December 2005 Announcement
Dear FINE Member,
Here are this month's FINE member updates. Please
feel free to forward this information to friends and other education colleagues.
New on the FINE Website
- New Resource: The Family
Involvement Storybook Corner
FINE introduces a unique resource to strengthen family–school–community
partnerships—children's storybooks with family involvement content.
In partnership with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), we are launching the Family
Involvement Storybook Corner as a place to find compilations of family involvement
children's storybooks and related tools and information. Family involvement
storybooks can be used to promote awareness, discussion, and practice of
family involvement among families, educators, and others who work with children
or families, across a wide range of educational settings. We invite you
to share your feedback with us on this new resource.
New From Harvard Family Research Project
This new out-of-school time Snapshot describes instruments and tools
that have been used in existing out-of-school time evaluation studies and
that can be obtained and used for on-the-ground program evaluation. The Snapshot
is organized as a series of tables, each describing a different category of
instrument or measurement tool. The categories, some of which include more
detailed subcategories, include Academics; Psychological/Social Development;
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Prevention; Program Quality/Program Environment;
and Multicomponent Scales/Comprehensive Surveys.
Tools for Parents
In this month's announcement, FINE highlights resources for parents who want
to increase their involvement in their children's education. Additionally, a
wide variety of parent tools can be found in FINE's family
involvement resource guide.
-
National
Parent Teacher Association Website
The Parent Resources section of the National Parent Teacher Association
website provides suggestions for parents who want to help their children
achieve in school, including tips for supporting homework and establishing
school–family partnerships.
-
Parents'
Place Pointers Website
This website from the Massachusetts Statewide Parent Information and Resource
Center includes fact sheets for parents in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Topics include working with your school and understanding school report
cards.
-
Pre-K
Now Website
The Families section of this pre-kindergarten advocacy organization's
website is available in English and in Spanish and includes a resource for
parents on how to choose a high quality pre-kindergarten program. The site
also features a virtual
tour of a high quality pre-kindergarten classroom that emphasizes family
involvement and support.
-
School
Success Info Website
This website from the Success in School Equals Success in Life campaign,
available in Spanish and in English, is aimed at parents and provides tips
for educational involvement at home and at school. Resources include a School
Success Tool-Kit to help parents understand their rights and identify
the steps needed to overcome common barriers to school involvement.
Other Resources
-
School–Family
Partnerships for Children's Success
This new book, edited by Evanthia Patrikakou, Roger Weisberg, Sam Redding,
and Herbert Walberg, focuses on the many ways parent involvement affects
children's academic, social, and emotional growth and includes practical
suggestions for initiating and supporting school–family partnerships.
The book is available for purchase from the publisher.
Upcoming Events
-
National African American
Parent Involvement Day
Every year on the second Monday in February schools around the country
highlight the importance of family involvement and closing the achievement
gap by inviting African American and other parents to visit their children
during the day. In 2006, the event falls on February 13.
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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