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CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION SERVICE-LEARNING
Fall 2000 (8:2) Linking Service Learning & StandardsThis issue of Service-Learning Network explores the connection between service learning and standards-based education. In our lead article, Service Learning and Standards: Are they Compatible? Brian Loney, an educator from Golden, Colorado, applies his extensive experience with Active Citizenship Today, a successful social-studies service-learning program, to a representative set of content standards. Brian Loney is not alone in his efforts to connect service learning to content standards. Program Profiles features several innovative classroom- community projects that link service learning to standards-based assessment. Review Corner also takes up the service-learning-to-standards challenge with descriptions of two publications that link or assess service learning in the context of standards-based education. We complete this issue of Service-Learning Network with FYI, a list of resources of interest to educators and others working with youth. This issue of Service-Learning Network is made
possible by a
generous grant from the Ford Foundation Service
Learning and Standards: by Brian Loney, Ph.D.
Today, American educators are under great pressure to implement educational reforms. More than ever before, schools are being asked to supply measurable evidence of student learning. In response to this pressure, every state department of education has implemented some form of standards-based education. In addition, many states have developed high-stakes testing programs to measure student achievement on these standards. Much public attention has been given over to academic performance. The results of testing programs are often published in newspapers. Educator “accountability” has become a political buzzword. Many districts receive grades on state-issued “report cards” based on student performance. In some instances, poorly performing schools have been taken over by the state; others have been converted to charter schools. The state of Colorado mirrors what is happening in many states. In response to the call for accountability, the Colorado state legislature recently mandated standards-based education. Currently, legislation requires that Colorado school districts adopt content standards in eleven content areas (language arts, history, geography, math, science, civics, economics, art, music, physical education, and foreign languages). District content standards must “meet or exceed” the standards developed by the state. In addition, districts must align their curriculum to the standards. Colorado law also calls for multiple levels of assessment and reporting related to student performance. One state assessment program focuses on annual testing of reading, writing, and math in grades 3–10. Scores are published in the newspapers by district and by school and districts are expected to increase performance scores on state tests by 25 percent over the course of three years. In addition to the state testing, school districts must assess student performance in all content areas and report their findings to the public. At the classroom level, teachers are required to build a “body of evidence” demonstrating that students have met content standards. In the rush to measure student performance, individual classroom teachers may feel pressure to abandon programs and methodologies that are time-consuming but successful. Understandably, many teachers are reluctant to drop carefully developed, creative, educational innovations that may not register on the Richter scale of standards-based assessment. Service-learning is one such innovation that is vulnerable to the trend towards standardizing student achievement. Must a classroom teacher abandon service learning in the face of accountability? To answer this question, classroom teachers need to be able to demonstrate that service learning can respond to demands for standards-based assessment. One service-learning program, Active Citizenship Today (ACT), and one county-wide school district, Colorado’s Jefferson County, provides evidence that service learning can demonstrate student achievement on content standards. In 1992, Jefferson County was one of five districts nationwide chosen to participate in the ACT program. Developed by Constitutional Rights Foundation and Close Up Foundation, ACT began life as a five-year project to institutionalize service learning in the social studies. Each ACT district received support for teacher training and sets of program materials. Under the ACT program, students use a five-step framework to identify and address community problems. Students and teachers use lessons, tools, and activities that are described in a teacher’s guide (the ACT Handbook), and a student handbook (the ACT Field Guide). During the five years of the ACT project, several Jefferson County schools developed a number of semester-long service projects. By reviewing these projects, connections emerge among 1) the five-unit ACT framework, 2) the planning, implementation, and evaluation of service projects, and 3) the requirements of standards-based assessment. Unit I: Defining and Assessing Your Community.
Students engage in an exploration of their community to identify resources
and community problems. One of the activities in the ACT Field Guide
asks students to draw their community. In “Draw Your Community,” students
identify basic elements of a community and construct a community map.
During this map-making exercise, students often graphically represent
community problems or issues. This connects to standards that require
high school students to “interpret and construct maps,” or “select and
use appropriate geographic tools to depict and analyze geographic problems.”
