HFRP Publications - Listed by Subject

Subject Categories

• Out-of-School Time
• Evaluation and Accountability
• Professional Development
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Family, School, and Community

Out-of-School Time

The Quality of School-Age Child Care in After-School Settings
2007. Priscilla Little.
This brief, published by Child Care & Early Education Research Connections, offers an overview of the features of high-quality after school settings, including an examination of key research on links between program quality and developmental outcomes. The brief also reviews current practice in program quality assessment, and a set of quality-related considerations for policymakers.
Free. Available online only: www.researchconnections.org/location/ccrca12576

Findings From HFRP's Study of Predictors of Participation in Out-of-School Time Activities: Fact Sheet
2007. This Fact Sheet summarizes findings and implications from HFRP's recently completed Study of Predictors of Participation in OST Activities. With funding from the W.T. Grant Foundation, we examined the child, family, school, and neighborhood predictors of children's participation in OST activities, paying special attention to disadvantaged youth. The Fact Sheet highlights key findings for OST practitioners and policymakers as they work to address issues of access and equity, document service gaps, and target resources accordingly.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ost_findings.html#factsheet

Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation: A Research Summary
2007. This 2-page Research Summary synthesizes findings from two HFRP publications that examine demographic differences in children's OST participation. This summary, which contains a subset of findings contained in the Fact Sheet, presents key findings on differences in multiple dimensions of participation in a range of OST activities and among youth from varying family income levels and racial and ethnic groups.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ost_findings.html#summary

What Are Kids Getting Into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation
2006. With support from the William T. Grant Foundation, HFRP is conducting a research study on the factors associated with whether children and youth participate in out-of-school time (OST) programs and activities. Building on our previous work, we are using national data to examine the many factors and contexts in children's lives that predict participation. This research brief distills findings about demographic characteristics of youth participantsfrom the first phase of the study and includes implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/demographic.html

Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database
This online resource is a collection of profiles of recent evaluations of out-of-school time programs. The profiles can be searched on a wide range of criteria. Each profile includes an overview of the program as well as detailed information about each evaluation report, with links to the actual reports, when available. HFRP adds new profiles and updates existing profiles quarterly.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/evaldatabase.html

Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School
2006. Zenub Kakli, Holly Kreider, Priscilla Little, Tania Buck, and Maryellen Coffey.
This new 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. Program leaders, local decision makers, funders, and others interested in promoting good family involvement practice in many different settings will also find the guide vital to their work. 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. [FOF] Go to order form. Also available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/families

Participation in Youth Programs: Enrollment, Attendance, and Engagement
Special issue of New Directions for Youth Development journal edited by Heather B. Weiss, Priscilla M. D. Little, and Suzanne Bouffard, Vol. 2005, No. 105, Spring 2005.
This issue unpacks the construct of participation in out-of-school time programming, posing a three-part equation: participation = enrollment + attendance + engagement. It draws on the latest research and evaluation literature and provides research-based strategies on how to define, measure, study, and increase participation.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Wiley InterScience at www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/97015503

Engaging Adolescents in Out-of-School Time Programs: Learning What Works
Article by Priscilla M. D. Little and Sherri Lauver in The Prevention Researcher journal, Vol. 12 , No. 2 , April 2005, pp. 7–10.
This article examines both the incentives and barriers that affect adolescents' participation in out-of-school time programs.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from The Prevention Researcher at www.tpronline.org/articles.cfm?articleID=311

Finding the Right Hook: Strategies for Attracting and Sustaining Participation in After-School Programs
Article by Sherri Lauver and Priscilla M. D. Little in The School Administrator magazine, Vol. 62, No. 5, May 2005.
This article offers promising recruitment and retention strategies to school administrators seeking to boost participation rates in their school-based after school programs.
Free. Available online only: www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?
ItemNumber=2522&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951

