service-learning leadership seminar: level 1 a group, create one or more haiku poems that express...

"Growing Together" Network, Partnerships Make A Difference 55

Transition: Reflections on Day 1

Jigsaw Activity: Insights from the Readings

Project Planning Model and Related Resources

Another Great Example: Entry Event, Inquiry, Planning and Preparation, Content Standards/Connections, Authentic Products, Authentic Audiences, and Reflection

Reinforcing Videos

Brainstorming Ideas/Vision Boards/Planning Time

Overnight Reflection Assignment—Heartbreak Map

Closing Comments

Service-Learning Leadership Seminar: Level 1Exploring the What, Why & How of SL and PBL

“Helping Young People Develop a Sense of Passion and Purpose for Their Learning and Lives”

Session 2: July 28, 2015

56 "Growing Together" Network, Partnerships Make A Difference

Investigation“"Exploring Possibilities"

• ProjectIdea(s)• DrivingQuestion(s)• EmotionallyEngagingEntry Event(s)• NeedtoKnow• InitialInquiry

Action/Implementation“"Doing the Work of Real People"

• AuthenticProduct(s)/ Service(s)forAuthentic Audience(s)/Client(s)• Categories: -- DirectService -- EducationandAwareness -- Advocacy -- Philanthropy/Fundraising

“Learning by Doing

AuthenticIssueorNeedCompellingTopicor

QuestionAcademicFocus

CurriculumIntegration/Standards

21stCenturySkillsMultipleIntelligencesStudentVoice,Choice,

andPassionCollaboration/Teamwork

Preparation/Planning“"Becoming Experts"

• ContinuedInquiry/Research• CommunityPartners/Mentors• Logistics• ProjectTeams

Reflection (ongoing)“"Attaching Meaning"

• What?SoWhat?NowWhat?• Revision/refinementof products/servicesasneeded• Truer,deeperlearning

Demonstration/Celebration"Making Learning Visible"

• Assessment• ValidationofGainsand Impact• "CapturingtheMagic"• SharingNewKnowledgewith AuthenticAudiences• Academic+Social+ EmotionalGrowth= "LearningthatLasts"

HIGH QUALITY SERVICE-LEARNING/PROJECT BASED LEARNING

A Planning Model

This planning model, developed and utilized by Partnerships Make A Difference, blends widely endorsed definitions and key elements of Service-Learning and Project Based Learning. The model applies the "best of both worlds" in providing educators with an authentic instructional framework that effectively integrates rigor, relevance, and relationships.

SERVICE-LEARNING/PBL LESSON PLANA Blanket Means Love: A Hug for Kids in Chemo

Subject/Course: Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies

Grade level: Elementary/Middle School

Investigation—"Exploring Possibilities" (including Entry Event)Discuss in pairs/table groups your experience with cancer and chemotherapy.

Discuss questions you and your group have about cancer and chemotherapy. Write 2-3 questions on Post-It notes and bring up to front table.

• 1 question to ask a family with a child with cancer or someone who works with childhood cancer

• 1-2 questions regarding cancer that can be answered with numerical valuesGroups come up to front and choose a question that is NOT theirs. Use electronic

devices to search for answers. Share questions and answers with whole group. Share other information you found.

Additional Entry Event: view "Stand Up 2 Cancer." (Another suggested Entry Event: introduce a guest speaker from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital or Ronald McDonald House speaking about children in the hospital, and especially children receiving chemotherapy.)

Sample Assessments for Investigation/Entry Event: LanguageArts:Summarize in three sentences what you learned today. Name whether each statement is fact or opinion.LanguageArts: Write an article for our school newspaper about the services the Nationwide Children’s Hospital or Ronald McDonald House offers for sick children and their families.Math: Develop a graph using some of the facts you discovered today.SocialStudies: On a map of Ohio, plot five cities where patients can receive chemotherapy.

Driving Question & Entry Event (continued) DrivingQuestions: What is Cancer? How Can We Help Children with Cancer?

YouTube: The Chemo Experience Video: Beating Childhood Cancer: Ryan Rings His Last Chemo Bell (You Tube Search: Children’s Cancer & Chemo)http://youtu.be/W93NdSs4UeQ

Brainstorm some things we could do to help children with cancer.



Introduce "No Sew" Blanket ProjectBreak students into Project Teams.

Planning and Preparation—"Becoming Experts"Assign subject area "expert groups."

MathematiciansTeam: We are in need of some solutions. Consider these givens:

• We need to make blankets for 10 children.• Polar fleece is 60” wide.• Blankets should be 48” long to fit children 4’ and under in height.

1. CalculationsTeama. How much fabric do we need?b. How much will it cost? Per blanket/total. (Don’t forget about tax applicable to Columbus, Ohio.)c. Where should we shop? Why should we shop there?d. If we get fabric donated, what is the value of the donation? e. Be prepared to share your findings with the class.f. Use Yellow Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

2. MeasurementTeam a. What is the perimeter of each blanket? b. What is the area of each blanket? In yards, feet, inches? c. Use the butcher paper to create a sample blanket and teach the concepts of area, perimeter, how many inches in a square foot, feet in a square yard, etc. d. Use Yellow Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.3. StatisticsTeam

a. Research cancer statistics in Ohio, the U.S., the world.b. What about childhood cancer?c. Create a visual of the most compelling statistics we should know about.d. Use Yellow Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

PoliticalScientistsTeam4. LegislativeTeam

a. What is happening nationally with cancer legislation?b. What is happening in Ohio with cancer legislation?c. How does cancer legislation become a law?d. Create a visual of the most compelling facts we should know about.e. Use Pink Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.


