Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona: Restoring the Balance Between Academics and Civic Engagement in Public Schools

An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — January 18-20, 2006

As featured in the Restoring the Balance report, Arizona is moving forward to rebalance the mission of schools to include greater integration of civic engagement opportunities among academic studies.  Arizona is one of only a very few states that has both concern for the academic achievement of students, but also the civic engagement of students and future citizens of the state. Policy and programs in the state illustrate a rich support for civic engagement and the development of strong community for the future.

The Arizona Department of Education, the Governor’s Office of Children and Families, and the Arizona Legislature have demonstrated a strong commitment to service-learning that crosses over political boundaries and party priorities.  Arizona is a model for what service-learning can accomplish when policies and a system are developed to support such programs.  With an aligned system and policies in place, programs are not just incidental, but are a part of an organized structure to accomplish outcomes that are meaningful and collectively able to make an impact on the community, school, and students. On this AYPF visit, participants will meet key leaders who have crafted this structure for the education and civic development of their youth.

Topics covered on this visit

• Service-Learning and Civic Engagement
• connections to academic curriculum, standards and assessment,
• national and state-level policy,
• guidelines for implementation of service-learning legislation in schools,
• sustainability, and
• program examples.
• Rural School
• Native American civic engagement program
• Youth/Teen Court - civics project
• Career Technical School
• Intergenerational

Policy support discussed

• Arizona legislation enacted in 2003 for service/community learning for high school students includes:
• The ability for high school students to provide service to the community for at least 20 hours for credit.
• The ability for school districts to develop programs related to service-learning as part of the curriculum for high schools that receive funding from state sources.
• The ability for students to do either individual service-learning projects under the direction of a coach or in an organized service-learning course for credit.  Both ways provide academic credit for the student.
• Provision for the State Board of Education to develop regulations for this program to be adopted by school districts.
• The Arizona State Board of Education developed and approved Rules and Regulations for Service/Community Learning 2005.
• A committee of individuals from schools and the communities of Arizona were assembled to develop these rules and regulations.
• These were reviewed by others and then presented to the State Board of Education.  They were approved in March, 2005 and will take effect in the coming school year.
• The State Superintendent of Public Instruction identified service-learning and volunteerism as one of five goals for the calendar year 2005.
• A committee was appointed to develop a plan for adult volunteers to be part of the effort to assist students in schools through multiple opportunities, including mentoring, tutoring, one-day programs on historical events, and other activities.  Adult volunteers would also be able to assist students who as part of a service-learning effort in the community.

Program examples tentatively planned

• School programs
• Teen Court
• Total School Curriculums and Courses organized around service- learning
• Restoration of Spring for Travelers in the 17th Century in Southern Arizona
• Nutrition program for Indians to find ways to bring native plants back into the diet to help curb the epidemic of diabetes in Southern Arizona Tribes
• Intergenerational activities to involve elderly populations--native, Anglo, Hispanic, Chinese, and others in the school and students with the elderly.
• Development of an art museum with native crafts—building, planning, restoring, learning native crafts, developing tourist guides, etc
• Development of a system to support programs
• Development of standards for K-12 for service-learning to provide overall structure for competencies to be learned with indicators of achievement attached.  These are structured to provide direction in whatever course students are enrolled, such as history, English, mathematics, science, family and consumer science, etc.  These common competencies and outcomes provide means to have competency as well context.
• Teacher/Administrator Professional Development -- Development of a structure for organizing competencies in relation to various school courses—crosswalks with activities and course content
• Guidelines for school coaches and teachers for using service-learning
• Workshops for teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, coaches, and community organization mentors to comprehend the total system
• Workshops and assistance to bring together the system with legislation and State Board of Education regulations related to service-learning

THE AMERICAN YOUTH POLICY FORUM AND THE CONGRESSIONAL GIFT LAW

Participants have asked whether Congressional rules barring most gifts affect the operations of the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF). We have consulted the House and Senate rules and a memorandum on the subject issued by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct on December 7, 1995. As documented below, the rules do not appear to conflict in any way with the current operations of AYPF.

CONGRESSIONAL AIDES: Under the new gifts rules effective in 1996, training is specifically permitted "if such training is in the interest of the Senate/House." Participants must obtain written authorization from their supervising Member and file written documentation of the trip's cost within 30 days of their return. (The Forum will provide all participants with a statement of costs incurred.) EXECUTIVE BRANCH AIDES: Follow your agency's approval procedures. If you must arrange for a clearance with your office, please begin the process before or immediately upon telling us of your interest in participating.

REGARDING TRAVEL: The gift rules allow staff to travel at the expense of private sources (like AYPF) to meetings, fact-finding trips and similar events in connection with their official duties. Funding of this kind of activity is deemed a reimbursement to the House and not a gift to the individual traveler. Such travel remains subject to the existing time limits of four days for travel within the contiguous 48 states, and seven days (excluding travel days) for trips elsewhere. Stay-overs at traveler expense are still permitted. AYPF covers air travel, bus travel, hotel accommodations, and most meals. A detailed agenda will be provided to those individuals who are confirmed to participate. Please note that once air travel tickets are purchased for you, AYPF must honor the charges should you find you must cancel.

DISCLOSURE: Any employee who travels at private expense "must secure advance authorization from his or her supervising Member or officer, specifying: the name of the employee; the name of the funding source; and the time, place, and purpose of the travel. As part of this authorization, the Member must sign a statement that the travel is in connection with official duties and would not create the appearance that the traveler is using public office for private gain. The authorization must be filed with the Clerk within 30 days of return.

"In addition, all privately-funded travel expenses, for Members and staff, must be itemized and disclosed within 30 days of return. This disclosure must be signed by the Member who is ... authorizing staff travel and must include:

good faith estimates of total expenditures for (1) transportation, (2) lodging, (3) meals, and (4) other expenses;

determination that all such expenses are "necessary" (that is, reasonable, within the relevant day limits, and not recreational)."

After each travel program, the Forum will provide a written statement of estimated expenses incurred for each traveler. No federal department or agency provides financial support for the Forum, all of whose resources are provided by a consortium of private philanthropic foundations. Executive Branch staff should follow their agency's travel approval procedures.

RSVP/Contact Information

Congressional staff will receive priority for this field trip. Tentative and confirmed registrations will be accepted until capacity is reached.  There is no charge to government employees, but late registration (after January 9, 2006) may necessitate some participant fees.

For more information or to reserve a space, please e-mail aypf@aypf.org or
call 202-775-9731