Leveraging Resources to Promote Positive School-CBO Relationships
2004. Christopher Wimer, Margaret Post, and Priscilla M. D. Little.
This article in the Spring 2004 edition of Afterschool Matters (pp. 15–23) uses information in our Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database to examine how community-based organizations and schools can work together to build and leverage resources in creating successful after school programming.
Free. Available online only: www.robertbownefoundation.org/pdf_files/afterschoolmatters_spring04.pdf

Learning From Logic Models in Out-of-School Time
2002. Harvard Family Research Project.
A logic model can be a powerful tool for illustrating a program's theory of change to program staff, partners, funders, and evaluators. Moreover, a completed logic model provides a point of reference against which progress towards achievement of desired outcomes can be measured on an ongoing basis, both through performance measurement and evaluation. This brief offers an in-depth review of logic models and how to construct them.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/learning_logic_models.html

Selected Evaluation Terms
2002. Priscilla M. D. Little.
This resource provides definitions of evaluation terminology frequently used in the out-of-school time field. It also provides answers to frequently asked evaluation questions.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/ost_terms.html

Evaluating Municipal Out-of-School Time Initiatives—Learning From the Field
2002. Priscilla M. D. Little and Flora Traub.
To inform municipal leaders who are developing out-of-school time evaluations, HFRP scanned the city-level initiatives in its evaluation profiles database and prepared this short brief that describes the evaluation approaches, methods, and performance measures that some cities are using for evaluation. The brief includes a summary table that provides the size/scope of program, evaluation design, data collection methods, and evaluation purposes for each evaluation included in our review.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/municipal.html

Organizations in Out-of-School Time: An Introduction
2000. Harvard Family Research Project.
The out-of-school time field has grown rapidly over the past decade, with a constant influx of new voices and approaches. This publication is a summary, but far from a complete review, of organizations active in out-of-school time, grouped by topical area. This review draws on HFRP's extensive mapping of the out-of-school time field. Inclusion here should not be taken as an organizational endorsement.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/organizations.html

Federal Funding in Out-of School Time With Accountability Requirements and Evaluations
2000. Harvard Family Research Project.
These Web documents were produced by HFRP as part of its initial efforts to “map” the out-of-school time field, and detail federal funding streams for out-of-school time programs and related programming alongside their accountability requirements and evaluations. A summary section offers a narrative description of each funding stream. Funding streams are classified as major or minor depending on the amount of money they make available for out-of-school time efforts.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/index.html#funding

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Evaluation and Accountability

The Evaluation Exchange
This internationally distributed periodical offer ideas, lessons, and practices about the evaluation of programs and policies that affect children, youth, families, and communities. Regular features, including Theory & Practice, Promising Practices, Questions & Answers, and Ask the Expert, highlight innovative approaches to solving common evaluation problems. The Evaluation Exchange is published 3–4 times per year.
Free. To subscribe fill out the form at: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/subscribe.html

Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database
This online resource is a collection of profiles of recent evaluations of out-of-school time programs. The profiles can be searched on a wide range of criteria. Each profile includes an overview of the program as well as detailed information about each evaluation report, with links to the actual reports, when available. HFRP adds new profiles and updates existing profiles quarterly.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/evaldatabase.html

Lessons in Evaluating Communication Campaigns: Five Case Studies
2003. Julia Coffman.
This paper examines how communication campaigns with different purposes (individual behavior change and policy change) have been evaluated. It offers a discussion of theories of change that can guide evaluation planning, along with five case studies of completed campaign evaluations. Each case study includes lessons from the evaluation and the paper finishes with a set of cross-case-study lessons gleaned from these evaluations and others.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/lessons/index.html

Evaluation's Role in Supporting Initiative Sustainability
2002. Heather B. Weiss, Julia Coffman, and Marielle Bohan-Baker.
A common complaint about large-scale initiatives is that they do not do enough, early enough to ensure sustainability. This paper offers ideas for the roles that evaluation can play in helping ensure a discussion about sustainability is started early enough and maintained throughout an initiative. The ideas in this paper are based on Harvard Family Research Project's broad spectrum of experience in the past two decades with large-scale initiatives.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/sustainability/index.html

