a presentation for the sacramento county office of education february 4, 2010

Supporting the Transition of Students with Emotional/

Behavioral Disorders to Adulthood Using Service-Learning

ProgramsA Presentation for the

Sacramento County Office of Education

February 4, 2010Howard S. Muscott, Ed.D., Director,

www.nhcebis.seresc.net

603-206-6891; [email protected]

http://www.nhcebis.seresc.net/

mailto:[email protected]

Creating a Curriculum for Caring Agenda

1. The dream and the nightmare2. Effective transition strategies3. What is service-learning?4. What are the best practice principles?5. Why use it with students with ED?6. What types of projects are possible?7. What are the challenges to involving

students with challenging behavior?8. How do I get started?9. Next Steps

The Dream for Students with Emotional/Behavioral

DisordersWhat is the dream for students with EBD and

how different is it for them than typical peers or those with other types

of disabilities?

The Dream for Students with Emotional/Behavioral

DisordersStudents with EBD and their

families have dreams for a smooth transition to adulthood that results in a high quality of life including independent living, the opportunity for higher education, paid and satisfying work, varied and interesting recreational activities and positive and fulfilling relationships with peers and significant others

Is this any different for you?

Check all that apply Independent Living?The opportunity for higher

education? Well paid work? Satisfying work? Interesting recreational activities? Fulfilling relationships with peers? Fulfilling relationships with a

significant other?

The Dream In IDEA 2004

Ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.

Youth with EBD are the most likely youth with disabilities to be out of secondary school, with 44% of those leaving school without finishing, the highest dropout rate of any disability category.

School completers with EBD are among the least likely to have graduated with a regular diploma.

Only about one in five have been enrolled in any kind of postsecondary education, indicating that few youth in this category are getting the education that might help them find and hold better and more stable jobs.

The Nightmare: Educational Outcomes

The Nightmare: Housing Outcomes

Thirty-five percent of youth with EBD no longer live with parents, the largest of any category of youth with disabilities.

They are the only disability group to show a significant increase in the likelihood of living in “other” arrangements, including in criminal justice or mental health facilities, under legal guardianship, in foster care, or on the street.

Youth with EBD have experienced the largest increase in their rate of parenting; 11% report having had or fathered a child, a 10% increase from previous report.

The Nightmare: Community Engagement Outcomes

One-third of youth with EBD have not found a way to become engaged in their community.

For those who have, employment is the usual mode of engagement.

Although more than 6 in 10 have been employed at some time, only about half as many are working currently, attesting to the difficulty many have in keeping a job.

The Nightmare: Community Engagement

Outcomes Youth with EBD are by far the most likely to be rated by parents as having low social skills.

They are among the least likely to take part in prosocial organized community groups or volunteer activities or to be registered to vote.

More than three-fourths have been stopped by police other than for a traffic violation.

58% have been arrested at least once and 43% have been on probation or parole.

The Nightmare: Problems at School and in the

Community Almost 9 in 10 youth with ED had either been in disciplinary trouble at school, fired from a job, or arrested. by the time they had been out of secondary school up to 2 years.

This is the highest rate of any disability category.

Understanding the Gap Between the Dream and the

Nightmare

What causes the nightmares?

Why do students with EBD have so much trouble

obtaining the dream?

What Causes the Nightmare?

Lane and Carter (2006)1. Students with EBD have deficits

in social skill which lead to maladaptive relationships with adults and peers1. Limited prosocial interactions2. Misinterpretations of neutral social

cues as hostile3. Behavior patterns that impede

teachers’ abilities to conduct instruction effectively


Lane and Carter (2006)

2. Students with EBD have academic deficits and performance levels that are substantially lower than typical peers and those of peers without disabilities

Academic Characteristics of

Students with EBDIn comparison to typical students,

exhibit moderate to severe, broad academic deficits (reading, math, science, social studies)

In comparison to students with LD an MR, exhibit greater academic deficits

These deficits appear to be stable or even worsen over time which is not true of students with LD


Lane and Carter (2006)3. Students with EBD have deficits in critical vocational, and self-determination skills that are essential to obtaining and maintaining employment

Bridging the Gap and Accessing the Dream Requires that Students

with EBD Get the educational supports and

services they need to succeedGet evidenced-based instruction

and programmingBuild relationships with educators

they value who can keep them from becoming alienated from the educational experience

Stay engaged in “school”

Bridging the Gap and Accessing the Dream Requires that Students with

EBD Get Lane and Carter (2006)

1. Increased access to empirically validated academic interventions for students with EBD at the high school level;

2. Increased access to meaningful vocational, career exploration, and other meaningful curricular opportunities;

3. Sufficient coordinated supports to successfully transition adolescents to adult life; and

4. Increased support for family participation in transition planning.

1. Empirically Validated Academic Interventions at the Secondary Level“Poor academic performance pushes studentsto drop out of school, hinders access to postsecondary education opportunities, and restricts later employment and careeropportunities. Equipping students with basic academic skills should be an essentialcomponent of secondary educational servicesfor many youth with EBD, enabling them toobtain a high school diploma, move beyondentry-level jobs, and pursue a college degree.”