Community map-making also provides students with an opportunity to collect
evidence regarding Geography Standard 1: Students know how to use maps,
globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about
people, places, and environments.”1 There are often other opportunities
throughout a service-learning project for students to use geographic tools
and information.
Unit I of the ACT framework also provides opportunities to collect evidence of student achievement regarding other standards. The ACT Field Guide provides students with the tools to create a statistical profile of their communities. Another activity shows students how to design and administer community surveys. These activities allow teachers to collect evidence of student performance in the areas of mathematics and language arts. Language Arts Standard 3 requires that “Students write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.” Math Standard 3 requires students to “use data collection and analysis in problem-solving situations and communicate with appropriate mathematical language the reasoning used in solving these problems.” Unit II: Choosing and Researching a Problem. Students brainstorm a list of problems to consider, narrow the list, then choose a problem for the class to address. Students then spend time researching the problem(s) they have chosen. Student research includes a variety of possible sources. They may also interview long-term residents about the history of a community or experts who are already working on the problem. Interviews provide teachers with an opportunity to collect evidence that demonstrates student proficiency in language arts. Several language arts standards can be emphasized during this process. Here, students will “read and understand a variety of materials,” and “write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences” and “speak and listen for effective communication in a variety of contexts,” all components of language arts standards. Language Arts Standard 6 requires students to “locate, evaluate, and use relevant information sources for their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.” Standard 7 has students “apply complex thinking skills when reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.” The research component of this service-learning framework also provides social studies teachers with opportunities to support school and classroom literacy efforts by combining social studies and language arts activities. Unit III: Examining Policy. In this phase, students examine public policies designed to address the community problem they have selected. Students explore community “players” in four “domains”—government, business, media, and non-profits. Students examine policy options and evaluate the costs and benefits of each. To succeed at this phase of a service-learning project, students must understand different areas of government and how each area addresses specific issues. Civics Standard 3 requires that “Students understand the structure and function of local, state, and national government in the United States.” Key components in this standard require that students explain 1) how government is structured, 2) its various and separate functions, and 3) how laws are enacted. Other standards ask that students be able to define and distinguish different types of law and public policy. Civics Standard 5 states that “students understand the roles of citizens.” Standard 5 addresses “the meaning of citizenship, a knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and knowing how to take part in civic life at local, state, national, and international levels.” In addition, students are required to “know how to monitor and influence public policy by locating appropriate information and evaluating its reliability and usefulness.” All these standards can be exercised and measured in a successful service-learning program. As a part of this policy examination (ACT Unit III), students might be asked to generate a chart that compares any existing policies designed to address their chosen issue. Or they could produce a written evaluation of the costs and benefits of various policy options. Both activities create measurable products. At the core of any good service-learning program is the opportunity for students to actively address a community issue. This is also the piece that has traditionally been “missing in action” from social studies instruction. Teachers are generally successful at giving students the basics of government and civics. Rarely, however, have students been given the opportunity to practice newfound citizenship skills in the context of a real community issue. Units IV and V of the ACT Framework provide the students with the opportunity to live out the civics standards previously described. These service-learning units provide the students with the tools to actually plan and implement a service learning project. Unit IV: Exploring Options. Here, students explore options for action. By exploring options to address a community problem, students practice skills that demonstrate proficiency in many content areas including writing and speaking. Part of planning and implementing an action plan could also include the production of materials that can be used to educate others regarding an issue. Students have, in the past, planned and produced public service announcements, videos, and displays and have organized educational efforts at other schools and set up forums for the community-at-large. These materials are, of course, invaluable in an assessment process. Unit V: Taking Action. Finally, students put their plan into action. Taking action culminates any good service-learning program. Action projects almost invariably generate products and evidence that may be collected and documented by students and teachers. These findings can contribute to standards-based assessment. Student reflection, an important component of any service-learning project, can provides ample opportunity for standards-based assessment. Here, teachers can link reflection components to the goals of the project and to the goals established by standards and benchmarks. Verbal and written reflection via discussion or through journals, logs, and reflective essays can contribute to substantial evidence bodies for standards-based assessment. The value of service learning is well established. Service learning provides valuable, real-life experiences where students can learn and demonstrate their learning while providing substantial service to their schools and communities. Because the current educational climate focuses upon standards-based education, the ability of service learning to flourish depends on its ability to support the larger goals of education. But the key to service-learning’s success is not to claim that service learning meets all of a state or districts standards and benchmarks. Rather, it falls upon the service-learning advocate to specifically target and highlight those standards, key components, and benchmarks that can be most clearly demonstrated with a successful service-learning project. In doing so, teachers can continue to use service learning as an innovative educational method while they meet the requirements of standards-based assessment. Brian Loney is Social Studies Project Coordinator for Jefferson County Schools in Golden, Colorado. Contact Dr. Loney at 303-982-6987; e-mail: bloney@jeffco.k12.co.us.