5. PolicyAnalysisTeama. Review the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Reauthorization Act.b. Recommend to our Core Project Team whether or not we should write letters to our government officials to support any of these initiatives and include reasons why or why not.c. Create a visual of the most compelling facts we should know about.d. Use Pink Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

WritersTeam6. BookReviewTeam

a. Read the children’s books provided on children’s cancer. These books will be donated to a children’s cancer library at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.b. Create a "Read Me" Poster, including a short book review, for the books you recommend for children.c. Be prepared to give one-minute book review for each book.d. Create a visual illustrating your book review.e. Use Blue Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

7. LetterWritingCampaignTeama. Research which fabric stores might be most likely to donate fabric for our project.b. Write a letter to the selected fabric store(s) requesting fabric donations for our project.c. Remember to use your persuasive voice and correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar. d. Create a visual illustrating your letter and identifying the parts of a good elementary-level persuasive letter.e. Use Blue Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

8. Reflection Team a. Research how to write a Haiku poem. Here’s a sample site to explore: http://www.

poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-haiku/. b. As a group, create one or more Haiku poems that express your hopes for the

child receiving a blanket. c. Print your poem(s) on the cards provided and attach a finished card or cards to

each of the completed blankets. d. Use Blue Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.


ScientificResearchersTeam 9.CancerResearchTeam

a. View the video at kahnacademy.org about cancer:Cancer: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/new-topic-2014-06-18T18:00:45.081Z/v/cancer (RUN TIME: 12:30).

b. View YouTube Video: 3D Medical Animation: What is Cancer?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEpTTolebqo (RUN TIME: 1:30)

c. Create a "Birth of a Cancer Cell" mural.d. Use Green Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

10.ChemoResearchTeama. View the YouTube Video: "How Cells Divide and How Chemotherapy Works" (3:16 run time) http://youtu.be/VRhz3DhjG5M.b. Create a "Death of a Cancer Cell on Chemo" mural.c. Use Green Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

11.R&DTeama. What are the latest developments in cancer treatment?b. Create a poster advertising for investors in one of these treatments.c. Use Green Index Cards to create vocabulary words for the Word Wall.

Groups Share Projects with Core Project Team (5 minutes each!)

Take Action/Implementing the Service Activity/Authentic Product/Authentic Audience—"Doing the Work of Real People" Groups make no-sew blankets for children at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital or Ronald McDonald House

Reflection—"Attaching Meaning" "We’re Helping Beat Cancer" Graffiti Wall

Demonstration and Celebration—"Making Learning Visible" Share with representative from Nationwide Children’s Hospital or Ronald McDonald House, cancer researchers, cancer foundation(s)

Session Wrap Up


Materials Needed:Chart Paper: 1 piece for every 3-5 participantsButcher PaperYellow, Blue, Green Index CardsTapeMarkersScissorsYard Sticks/measuring tapesPolar Fleece: 2 pieces for every 3-5 participantsLCD ProjectorSpeakers

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR WRITING (K-5) THAT APPLY

Kindergartners: Grade 1 students: Grade 2 studentsKindergartenTextTypesandPurposes• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they

tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . . .).

• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

• Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

ResearchtoBuildandPresentKnowledge• Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite

author and express opinions about them).

Grade 1TextTypesandPurposes• Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about,

state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.• Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the

topic,and provide some sense of closure


• Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

ResearchtoBuildandPresentKnowledge• Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a

given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

Grade 2TextTypesandPurposes• Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an• opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to

connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.• Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic,

use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a conclud-ing statement or section.

• Write narratives in which they recount a well elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

ResearchtoBuildandPresentKnowledge• Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic

to produce a report; record science observations).

Grade 3VocabularyAcquisitionandUse• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on

grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion). d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.


• Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. a. Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps). b. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or helpful). c. Distinguish shades of meaning among related words that describe states of mind or degrees of certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard, wondered).• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and

phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).

Grade 4VocabularyAcquisitionandUse• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based

on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph). c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the meanings of the words.

Demonstrateunderstandingoffigurativelanguage,wordrelationships,andnuancesinwordmeanings. a. Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context. b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. c. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms). d. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).

Grade 5VocabularyAcquisitionandUse• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based

on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.


a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis). c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.• Demonstrateunderstandingoffigurativelanguage,wordrelationships,andnuancesinword meanings. a. Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. c. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and

phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., how-ever, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICS (K-5) THAT APPLY

KindergartenNumberandOperationsinBaseTen • Workwithnumbers11–19togainfoundationsforplacevalue.

MeasurementandData • Describeandcomparemeasurableattributes. • Classifyobjectsandcountthenumberofobjectsincategories.

Geometry • Identifyanddescribeshapes. • Analyze,compare,create,andcomposeshapes.


Grade 1OperationsandAlgebraicThinking • Representandsolveproblemsinvolvingadditionandsubtraction. • Understandandapplypropertiesofoperationsandtherelationshipbetweenadditionand subtraction. • Workwithadditionandsubtractionequations.

MeasurementandData • Measurelengthsindirectlyandbyiteratinglengthunits. • Representandinterpretdata.

Geometry • Reasonwithshapesandtheirattributes.

Grade 2OperationsandAlgebraicThinking • Representandsolveproblemsinvolvingadditionandsubtraction. • Workwithequalgroupsofobjectstogainfoundationsformultiplication.

NumberandOperationsinBaseTen • Understandplacevalue. • Useplacevalueunderstandingandpropertiesofoperationstoaddandsubtract.MeasurementandData • Measureandestimatelengthsinstandardunits. • Relateadditionandsubtractiontolength. • Representandinterpretdata.

Geometry • Reasonwithshapesandtheirattributes.

Grade 3OperationsandAlgebraicThinking • Representandsolveproblemsinvolvingmultiplicationanddivision. • Understandpropertiesofmultiplicationandtherelationshipbetweenmultiplication and division. • Multiplyanddividewithin100.


NumberandOperations—Fractions • Developunderstandingoffractionsasnumbers.

MeasurementandData • Solveproblemsinvolvingmeasurementandestimationofintervalsoftime,liquidvolumes, and masses of objects. • Representandinterpretdata. • Geometricmeasurement:understandconceptsofareaandrelateareatomultiplicationand to addition. • Geometricmeasurement:recognizeperimeterasanattributeofplanefiguresanddistinguish between linear and area measures.

Grade 4NumberandOperations—Fractions • Understanddecimalnotationforfractions,andcomparedecimalfractions.

MeasurementandData • Solveproblemsinvolvingmeasurementandconversionofmeasurementsfromalargerunit to a smaller unit. • Representandinterpretdata. • Geometricmeasurement:understandconceptsofangleandmeasureangles.

