Contact: Lynn E. Pelco, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Education

From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

Contact:
College of Education-Student Services
333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd
San Marcos, CA 92096-0001
(760) 750-4277

Community Service Learning Program website: http://www.csusm.edu/ocsl/

From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

Contact: phone: (530) 898-6421 fax: (530) 898-6177 or e-mail at educ {at} csuchico(.)edu

Our members serve in rural mountain communities of the Colorado Rockies, covering a several hundred-mile region of the College district. Our mission for 1999 was to increase self-reliance by developing program members and by identifying and providing needed services to at-risk youth and their parents in a collaborative and responsive environment with human service agencies from both Garfield and Lake Counties.”"

As of 1999, eleven full-time and five part-time members successfully graduated from this AmeriCorps program. The three members serving in schools surpassed the program goal for involvement with youth by 25%; we exceeded our goals for new contacts with youth by nearly 160%. 90% of the targeted youths’ school grades increased by our goal of one grade level in math, science, and social studies. 80% of targeted youth raised their grade one level in English and reading. Most of these youth were “”English as a second language”" students. (Spanish is their first language.) Surveys completed by local teachers showed a 100% satisfaction regarding the performance and involvement of AmeriCorps members.

In social service agencies, AmeriCorps members more than doubled their expected number of service hours in group contacts, spending time in 2,950 group contact projects. Members in social service agencies served nearly 3,100 individuals.

In our first quarter for 1999 We had eighteen full-time members newly enrolled in an eleven-month commitment to service in our communities.

Nine members were serving in schools. We have already achieved 89% of our goal regarding student contacts and over double our goal for group tutoring. In youth centers, new members collaborated between communities to schedule events that involve kids from various areas, representing a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic diversity. In social service agencies, surveys show a decrease in dangerous behaviors.

Anecdotal stories from our CMC AmeriCorps members past & present

“”The ESL students I work with are truly amazing. They have an eagerness for learning and a respect for teachers and the school like I have never seen before. Two of the boys [in middle school] speak very little English. Together, we work on vocabulary and pronunciation in both Spanish and English. I hope I am as patient with them as they are with me. They never laugh at my feeble attempts to communicate with them, they smile and nod encouragingly as I stumble with the ‘ll’ sound or forget to roll my r’s”".

“”A family the Department of Human Services has been working with since May of ’98 has been unable to keep their home “”fit”" without support for years. Whenever I’ve worked with this family (approximately twice a week for two hours each session) the house would get cleaned up appropriately, but they never maintained their home between visits. Just last Friday, I arrived at their home and found it in perfect condition. The mom had found herself quite a bit of inner strength and decided to take charge of her household and four children. It was one of the best moments I’ve experienced this year!”"

“”I work with a kid that has emotional problems, and possibly suffers from ADD. He does not do well in class and is constantly being taken out of class for inappropriate behavior. He was not finishing his work on time. I was told that if he did not have every one of his drafts and an outline of an essay done in a week, he would not be allowed to turn it in and therefore would receive a failing grade. He worked with me for two days during his English class. On the first day he finished his outline. On the second day he finished a five-paragraph essay. He was so proud of himself that he typed his final draft that night. His essay was so good that it is displayed in the hall with some of the other children’s outstanding essays.”"

“”A youngster who seldom attended the recreation center is now showing up on a regular basis. This youngster suffers from Leukemia and must undergo treatments once a month. He said to me, ‘I’m feeling much better but the other kids still tease me about my hair loss’. I told him, ‘Hair will come and go, but your true friends, like me, don’t notice if you have hair or not’. He looked at me and said, ‘That means a lot, coming from a Bald Guy!’”"

Contact Contact person: Scott Dziura , Americorps Field Coordinator,
http://www.coloradomtn.edu/americorps

The SLATE Project s third year spanned the period from September 1, 1999 to August 31, 2000. As originally intended, the emphases in Year III were:
1) to provide technical assistance to schools, colleges and departments of education (SCDEs);
2) to enhance the knowledge base for service-learning through various research and development efforts; and
3) to disseminate information about the efficacy of service-learning in teacher education.

