April 2005 Announcement
Dear FINE Member,
Here are this month's FINE member announcements.
Please feel free to forward this information to friends and other education
colleagues.
New on the FINE Website
We thank all of you who sent us information about promising practices, programs,
and initiatives that engage parents in children's early learning and development.
We will keep you updated about how we plan to features these ideas.
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Casebook:
Preparing Educators to Involve Families: From Theory to Practice
This new book, edited by Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP), prepares
educators to partner effectively with the families of children in elementary
school. Using a framework of ecological systems theory, it includes child
development theories and teaching cases that reflect critical dilemmas in
family–school–community relations, especially among families for
whom poverty and cultural differences are daily realities.
-
New Section of FINE Website:
Family–School Partnership Conference Presentations
We have added a new section to the Resources area of the FINE website
for conference presentations that HFRP staff have made or conferences we
have organized on topics related to family–school partnerships. Currently
we have two conferences listed in this section:
- Family, School,
and Community Connections Symposium: New Directions for Research, Practice,
and Evaluation
We partnered with the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
to host this recent symposium on family, school, and community connections.
We have made available the agenda, speaker bios, as well as transcripts
and slides of the speakers' presentations, which cover topics related
to student achievement, family involvement in middle and high school,
diversity and cultural settings, school readiness, and assessing parent
involvement.
- Participatory Evaluation
and Parent Engagement Institute
HFRP Founder and Director, Heather Weiss, delivered the keynote address
at this institute sponsored by Family Support America and the Ewing
Marion Kauffman Foundation. In her address, Evaluating Family Support:
Thinking Critically, Thinking Internationally, she described how
evaluation can support learning, continuous improvement, and innovation.
-
Research Digest: Conjoint
Behavioral Consultation: A Model to Facilitate Meaningful Partnerships for
Families and Schools
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studied the effectiveness
of a behavioral intervention model where parents, educators, and service
providers work collaboratively to address children's developmental needs.
-
Research Digest: Perceived
Academic Support From Parents, Teachers, and Peers: Relation to Hong Kong
Adolescents' Academic Behavior and Achievement
Jennifer Jun-Li Chen finds that perceived academic support from teachers
and parents contributes indirectly to the academic achievement of Hong Kong
students.
New HFRP Job
- Project
Manager
HFRP is looking for a Project Manager to work on our evaluation-related
projects focused on children, youth, families, and communities, with management
responsibilities in field operations, for select issues of our periodical
The Evaluation Exchange, and for
HFRP-wide strategic planning. The position is currently part-time (75% time)
with a strong likelihood of increasing to full-time in spring 2005. To learn
more about this position and how to apply, follow the link above.
Books and Reports
- Many
Pathways to Literacy: Young Children Learning With Siblings, Grandparents,
Peers and Communities
Through studies grounded in home, school, community school, nursery, and
church settings, this compilation explores the many ways children acquire
literacy skills that are not typically recognized or valued in schools.
The studies highlight how children skillfully draw from their varied cultural
and linguistic worlds to make sense of new experiences. The book is available
for purchase in electronic or print format from the publisher at the link
above.
- Open
to the Public: Speaking out on “No Child Left Behind”
The Public Education Network (PEN) held a series of public hearings on
No Child Left Behind to assess what its impact has been on students, families,
schools, and community members and to explore how the perspectives and experiences
of these individuals might inform and improve the law and its implementation.
This report documents the hearings and provides messages for policymakers
based on the findings.
- The
Rewards of Parent Participation
In the March issue of Educational Leadership, James Comer offers
insights about overcoming the barriers to parental involvement in urban
schools and describes how parent participation in School Development Program
schools has often been a powerful force in improving the lives of parents
themselves. The full article is available for purchase at the link above.
Website to Watch
- Parent
Leader Blog (Web Log)
KSA Plus Communications' Parent Leadership Group maintains a blog called
Parent Leader Online. Parent Leader offers news, opinion, and resources
for and about parent leaders who are becoming advocates for better schools
and for educators who want to work with such parents.
Toolkits
Upcoming Events
-
Parent
Leaders: An Untapped Resource in Education
Join your peers from around the country in a 2-day seminar where you will
learn best practices for planning, staffing, developing curriculum, recruiting,
publicizing, and funding parent leadership programs. This seminar hosted
by the Center for Parent Leadership at the Prichard Committee for Academic
Excellence will be held in Mobile, Alabama, on April 26 and 27.
- 5th
Annual Conference for Building Strong School, Family, and Community Partnerships
That Support Student Learning
This conference will be held on June 8th at Northeastern University in
Boston, Massachusetts, and is sponsored by the Institute for Responsive
Education, Parent's Place, the Home for Little Wanderers, and Northeastern
University School of Education. Choose from a variety of workshops that
highlight local parent leadership and family engagement efforts from across
New England.
- 2005
NCEA Conference: The Real Mandate: Educate and Fight for Social Justice
Join parents, educators, community activists, and youth advocates at the
2005 conference of the National Coalition of Education Activists in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, July 21–24. Share models for public school change and
organizing strategies and build ongoing networks with public school activists.
Funding Opportunity
-
“No
Parent Left Behind” Parent-Communication Grants
SchoolMessenger and Edline are accepting proposals from schools for a
free SchoolMessenger Desktop Calling System, free 1-year subscription to
Edline, and free parent communication program support for 1 year. Special
consideration will be given to schools where the SchoolMessenger system
will be actively integrated into the school's parent involvement plan.
Contact Us
Have a problem with the website or questions and comments concerning our work?
Send an email to fine@gse.harvard.edu.
Enjoy!
FINE - The Family Involvement Network of Educators
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