Grade 5NumberandOperations—Fractions • Useequivalentfractionsasastrategytoaddandsubtractfractions. • Applyandextendpreviousunderstandingsofmultiplicationanddivisiontomultiplyand divide fractions.

MeasurementandData • Convertlikemeasurementunitswithinagivenmeasurementsystem. • Representandinterpretdata. • Geometricmeasurement:understandconceptsofvolumeandrelatevolumetomultiplication and to addition.

MeasurementandData • Convertlikemeasurementunitswithinagivenmeasurementsystem. • Representandinterpretdata.


• Geometricmeasurement:understandconceptsofvolumeandrelatevolumetomultiplication and to addition.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS (6-8) THAT APPLY

Reading Standards for Literature• Explain and/or analyze the point of view of characters or the narrator in a text.• Compare and contrast a written text with audio or visual versions of the text.• Analyze the structure of literary texts and how structure contributes to meaning in a text.• Compare and contrast how two or more texts address similar themes.

Reading Standards for Informational Text• Use evidence from a text to support inferences or conclusions.• Make connections between a written text and audio or visual versions of the text.• Determine the central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through details in the text.• Analyze structural elements of a text or texts.• Compare and contrast how two or more texts address similar topics or ideas.• Analyze interactions or connections between ideas, individuals, or events in a text.

Writing• Write arguments, supporting claims with reasoning and evidence, and providing a conclusion.• Write informative texts, conveying ideas and information through the effective selection and

analysis of content.• Write narratives, using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event

sequences.• Produce clear and coherent writing in which development, organization, and style are

appropriate to purpose and audience

Speaking and Listening• Interpret and analyze information presented in diverse media and formats.


COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR GRADES 6-8 MATHEMATICS MET BY THESE ACTIVITIES

Domain: Ratios and Proportional Relationships• Recognize and represent proportional relationships, using various methods to decide whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship; identify the constant of proportionality in a variety of representations; and represent proportional relationships by equations.

The Number System (6–8)• Add and subtract rational numbers, represented on a horizontal or vertical number line, including situations involving additive inverses, understanding distance as absolute value, and using properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract. • Extend understandings of multiplication and division and of fractions to multiply and divide

rational numbers, using properties of operation, leading to rules for multiplying signed numbers; convert rational numbers to decimals.

Expressions and Equations (6–8)• Identify when two expressions are equivalent. • Demonstrate understanding of solving an equation or inequality as a process of determining

which values of a given set make the equation or inequality true.• Rewrite an expression in different forms in a problem context to show how the quantities in it

are related.

Geometry (6–8)• Find areas of polygons by composing or decomposing into other shapes; and apply these

techniques in context.• Solve problems involving area, volume, and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects.


Statistics and Probability (6–8)• Understand that a set of data has a distribution which can be described by its center, spread,

and overall shape. Understand and recognize the difference between a measure of center for a numerical data set and a measure of variation.

• Understand meanings of statistics for a sample of a population; valid generalizations from a representative sample; and random sampling.

• Understand the probability of a chance event as a number between 0 and 1; understand likelihood indicated by larger numbers, and probabilities near 0 and 1.• Approximate the probability of a chance event by collecting data and observing its long run

relative frequency, and predict the approximate relative frequency given the probability.• Develop and use probability models, including both uniform and non-uniform models, to

find probabilities of events; compare probabilities from a model to observed frequencies; and explain possible sources of discrepancy.

NOTE:In order to meet some of these standards, these activities would need to be expanded to in-clude instruction and enhanced requirements.

SOURCE:Between the New Mexico Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics; Summary Report: December 19, 2011; Prepared for the New Mexico Public Education Department by WestEd.

SOURCE: Common Core State Standards for English and Language Arts retrieved from APS Website


Instructions for No-Sew Fleece Blankets/Quilts

• Purchase50-60”widthpolarfleeceindesired increments(1/2 yard-2 yards, depending on the size blankets you want to make). Plan to use two companion pieces for each blanket, pairing either a patterned fleece with a solid color, or using two different solids.

• Placethetwocompanionpiecesoffleeceon top of one another, trimming edges as needed to match (no need to be perfect on this, though—the process is quite “forgiving” in the end). Place the “brighter sheen” or “better side” of each fabric so that it faces the outside (one piece facing up, the other facing down against the work surface).

• Providescissorsforeachperson,aswellasrulerstosharewithineachgroupifneeded.

• Ineachcorneroffabric,keepingthetwopiecestogether,cutoutasquareof4-5”(same length as the slits you plan to cut to create fringe). Providing a paper or cardboard “guide square” of the proper size will be helpful, especially if it also shows the proper width (1”) between slits (less need for rulers if you have the guide squares).

• Aftercornersquaresareremoved,carefullycutevenlyspacedslitsoftheproperlengthall around the quilt, cutting through both pieces of fabric simultaneously. Try to keep the two pieces securely in place throughout this process.

• Afteralltheslitshavebeencut,tieeachmatchingpairofpieces(topandbottom)together in a double knot. This will secure the quilt while creating colorful fringe all around.


CuttingGuides:

4inchby4inch,in1inchincrements.


A Blanket Means Love: A Hug for Kids in ChemoProject Map

Suggestion:Addin2-3daysinthemiddleofthisworkfor“justincaseweneedmoretime”days.Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Lessons Guest Speak-erRyan Rings His Last Chemo Bell Generate ?s on foster children and answer

Math: mea-surement and estimationCost analysisWrite story problems

Letter Writ-ingIntroduce Sharing Proj-ect Expecta-tions

Social Stud-ies: Branches and Levels of Government

Shopping for Fabric

Assessments Summarize in 3 sentences what you learned today. Include 2 facts and 1 opinion state-ment.

Write 4 story problems, 2 using mea-surement and 2 using cost.

Turn in the rough draft of your letter.Make a list of ideas for your Sharing Project.

Name the levels and branches of government.Explain 2 ways the gov-ernment is connected to foster care.

Write 3 interview questions for a partner. Interview that partner and sum-marize their answers.

Lessons Children with cancer and statistics: percents, decimals, fractions

MAKE OUR BLANKETS OF LOVE

Sharing Project Work Time: What did I learn about myself, about others, about writ-ing, math, social studies, cancer?