Public Communication Campaign Evaluation: An Environmental Scan of Challenges, Criticisms, Practice, and Opportunities
2002. Julia Coffman.
This report presents what has been happening in the field of public communication campaign evaluation in recent years. It examines evaluation challenges, criticisms, and practice and includes sections on relevant theory, outcomes, and useful methods for designing evaluations. It ends with opportunities for the road ahead.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/pcce/index.html

Learning From Logic Models in Out-of-School Time
2002. Harvard Family Research Project.
A logic model can be a powerful tool for illustrating a program's theory of change to program staff, partners, funders, and evaluators. Moreover, a completed logic model provides a point of reference against which progress towards achievement of desired outcomes can be measured on an ongoing basis, both through performance measurement and evaluation. This brief offers an in-depth review of logic models and how to construct them.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/learning_logic_models.html

Selected Evaluation Terms
2002. Priscilla M. D. Little.
This resource provides definitions of evaluation terminology frequently used in the out-of-school time field. It also provides answers to frequently asked evaluation questions.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/ost_terms.html

Reaching Results Briefs
These short reports are designed to frame and contribute to the public debate on evaluation, accountability, and organizational learning. Titles include:

• Learning From Logic Models: An Example of a Family/School Partnership Program
  1999. Julia Coffman. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/learning.html

• Aiming for Accountability: Lessons Learned From Eight States
  1998. Diane Schilder. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/aiming.html

• Overview of Results-Based Accountability: Components of RBA
  1997. Diane Schilder. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/overview.html

• Indicators: Definition and Use in a Results-Based Accountability System
  1997. Karen Horsch. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/indicators.html

• Strategic Planning Process: Steps in Developing Strategic Plans
  1997. Diane Schilder. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/rrb/strategic.html

Free. Available online at the addresses listed above. Single hard copies of Learning from Logic Models and Aiming for Accountability are available on request—please specify full title on the order form.

Aiming for Accountability: Lessons Learned From Eight States
1998. Harvard Family Research Project.
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. [AIMCROSS] Go to order form.

Evaluating School-Linked Services: Considerations and Best Practices
1998. Karen Horsch.
Nine evaluators of school-linked services programs identify considerations and best practices related to evaluating outcomes, sustainability, and collaboration to help determine how school-linked services programs work, what their impact is, and whether they should be expanded.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/onlinepubs/school-linked.html

Reaching Results Series: Results-Based Accountability Case Studies
1998. Karen Horsch, Priscilla M. D. Little, and Diane Schilder.
Studies show that results-based accountability (RBA) can be a powerful tool to initiate and enhance systems of continuous improvement and learning. These case studies describe RBA efforts in eight states. Each case study identifies the process of designing and implementing RBA systems and includes a description of state and local RBA efforts, their history, the development process, the uses of the RBA systems, and the lessons learned. The unique experiences of the eight states in the studies provide valuable insights to those responsible for RBA efforts elsewhere in the nation.

• Aiming for Accountability: Florida
  Efforts include GAP Benchmarks; Performance-Based Program Budgeting, and the Florida Department of Children and Families accountability system for planning, budgeting, and evaluation.
  $5.00. 40 pages. [AIMFL] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Georgia
  Efforts include the Policy Council for Children and Families, Family Connection and Community Partnerships, and performance measures mandated by the Budget Accountability and Planning Act of 1993.
  $5.00. 42 pages. [AIMGA] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Iowa
  Efforts include the Council on Human Investment, Innovation Zones, and the Department of Management's strategic plan.
  $5.00. 36 pages. [AIMIA] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Minnesota
  Efforts include Minnesota Milestones, Children's Services Report Card, Performance Reporting, and Family Services and Children's Mental Health Collaboratives.
  $5.00. 42 pages. [AIMMN] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: North Carolina
  Efforts include the state's performance/program budgeting system, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Smart Start.
  $5.00. 36 pages. [AIMNC] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Ohio
  Efforts include Ohio Family and Children First, Early Start, the Wellness Block Grant, and the Family Stability Incentive Fund.
  $5.00. 40 pages. [AIMOH] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Oregon
  Efforts include Oregon Benchmarks, the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, the Oregon Option, and the Community Partnership Team.
  $5.00. 42 pages. [AIMOR] Go to order form.

