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M. Elena LopezSenior Consultant

Harvard Family Research Project

Family Engagement for High School Success Toolkit

Family Engagement for High School Success: Creating a Plan of Action

2Family Engagement for High School Success: Creating a Plan of Action

www.hfrp.org/HighSchoolSuccessToolkit

Today’s Conversation

• Research Base• Toolkit Development• Relevance for After-School Programs• Strategic Decisions• Questions & Comments

Research Base

• Supportive parenting is important for the educational attainment of all youth.

– Even if youth do well in academics and have no behavioral problems, those with poor relationships with families tend to drop out of high school.

Englund, M., Englund, B. & Collins, W.A. (2008). Exceptions to high school dropout predictions in a low-income sample: Do adults make a difference? Journal of Social Issues, 64 (1), 77-93.

• Family strengths are associated with positive youth outcomes.

– The behaviors and supports families can provide consist of close and caring relationships, monitoring, being involved, and setting a good example.

Moore, K.A., Whitney, C. & Kinukawa, A. (2009). Exploring the links between family strengths and adolescent outcomes. Research Brief Publ 2009-20. Washington D.C.: Child Trends.

• Certain types of family involvement matter most for student achievement and positive development.

– “Academic socialization:” communicating expectations, actively planning for beyond high school, and providing additional work and enrichment beyond school.

Hill, N. E. and Tyson, D. F. (2009). Parental involvement in middle school: A meta-analytic assessment of the strategies that promote achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45 (3), 740-763.

Toolkit Development

• AT&T invests in high school retention and workforce readiness.

• United Way Worldwide pilots Family Engagement for High School Success.

• Harvard Family Research Project provides technical and evaluation support.

Relevance for After-School Programs

• Walks you through iterative planning and implementation processes.

1. Building a Community of Partners*2. Defining the Focal Populations3. Defining Outcomes4. Identifying Obstacles5. Developing Strategies6. Measuring Progress and Results7. Communicating Your Initiative

*Contents of planning section.

• Shares promising practices.– Student and family participation in planning– Leveraging community resources– Using online student data systems

• Contains tools for planning, implementation and evaluation.

Relevance for After-School Programs

Strategic Decisions

• Defining focal population.• Shaping family engagement efforts.– Alignment with student outcomes– Understanding obstacles

• Clarifying partner roles.• Identifying actionable data.

• Focus efforts on defined group of students and their families.

• Align family engagement efforts with student outcomes.

• Understand obstacles.

• Clarify roles and responsibilities of schools and relevant community organizations.– Training– Outreach– Activities– Data collection and analysis– Communication

• Identify and collect actionable data.

- Information about whether your strategies have been implemented as planned

- How many families you have reached

- Whether families are making progress toward desired outcomes

Afterschool Evaluation 101 is a how-to guide to help OST program directors who have little or no evaluation experience develop an evaluation strategy.

www.hfrp.org/AfterschoolEvaluation101