Best Practices in Service Learning Service learning is playing a significant role in improving the state of Washington’s schools by helping students meet new standards. Many teachers are also helping students apply these core learnings by building connections through service. Below are two examples of service-learning programs that are linked to the Washington State Learning Goals set by the Washington School Reform Bill (HB 1209). Peer
Assisted Learning System (PALS)
SPOKANE, WA—Even before the Peer Assisted Learning System came on the scene, staff at Spokane’s Lewis and Clark High School saw the need for interventions on behalf of students who don’t read up to grade level. With tougher state standards and the 10th-grade state assessment coming, schools don’t want non-reading students slipping through the cracks. With this concern in mind, Lewis and Clark hooked up with a mentoring program called PALS. Trained in corrective reading, PALS tutors—high school juniors and seniors—typically work with at-risk high school students, though some are placed at elementary and middle schools. The tutors learn decoding, comprehension, assessment, and data collection and may earn Running Start college credit in applied psychology. Adapting individualized reading materials for use with high school students, Lewis and Clark juniors and seniors work with freshmen using a phonics-whole language approach. Of 14 students tutored in 1998–99, most gained nine months of reading skill in four months of class. The following year the school offered four sections of tutoring. PALS is run as a class for both tutors and tutees, sometimes with English credit, sometimes as a block class for intense instruction, sometimes as an elective, depending on the school. The high school tutors go through a 2½–hour training program, learning to correct, praise, and make the most of the scripted PALS program. Graduate students in applied psychology from Eastern Washington University coordinate PALS in 15 high schools in the Spokane area. PALS and Learning Disabled Students When Eloise Capilano and Kim Scrima, special-education teachers at Deer Park High School north of Spokane, heard what was happening with PALS, they thought this just might work with their learning-disabled students. Two later, they had proof that they were right. Capilano and Scrima asked the counseling department to recommend students with strong English skills to be tutors. Graduate students from Eastern Washington University train prospective tutors extensively in direct instruction and corrective reading, and Capilano and Scrima serve as supervisors. On average, learning-disabled students gained two years of growth per year in the Peer Assisted Learning System. Several tutees have returned as tutors to help others. (Peer tutors usually show at least half a year’s growth in reading ability, though many test at post-high school levels before they begin the program. Tutors and tutees are both tested three times a year.) “It’s based on 100 percent accuracy. The tutors need to know that the students know [the material] cold,” Capilano said. They work on decoding, timed reading, comprehension, rate fluency, critical thinking and other skills, ranging from second grade level to SAT prep. Students go back and immediately correct any errors they’ve made so they get instant feedback. “There’s a high level of accountability built in,” said Capilano. In fact, their grade is based on how well their students do. This year is the first that Deer Park tutors have received Running Start college credit. They earn three credits per semester in applied psychology. Of the 15 schools in the Spokane area using PALS, Deer Park is the only one focusing exclusively on learning-disabled students For more information, contact Foster Walsh, (509) 354-6949; e-mail: fosterw@sd81.k12.wa.us.
