November 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.
FINE Resource Roundup
Since the resources on the FINE website are so extensive we thought we would
start occasionally bringing your attention to resources you may not have seen
before, or may now be more relevant to you in your work. This first set of compiled
resources focuses on family involvement in adolescent learning and development.
Monique Ouimette and colleagues describe an urban public school that successfully
engages parents by offering a variety of school-based activities, a welcoming
environment, and frequent communication between staff and parents.
This bibliography features research on family involvement in adolescence,
listing journal articles, books, and reports from 1999 to 2003.
FINE member A. Rae Simpson of the Project on the Parenting of Adolescents
at the Harvard School of Public Health offers her expert view on the challenges
and importance of parent involvement in high school.
Among other FINE members who answered this question, member Peter Bak-Fun
Wong, Principal of Josiah Quincy Upper School, discusses the need to understand
and integrate cultural diversity in order to engage culturally diverse families
in a middle school.
FINE member Eugenia Ambrocio of ENLACE y Avance Project talks about how to
engage and empower parents to become involved in schools, especially in the
transition from middle to high school.
Pat Tutwiler, a high school teacher, discusses why family involvement in
high school is both important and difficult. He describes how his school was
able to improve its open house for parents and dramatically increase attendance.
When a high school student reveals his confusion over sexual orientation
to his teacher, issues of confidentiality, disclosure, and parental beliefs
arise. This teaching case is designed to help teachers consider how to support
gay high school students in relation to their families and how to interact
with parents around controversial and emotional issues. Noted researcher Arthur
Lipkin offers an expert commentary on the case.
Marisela has been admitted to a competitive college on the other side of
the country that will help her achieve her goal of becoming a doctor. However,
she is responsible for the care of her younger siblings while her mother works.
This case is designed to help teachers consider how high schools, colleges,
and community resources can help support families and students making decisions
about college. Concha Delgado-Gaitan and Irina Todorova offer expert commentaries
on this case.
Resource Guide
In case you missed our announcement about it, we have compiled an extensive
resource guide on family involvement.
- Taking a Closer
Look: A Guide to Online Resources on Family Involvement
There is more information on family involvement online than any one person
can keep track of now. Harvard Family Research Project has taken a closer
look and compiled and categorized this large body of information in order
to make it easier for practicing educators to access and use. The document
contains Web links to research, information, programs, and tools from over
100 national organizations. It provides information about parenting practices
to support children's learning and development, home–school relationships,
parent leadership development, and collective engagement for school improvement
and reform.
New From Harvard Family Research Project
We have updated our Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database with new
citations and profiles of OST program evaluations.
Books and Reports
- Looking
to the Future: Voluntary K–12 School Integration
This manual from the Harvard University Civil Rights Project provides historical
and legal background and practical suggestions for parents, educators, and
community advocates who want to promote racial and ethnic integration in
public schools.
- Parental
Attitude and Frequency of Initiating Contact Survey
According to this final report from a survey by the American School Counselor
Association, while most parents value and make use of the counselors at
their children's schools, some families are not aware of the kinds of support
counselors can provide.
-
Teachers
as Collaborative Partners
Sandra J. Winn Tutwiler's new book discusses the history and research behind
schools' relationships with families and communities from diverse cultural
backgrounds. Intended for preservice and in-service teachers, the text includes
case studies and an evaluation tool. This book is available for purchase
from the publisher at the link above.
Websites
Upcoming Events
-
National
Community Education Association's Annual Conference
The National Community Education Association's annual conference in St.
Louis, Missouri, December 7–10, 2005, will focus on “Community
Education: Gateway to Strong Diverse Communities.” The program will
cover community schools and after school programs, among other topics, and
speakers include leaders from the Public Education Network, the Institute
for Responsive Education, and the National Parent–Teacher Association.
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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