• Aiming for Accountability: Vermont
  Efforts include the State Team for Children and Families, Success by Six, and the Department of Education.
  $5.00. 34 pages. [AIMVT] Go to order form.

The eight case study reports can be purchased together for $35.00 [AIMSTATES]. The eight case study reports can also be purchased with the Aiming for Accountability: Lessons Learned From Eight States report above for $40.00 [AIM]. Go to order form.

Evaluation Options for Family Resource Centers
1998. Karen Horsch and Heather B. Weiss, Eds.
This report examines different evaluation designs and their respective strengths and limitations. Using a realistic prototype of a child and family resource center, the authors present three alternative plans for evaluation.
$10.00. 112 pages. [EVALOP] Go to order form.

Resource Guide of Results-Based Accountability Efforts: Profiles of Selected States (300KB Acrobat file)
1997. Second Edition. Diane Schilder, Anne Brady, and Karen Horsch.
This guide includes profiles of different state models of results-based accountability systems, which were developed through document reviews and key informant interviews. Included in the guide is a list of key contacts and bibliographic information on publications each state has developed.
$9.95. 98 pages. [RBA-2] Go to order form. Also available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/pubs/onlinepubs/efforts/rbalay.pdf (300KB Acrobat file)

The Guide to Results-Based Accountability: Annotated Bibliography of Publications, Websites, and Other Resources
1997. Second Edition. Anne Brady, Julia Grossman, Karen Horsch, Diane Schilder, and Kari Sorenson.
In addition to summarizing noteworthy articles, research papers, unpublished reports, and books on results-based accountability (RBA), this guide includes a section on RBA sites on the Internet. It includes perspectives from both private and public sectors on how to develop and implement results-based accountability systems, academic literature on RBA theories, and information on how states and localities are developing and implementing RBA systems.
$4.00. 56 pages. [RBA-1] Go to order form.

Challenges in Evaluating Comprehensive School-Linked Services: Toward a More Comprehensive Evaluation Framework
1996. Kathleen M. Shaw and Elaine Replogle.
Presented at the 1995 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, this paper discusses the evaluation challenges facing complex school-linked services and describes and assesses how 18 such initiatives have been evaluated. Includes detailed charts and tables.
$10.00. 40 pages. [WP-4] Go to order form.

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Professional Development

Family Involvement Teaching Cases
These teaching cases, featured as resources on the Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) website, detail stories of the dilemmas families, schools, and communities face in building and sustaining partnerships. Each offers a synopsis, the full case text, and discussion questions. Some also include teaching notes and expert commentary. The FINE website also offers many other family involvement resources, including bibliographies of recent publications, materials for creating workshops, a digest of current research, and syllabi from teacher preparation courses. FINE members receive email notification when new resources are available on the FINE website. FINE membership is free. (To become a member go to: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/joinfine.html)
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/teaching-case/index.html

Preparing Educators to Involve Families: From Theory to Practice
2005. Edited by Heather B. Weiss, Holly Kreider, M. Elena Lopez, & Celina M. Chatman. Published by Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
This book of research-based teaching cases and theoretical perspectives focuses on dilemmas in family-school-community relationships.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Sage.