Research on Academic Interventions Lane (2004)

Extremely limited number of studies Studies have produced promising results,

as evidenced by improved early literacy skills, computational skills, and spelling.

Some evidence exists to suggest improved academic competence is associated with improved social and behavioral outcomes

However, research is characterized by key limitations (unclear populations, breadth of students, content scope, and replication, limited design features, reporting features).

2. Increased Access to Meaningful Vocational Training and Career Exploration Broaden the curricular and non-curricular

options available and provide a more functional curriculumEmphasize vocational education and

job-training experiences including paid work experiences and internships

Provide instruction in transition and self-determination skills

Provide service learning opportunities and mentoring programs.

3. Sufficient Support AcrossPostsecondary Transitions

When moving from a public education system based on entitlement to an adult service system based on eligibility

Youth with EBD access few, if any, formal services and supports

They typically have limited awareness of available community services, and

Are reluctance to self-identify as having a disability due to the stigma

4. Enhanced Partnerships with andSupports for FamiliesEnsuring that families are connected

with the information, resources, and training they need to be equipped as advocates for their children;

Understanding and harnessing the formal and informal supports available to and valued by families, especially those from culturally and economically diverse backgrounds; and

Providing direct support to families using approaches that are responsive to their individual and often changing needs.

Effective Transition Strategies for

Students with EBD

Mentoring

SchoolCommunity Agencies

and Businesses

Transition and Behavior Plan in

IEP

Personal Futures/Person-Centered

Planning

Innovative Curriculum

Student and Family

Innovative Vocational Placements

Service Coordination

through Wraparound

Muscott (2007)

Transition-Related Social

Skills

Effective Transition Strategies for

Students with EBD

Innovative Curriculum

Student and Family

Community Agencies and BusinessesSchool

Muscott (2007)



Bullis and Cheney (1999)There is a delicate balance between

providing an individual with EBD a desired job placement and, at the same time, monitoring and supporting that placement

Goals include Ensuring the safety of others Affording the individual the learning

experience and dignity of working in as unstructured and natural arrangement as possible

Providing appropriate and unobtrusive support and assistance to the employer or work supervisor.


Bullis and Cheney (1999)InternshipsApprenticeshipsPaid experiencesConnected to classroom instruction and associated with high school credit

Reasons for Accepting Young Adults with EBD in

Job PlacementsBullis and Cheney (1999)

They want to offer assistance to someone in need, providing a service to the community (Empathy)

They are impressed with the staff person who made the job development contact, or (Respect, Trust and Relationship)

They had positive experience with other such programs in the past (Success)

Innovative Curricular Options

Flexible policies and approaches for earning course credit for degree completion (regular diploma, GED, adult education degrees)In high school, technical collegeIn the community (Service Learning)

On the job

“I was taught that the world had a lot of problems; that I could struggle and change them; that intellectual and material gifts brought the privilege and responsibility of sharing with others less fortunate; and that service is the rent each of us pays for living -- the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time or after you have reached your personal goals.”

Marian Wright Edelman

Service LearningMuscott(2006)

Service-learning can be defined as a method of instruction by which students participate in service programs that meet both community needs and the learning needs of the students themselves.

Characteristics of Service Learning

Zlotkowski (1993) 1. Direct experiences working

with communities in need and/or organizations that promote the public good,

2. Reflection on the experience, and

3. Planned reciprocity of learning and benefits.

Service-LearningNational Service Act (1993)

Is a method under which students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully designed service experiences that meet actual community needs and that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community;

That is integrated into the students' academic curriculum and provides structured time for a student to think, talk, or write about what the student did and saw during the actual service activity;

That provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities.

That enhances what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community and helps to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.

Service-LearningNational Service Act (1993)

Service Learning and Vocational Education

“Service-Learning is a way of combining the methods of experiential education with the needs of society. It is serving and learning, and it is a way of creating the world. Young people need real employment and real service opportunities -- and communities need genuine work and service accomplished.” (J.C. Kielsmeier, 1986)

Characteristics of Best Practice S-L Projects

Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform (1995)

1. Meet actual community needs;

2. Are coordinated in collaboration with school and community;

3. Are integrated into each student’s academic curriculum;

4. Provide structured time for the student to reflect on the service-learning experience through thinking, talking, or writing about it.