Honor
By Listening
EAST WENACHEE, WA—Eastmont High School’s Honor by Listening Project has gained national recognition as honors English students have completed 93 profiles of senior citizens in their community. Initiated by a community member’s interest in gathering the histories of a generation, this project helped breathe life into the instruction of core communications skills. Teacher Allison Agnew taught the students questioning strategies, elements of effective interviews, and how to access resources. Agnew’s students worked through the process of identifying senior citizens to interview, sending them a letter requesting their participation, refining questions, listening carefully to the information, and taking notes as they taped the interviews. Later, students distilled key points and elements from the interviews and wrote final drafts that were published as a compilation of oral histories. “I could not have found a better lesson to teach listening,” Agnew commented. The final product, the distilled and published interviews, were presented to an audience, raising stakes for participants. Interviewees reviewed the student representations of their oral histories using a Six-Trait Writing Rubric. Students revised the oral history compilation before it was finally published. The Listening Project drew attention locally and nationally. Students and teacher were invited to present their findings on NBC’s “Nightly News” with Tom Brokaw. For more information, contact Allison Agnew, ( 253) 375-4602; e-mail: aagnew@kent.wednet.edu. Profiles compiled by Kate McPhearson, Director, Project Service Leadership, Vancouver, WA. (360) 576-5050; e-mail: mcphers@pacifier.com
PROGRAM PROFILES Elementary Students Tailor Homeless Project to Hit Academic Standards, Ease Classroom Conflicts NORTH ADAMS, MA—Louison House is a homeless shelter that serves families in the Northern Berkshire area of Massachusetts. Students from the North Adams School District and their families are among those who have lived at this recently opened home. The presence of disadvantaged students in North Adams’ Sullivan Elementary School raised issues around economic status that had not been openly explored in class. As part of a mental-health unit entitled Dealing With Major Family Changes, students from teacher Linda Reardon’s fourth- and fifth-grade classes decided to study homelessness to address the issues that had been raised in their own classrooms. As a result of their preliminary research, students elected to form a partnership with Louison House. Supported by a mini-grant from Community Service Learning, students prepared care packages for the children at the shelter. They visited Louison House and participated in workshops about privacy, hope, and human dignity. After returning to class, they discussed the many rules that were posted throughout the house. Many felt that the rules violated basic principles of privacy and human dignity. They wrote letters and met with the agency responsible for administering Louison House. This effort led to the administration removing the rules from the Louison House walls. Students also embarked upon several home-improvement projects for Louison House including a mural, a sandbox, and perennial gardens. Presentations from the project have been presented at Sullivan School’s open house, at a local service-learning conference, and to high school students who were considering a similar project. This Coping with Major Family Changes program was closely tied to curriculum frameworks in math (money management, measurement, cost of living), technology (Internet explorations of homelessness), language arts (letter writing, book reviews, letters to the editor, journals, presentations), and art (murals, decorations, plays about homelessness). Reflection revealed a heightened awareness of caring and compassion and the development of citizenship skills. Most important, the project addressed the tensions and stereotypes around economic status that had arisen in the classroom. Students concentrated on skills they would need to partner successfully with Louison House. They had to adapt messages to a variety of audience needs. They developed and implemented action plans to address needs. They learned how to be flexible and patient and how to work with people from diverse backgrounds and varying ages. They learned to evaluate their progress. They learned conflict-resolution skills. For more information, contact Deb Coyne, (413) 662-3240; e-mail: dscoyne@massed.net.