Family-School-Community Partnerships: A Compilation of Professional Standards of Practice for Teachers
2001. Harvard Family Research Project.
Standards for the teaching profession have integrated family and community relations as areas where teachers need to demonstrate competency. This report summarizes the current family involvement standards of practice for teachers and other educators, as described by a variety of professional associations, including the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/standards/index.html

New Skills for New Schools: Preparing Teachers in Family Involvement
1997. Angela M. Shartrand, Heather B. Weiss, Holly M. Kreider, and M. Elena Lopez.
This report reviews teacher certification requirements for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and examines 60 teacher education programs that mention family involvement. The report also identifies nine teacher education programs that focus on family involvement as an important concept, engage students in hands-on activities, and promote a broad concept of family involvement that recognizes the value of home-school collaboration.
Free. 76 pages. [SKILLS] Go to order form. Multiple copies available free of charge by calling the U.S. Department of Education: 800-USA-LEARN. Also available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/skills/index.html

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Early Childhood Care and Education

Family Involvement in Early Chidlhood Education (brief)
See the Family Involvement Makes a Difference briefs.

Changing the Conversation About Home Visiting: Scaling Up With Quality
2006. Heather Weiss and Lisa Klein.
The purpose of this paper is to determine what the evidence and conventional wisdom say about scaling up home visiting as one of the best ways to support parents and promote early childhood development. To answer this question, we examined the available research evidence, interviewed leaders from six of the national home visiting models, and interviewed researchers who have studied home visiting. The area of interest for guiding future research, practice, and policy is whether home visiting can be delivered at broad scale and with the quality necessary to attain demonstrable, positive outcomes for young children and their parents.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/home-visit/conversation.html

Getting Parents “Ready” for Kindergarten: The Role of Early Childhood Education
2002. Holly Kreider.
This research brief presents preliminary evidence that family involvement in young children's education may contribute to a smooth transition to elementary school for children, and also helps parents remain involved in their children's learning in school.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/kreider.html

The Transition to Kindergarten: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families
2002. Marielle Bohan-Baker and Priscilla M. D. Little.
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.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/bohan.html

Research and Advocacy Collaboration: A New Jersey Case Study
2002. Julia Coffman.
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.
Free. Available online only: www.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/advocacy/index.html

Early Childhood Digests
These one-page digests focus on ways that families and schools can work together to help young children learn and grow. They are targeted for parents and practitioners alike. Titles include:

• Families and Teachers as Partners
  March 1998. Holly Kreider. This title is available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/mar98.html

• Family Involvement in Early Childhood Programs: How to Choose the Right Program for Your Child
  May 1998. Priscilla M. D. Little. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/may98.html

• Family Resource Centers: Where School Readiness Happens
  October 1998. Priscilla M. D. Little. Available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/oct98.html

• Helping Parents Communicate Better With Schools
  May 1999. Holly Kreider, Ellen Mayer, and Peggy Vaughan. Also available in Spanish. Both versions available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/may99.html

• How Busy Parents Can Help Their Children Learn and Develop
  September 1999. Ellen Mayer, Holly Kreider, and Peggy Vaughan. Also available in Spanish. Both versions available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/sept99.html

• Latino Families: Getting Involved in Your Children's Education
  April 1999. Eliot Levine. Also available in Spanish. Both versions available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/apr99.html

Free. Available online at the addresses listed above or in hard copy—please specify the full title on the order form.

Resource Guide for Family-Centered Child Care
1998. Saren Eyre.
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.
$4.50. 27 pages. [RESFM] Go to order form.

Learning From Starting Points
1998. Marielle Bohan-Baker, Diane Schilder, Fran O'Reilly, Jennifer Smith, and Heather B. Weiss.
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.
$10.00. 47 pages. [LEARNSP] Go to order form.