Presentation of Blankets to our Commu-nity Partner

Demonstra-tion and Celebra-tion: Shar-ing Projects presented at assembly, etc.

Assessments Write 3 story problems us-ing kids with cancer statis-tics.

Complete the 21st Century Skills Check List

Turn in basic plan for Shar-ing Project

Personal Reflection: Write or il-lustrate your thoughts.

Turn in Shar-ing Project along with completed self-evalua-tion rubric. (This could actually be due Mon-day….)

2015 "Power of Service-Learning" Leadership Summit, Growing Together SL Network 75.

"Mapping Your Heartbreak"

This activity is based on the work of Angela Maiers, educational consultant and author of The Passion-Driven Classroom and The New Book of Classroom Habitudes. Angela has also created a

non-profit organization called Choose2Matter, which helps inspire students to become change-makers and social entrepreneurs.

Please use the paper and markers provided to "map your heartbreak." (1) In the center of your map, write and/or draw the things (issues/causes/ needs) you are most passionate about, (examples: poverty/hunger/ homelessness). (2) Branching out from the center, write and/or draw what "breaks your heart" about each of these issues/causes/needs. (3) Branching out from your heartbreaks, write and/or draw your initial ideas for possible ways to address/resolve them. You might not feel quite ready to identify potential solutions, so just identify any initial impressions that come to mind. No worries—this is just a way of getting your thoughts and feelings flowing before you start planning/collaborating with others. (4) Somewhere on your map, be sure to include words and/or symbols that reflect several of your strengths/gifts/passions. These are important assets to recognize and utilize as you seek to become a change-maker.

Note:It’sjustasimportanttorecognizeandutilizetheassetsofyourpeers/colleagues.Together,wecanhaveevengreaterimpactonthechallengesthatconcernus!

76. 2015 "Power of Service-Learning" Leadership Summit, Growing Together SL Network

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Reflection Guide - Day 2• WhathaveIlearnedtoday?

• Whathasmovedme/resonatedwithme?

• Wheredoesservice-learning/PBL“fit”forme? -- How does it reflect/support my personal beliefs and values? -- How does it reflect/support my professional beliefs and values? -- Where does it fit in the legacy I hope to create? -- What gifts and passions can I bring to the process? -- How can you continue to connect service-learning/PBL with “Excellent Teaching”?


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Fact SheetsWhy Districts, Schools, and Classrooms Should PracticeService-LearningSource: RMC Research Corporation, January 2003. Updated June 2007.

Service-learning should be practiced in schools because it yields so many simultaneous benefits. It is what many educators consider a "value-added"approach because it helps multiple participants from schools and communities and has multiple benefits for each. This fact sheet highlights some keyreasons why districts, schools and classrooms should practice servicelearning.

Service-learning leads to student engagement and incorporates research on effective instruction

Research shows that students who participate in high quality service-learning experiences typically become more engaged in learning as shown byincreased attendance and motivation to learn. This is because service-learning incorporates much of what is known about effective instruction.Service-learning is an interesting and meaningful activity that relevant to students' lives and involves cognitive, social, and affective components oflearning. It provides an opportunity for every student to be successful and it helps students learn how to transfer the knowledge and skills they acquireinto real life settings.

Service-learning can help students to improve academically

Research shows that when service-learning is designed in particular ways, students show gains on measures of academic achievement, includingstandardized tests. The academic benefits of service-learning come when teachers explicitly tie service activities to standards and learning objectives,and when they design instruction that maximizes learning. For example, servicelearning that involves tutoring typically results in learning for both of theindividuals who participate, and many studies show that the tutor actually learns as much if not more than the person being tutored. Service-learningthat includes environmental activities often yields student gains in the content areas of math (e.g., measurement and problem solving) and science(e.g. prediction and knowledge of botany) if these knowledge and skill areas are explicitly woven into the experience. The academic gains comebecause students have greater opportunity to explore, engage in dialogue for understanding, and become more engrossed in the tasks.

Service-learning helps students improve higher order thinking skills

In addition to acquisition of core knowledge and skills, some researchers found that many service-learning tasks help students to improve higher orderthinking skills such as analysis, problem solving, decision-making, cognitive complexity, and inferential comprehension because they are exposed torelevant tasks that require them to use these types of skills. This benefit can be realized if teachers play an active role in facilitating dialogue andunderstanding of more complex tasks. For example, if students are providing service to the homeless, they are more likely to improve higher orderskills if teachers facilitate a discussion of the roots of homelessness and its economic costs and benefits. If students are working with seniors,designing instruction that promotes dialogue about history and seniors' experiences with war and peace, for example, helps students learn about therelations between personality and social/economic/political forces.

Service-learning fosters the development of important personal and social skills for young people

Studies show that service-learning has strong effects on several areas related to character, reduction of risk behaviors, and promoting an ethic ofservice. Service-learning, for example, has been shown to promotes responsibility, trustworthiness, and caring for others - all of which are positivecharacter traits. Character development occurs because students are often given responsibility for outcomes in service-learning settings and are morelikely to engage in interdependent tasks and joint productive activity. They learn not to let each other down or to disappoint those being served. Theyalso often develop bonds with adults other than parents and teachers, providing them with another source of guidance that they occasionally use foradvice.

Many studies show that young people who engage in service-learning are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, unprotected sexualrelationships, and drug use. One researcher who conducted an examination of all of the programs associated with reduction of teenage pregnancyfound that participation in service-learning was associated with fewer teenage pregnancies than any other practice at the high school level. While it isnot clear why this is the case, researchers speculate that service-learning both provides something to do especially during after school hours, andgives students exposure to alternative career pathways to pursue. Young people who participate in service-learning are also more likely to acquire anethic of service and to continue volunteer work as they get older.

Service-learning helps young people develop stronger ties to their schools, communities, and society

Most service-learning activities help bond students to school because they become more motivated to learn. Service-learning can also establish asense of civic responsibility to the school, community, and society. For example, students who help neighbors participate in the census learn why it isimportant that every citizen be counted. Students who help with voter registration learn about how democracy works. Students' civic engagement andresponsibility is more likely to occur when teachers provide instruction that helps students see the explicit link between their activities and governanceor other social or political institutions.

