Service-Learning, Civic Engagement & Character Education

Briefs

06/22/10

Preparing College- and Career-Ready Students: Elements of Successful Programs: This webinar examined the elements of program models that have demonstrated effectiveness in preparing students for postsecondary access and success, based on the results of rigorous evaluations. This event was a follow up of the Success at Every Step forum from February 5, 2010. Presenters included Sarah hooker, Program Associate, American Youth Policy Forum (DC); James connell, President, Institute for Research and Reform in Education, (NJ); Ryan Reyna, Policy Analyst, Education Division, Center for Best Practices, National Governors’ Association (DC); and Joel Vargas, Senior Project Manager, Jobs for the Future (MA). (Webinar). This event was recorded and is now available on the webinar page.

02/05/10

Success at Every Step of College and Career Preparation The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) has recently released a new publication, Success at Every Step: How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Path to College and Beyond, which profiles programs that have been proven to help young people complete high school and be prepared for success in postsecondary education and careers, based on the results of recent, high-quality evaluations. This half-day event provided an overview of the findings of the report, showcased a variety of programs that support college- and career-readiness, explored implications for federal and state policy, and included a networking lunch. Speakers included Greg Darnieder, Special Assistant to the Secretary on College Access, U.S. Department of Education (DC); RYAN REYNA, Policy, Analyst, Education Division, Center for Best Practices, National Governors’ Association (DC); Katharine Oliver, Assistant State Superintendent for Career and Technical Education and Adult Learning, Maryland State Department of Education (MD); michael wotorson, Executive Director, Campaign for High School Equity (DC); James Connell, President, Institute for Research and Reform in Education (NJ); Rachel Singer, Director of Academic Affairs, Kingsborough Community College (NY); Joel Vargas, Senior Project Manager, Jobs for the Future (MA); and david sinski, Executive Director, After School Matters (IL).(Forum BRIEF)

06/01/09

Preparing College-Ready High School Graduates: A Case Study of San Jose, CA:  This forum is the third in our forum series entitled “Laying the Groundwork for  a College-Going Culture,” focused on efforts to ensure more high school students graduate, both understanding their options for continued education and training and ready to succeed in college and careers.   This forum will examine the efforts of the San Jose Unified School District in California to ensure all students are prepared for success beyond high school, including through requiring all students to participate in a college preparatory curriculum and providing the necessary resources and support to ensure students are successful.  The San Jose Unified School District is a diverse urban district with 70% of students representing racial/ethnic minority groups. Efforts to increase the rigor of high school coursework for all students have been underway in San Jose since the mid-1990s. In 1998, San Jose became the first school district in the state of California to elevate its high school graduation requirements to match the requirements for entry into the University of California system. Don Iglesias, Superintendent of the San Jose Unified School District, Linda Murray, Acting Executive Director of Education Trust-West and former Superintendent of San Jose Unified School District, and Mark Walker, Managing Director of Community Affairs for Applied Materials, a community-based partner in college readiness initiatives in San Jose.  (Forum Brief) 

05/29/09

Academic and Support Strategies for College and Career Readiness:  This forum is the second in our three-part series entitled “Laying the Groundwork for a College-Going Culture,” focused on efforts to increase the number of young people who graduate from high school prepared to make informed decisions about continued education and training, and ready to succeed in college and careers.  Viewing education as continuum that allows all Americans to access additional education and training is critical to ensuring our ability to emerge from the current economic downturn and compete in a global society.  Presenters will include: Cecilia Cunningham , Executive Director, Middle College National Consortium, Angela N. Romans, New England Network Manager, Diploma Plus, Commonwealth Corporation, Nicole Farmer Hurd, National College Advising Corps, and Cassandra Castillo, Early College  High School student. (Forum Brief) 

04/27/09

Redefining College Readiness: Efforts from Leading States This forum is the first in our series entitled “Laying the Groundwork for a College-Going Culture” focused on efforts to ensure more high school students graduate, both understanding their options for continued education and training and ready to succeed in college and careers.   At this event, presenters will both define critical indicators for college readiness as supported by the research and describe efforts in two states, Arkansas and Indiana, to create statewide high school graduation standards more closely aligned with expectations for success in postsecondary education and work. (FORUM Brief )

09/15/06

Youth Mentoring: Programs and Practices that Work with Jean E. Rhodes, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston; David L. DuBois, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago; and Andrea S. Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Training, Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University. (Forum Brief )

04/07/06

How Do High School Students Get Academic, Leadership, Work Skills, and Still Manage to Serve the Community? With students and faculty from Howenstine High School, Tucson, Arizona (Forum Brief)