Early Childhood Reform in Seven Communities: Front-Line Practice, Agency Management, and Public Policy
1996. Tom Schultz, M. Elena Lopez, and Mona Hochberg.
This report examines local examples of successful implementation of reforms. It provides useful information to early childhood practitioners who work directly with children and families, managers who direct early childhood agencies and programs, and policymakers who make decisions about program designs and funding strategies.
Free. 112 pages. Hard copies available free of charge by calling the U.S. Department of Education: 800-USA-LEARN. Also available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/reform/index.html

Head Start as a Family Support Program: Renewing a Community Ethic
1995. Elaine M. Replogle.
This report discusses the efforts of six Head Start programs to address the challenges and goals raised in the 1993 report, Creating a 21st Century Head Start. It assesses their progress in several key areas: expanding enrollment, strengthening parent involvement, addressing issues such as homelessness and substance abuse, improving staff training, bridging research and practice, and collaborating with schools and social service agencies, and addressing issues such as homelessness and substance abuse.
$8.00. 92 pages. [FS-1] Go to order form.

Evaluating Education Reform: Early Childhood Education
1992. Anne Mitchell, Heather B. Weiss, and Tom Schultz.
Over the past three decades, an enormous body of research literature has been amassed on early childhood education, parent education, and family support programs. This review summarizes these three areas of research and reports on relevant research in progress.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/eer/index.html

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Family, School, and Community

FINE Forum
This biannual e-newsletter of the Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) focuses on major themes that are of interest to the family involvement field. Regular features include Program Spotlight, Questions & Answers, Parent Perspective, Teacher Talk, Lessons From Leaders, and New & Noteworthy. FINE members receive email notification when the new issue of FINE Forum is published on the FINE website. FINE membership is free. (To become a member go to: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/joinfine.html)
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/fineforum/index.html

Family Involvement Teaching Cases
These teaching cases, featured as resources on the Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) website, detail stories of the dilemmas families, schools, and communities face in building and sustaining partnerships. Each offers a synopsis, the full case text, and discussion questions. Some also include teaching notes and expert commentary. The FINE website also offers many other family involvement resources, including bibliographies of recent publications, materials for creating workshops, a digest of current research, and syllabi from teacher preparation courses. FINE members receive email notification when new resources are available on the FINE website. FINE membership is free. (To become a member go to: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/joinfine.html)
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/teaching-case/index.html

Promoting Family Involvement
2007. Suzanne Bouffard and Naomi Stephen.
This article, originally published in the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Principals' Research Review, looks at the role of family involvement during the middle and high school years, emphasizing implications and recommendations for principals and superintendents. It reviews the evidence about the importance of family involvement during adolescence, investigates the challenges surrounding family involvement in middle and high school, and offers practical suggestions for principals and superintendents to support family involvement in their schools. The article is reprinted here with permission of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/nassp.html

Tomasito's Mother Comes to School/La mamá de Tomasito visita la escuela
2007. Ellen Mayer. Illustrations by Joe Cepeda.
This online bilingual storybook about family involvement at school includes a children’s story, along with an informational guide for adult family members and discussion questions. The story draws from the real experiences of one Latino boy and his family who are acculturating to the U.S.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/storybook/tomasito.html

Family and Community Engagement in the Boston Public Schools: 1995–2006
Chapter by Abby R. Weiss and Helen Westmoreland in A Decade of Urban School Reform: Persistence and Progress in the Boston Public Schools. 2007. Edited by S. Paul Reville with Celine Coggins. Published by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
This chapter describes the evolution of Boston Public Schools' family and community engagement efforts. The authors discuss how collective community action contributed to a critical reframing of the district's approach to family and community engagement over a 10-year period.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Harvard University Press.

The Family Involvement Storybook: A New Way to Build Connections With Familes
Article by Ellen Mayer, Martha Kateri Ferede, and Elaine D. Hou in Young Children, Vol. 61, No. 6, November 2006, pp. 94–97.
This article describes five ways for teachers to use family involvement storybooks in their early childhood education classrooms. The article also includes a vignette about the impact of sharing a family involvement storybook in one third grade class.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/projects/fine/resources/research/naeyc.pdf