Park Cleanup Linked to Curriculum Needs ROMULUS, MI—When the mayor of this Michigan community released the results of a community-needs survey, K–12 teachers from the Romulus School District met to peruse the results. Their objective: To select a specific community need and determine how to use a service project to teach academic curricula. One teacher, Tom Gibb-Randall selected one of Romulus’ top ten community needs, “lack of recreational facilities.” His love for the outdoors and his desire to teach science concepts in a real-life setting was a perfect match for an environmental project. Gibb-Randall turned his attention to Elmer Johnson Park. This city-run area is a 15-minute walk from school and has a natural area that has been neglected. He believed that a park restoration project would serve as a science laboratory while it met a number of service-learning and curricular standards. Students would have an opportunity to address social issues related to preserving wetlands and to deal with local government. At the same time, students would be practicing civic responsibility by addressing a community need. First, Gibb-Randall set out to align project needs, academic needs, and the needs of the park. He consulted with a landscape professional, who identified the park’s ecosystems and problems: The wetland area was being filled in, the savannah was being used as a dumping ground, and wild flowers were being choked out by other plants. In addition, animal habitats were being destroyed. With his students, Gibb-Randall used a Socratic approach that allowed students to apply their knowledge of ecosystems to the needs of the park. They mapped the different ecosystems that existed and created hypotheticals of how the community might benefit from a park restoration effort. They wrote letters to the mayor. They developed a partnership with the Romulus Parks and Recreation Center to gain access to heavy equipment and crew work. They worked with local courts to solicit adult assistance from citizens who had been assigned community service hours. A private, non-profit organization that owns land adjacent to the park awards savings bonds to students that excel in park volunteer efforts. To date, approximately 250 elementary-school students have participated in the project. They have recruited other teachers and local social-service workers. Fifty parents and other community members have also participated in the park restoration project. For more information, contact Kathy Hurst at Romulus High School, (734) 941-2170 ext. 149; e-mail: hurstk@romulus.k12.mi.us.
REVIEW CORNER Learning from Experience Edited by Calvin Potter, Jane Grinde, Stan Potts,
Barbara Babcock, Neldine Nichols Ideally, service-learning projects promote learning by connecting academic studies to real-life activities. They give students an opportunity to apply skills and personal strengths to activities that benefit their own communities. In the ideal service-learning project, students combine community service with standards-based academic learning in a way that improves the community, promotes citizenship. But putting theory into practice can be a difficult process. Learning from Experience has been designed to show the service-learning process in action. It presents outstanding examples of successful service-learning projects as described by Wisconsin teachers. In response to a detailed survey, teachers summarized their projects and indicated which Wisconsin Model Academic Standards were met. All the projects in Learning from Experience have provided important community services and link curricula to multiple state standards. Each Learning from Experience project is described in a profile. “Making Curriculum Connections” shows how each project links to academic standards. A narrative describes how teachers and students prepare for and design a meaningful service project, how they create a reflection component, how teachers assess student learning, and how they learn from their own experience. Each project description is flanked by a “Curriculum Connections” column that cites all relevant Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. One project, for example listed standards in English Language Arts, Family and Consumer Education, Health Education, Information and Technology Literacy, and Social Studies. (Learning from Experience features an appendix that carries the complete text of each standard cited in the projects.) In addition, an “Introduction to Service Learning” offers a clear and comprehensive definition of service learning along with valuable tips, tools, methodologies, desired outcomes, and several evaluation rubrics. A “Resources” section lists useful publications, videos, web sites, and service-learning organizations. Learning from Experience shows the service-learning process in action and underscores why Wisconsin is considered a leading service-learning state. Available from Publications Sales, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Milwaukee, WI 53293-0179. (800) 243-8782.
The Service Learning Bookshelf by Cathryn Berger Kaye The Service Learning Bookshelf–A Bibliography of Fiction & Nonfiction to Inspire Student Learning and Action lists over 140 picture books, novels, and works of nonfiction that enhance service-learning activities. “Divided by topic and grade level, annotated, and enriched with author interviews, this publication is an asset to the burgeoning field of service learning,” says Joe Follman, Executive Director of Florida Learn and Serve. The Bookshelf is used across the country by classroom teachers K-12, in teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities, and literacy, tutoring and after- school programs. With literacy development at the forefront of the education agenda, “this book helps kids increase their literacy skills, and gives them content and knowledge to connect with academic standards. We always look for ways to incorporate literacy for all learning,” says Michelle Herczog, Los Angeles County Office of Education. “The Bookshelf is a valuable resource to encourage young people to read and also to serve.” For more information contact ABCD Books, 13142 Lake Street, Los Angeles, CA 90066. For an order form, e-mail ABCDbooks@aol.com, or call (310) 397-0070. CONFERENCES
14th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference “Deep in the Heart of Prevention,” April 7–10, 2001, Dallas, Texas. Youth Crime Watch and the National Crime Prevention Council sponsor this opportunity for young people and adults to support crime prevention and build safer, stronger communities. Activities include more than 60 workshops and panels, a youth forum, and more. For more information, contact the National Crime Prevention Council at (202) 261-4165 or visit its web site.