01/13/06  

Charter Schools Providing Academically-Based Workforce Development for Out-of-School Youth: with Ann Higdon, president and founder of Improved Solutions of Urban Systems ISUS and Phil Matero, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. (Forum brief)

11/14/05

Improving Academic Performance by Integrating Service-Learning into the Core Curriculum?: This forum was a follow-up to Maximizing Civic and Academic Outcomes: Understanding What Works in Service Learning (November 4, 2005), which shared the latest research on service-learning and its impact on student academic achievement.  A team from Stafford County, Virginia, shared details of their service-learning program, now 13 years old, including successes in improving student academic achievement by integrating service-learning across the curriculum; meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) by increasing student attendance; experience with shifting from Learn & Serve America support to sustained funding from the district; and experience with standards, assessment, teacher training, and evaluation. (Forum Brief)

11/04/05

Maximizing Civic and Academic Outcomes: Understanding What Works in Service-Learning: RMC Research Corporation led this three year national study of the impact of service learning on civic and academic engagement among students. The study was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement).   Two sites in the Miami Dade County Public School district showed the highest impact of service learning on students’ civic engagement. An intergenerational oral history project at Turner Technical Arts High School was featured during this forum. Students involved in the project researched a particular era by filming and transcribing interviews of elders in the community. These transcribed interviews are donated to the people who were interviewed as well as to local archives in universities, museum, and libraries. (Forum Brief)

02/14/05

Exploring Service-Learning as a Way to Increase Student Academic Performance and Civic Involvement visit to Friendship Edison Public Carter School in Washington, DC. The field tip featured a tour and discussion on the adoption, implementation and sustainability of service-learning as a way to engage students in increasing academic and civic skills. (Trip Report)

03/11/05

Restoring the Balance between Academics and Civic Engagement in Public Schools with Sarah Pearson, Program Associate, American Youth Policy Forum; Gene Carter, Executive Director and CEO, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; Shelley H. Billig, Vice President, RMC Research; Barbara Greenspan Shaiman, Founder and Executive Director, Champions of Caring, Ann Marie Marranzini, English Teacher, University City High School, Philadelphia, PA; and Shanae Bentley, Senior, University City High School, Philadelphia, PA. (Press Release)

3/19/2004

Creating Academically Proficient and Civically Engaged Students- Through the No Child Left Behind Act (Part 3) Through the Lens of Practitioners and Administrators - Finding Common Ground: Joining Forces to Close the Achievement and Civic Development Gap, with Sheldon Berman, Superintendent of Schools, Hudson School District; John Taylor Gatto, author and New York Educator of the Year, 1990; Mary Rodgers, District Service-Learning Facilitator, Abington School District; John Schmidt, Director of Service-Learning, Office of High School Development, Chicago Public Schools. (Forum Brief)

2/20/2004

Creating Academically Proficient and Civically Engaged Students - Through the No Child Left Behind Act (Part 2) Through the Lens of State Policymakers - Raising Academic Achievement While Supporting Civic Development, with Suellen Reed, State Superintendent of Indiana; Terry Bergeron, State Superintendent of Washington; and Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Wisconsin. (Forum Brief)

1/23/2004

Creating Academically Proficient and Civically Engaged Students Through the No Child Left Behind Act (Part 1) Through the lens of Researchers -- Implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB): What Role for Civic Development? with Shelley H. Billig, Vice President, RMC Research; Andy Furco, Director, Service-Learning Research and Development Center University of California-Berkeley; Elliott Medrich, Director, Policy Analysis and Development, MRP Associates; William Galston, Director, Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, University of Maryland and CIRCLE (The Center for Information& Research on Civic Learning & Engagement); and Judith Torney-Purta, Professor, University of Maryland. (Forum Brief)

1/16/2004

Educating the Heart: Cesar E. Chavez and Service-Learning, with a granddaughter of Cesar E. Chavez, Julia Chavez Rodriguez and leaders from the The Cesar E. Chavez Service-Learning Initiative. (Forum Brief)

6/27/2003

Community Schools (Forum Brief)

3/28/2003

How Youth Become Effective Citizens – Models for Engaging Youth in Policy, with Ben Smilowitz, youth leader, Quentin Wilson, Missouri State Commissioner of Higher Education, and other youth leaders from San Francisco and the State of Missouri. (Forum Brief)

3/21/2003

“Generation DotNet”: A Contrast in Civic and Political Behavior. Staff from CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), and Pew Charitable Trusts discuss findings from their new study of the nation’s civic life, with an emphasis on youth. (Forum Brief)