Young people who engage in service-learning often come to believe that they can make a difference in their schools, communities, and society. Theyparticipate in service activities that often have an observable outcome, and they experience personal efficacy. For many young people, service-learning provides one of the few venues where they can participate and be successful on a regular basis. This experience can be empowering in avery positive way, showing that prosocial contributions are the best pathway to success.

Service-learning promotes exploration of various career pathways

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Through their service-learning experiences, many students come into contact with adults in careers that would otherwise remain hidden to them. Forexample, students may meet social workers, architects, a variety of service workers, scientists, park rangers, government workers, and others whowork in community agencies during their service experience. This is the first time many young people are exposed to individuals in these types ofcareers. This exposure, in turn, can translate into higher or more varied career or job aspirations.

Service-learning is associated with positive school environments

Service-learning is currently practiced in about a third of all public K-12 schools in the United States. Studies of schools in which service-learning ispracticed schoolwide show that servicelearning at many sites has served to reinvigorate teachers, stimulate dialogue on teaching and learning, anddevelop more caring school climates. Many teachers who practice service-learning are often passionate in their support of its practice. These teachersfeel that service-learning has changed the way they teach and made learning more fun and productive. An additional benefit of service-learning,documented often in the research, is the reduction of discipline referrals and negative behavioral incidents in schools and classrooms when studentsare engaged in servicelearning.

Research shows that while initially teachers felt that service-learning was more work for them, over time they believed that the extra work declinedsignificantly and that the benefits outweighed the costs. Particularly as teachers gave increasing responsibility for planning, action, reflection, andassessment to the students, they found that students began to take more ownership, learn more, and become more responsible. When teachers hadhelp from a servicelearning coordinator or from the students themselves, the teachers felt that service-learning was no more time consuming for themthan any other instructional activity and that the learning outcomes were better.

Service-learning is associated with more community support for schools

Communities derive many benefits from service-learning. The service activities in which the students engage often are designed to address a specificcommunity problem or meet a particular need, and often serve to build the capacity of the community organization. Community members who interactwith the young people frequently say that they change their perceptions of youth, seeing them as assets and resources that contribute to thecommunity in positive ways. There are also a number of cases where service-learning was directly associated with more support for the school in theform of increased number of school volunteers and passage of tax levies in support of schools.

Most of the benefits of service-learning described here do not come about without explicit attention to service-learning design and implementation. Inparticular, the quality of the reflection activities and their connection with explicit learning goals tied to standards, the skills of the teachers in facilitatingunderstanding, and the degree to which students are given choices in planning, implementing, and assessing their learning are most highly associatedwith beneficial outcomes.

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“A growing body of research shows that students engaged in high-quality service learning learn to collaborate, think critically, and problem solve. These same deeper learning skills are necessary for students to master the Common Core and meet the expectations of Common Core authors and advocates.” Linking Service-Learning and the Common Core State Standards: Alignment, Progress, and Obstacles, Education Commission of the States, by Lisa Guilfoile and Molly Ryan, April 2013

With Common Core State Standards, Why Service Learning Matters Even More by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A. and Maureen Connolly, Ed.D., CBK Associates What motivates us to our work as educators? While raising test scores and achieving

accountability may be critical to our everyday tasks, most of us entered education to make a difference in the lives of children, families and communities---to provide children with optimum learning experiences transferable to their lives outside of school, that guide them to adulthood with a solid sense of personal efficacy, and the ability to make choices and decisions healthy for themselves and our society. For this to actually occur, students benefit from real world applications of their academic learning while they are still in school, with a research-based approach called Service Learning. This allows them a laboratory to practice, review, reassess, and reflect, all with the guidance and support of knowledgeable teachers. They see the viability and purpose of their study. This process actually adds rigor to academics as students are depended upon, builds interdisciplinary understandings, and deepens learning, all while improving the viability of the Common Core State Standards. Common Core and Student Engagement Common Core State Standards (CCSS) serve as a guide for purposeful learning with real world application. Many CCSS descriptors and elements comprise essential 21st century competencies well suited for our 21st century learners. With Common Core integration the aim is for students, through academics, to develop and hone their ability to read closely so as to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information and ideas, collaborate with others, and utilize refined language skills to present information through writing and speaking with the support of technology. All of the unique standards add up to a desired outcome as seen in the CCSS outline of seven “Capacities for the Literate Individual,” a “portrait of students who meet the standards.” This summative document describes students who:

1. Demonstrate independence They read complex text independently, and question and clarify information. As self-directed learners, they seek appropriate resources (teacher assistance, peers, print and digital media) to increase understanding.

2. Build strong content knowledge As purposeful readers, viewers, and listeners, they research to increase general and content-specific knowledge and understanding. They share knowledge through writing and speaking.

3. Respond to varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline They shift tone, word choice, and selection of evidence to best fit the writing context.

4. Comprehend as well as critique They question the veracity and bias of their sources.

5. Value evidence They evaluate evidence and use evidence effectively to construct arguments.

6. Use technology and digital media strategically and capably They navigate media to find useful information, integrate online and offline sources, and choose tech tools wisely to best support their intentions.


Classroom Spotlight: Maureen’s students engaged in conversation evaluating and critiquing the ways that schools operate. Their key complaint was that in order to be a “successful” student, they had to simply focus on completing tasks. The depth and likelihood of internalizing the information they were learning and the skills they were developing was second to simply being able to show the knowledge and skills in the brief time of testing. Based on this conversation, the class developed a motto, “Are you learning, or are you just getting it done?” A poster posing this question hung in the front of the classroom. This was a reminder to the students to invest themselves in the greater purpose in their work, and to their teacher to be sure to be helping students engage in meaningful learning experiences that would encourage intrinsic motivation.

When the academic and service connection is deliberate and includes student initiative, authenticated needs, reciprocal collaborations with community partners, and meaningful reflection, we call this service learning.

7. Come to understand other perspectives and cultures Students seek to understand other cultures, communicate with others, and evaluate perspectives of themselves and others.