National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention “When Leaders Dream,” March 9–12, 2001, Phoenix, Arizona. Middle- and high-school principals, assistant principals, and educational leaders from around the world will gather for educational sessions, school visits, exhibits, and networking on the future of education. For more information, contact NASSP at (703) 860-0200 or visit its web site.
National Service-Learning Conference 2001, “Partnerships for a Civil Society,” April 4–7, 2001, Denver, Colorado. This premier event on service learning in the nation is sponsored by the National Youth Leadership Council and is hosted by University of Colorado-Boulder’s Chancellor’s Leadership Residential Academic Program and Service Learning at the Colorado Department of Education. Celebrating 12 years of service-learning leadership, the National Service-Learning Conference provides service-learning professional development. For more information, contact NYLC at (651) 628-8487 or visit the NYLC web site.
National Community Service Conference, June 28–July 1, 2001, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and Corporation for National Service. The NCSC offers training for volunteer managers, community volunteers, and national service leaders in schools, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. For more information, visit the conference web site. FYI
Worthwhile WWW Sites Mid-Continent
Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Web White
& Blue Nonprofit
Prophets Learning
In Deed Learn,
Serve, and Surf CRF
PUBLICATIONS
The Challenge of Diversity The third volume of a new series, this 72-page supplementary text provides an in-depth look at issues of racial and ethnic diversity in the United States. The book is divided into five units. The Ideal of Equality focuses on the constitutional and legal doctrines. A Diverse Nation provides a brief historical review of the experiences and struggles of various ethnic groups. Civil Rights Movement covers the social protests, court decisions, and Congressional legislation that changed America forever. Issues and Policies explores current issues of diversity. Bringing Us Together tells of governmental and grassroots efforts to bring people together. The Challenge of Diversity teacher’s guide provides interactive lessons based on the text. Also included are “Civil Conversations” on provocative issues, “Diversity Checklists” showing students how to approach issues of diversity, and “Profiles” of important historical and contemporary figures.
Perfect for 19th and 20th century U.S. history, government and civics, contemporary problems, and law-related courses. #10820C00 Student Edition, 72 pages $9.95 The Challenge of Governance Designed for U.S. government courses and to help students gain proficiency in meeting the National Standards for Civics and Government, this 72-page supplementary text provides background readings, directed discussions, and interactive activities, addressing both intellectual and participatory skill development. The book contains readings that provide a focus on historical and contemporary topics for civics and government. A separate teacher’s guide provides step-by-step directions for conducting each lesson based on the materials provided in the text. Also included are Civil Conversations on contemporary issues related to the standards, and Civic Searches, that allows students to apply what they have learned to their own communities.
Perfect for U.S. government, civics and contemporary problems courses. #10830C00 Student Edition, 72 pages $9.95 For more information on purchasing The Challenge of Diversity and The Challenge of Governance, plese visit CRF's online catalog. ©2000, Constitutional Rights Foundation, 601 South Kingsley Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90005 (213) 487-5590 Fax (213) 386-0459 www.crf-usa.org
Marjorie S. Steinberg, President; Haley J. Fromholz, Immediate Past-President; Todd Clark, Executive Director; Marshall Croddy, Director of Program and Materials Development; Kathleen Kirby, Senior Consultant; Charles Degelman, Editor; Julie Glaser, Program Manager; Michael Fong, Program Coordinator; Andrew Costly, Production Manager. |