Improve Family Engagement in After-School Programs
Article by Ellen Mayer and Holly M. Kreider in Our Children, Vol. 32, No. 2, October/November 2006, pp. 12–14.
Growing evidence tells us that parent involvement in after school programs can make a difference in children's lives, as well as benefit families, schools, and after school programs themselves. This article by Ellen Mayer and Holly M. Kreider draws from research conducted by HFRP in partnership with Build the Out-of-School Time Network and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. It describes four strategies for engaging elementary school families in after school programs and provides examples of promising practices from family-focused programs serving ethnically diverse families. The article also offers implications for parents and parent leaders as they select and design after school programs.
Free. Available online only: www.pta.org/pr_magazine_article_details_1166223635406.html

Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School
2006. Zenub Kakli, Holly Kreider, Priscilla Little, Tania Buck, and Maryellen Coffey.
This new 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. Program leaders, local decision makers, funders, and others interested in promoting good family involvement practice in many different settings will also find the guide vital to their work. 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. [FOF] Go to order form. Also available online: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/families

Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice
2006. Margaret Caspe and M. Elena Lopez.
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 studies. We offer educators, service providers, and evaluators recommendations for creating successful programs and evaluations.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.html

Making It Work: Low-Income Working Mothers' Involvement in Their Children's Education
Article by Heather Weiss, Ellen Mayer, Holly Kreider, Margaret Vaughan, Eric Dearing, Rebecca Hencke, and Kristina Pinto in the American Educational Research Journal , Vol. 40 , No. 4, December 2003, pp. 879–901.
Using a mixed method analysis, this article looks at the relation between employment and family involvement in children's elementary education for low-income women, and finds that work is both obstacle to and opportunity for family involvement. This article may be downloaded only. It may not be copied or used for any purpose other than scholarship. If you wish to make copies or use it for a nonscholarly purpose, please contact the American Education Research Assocation directly.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/makingitwork.pdf

Preparing Educators to Involve Families: From Theory to Practice
2005. Edited by Heather B. Weiss, Holly Kreider, M. Elena Lopez, & Celina M. Chatman. Published by Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
This book of research-based teaching cases and theoretical perspectives focuses on dilemmas in family-school-community relationships.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Sage.

Family Educational Involvement: Who Can Afford It and What Does It Afford?
2005. Chapter by Heather B. Weiss, Eric Dearing, Ellen Mayer, Holly Kreider, & Kathleen McCartney in Developmental Pathways Through Middle Childhood: Rethinking Context and Diversity as Resources. Edited by Catherine R. Cooper, Cynthia T. Garcia Coll, W. Todd Bartko, Helen M. Davis, & Celina Chatman. Published by Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ.
This chapter uses mixed methods to examine associations between school context, family educational involvement, and child literacy outcomes from kindergarten through third grade.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Lawrence Erlbaum.

Intermediary Organizations as Capacity Builders in Family Educational Involvement
2005. Article by M. Elena Lopez, Holly Kreider, & Julia Coffman in Urban Education, 40(1), 78–105.
In this article the authors argue that intermediary organizations play a crucial role in capacity building for family involvement, by providing alternatives to school-centered approaches to family involvement and engaging families with intensive support that schools seldom offer.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Sage.

Working It Out: The Chronicle of a Mixed-Method Analysis
2004. Chapter by Heather B. Weiss, Holly Kreider, Ellen Mayer, Rebecca Hencke, & Margaret A. Vaughan in Discovering Successful Pathways in Children's Development: Mixed Methods in the Study of Childhood and Family Life. Edited by Thomas S. Weisner. Published by University of Chicago Press.
This chapter chronicles a mixed-method analysis of family involvement in children's learning, drawing observations about the process and added value of combining methods.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from the University of Chicago Press.