This description of literate individuals is what we hope teachers keep in mind, rather than preparing students to pass standards-based tests. Passing such tests will be easy for students if they truly possess the capacities listed above. So, we know where we are going; how do we get there? Of critical note regarding Common Core State Standards is this: They provide an outline of what we want students to be able to do, however the how of the process is left to us, the educators--those who prepare and design the day-to-day programs and curriculum and greet learners as they arrive at this place called “school.” We then have the choice of determining prime methods for integration. We can choose learning to occur only in the classroom with evidence of learning being observation, exams and tests. Or we can provide a more authentic context for the application of the learning, and by so doing elevate students’ abilities and understandings, assist them in seeing why learning matters, and recognize they already are people of value to society. Will this approach motivate students? Everyday challenges often center on how we deliver the curriculum in ways that motivate the learner; motivating them beyond doing the minimum to truly becoming involved with the content. We observe the lack of motivation daily. All a teacher has to do is give an assignment and hands fly up as students ask: What do you want me to do? This is a powerful indicator that students want to be told step-by-step, inch-by-inch how to meet the requirement, complete the task, do what’s necessary to please the teacher. What is lacking in this scenario? Student engagement best recognized through thinking, initiative, problem solving, and many other descriptors from the list of capacities for the literate individual. Ultimately what is missing is the wanting to learn. In actuality, we may not be able to motivate anyone. Motivation comes from within. However, if we engage a person, there is a likelihood the person will choose to be motivated. The question then becomes, How can we best engage students in a learning process that maximizes their ability to meet and exceed the Common Core State Standards in our daily classrooms and encourages the habits of learning we want to see? What methods and pedagogies best inspire intrinsic motivation while increasing the likelihood of student accomplishment and engagement? We are all familiar with the idea of service in communities and service in schools. Service learning however has distinctive aspects that separate this pedagogy from what we often call “community service” or “project-based learning.” With high quality service learning, students:


Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., CBK Associates © 2012

Increase academic rigor through relevance and application of content and skills Participate in social analysis as they investigate an authentic community need, typically

through action research using media, interviews, surveys, and observation Take initiative, make plans, and follow through on their ideas Engage in inquiry based problem solving Use literature---fiction and nonfiction---to advance knowledge Experience intrinsic growth rather than depend on extrinsic rewards Find out about an array of career opportunities as they develop as social entrepreneurs Make global connections to increase international-mindedness Integrate cognitive and affective development as they develop an aptitude for becoming

reflective Apply acquired knowledge and skills in purposeful ways that benefit other people or the

planet while showing evidence of learning Does this sound suspiciously like many of the desired outcomes listed for the Common Core State Standards? Yes. Can we integrate service learning in our schools today? Absolutely. Service learning is already deemed a valuable educational approach in schools across the globe. Implementing service learning in a manner that garners these desired results raises the question: How does a teacher implement effective and meaningful service learning? The Five Stages of Service Learning If you imagine that the Common Core State Standards are the ingredients, the Five Stages of Service Learning are the recipe. This framework constitutes a process that is key to students’ effectiveness and critical to their learning transferable skills and content. Even though each stage is referenced separately, keep in mind that they are linked together and often experienced simultaneously. Visualize how overlays are used in an anatomy book to reveal what is occurring in the human body system by system. Each stage of service learning is like one of these overlays, revealing one part of a dynamic interdependent whole. Investigation: Includes both the inventory of student interest, skills, and talents, and the social analysis of the issue being addressed. This analysis requires gathering information about the identified need through action research that includes use of varied approaches: media, interviews of experts, survey of varied populations, and direct observation/personal experiences. Preparation: Includes the continued acquisition of knowledge that addresses any resultant questions from investigation along with academic content, identification of groups already working towards solutions, organization of a plan with clarification of roles, responsibilities and time lines, and ongoing development of any skills needed to successfully carry the plan to fruition.


Action: Includes the implementation of the plan that usually takes the form of direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or research. Action is always planned with mutual agreement and respect with partners so this builds understanding and perspective of issues and how other people live. Reflection: Reflection is the connector between each stage of service and also summative. Through reflection students consider their thoughts and feelings (cognition and affect) regarding any overarching essential question or inquiry that is a driving force of the total experience. Reflection informs how the process develops, increases self-awareness, assists in developing future plans, and employs varied multiple intelligences. Demonstration: Student demonstration captures or contains the totality of the experience including what has been learned (metacognition) and the service or contribution accomplished. Beginning with investigation, students document all parts of the process, resulting in a complete and comprehensive ability to tell the story of what took place during each stage that includes key informative reflection. Students draw upon their skills and talents in the manner of demonstration, often integrating technology. A Middle School Service Learning Experience In many schools, we see the good intentions of a food drive to help the local community. Consider how a food drive can be transformed when teachers and students engage in the Five Stages of Service Learning. Personal inventory may reveal that some students are excellent at persuading people to act, others may be artists, others mathematicians. Math and service can go far beyond simply tracking and graphing donations as you will soon see. Investigation of the community need through media, interviews, surveys, and observation and experience may clue students in to specific needs of the food bank or organization connected with the food drive. By visiting food collection centers, students may discover how commonly donated items are frequently discarded. For instance, though the intentions of those who donate cake mix are kind, the reality is that most clients of a food pantry do not have a kitchen or access to eggs or milk needed for the final product. When students analyze the results of their investigation, they develop a clearer understanding of the community need. Through an interview they may learn that while food banks overflow from November food contributions, in the spring the shelves are relatively empty; this has led to student initiative for rescheduling their school’s participation. Preparing for the food drive may involve an historical study. In a cross-grade social studies research endeavor, eighth graders attending Mineola High School, Mineola, Long Island, partnered with eleventh graders to create a timeline showing the history of hunger in the United States along with the government and community response. The findings guided students in creating their own plans. Another example of preparation takes place in a seventh grade math classroom. Kate O’Sullivan at Bay Shore Middle School, Bay Shore, Long Island, connects her lesson on ratios, proportions, and percents to pricing. Students see the real-world application for their math skills when they evaluate the cost of various items at restaurants and the grocery store. Understanding the comparative cost of items and reading about how access to healthy food varies among neighborhoods helps students recognize how and why food poverty and a lack of nutritional options are problems in low-income