1/10/2003

A New Civic Institution for the New Century, with Alan Khazei, City Year, Jim Kielsmeier, National Youth Leadership Council, and Shirley Sagawa, Sagawa/Jospin. (Forum Brief)

12/9/2002

Creating Laboratories of Democracy: The First Amendment Schools Project with Charles Haynes of First Amendment Schools Project; Sheldon Berman, Superintendent of Hudson School District, Hudson, Massachusetts; and Irasema Salcido, Principal, Cesar Chavez Public Policy High School. (Forum Brief)

11/13/2002

In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization, Deborah Meier, Vice Chair Emeritus, Coalition of Essential Schools. (Forum Brief)

5/13/2002

Comprehensive School Reform and Service Learning: A Potential Partnership? With Shelley H. Billig, Vice President, RMC Corporation, Hudi Podolsky, Executive Director, Coalition of Essential Schools; Greg Farrell, President, Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound; and Susan Kovalik, President, Integrated Thematic Instruction. (Forum Brief)

3/14/2001

What's the Future of Service-Learning in Education Reform? with Shelley H. Billig, Vice President and Researcher, RMC Research Corporation; Kenneth Holdsman, Service-Learning Director, School District of Philadelphia; John Kounas, Legislative Fellow (and former high school teacher), Office of Senator Charles E. Grassley; and Jane Oates, Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. (Forum Brief)

10/18/2000

Every Student a Citizen: Creating the Democratic Self, with Terry Pickeral, Project Director, Compact for Learning and Citizenship, Education Commission of the States; Shelley Berman, Superintendent, Hudson Public Schools, MA; John Mingler, Teacher, National Council of Social Studies. (Roundtable Discussion)

8/2/2000

Where's the Learning in Service-Learning — And Why Should There Be National Support for It? Moderator: Barbara Gomez, Learning in Deed. (Salon)

7/28/2000

Service-Learning in State Legislation (Part II): South Carolina's Efforts to Integrate Service-Learning into Schools and Communities, with Kathy Gibson Carter (Executive Director, Commission on National & Community Service), Dr. Janet Mason (University of South Carolina), and Jamaal Young. (Forum Brief)

6/23/2000

Service-Learning in State Legislation: A State-Wide Citizenship Effort, with John Benson and Terry Pickeral. (Forum Brief)

3/13/2000

Youth Engaged in Communities Through School: A Perspective From One National Service-Learning Leader School (Forum Brief)

12/17/1999

Connecting Academic Standards with Service-Learning, with Ken Holdsman, Director of Service-Learning, School District of Philadelphia. (Forum Brief)

12/4/1998

Character Education Makes a Difference: Reinvgorating the Work of Schools, with Esther Schaeffer, Executive Director, Character Education partnership; Karen Bohlin, Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character; Lynn Lisy-Macan, Principal of Brookside Elementary School, Binghamton, NY; and Timothy Smith, Principal of Mound Fort Middle School, Ogden UT. (Forum Brief)

5/22/1998

The Growing Role of Urban Four-Year Universities in Service-Learning, School Reform, School-to-Work and Community Change, with Dr. Ira Harkavay, Director, Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania. (Forum Brief)

9/12/1997

Connecting Service Learning and School-to-Career Initiatives, with Barbara Gomez, Council of Chief State School Officers; Ann Southworth, Principal, Putnam Vocational Technical High School, Springfield Massachusetts; Diane Tyson, Principal/Director, Lancaster County Academy, Lancaster Pennsylvania; and Chuck Erickson, Director of Community Education, Flambeau School District, Tony, Wisconsin. (Forum Brief)

1/31/1997

School-to-Careers and Service-Learning: A Partnership Strategy for Education Renewal, with Jim Kielsmeier, National Youth Leadership Council; Steve Kussman, Utility Business Education Coalition; Christine Kwak, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Jim Pitofsky, National Association of Partners in Education; James Willie, National Association of Partners in Education; Laurie Regelbrugge, Hitachi Foundation; and Jim Wernsing, National School-to-Work Opportunities Office. (Forum Brief)

9/27/1996

Experiential Education: Just What Do We Mean? with Sally Migliore, Executive Director, NSEE; Diana Hayman, President, Board of Directors of NSEE; James Case, Assistant Vice President, Career Services, Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona; and Marilynn Cunningham, Professional Development Specialist with the Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky. (Forum Brief)

7/29/1994

The Religious Right, Education Reform and Federal Policy, with Stephen Bates and George Kaplan. (Forum Brief)

 