Action with respect to technical assistance included support of subgrantees in their respective technical assistance work, including their documentation of successes in this area, and the continuing interaction with the National Partnership for Service-Learning in Teacher Education (NSLTEP) group to seek and develop efficiencies and greater outreach.

Principal among the research and development activities were studies to determine impact of service-learning on student learning, the development of course syllabi, workshop manuals, and teaching materials for teacher education, and analyses of how service-learning may contribute to the satisfaction of national standards for beginning and experienced teachers.

The dissemination of information continued through AACTE s various means, including its newsletter, website, listservs, conferences, and collaborations with other organizations. In addition, several documents found their way into the ERIC database during Year III.

Finally, a major report on service-learning and teacher education was published jointly by AACTE and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education.

Goals and objectives, as detailed for Year II, remained the same for Year III. No changes in general intent, type and role of program participants, and subgranting process were anticipated. As in project Year II, the 6 subgrantee institutions were asked to submit their Year III plan for AACTE approval. Each of the subgrantees were continued subject to their performance in Year II, and the quality of their Year III plan. The approximate grant amount for each subgrantee was $20,700, yielding a project budget of $41,400.

The AACTE Service-Learning and Teacher Education (SLATE) project has been extended through September 2003 by the Corporation for National Service, Learn and Serve America-Higher Education.

The new, three-year effort merges the former National Service-Learning and Teacher Education Partnership (NSLTEP) with the existing SLATE project to continue providing ed schools with technical assistance in teacher education service-learning. In addition, the project will cooperate with experts in several issue areas, including accountability, diversity, technology, and character education, to develop ways in which service-learning can further educational reform efforts in these areas.

Major events during the first project year included the beginning of a nationwide assessment of the implementation of service-learning in preservice teacher education and a National Institute on Service-Learning in Teacher Education conducted as part of the AACTE 2001 Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX.

The AACTE/NSLTEP project will be implemented by AACTE project staff and teacher educators in six regional centers.

Website: http://www.aacte.org/Default.htm

For many years FSU has worked well with the school district to achieve their mutual agenda. The new agreement sets forth a “”professional development schools network”" with the intent of reforming schools, developing exemplary models for teacher and administrator preservice and inservice education, and achieving the highest quality educational results. Through the implementation of this partnership special attention and resources will be focused on the southside schools, most of which are in neighborhoods nearby the campus and most of which are lower achieving than other schools in the district.

The collaboration is managed by a highly experienced former principal reporting to the provost and is overseen by a steering committee comprised of the university presidents, superintendent, education and arts and science deans. Advice is provided by two committees broadly representing interests and disciplines: the professional development school committee and the outreach advisory committee. A needs assessment undertaken among the southside school administrators provided important guidance for the new initiative.

Early projects include establishing professional development school relationships among the College of Arts and Science, the Colleges of Education, and several “”high needs”" elementary and middle schools which focus on reading and literacy. Technology training is being provided by the university this summer to support these efforts. Several joint proposals have been written to provide resources to support the work of the partnership.

One visible example of the partnership is the mentoring program through which faculty and staff have committed to working with youngsters in southside schools. Both the FSU president and the LCS superintendent have chosen to mentor to demonstrate their support for the program.

For further information contact Dr. Laura Hassler, K-12 Initiatives Director or go to http://www.fsu.edu/~k12.

Contact: educationatiowa {at} uiowa(.)edu or call 800.553.IOWA

From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

EDEL 100, Education in a Democratic Society, offers an initial investigation into teaching and the teaching profession. The purpose of this course is “”to introduce teaching as a profession that is influenced by multiple factors including self, child, family, community, and society.”" Students participate in civic activities as a way of coming to understand children and the various conditions that influence the teaching profession. All prospective early childhood and elementary teachers take this required course.

In this service-learning course, students are required to provide a minimum of 50 hours of service in clinical field settings. Our early childhood and elementary education majors receive a variety of experiences representing a broad range of society. Their sharing during service seminars is exciting and their reflection papers are often impressive. They are being exposed to marvelous opportunities to look at the world in which our children are growing up. Through this course, most of our students expand their view of society and the civic role they can play as potential professional educators.

