California
From Service-Learning Wiki
Through the CalServe Initiative, the California Department of Education supports a Statewide Regional Service-Learning Lead Infrastructure and over 45 district-wide school-community partnerships that annually involve over 130,000 students and approximately 15,000 adult volunteers in service-learning in urban, rural and suburban communities throughout the state.
Contents |
History
In 1994, California shifted Learn and Serve America grants from individual schools to district-wide proposals. Reinforcing the importance of this strategy, the 1996 state evaluation study of RPP International determined that service-learning had a positive impact on student learning. It also found that few schools were embracing service-learning as a way to realize school-wide goals. As a follow-up to the study, CalServe began to build a regional infrastructure of support.
In 1998, the Superintendent's Service-Learning Task Force brought together a diverse group of 29 California educators, students, researchers, and representatives of nonprofit organizations and businesses experienced in service-learning. Recommendations included shifting to an emphasis on district-level implementation, including support for local service-learning advisory committees; linking service-learning to state and local standards, assessments, and accountability tools; mobilizing partners; and strengthening youth voice. From 1998-20002, seven school districts in California participated in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Learning In Deed national service-learning demonstration program, strengthening practice and policy at the district level.
Under a contract from the CalServe Initiative, the University of California at Berkeley's Service-Learning Research and Development Center conducted a three-year study of 35 K-12 district-wide service-learning partnerships between 1997 and 2000. Their report recommended specific steps at the state and local level to ensure high-quality practice, support sustainability and institutionalization of service-learning, and strengthen local evaluation methods.
In 2000, the University of California at Berkeley's Service-Learning Research and Development Center reported on th viability of various approaches for advancing K-12 service-learning in teacher education. Based on this research, California is implementing a plan to strengthen service-learning instruction in teacher preparation programs.
Networks of Support
CalServe partnered with the nonprofit Youth Service California to support California’s Regional Service-Learning Network Program. Twelve Regional Service-Learning Networks were established to build statewide capacity for service-learning. Each region hosts trainings and facilitates collaboration among the region’s key stakeholders.
In September 2007 the California Department of Education launched the California Service-Learning Leaders Schools Award Program, recognizing schools for service-learning excellence and program sustainability. The awards will be presented at the annual California Service-Learning Leadership Institute hosted by YSCal and the CalServe Initiative. Service-learning leaders and practitioners from throughout the state will focus on how to develop policy, deepen practice, and implement strategies increasing their organizations capacity to support and sustain service-learning.
Convening and Celebrating
California established an official state holiday to honor Latino labor leader César E. Chávez and promote service to communities. Curriculum for Chávez Day is on the CalServe website. Youth Service California also makes small grants available for Chávez Day projects.
California hosted the National Service-Learning Conference in 1999 (San Jose), 2005 (Long Beach), and 2010 (San Jose).
Empowering Youth
Project CATALYST — California Taking Action for Learning through Youth Service Teams — is a statewide network of 28 service-learning youth ambassadors supported by YSCal. Operating through the state’s regional infrastructure, Youth Ambassadors promote service-learning to their peers, communities, and the media.
Afterschool
The California Afterschool Service-Learning program was launched in 2003 to strengthen out-of-school time programs. It focuses on seven communities with high concentrations of low-socioeconomic status populations. Young people who participated in the program scored above California norms on measures of external and internal assets as measured by the California Healthy Kids Survey.[1]
In 2006 YSCal published Service-Learning in Afterschool Programs: Resources for Afterschool Educators and expanded their afterschool programming work through the management of the State Commission’s Cesar Chavez After School Program. During the past year, seventy-five Cesar Chavez afterschool clubs have been opened across the state.
Policy Support
A statewide focus on standards has placed additional emphasis on the learning in service-learning, increasingly seen as a way to improve cross-curricular integration. Jack O’Connell, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction notes, “Successful schools all over our state are combining academic standards with service-learning in projects that teach the value of giving back and importance of engaging in the broader community.”
The updated California School Boards Association service-learning policy urges implementation of service-learning as an instructional method at the district level and includes optional language for school boards choosing to require community service as a condition of graduation. This boiler-plate policy language coincides with the California Department of Education’s vision that 50 percent of all districts involve students in a service-learning experience at least once in elementary, middle, and high school.[2] Page xx of this volume describes the Los Angeles Unified School District’s experience with their requirement that students complete a core curriculum course that includes a district-approved service-learning component.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles schools have required service-learning for all high school graduates since 2007.
Learn and Serve
Through funding provided by Learn and Serve America, the California Department of Education’s CalServe Initiative supports school and community service-learning programs involving over 200,000 students each year. A statewide study of CalServe programs reported 83 percent of students met or exceeded academic content standards delivered through service-learning activities.[3]
Youth Contributions
This section is in need of expansion. You can help by expanding it.
Examples of Quality Service-Learning
References
- ^ California Department of Education. (May, 2007). CalServe Initiative Fact Sheet. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education.
- ^ California School Boards Association. (March, 2007). CDE Urges Service Learning to Support Academics. Governance and Policy Services News. Retrieved October 12, 2007 from http://www.csba.org/ps/GPS_news3_07.pdf.
- ^ McCarthy, E. (2007). The Effectiveness of Service-Learning in Afterschool Programs.
- Cairn, Rich and Neal, Marybeth. 2004. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2004. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
- Schultz, Nate. 2008. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2008. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
External Links
- Learn and Serve America in California
- National Service in California (Corporation for National and Community Service)
- CalServe Initiative
- Youth Service California
- California Volunteers (Office of the Governor)
- California Campus Compact
| States and Territories of the United States | |
| States | Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado - Connecticut - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana - Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Mississippi - Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey - New Mexico - New York - North Carolina - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma - Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee - Texas - Utah - Vermont - Virginia - Washington - West Virginia - Wisconsin - Wyoming |
| Federal District | District of Columbia |
| Territories | American Samoa - Guam - Northern Mariana Islands - Puerto Rico - Virgin Islands |
| view - edit | |