areas. To add cultural context, literature can be a valued resource, even within a math class. For example, What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluiso, takes the reader to twenty-one countries to see what people purchase for their table. This easily has interdisciplinary connections. Rich investigation and preparation support meaningful and purposeful action. When students connect academics with an authentic community need, they “own” the issue. Students are then inspired to develop a campaign for the food drive that includes persuasive letter writing, posters, multi media advertisements, and more. They may exhibit more commitment to bringing lessons from the past into the present based on their social studies preparation work. From learning ratio, proportions, and percents, they may want to prepare and distribute a shopping guide to help shoppers stretch their dollars. Such a guide might also be distributed to clients at the food pantry. Action, when imbedded in the framework of the Five Stages of Service Learning looks like much more than placing a box in the hallway and counting up the number of cans collected. Though reflection is listed as the fourth stage of service learning, it is important to remember that reflection occurs throughout the service learning process. When students pause to consider their own learning and actions, they deepen their understanding and take more mindful next steps. One way to conduct ongoing reflection is to provide students with a copy of the CCSS and ask them to consider which standards they are meeting by engaging in the service experience. These standards are set for our students. They are not a secret! Students can benefit from knowing how their hard work and study along with action taken in the community combine to develop the specific skills. Demonstration is a key component in the service learning process and may lead to another service learning experience. Consider what happens when students in the math and social studies classes demonstrate their service experience to their other content area teachers and to their peers. As students show photos of a food bank and footage of an interview with the director, model a math inquiry that led to a brochure, and read a reflective narrative of insights gained, the depth of learning is palpable. This has proven a motivator for other teachers to explore service learning possibilities for their classes, and definitely increases the numbers of students asking their teachers to engage them in service learning opportunities. The example above includes clear connections to the CCSS. Students examine key ideas and details of historical texts [Reading Anchor Standards 1-3]. By creating a shopping guide, they write informative/explanatory text [Writing Anchor Standard 2]. Their campaign advertisements may contain all three types of writing called for by the CCSS—argument, informative/explanatory, and narrative [Writing Anchor Standards 1-3]. In creating the shopping guide and advertisements, students engage in the writing process, utilize technology, and conduct research [Writing Anchor Standards 4-9]. Educators often question where and how the CCSS allow for differentiation of instruction. One way to address this is for the teacher to move up or down within the grade-specific standards for each of the Anchor Standards named above. During the personal inventory phase of service learning, students consider what skills and talents they can lend to the success of the process. In addition, teachers may consider where students need to strengthen their skills and assign roles accordingly. Let’s move from grade-specific standards to the larger picture that we painted at the start of this article—the Capacities for Literate Individuals. Students demonstrate independence by conducting research through media, interviews, surveys, and observation/experience. They increase their


content knowledge through their social studies research and math writing. They respond to varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline, when they develop their campaigns. Throughout the entire process, they comprehend as well as critique, value evidence, use technology and digital media strategically and capably, and come to understand other perspectives and cultures. Service Learning Matters Because . . . With service learning, student ideas become a reality; the excitement genuine. Contributions made are significant with students and their community as beneficiaries of the process. By discovering and applying their interests and talents along with academic content and skills and knowledge, students bring the Common Core State Standards to life. Service establishes a purpose for learning. Students and the exceptional educators who engage them prove to be valued contributors for our collective well-being, now and in the future. Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., president of CBK Associates, International Education Consultants, provides program development, and highly engaging professional development and keynote addresses on service learning, 21st century competencies, literacy, engaged teaching, school climate and culture, and integrating Common Core State Standards. Cathryn is the author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action (Free Spirit Publishing, 2010), and Going Blue: A Kid’s Guide to Protecting Our Oceans and Waterways, with Philippe Cousteau and EarthEcho International. Maureen Connolly, Ed.D., has been an English teacher at Mineola High School on Long Island, NY for 15 years and a professor of Education at Molloy College, Adelphi University, and Queens College. She is the co-author of Getting to the Core of Literacy for History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, Grades 6-12 and Getting to the core of English Language Arts, Grades 6-12: How to Meet the Common Core State Standards with Lessons from the Classroom. Maureen resides in New Jersey. Both Cathryn and Maureen can be reached through CBK Associates by emailing [email protected]. Watch for our new website: www.cbkassociates.com coming in June! Excerpts from this article are from The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action second edition by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., (Free Spirit Publishing, 2010) www.freespirit.com, Minneapolis, MN. This article is copyrighted by CBK Associates © 2013 All Rights Reserved. May be printed for education purposes. For reprints and all other uses contact [email protected].


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Service-Learning and Academic Achievement Research Summary

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Research demonstrates that high-quality service-learning has positive effects on K-12 students’ academic performance and school engagement. Many of the service-learning initiatives included in these studies evaluated federally funded Learn and Serve America programs. See below for a summary of the most signi� cant � ndings supporting service-learning.

National Studies on Service-Learning and Academic Achievement• Students who are more civically engaged perform better in reading, mathematics, history, and science, and

are more apt to complete high school. Those who participated in service-learning made signi� cantly greater gains in all four subject areas than those who did not participate. Davila and Mora (2007) analyzed data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988.

• Eighty-one percent of dropouts felt that they would have been more apt to stay in school if their school had offered real-world learning opportunities, such as service-learning. Bridgeland and colleagues (2006) conducted focus groups and interviews with high school dropouts, ages 16-24, to determine reasons they left school and factors that might have led them to persist.

• Low socio-economic status students who participate in service scored higher in achievement, motivation, grades, bonding to school, and attendance than similar students who did not participate in service. Scales and colleagues (2006) studied the effects of taking part in service-learning or community service on the academic assets of a large national sample of sixth- through twelfth-grade students.

• In a national evaluation of high-quality middle and high school federally funded Learn and Serve programs, Melchior (1998) found that at the end of one year, service-learning students signi� cantly outperformed comparison students in overall grades, grades in mathematics and science, and school engagement. Participating high school students demonstrated signi� cantly greater improvement in mathematics, science, and school engagement and had signi� cantly fewer failures than the comparison group. Middle school students demonstrated signi� cantly greater gains in social studies grades than comparison students. Short-term academic bene� ts were more pronounced for minority students; minority and disadvantaged students showed signi� cantly greater long-term academic bene� ts than others.