The Promotive Effects of Family Educational Involvement for Low-Income Children’s Literacy: How and for Whom Does Involvement Matter?
2004. Article by Eric Dearing, Kathleen McCartney, Heather B. Weiss, Holly Kreider, & Sandra Simpkins in the Journal of School Psychology, 42(6), 445–460.
In this article the authors longitudinally examined associations between family involvement, children's feelings about literacy, and children's literacy achievement from kindergarten through fifth grade. Children's feelings about literacy mediated associations between family educational involvement and literacy achievement. Also, family involvement was more positively associated with literacy outcomes for children whose mothers were less educated compared with children whose mothers were more educated.
Not available from HFRP but can be ordered from Science Direct.

Family Literacy: A Review of Programs and Critical Perspectives
2003. Margaret Caspe.
This paper reviews the literature on family literacy and describes critical perspectives. It also explores guiding principles and examples of their application in three different programs.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/literacy.html

Transforming Schools Through Community Organizing: A Research Review
2003. M. Elena Lopez.
This paper reviews the literature on community organizing. It examines how community organizing differs from traditional parent involvement activities, outlines the characteristic strategies used to engage parents in organizing efforts, and describes the outcomes of these efforts.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/lopez.html

Getting Parents “Ready” for Kindergarten: The Role of Early Childhood Education
2002. Holly Kreider.
This research brief presents preliminary evidence that family involvement in young children's education may contribute to a smooth transition to elementary school for children, and also helps parents remain involved in their children's learning in school.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/kreider.html

The Transition to Kindergarten: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families
2002. Marielle Bohan-Baker and Priscilla M. D. Little.
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.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/bohan.html

Concepts and Models of Family Involvement
2001. Harvard Family Research Project.
This report identifies four conceptual dimensions of family involvement—parenting practices, school-family partnerships, democratic participation, and school choice—and illustrates their implementation through case studies or status reports. The case studies are a result of a three-year effort to provide technical assistance to national nonprofit organizations working on family-school partnerships. Each case study describes the family-school partnership objectives of the organization, its capacity building strategies, challenges, and accomplishments.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/case_study/intro.html

Family-School-Community Partnerships: A Compilation of Professional Standards of Practice for Teachers
2001. Harvard Family Research Project.
Standards for the teaching profession have integrated family and community relations as areas where teachers need to demonstrate competency. This report summarizes the current family involvement standards of practice for teachers and other educators, as described by a variety of professional associations, including the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/standards/index.html

Learning From Logic Models: An Example of a Family/School Partnership Program (see Reaching Results Briefs)

New Strategies in Foundation Grantmaking for Children and Youth
1999. Heather B. Weiss and M. Elena Lopez.
This report examines trends in foundation grantmaking for children and youth among 19 foundations. The foundations include most of the largest and wealthiest and those whose grantmaking heavily focuses on children and youth. Survey results indicate that, because the problems of youth are interconnected and require comprehensive solutions, foundations are shifting their grantmaking strategies. Several are concentrating more resources on long-term, place-based community strategies designed to improve outcomes for children and youth.
$10.00. 67 pages. [KELL] Go to order form.

Generating Family-School Partnerships Through Social Marketing
1999. Sylvia Sensiper.
The outgrowth of a meeting of six national organizations promoting family-school partnerships, this article discusses methods to enhance family involvement through social marketing. By arguing that schools should view parents as “customers,” teachers and administrators can reach out to parents in effective and successful ways.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/sensiper.html

Resource Guide for Family-Centered Child Care
1998. Saren Eyre.
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.
$4.50. 27 pages. [RESFM] Go to order form.

Evaluating School-Linked Services: Considerations and Best Practices
1998. Karen Horsch.
Nine evaluators of school-linked services programs identify considerations and best practices related to evaluating outcomes, sustainability, and collaboration to help determine how school-linked services programs work, what their impact is, and whether they should be expanded.
Free. Available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/onlinepubs/school-linked.html

Early Childhood Digests
These one-page digests focus on ways that families and schools can work together to help young children learn and grow. They are targeted for parents and practitioners alike. Titles include:

• Families and Teachers as Partners
  March 1998. Holly Kreider. This title is available online only: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/pubs/onlinepubs/ecd/mar98.html

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