Trip Reports

2/14/2005

Exploring Service-Learning as a Way to Increase Student Academic Performance and Civic Involvement visit to Friendship Edison Public Carter School in Washington, DC. The field tip featured a tour and discussion on the adoption, implementation and sustainability of service-learning as a way to engage students in increasing academic and civic skills. (Trip Report)

4/29/2003

Civics in Action: DC Students Changing the Course of Public Policy at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter High School, with Charles Haynes of First Amendment Schools Project and Irasema Salcido, Principal, Cesar Chavez Public Policy High School. (Trip Report)

10/29/2002 -
10/30/2002

Connecting Classrooms - Communities - Careers Through Service-Learning-On this two-day visit to Boston Public Schools (BPS), policymakers were introduced to collaborative developments in teaching pedagogy between service-learning and school to career in the classroom. (Trip Report)

5/10/2001 -
5/11/2001

How Does A City Effectively Serve All Its Youth, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with visits to Edison High School (a Talent Development model), Frankford High School (career-themed small learning communities), University City High School and Drew School (K-8) (service-learning through school-university partnerships), Youth for Change Charter School (YouthBuild model), and a Youth Opportunity Center. (Trip Report)

12/4/2000 -
12/5/2000

A Look at Service-Learning in South Carolina, with visits to Spring Valley High School and Wren High School. (Trip Report)

12/6/1999 -
12/7/1999

High School Reform Efforts in Chicago, with visits to a New American High Schools and an Education-to-Careers school. (Trip Report)

5/1/1997 -
5/2/1997

Community Service Learning in Springfield, MA: A Process for Youth Development, Career Preparation and Community Building, with visits to Putnam High School and Freedman Elementary School; participation in Springfield's "Community Service Learning Showcase" Conference; and discussions with Peter J. Negroni, Superintendent of Schools, and other community and education leaders. (Trip Report)

7/26/1996

Connecting Youth, Work and Community, Visions Youthworks, Harrisburg, PA, with John Briscoe, Executive Director and visits with participants in the Visions Youthworks program. (Trip Report)

6/8/1995 -
6/9/1995

New Visions for School and Community, in The Bronx and Brooklyn, New York, programs that bring together elementary, middle and high schools with employers, offer career awareness, community service and work-site learning tied to academic credits for young people and jobs and training for young adults. (Trip Report)

 

Publications

View PDF	Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth identifies and describes Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) that improve academic performance, college and career preparation, social and emotional development, and health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth. The term “expanded learning opportunity” is used to describe the range of programs and activities available to young people that occur beyond regular school hours. ELOs include traditional afterschool activities with an academic focus, but also incorporate activities such as internships with employers, independent study in alternative settings, classes on college campuses for high school students, and wraparound support services. Expanded learning opportunities are an effective use of resources to prepare youth for the complexities that face them as adults. The underlying message drawn from our review of the evaluations is that expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) work. ELOs deserve ongoing and expanded support and to be fully viewed as a major contributor in the preparation of youth for postsecondary education, careers, and civic engagement. Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth is an easy-to-read guide designed to help national, state, and local policymakers and practitioners better understand the wide-array of benefits ELOs provide and the programmatic and structural elements of successful ELOs.  Included in Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth are profiles of 22 ELOs that have proven results for youth across a range of indicators.
View PDF	Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth This report documents what committed educators, policymakers, and community leaders across the country are doing to reconnect out-of-school youth to the social and economic mainstream. It provides background on the serious high school dropout problem and describes in-depth what twelve communities are doing to reconnect dropouts to education and employment training. It also includes descriptions of major national program models serving out-of-school youth.
View PDF	Finding Common Ground:  Service-Learning and Education Reform A new AYPF report reveals areas of compatibility between Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) programs leaders in education reform and elements of service-learning. For example, most CSR programs (or models) in the report provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations, address local community issues and interests, and develop civic skills and competencies. There has been a suspected compatibility between service-learning and CSR, but no one has asked CSR models directly until now. It remains to be seen whether these two educational movements collaborate to develop a unified approach to linking classroom academics to service in school or the community, providing a truly comprehensive education for America’s children and youth.
View PDF	Restoring the Balance between Academics and Civic Engagement in Public Schools The report, released by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), in partnership with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum (ASCD), questions the current focus on core academic subjects at the expense of an equally important role: preparing students to be engaged and effective citizens. The report is the product of collaborative discussion among policymakers, education practitioners, community groups, parents, and youth across the nation. The report offers a seven-step action plan to help schools refocus on the goal of creating both academically proficient and civically engaged students. The report also highlights several programs, including school-community partnerships that promote both quality academics and civic engagement.