• When comparing academic performance of students in alternative high schools offering the Quest Skills for Action curriculum, which includes a service-learning component, with the performance of similar students in traditional schools, alternative school students had approximately half the absences, posted signi� cantly fewer suspensions, and earned signi� cantly higher grades (Laird & Black, 2002).


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Statewide Research Results on Service-Learning• Researchers at RMC Research Corporation (Meyer, Billig, & Hofschire, 2004) studied the effects of Michigan

Learn and Serve federally funded programs on students’ performance on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program and school engagement. Overall, service-learning students had signi� cantly higher science and social studies MEAP scores than comparison students. Service-learning students in grades 7-12 reported more cognitive engagement in English/language arts than others. For students in grades 2-5, service-learning was linked to greater behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement in school.

• Surveys of Learn and Serve America participants in Wisconsin found that approximately 98 percent ofteachers who offered service-learning said that students learned more than what they would have learned through regular instruction. Almost half (46 percent) reported that students’ grades had improved, while 42 percent reported a decrease in disciplinary referrals and 36 percent a decline in absenteeism during service-learning (Potts, Kirkham, Monsour, Grinde, & Planner, 2001).

• A quasi-experimental study of 15 elementary, middle, and high school classrooms that were part of the CalServe initiative, a federally funded program found that students in 6 of the 12 classes showed “moderate to large” gains in language arts or reading achievement, school engagement, sense of educational competence, completion of homework, and educational goals (Weiler, LaGoy, Crane, & Rainer, 1998).

• On a statewide survey of federally funded Learn and Serve schools in Florida (Follman & Muldoon, 1997), 74 percent of reporting schools indicated that student grades had improved, 68 percent reported a decline in disciplinary referrals, and 62 percent noted decreased absences. Impacts on academic outcomes were even more positive in schools with high percentages of at-risk students.

The Importance of High-Quality Service-LearningMany studies emphasize that the quality of service-learning is an important predictor of its impacts on academic outcomes, including students’ attachment to school, school engagement, and motivation to learn (Billig & Sandel, 2003; Scales, Blyth, Berkas, & Kielsmeier, 2000; Billig, Root, & Jesse, 2005).

Individual elements of quality service-learning have been linked to academic outcomes. For example, students who participate in more meaningful service-learning (including interaction with the community, valued service activities, and relevance to students) are more apt to attain high grades, stay engaged in school, and remain committed to class work than others (Scales, Blyth, Berkas, & Kielsmeier, 2000; Billig, Root, & Jesse, 2005; Meyer, Billig, & Hofschire, 2004). Service experiences integrated with the curriculum are linked to greater gains in subject matter knowledge, understanding the relevance of school learning, and overall academic performance (Dewsbury-White, 1993; Furco, 2002; Root, Rau, & Larson, n.d.). Longer service-learning experiences yield greater academic bene� ts (Scales et al., 2000; Billig, Root, & Jesse, 2005), as do those that include substantial opportunities for re� ection (Scales et al., 2000).

The National Youth Leadership Council led the nationwide effort to compile the evidence-based K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice, published in 2008. For a copy of the eight standards and the indicators, visit www.nylc.org/standards.


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ReferencesBillig, S. & Sandel, K. (2003). Colorado Learn and Serve: An Evaluation Report. Denver, CO: RMC Research Corporation.

Billig, S., Root, S., & Jesse, D. (2005). The Impact of Participation in Service-Learning on High School Students’ Civic Engagement. Denver, CO: RMC Research Corporation.

Bridgeland, J., DiIulio, J., & Morison, K. (2006). The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Civic Enterprises and Peter D. Hart Associates for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Davila, A. & Mora, M. (2007). Civic Engagement and High School Academic Progress: An Analysis Using NELS Data. College Park, MD: University of Maryland School of Public Policy, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Dewsbury-White, K. E. (1993). The relationship of service-learning project models to the subject-matter achievement of middle school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University, East Lansing.

Follman, J. & Muldoon, K. (1997). Florida Learn & Serve 1995-96: What were the outcomes? NASSP Bulletin, 81, 29.

Furco, A. (2002). Is service-learning really better than community service? A study of high school service program outcomes. In A. Furco & S. Billig (Eds.) Service-Learning: The Essence of the Pedagogy. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Laird, M. & Black, S. (1999). Service-learning evaluation project: Program effects for at risk students. Oakbrook, IL: Lions Quest.

Melchior, A. (1998). National Evaluation of Learn and Serve America School and Community-Based Programs: Final Report. Prepared for the Corporation for National Service. Waltham, MA: Center for Human Resources, Brandeis University.

Meyer, S., Billig, S., & Hofschire, L. (2004). The impact of K-12 school-based service-learning on academic achievement and student engagement in Michigan. In M. Welch & S. Billig (Eds.) New Perspectives in Service- Learning: Research to Enhance the Field. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Potts, S., Kirkham, M., Monsour, F., Grinde, J., & Planner, M. (2001). Sustaining service learning in Wisconsin: What principals, teachers and students say about service-learning. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Root, S., Rau, L., & Larson, A. (n.d.) The impacts of Gulfcoast WalkAbout 2007 on student development.

Scales, P. C., Blyth, D. A., Berkas, T. H., & Kielsmeier, J. C. (2000). The effects of service-learning on middle school students’ social responsibility and academic success. Journal of Early Adolescence, 20 (3), 332-358.

Scales, P. C., Roehlkepartain, E. C., Neal, M., Kielsmeier, J. C., & Benson, P. L. (2006). Reducing academic achievement gaps: The role of community service and service learning. Journal of Experiential Education, 29, 38-60.

Weiler, D., Lagoy, A., Crane, E., & Rovner, A. (1998). An Evaluation of K-12 Service-Learning in California: Phase II Final Report. Sacramento, CA: CalServe.

service-learning leadership seminar: level 1 a group, create one or more haiku poems that express...

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