In teacher education, this union of service and learning is particularly important. By paving an avenue for students to reflect on how they themselves learn, service learning can help bring personal coherence to each student s understanding of pedagogical theories and practices. In addition, by immersing students in the community outside of the university or lab-school, service learning compels them to develop a broader picture of where schools and the business of education fit into the complex social and political system of American democracy.

Through these learning experiences, Ball State students explore trends which shape education in a democratic society, engage in civic activities which influence the lives of children, examine professional traits and strategies necessary for successful teaching and learning, develop an understanding of the complexities of teaching and learning, identify and reflect on personal education experiences that influence teaching practices, and begin an inquiry into the nature and aims of education in a democratic society.

Course instruction time includes activities to help students share what they are learning with others as well as to reflect on their work experiences in light of their academic studies. And through this course, Elementary Education faculty are themselves practicing service learning, renewing their interests in the themes of education and democracy, and becoming teachers of teachers for the twenty-first century.

Contact person: Lawrence Smith, Chair, Department of Elementary Education, lsmith {at} bsu(.)edu
On the web:
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1299,368~~,00.html
http://www.neiu.edu/~team/ripple/2000/miels.htm
http://www.iyi.org/press_releases/Larry.html

Website: http://www.augsburg.edu/education/s-l/

Website: http://www.mctc.mnscu.edu/utp/index.htm

Website: http://www.soe.umt.edu/grants/slate/

This year, the program was held to allow three tutoring sessions, totally sixteen weeks of tutoring. There were forty-six different students tutored. Twenty-five different community and university volunteers were recruited. ASAP has opened up service opportunities for the teacher education majors on Northern’s campus. The community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive as measured by the thank-you notes, phone calls, and comments throughout the community. The program is in its second year and still evolving. Additional volunteers will be recruited and trained next year as the program is promoted through on and off campus activities. The university students who have been involved with ASAP have learned a great deal about volunteerism and its role in community life. Both the volunteers and paid helpers have spent countless hours developing materials and working with one another to strengthen their skills, resulting in, of course, improved learning for the students in elementary school, grades 1 3.

Community Service Center web site: http://www.msun.edu/grants/csc/

Each semester approximately 75 Nazareth students who plan to become teachers devote a minimum of four hours a week to serve in the schools in which their courses take place. This is not classroom observation time or student teaching; rather, it is direct service offered by aspiring teachers to practicing teachers and their students. For example: Nazareth students may provide instructional support to small groups of children or individuals; develop materials that teachers may use in reading instruction; and help prepare students for end-of-year testing. In all contexts, the Nazareth students provide attention to children that might not be available to them in large class settings. This year students in the Learning Styles and Strategies Specialist Program provided service in 30 public schools, contributing in total more than 20,200 hours of service.

Students learn about education, children, and teaching in a variety of ways. Aspiring teachers in our inclusive teacher education program are learning the complexities of teaching children with diverse learning needs. The service the Nazareth students provide is making a difference in the lives of children by supporting their achievement and increasing opportunities for their academic success.

Perhaps the value of this program is best expressed in the words of the principal at a participating elementary school: “”I have seen first-hand the benefits of the service this program provides to young children . [The Nazareth students'] participation in 13 classrooms is directly tied to increased student achievement, and thus is a significant community service for our learning community . The students in the Nazareth program are learning the complex role of teacher, while modeling good citizenship for our students. They often spend more time in classrooms than is expected of them, and are aware of the important role they play in the lives of young learners. The program is a model of school/community partnership, and deserves to be honored for its focus on community service as an integral component of higher education.”"

Nazareth Education Department web site: http://www.naz.edu/dept/education/

SUNY’s plan calls for 15 campus coordinators, a full-time liaison with the New York City Borad of Educaiton, and $162,000 in subsidies to house student teachers 9abiyt $300 per semester). SUNY estimates the total cost of the urban center at about $1.1 million.

Sophomore Year: In their intermediate courses (e.g. EDC 204, 218, etc ), the focus is on learning processes. Students should spend most of their weekly hours after some initial observations tutoring students one-on-one or in small groups.

Website: http://www.lasalle.edu/academ/educ/contact.htm

Contact: lynnryan {at} providence(.)edu
?Tel:(401) 865-2121? Fax:(401) 865-2057