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.
Research Update 3: Highlights From the Out-of-School Time Database
This publication explores how out-of-school time programs use evaluation to inform their programming and serve older youth and their families.
Free. Available online only.
Partnerships for Learning: Community Support for Youth Success
In this paper, we draw on the experiences of national organizations and a set of community schools that have built learning partnerships, and examine seven key elements that we find to be essential in building them. Our paper serves as a guide to school districts and their partners as they consider whether and how to implement a partnerships for learning model. It also informs those who have already established these partnerships and wish to reflect on how to maximize partnership—and student—success.
Free. Available online only.
An Introduction to Theory of Change
Andrea Anderson is a research associate at the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change, where she focuses on work related to planning and evaluating community initiatives.
Research Update 6: Out-Of-School Time Programs In Rural Areas
Out-of-school time (OST) programming can be a crucial asset to families in rural areas where resources to support children’s learning and development are often insufficient to meet the community’s needs. This issue in our Research Update series addresses the benefits, challenges, and successful strategies of OST programs in rural areas.
Free. Available online only.
Afterschool Evaluation 101: How to Evaluate an Expanded Learning Program
Afterschool Evaluation 101 is a how-to guide for conducting an evaluation. It is designed to help out-of-school time (OST) program directors who have little or no evaluation experience develop an evaluation strategy. The guide will walk you through the early planning stages, help you select the evaluation design and data collection methods that are best suited to your program, and help you analyze the data and present the results.
Free. Available online only.
Interview With Michelle Seligson
HFRP asked Michelle Seligson, founder of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, about the history of the out-of-school time field, the challenges it currently faces, and the role evaluation and research play.
Resource Guide for Early Childhood Transitions: Annotated Bibliography
This annotated bibliography provides a selected listing of journal articles, research briefs, and reports that focus on early childhood transitions and school readiness. They cover a variety of topics central to the issue of early childhood transitions, including family engagement and home–school and program–school partnerships. Because the Head Start program is one of the most frequently studied early childhood initiatives, many of the resources focus on the transition from Head Start to preschool/kindergarten.
Featured Teaching Case: Suspension at Aurora Middle School
Harvard Family Research Project’s Teaching Cases support teacher training and professional development by highlighting challenges that schools, families, and communities may encounter in supporting children’s learning. In this month’s newsletter, we feature Suspension at Aurora Middle School, which highlights the shared responsibility of community groups to resolve home-school difficulties.
Text, Play, and Tech: Partnerships Promoting Early Learning Opportunities
As we celebrate the Week of the Young Child, learn how families can support creative play with young children in a variety of ways and settings.
Family Engagement in Early Childhood: A Resource Guide for Early Learning Challenge Grant Recipients
To support Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge grant recipients’, HFRP produced this selective list of resources about engaging and supporting families with young children. This list of journal articles, practical guides, webinars, and presentations may also be helpful for any other states, districts, and local programs interested in expanding their family engagement work.
Family Involvement News: February 2013
We are committed to keeping you up to date on what's new in family engagement. View our list of links to current reports, articles, resources, and events in the field.
Course Syllabus for Learning From Practice: Evaluation and Improvement Science
Learn how this course explores a variety of approaches to program evaluation through the readings and assignments outlined in this course syllabus designed by Candice Bocala, adjunct lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Renewing Teacher–Parent Relations
This issue of the FINE Forum points to the possibilities of enriching parent-teacher and broader school-community relationships. We hope that you take away ideas for your own practice.
Free. Available online only.
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.
Hard copy out of stock.
A Conversation With Jane Quinn
Assistant Executive Director for Community Schools Partnerships at the Children’s Aid Society in New York, Jane Quinn spoke with us about how the after school field has evolved and what she thinks the future holds.
The Aprender en Familia (Family Learning) Program in Chile
What are the three most important ingredients for improving student outcomes through family engagement? For the Aprender en Familia (Family Learning) Program in Chile, school and family partnerships, parent education, and relationship building prove to be an effective combination.
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.
Data Sharing Resources for Afterschool and Expanded Learning Programs and Systems
This resource highlights tools, publications, and reports that provide examples of promising practices for and guidance on data sharing for afterschool and expanded learning programs and systems.
Free. Available online only.
Social Capital
This issue of the FINE Forum features some examples families, schools, and communities coming together to enrich children's learning and social development opportunities.
Free. Available online only.
Aiming for Accountability: Lessons Learned From Eight States
This report highlights some of the important lessons in designing and developing results-based accountability (RBA) systems, based on the insights gained from studies of eight states: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Vermont. The report includes information on how these states overcame challenges in developing effective RBA systems and what the characteristics of promising RBA efforts are.
$7.00 . 54 Pages.
Building Villages to Raise Our Children: Collaboration
Written for program administrators and staff, this guide offers practical advice for establishing and managing community outreach in a family support program.
$10.00 . 66 Pages.
Perspectives: Guiding Families on Children’s Media Use
Three experts reflect on their work in engaging families in a digital learning environment. We asked them to address the question, How can institutions offer relevant and useful guidance to parents and families about scaffolding their children’s digital media use?
Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going: Experts Reflect and Look Ahead
Six experts share their thoughts on how the evaluation field has changed in the past decade and consider what may be in store for the future.