reach out to immigrant families by including parent civic advocacy. Cappio and Reyes also describe how using an advocacy evaluation tool helped them navigate these uncharted waters.

Moria Cappio , Melanie Reyes (May 2010) 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

Free. Available online only.

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

Free. Available online only.

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

Free. Available online only.

Engaging Families in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Project-Based Learning

To be successful, children need a strong science, technology, engineering, and math foundation. Learn how Iridescent, a project funded in part by the National Science Foundation, connects families, engineers, and children to develop these skills early on in school.

Tara Chklovski (March 19, 2015) Research Report

Finding Time Together: Families, Schools, and Communities Supporting Anywhere, Anytime Learning

How do families spend time supporting their children’s informal and formal learning beyond the school day and across settings? Find out how educators and institutions are helping families promote their children’s learning experiences anytime, in school and beyond.

Christine Patton and Margaret Caspe (September 17, 2014) Research Report

Grantmaking to School Districts: Lessons for Foundations

This brief offers lessons and best practices from foundations across the country on grantmaking to school districts. It offers advice to foundations that are considering school district investments for the first time. It also offers a useful "check" to more experienced foundations that want to examine their thinking and approaches against the lessons and practices of other foundations.

Julia Coffman , Heather Weiss, Erin Harris, Priscilla M.D. Little (September 2010) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

Making Families Matter at Two-Year Colleges: Training the Early Childhood Workforce to Support Families

Julia Coffman , Heather B. Weiss (1999) Research Report

$10.00 . 75 Pages.

Research and Advocacy Collaboration: A New Jersey Case Study

Too often vital research in the early care and education field does not get used effectively for advocacy purposes. While researchers and advocates often share the same goals, they tend to operate on separate tracks. This brief explores how research and advocacy can be bridged for greater effect using strategic communications. By definition, strategic communications means a deliberate plan or tactics for using communications as a channel for achieving a certain result. Collaborative work in the state of New Jersey around the goal of achieving a comprehensive and quality early care and education system is used as a backdrop for learning about effective practice.

Julia Coffman (January 2002) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

Making a Decision About College: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Marisela Castillo, a high school senior, looks forward to going to a good college to prepare her for medical studies, but she knows that she will have to leave her family in order for that to happen. Should Marisela forgo her dreams for the sake of a family who depends on her household contributions? Should she leave her family to pursue those dreams? An interactive version is also available.

Lad Dell (2003) Teaching Case

Free. Available online only.

Libraries Helping to Close the Opportunity Gap: Maryland Library Partnership 

Through innovative and engaging family activities, the Maryland Library Partnership is playing a crucial community role by promoting learning anywhere, anytime and reaching out to parents to help them with their children’s learning, improve literacy, and close the vocabulary gap between low-income learners and their peers.

 

Nathan Driskell (June 9, 2014) Research Report

Racing to the Top: Maryland's Promising Practices in Family Engagement

Maryland is embedding a new family engagement definition statewide as a foundation of policy and infrastructure. Through comprehensive partnerships, the state brings to scale family engagement approaches and launches new initiatives.

Nathan Driskell (September 17, 2014) Research Report

Parent Involvement

Research studies show that the level of children's development (especially their cognitive and language development) depends more directly upon their family structure, socioeconomic status, home stimulation, and parental values rather than how much time they spend in a child care or preschool environment, good or poor, and whether their parents are involved or not. The goal of the course is to make the most effective use of ourselves as early childhood teachers in working together with parents to optimize the experiences of the children for whom we share responsibility.

Tom Drummond () Syllabus

Free. Available online only.

Resource Guide for Family-Centered Child Care

This guide offers ideas and resources for implementing family support principles in child care, and an annotated bibliography of up-to-date publications and training materials that child care providers can use to improve their efforts to support families.

Saren Eyre (June 1998) Research Report

$4.50 . 27 Pages.

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Published by Harvard Family Research Project