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 Bibliography: Relations Between Workforce Development and Child Outcomes in Four Human Service Sectors
This web only version of the Theory & Practice section features an expanded article from Harvard Family Research Project that explores connections between workforce development and child outcomes in four human service sectors.
Evaluating the Impact of Professional Development in Eight Steps
Joellen Killion from the National Staff Development Council outlines an eight-step process for measuring the impact of professional development.
New & Noteworthy
The New & Noteworthy section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue's theme of Professional Development.
Teacher Professional Development: How Do We Establish It and Know That It's Working?
Mary Russo, principal of the Richard J. Murphy School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, describes the professional development of school staff and school-level practices to assess its impact.
Classroom Observation, Professional Development and Teacher Quality
Robert Pianta from the University of Virginia describes a classroom assessment scoring system that measures teacher–child interactions and serves as the basis for individualized professional development to strengthen teachers' classroom practice.
The Three- Step Assessment Tango: Nurturing and Measuring Learning in Online Professional Development
David Eddy Spicer, Roland Stark, and Martha Stone Wiske from WIDE World describe their process of measuring learning in online professional development.
The Three- Step Assessment Tango: Nurturing and Measuring Learning in Online Professional Development: Expanded Web Only Version
This web only version of the Promising Practices section features an expanded article by David Eddy Spicer, Roland Stark, and Martha Stone Wiske from WIDE World, describing their process of measuring learning in online professional development.
Key Strategies to Educate Public Child Welfare Workers and Improve Child Welfare Systems
Joan Levy Zlotnik, Mary McCarthy, and Katharine Briar-Lawson review research and evaluation findings on public agency–university partnerships to educate public child welfare workers and the impact of such partnerships on workforce retention.
A Conversation with Thomas R. Guskey
Thomas R. Guskey of the University of Kentucky discusses his five-step process for evaluating professional development in education and its connection to professional development planning.
Engaging Stakeholders in Professional Development and Its Evaluation
Ila Desmukh Towery and Rachel Oliveri offer lessons for engaging teacher and student stakeholders in the evaluation of a professional development program.
Thinking Like an Educator: An Integrative Approach to Preparing Educators
Veronica Boix Mansilla and Robert Kegan from the Harvard Graduate School of Education describe a new course that uses an integrative approach to help education students learn to “think like an educator.”
Theory of Action in Practice
Claudia Weisburd and Tamara Sniad from Foundations, Inc. describe the use of a theory of change and a theory of action to help address questions about how to develop and evaluate professional development for after school staff.
Pathways from Workforce Development to Child Outcomes
Harvard Family Research Project explores connections between workforce development and child outcomes in four human service sectors.
Building an Evaluation Tool Kit for Professional Development
Jennifer Buher-Kane, Nancy Peter, and Susan Kinnevy of the Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania share their experience of creating a tool kit designed specifically for those who provide professional development to out-of-school time program staff.
Evaluating a Professional Development “Cascade”: From Facilitators to University Faculty to Early Childhood Providers
Caroline Wilkinson and Shelley Billig from RMC Research Corporation describe their evaluation of the New England Professional Development Initiative's cascade approach to professional development in early childhood education.
New & Noteworthy: Expanded Web Only Version
This web only version of the New & Noteworthy section features an expanded annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue's theme of Professional Development.
Coaching for Quality
Sarah Jonas describes the Children's Aid Society's model of site-based coaching for quality after school programming and the supports they provide to build the capacity of their coaches.
Who is the Afterschool Workforce?
Beth Miller, senior research advisor to the National Institute for Out-of-School Time (NIOST), and Ellen Gannett, codirector of NIOST, discuss the characteristics of the after school workforce.
Staff Characteristics and Professional Development in Quality After School Programs
Denise Huang describes her work with the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning to identify best practices for learning in after school programs, including characteristics of effective professional development.
Examining the Efficacy of Two Models of Preschool Professional Development in Language and Literacy
Nancy Clark-Chiarelli from Education Development Center, Inc. describes an evaluation of two approaches to early literacy professional development—one with a traditional face-to-face mode of delivery and one with a technology-enhanced component.
What Are Kids Getting Into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation
This research brief examines demographic differences in youth's OST participation rates. It first provides information on current demographic differences in OST participation rates, and then looks at whether there is any evidence that such differences have changed in recent years. The brief concludes with implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.
Free. Available online only.
Family Strengthening Interventions: Evidence-Based Practices
The purpose of this class is to provide professional skills that will help students to select, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based family strengthening interventions. Students will increase their knowledge, skills, and expertise in the most up-to-date information on effective family strengthening interventions in their area of primary interest.
Free. Available online only.
Family Involvement in Early Childhood Education
This research brief synthesizes the latest research that demonstrates how family involvement contributes to young children's learning and development. The brief summarizes the latest evidence base on effective involvement—specifically, the research studies that link family involvement in early childhood to outcomes and programs that have been evaluated to show what works.
Free. 8 Pages.
Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School
This comprehensive, easy-to-read guide to understanding how to engage families in after school programs is a critical resource for after school providers looking to create or expand an existing family engagement program. It offers a research base for why family engagement matters, concrete program strategies for engaging families, case studies of promising family engagement efforts, and an evaluation tool for improving family engagement practices.
Free. 48 Pages.