---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 30 May 97 14:57:00 EDT
From: "Roberts, Beverly" <BRoberts@cns.gov>
Enclosed please find a copy of the one-page description of the interim
report produced by Brandeis University and Abt Associates for the
Corporation for National Service on service-learning. The report has been
praised and quoted by both the President and the First Lady (see the
National Service News for more information) and will be an important tool
as we move forward to institutionalize service-learning.
Thank-you for your work in helping to produce the programs that make
these kind of wonderful results possible. Without the pioneers and
dedicated core of professionals to build, guide, and refine our
partnerships with youth the field would not be where we are today. We
need to all take a few moments to reflect, *celebrate* and redouble our
commitment to top quality service-learning.
Thanks again,
The Office of Learn and Serve America
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SERVICE-LEARNING LEADS TO POSITIVE RESULTS
Well-designed service-learning programs can strengthen civic attitudes,
promote volunteer activity, and improve learning in young people
according to a three-year national evaluation of the federally-funded
Learn and Serve America program. These are the findings from an interim
report submitted to the Corporation for National Service by Brandeis
University's Center for Human Resources and Abt Associates Inc. Learn
and Serve America is a federally-funded program administered by the
Corporation for National Service that supports school and community-based
efforts to involve school-aged youth in community service.
The Learn and Serve evaluation is studying the impact of service-learning
programs in 7 middle schools and 10 high schools in nine states. The
programs in the study were selected to represent well-designed,
"fully-implemented" service-learning programs. All are school-based
programs that involve students in regular volunteer service (an average
of 77 hours per student) linked to written and oral discussion (called
reflection) and a formal course curriculum.
The interim report details the program impacts for students who
participated during the 1995-96 academic year. The final report for the
evaluation will examine longer-term, follow-up impacts and will be
completed in early 1998. Major findings to date include the following:
The Learn and Serve program had a positive impact on the civic
development of program participants. Participants scored significantly
higher on measures of personal and social responsibility, acceptance of
cultural diversity, and service leadership than a comparison group of
students in the study.
The Learn and Serve program had a positive impact on measures of
educational engagement, aspirations, and achievement. Service-learning
participants had higher grades in Social Studies, Math and Science, were
more likely to want to go to a four year college, and rated their school
experience more positively than a group of comparison students. The
positive impact on school grades was particularly strong for middle
school students, with a 16% difference in core Grade Point Average (the
average of English, Math, Social Studies and Science grades), a 25%
difference in math grades, and a nearly 30% difference in social studies
grades.
Service-learning programs benefited a wide range of youth. White and
minority students, males and females, educationally and economically
disadvantaged students all showed positive impacts. Students with
previous involvement in service also continued to benefit from
involvement in a formal service-learning program.
The Learn and Serve programs also received positive assessments from the
students who participated in the local programs and from the community
agencies that they served. More than 95% of the students reported that
they were satisfied with their community service experience. 99% of the
community agencies where students provided service rated their overall
experience with the program as "good" or "excellent".
For more information on the Learn and Serve evaluation, contact Chuck
Helfer at 202-606-5000, extension 248.