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning

Porter Honnet & Poulsen (1990) An effective service-learning program: (1) engages people in responsible and

challenging actions for the common good; (2) provides structured opportunities for

people to reflect critically on their service experience;

(3) articulates clear service and learning goals for everyone involved;

(4) allows for those with needs to define those needs;

(5) clarifies the responsibilities of each person and organization involved;

Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and Learning

(6) matches service providers and service needs through a process that recognizes changing circumstances;

(7) expects genuine, active, and sustained organizational commitment;

(8) includes training, supervision, monitoring, support, recognition, and evaluation to meet service and learning goals;

(9) insures that the time commitment for service and learning is flexible, appropriate, and in the best interest of all involved; and

(10) is committed to program participation by and with diverse populations.

“Our answer is the world’s hope: it is to rely on youth. . . . This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, or the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.”

Robert F. Kennedy

Why Use Service

Learning with Students with

EBD?

Rationale for Service-Learning and Students with Emotional Disturbance

Muscott (2006)1. SL has already been integrated

successfully as an evidence-based practice in general education.

32% of all public schools and nearly ½ of all high schools organized SL as part of the academic curriculum, with 53% reporting mandatory participation. (Skinner & Chapman, 1999)

There is abundant evidence that SL is an effective practice for improving the cognitive and academic achievement, social and personal responsibility, and social development of K-12 students (Cohen, Kulik, & Kulik, 1982; Conrad, 1991; Conrad & Hedin, 1989; Giles & Eyler, 1994; Root, 1997).


Muscott (2006)

2. Service-Learning is designed to create a partnership among participants in which all parties take ownership for the process and outcomes.

1. Instead of viewing themselves as service providers helping the needy, students involved in SL programs are taught to view themselves as learning partners and active participants, learning themselves as they assist others to learn.


Muscott (2006)

This change in focus to student ownership and empowerment may help to overcome an emphasis on a "curriculum of control" focused on obedience and compliance (Knitzer et al., 1990) to that of a "reclaiming environment.”


Muscott (2006) A Reclaiming Environment

promotes attachment, achievement, autonomy, and altruism in children and youth whose life histories have been characterized by destructive relationships, climates of futility, learned irresponsibility, and the loss of purpose (Brendtro et al., 1990).


Muscott (2006)

Restoring value and competence to alienated and discouraged children will require an educational environment that includes Service-Learning activities designed to promote caring as an antidote to narcissism and irresponsibility.


Muscott (2006)

3. SL addresses teachers’ frequently voiced concern that students with ED are not motivated to learn or complete schoolwork, particularly in areas in which their interest level is low or they are performing below grade level.


Muscott (2006) Service-learning combines analysis,

application, and evaluation in an effort to integrate active service with academic reflection.

It is designed to be experiential learning which tests students' higher order thinking skills while deepening their understanding of the subject matter, their community, and selves.


Muscott (2006)

These qualities are particularly attractive to students with ED who frequently resist traditional learning approaches, thrive on active, experiential and analytical “brain-friendly” learning experiences and require active reflection to make sense of those experiences (Brendtro et al., 1990).


Muscott (2006)

4. SL is a strength-based intervention.

Students with ED are frequently the recipients of other people’s generosity (Ioele & Dolan, 1993)

View themselves as “damaged goods” (O’Flanagan, 1997), and

Rarely have structured opportunities to change either their own or other people’s negative perceptions of them.


Muscott (2006) Despite their limitations, students with

ED also have strengths and gifts to share with others.

Service-Learning offers an opportunity forthese students to share those gifts whilesimultaneously helping them practice social, communication, academic, and vocational skills in applied settings.


Muscott (2006)SL programs are strength-based and

designed to be experiential, practical, and connected to the real world, and can accomplish three important goals for these students:

(1) Promote self-esteem and self-worth through the successful completion of programs that have social importance;

(2) Engage disenfranchised students in school-related activities and curriculum; and;

(3) Reframe other’s pessimistic views of their worth and ability to contribute to society.


Muscott (2006)

5. There is the emerging research base in the area of Service-Learning and students with ED that supports cautious optimism that SL holds promise as an effective method of instruction for students with challenging behavior

Research Findings on Service Learning Programs Involving

Students with EBD Muscott (2000)11 programs in literature

3 broad categoriesBroad-based, specific project-based,

and complex, multi-levelPrograms at every almost

level of continuumBroad-based and specific

project-based predominatedDirect and indirect

predominated


Muscott (2006) There is consistent evidence to

support the conclusion that students with EBD benefited to some degree from participation in these programs.

Individual students and their teachers were extremely satisfied with these programs.

Students felt empowered by the experience of providing direct or indirect service to members of the community.

Research Findings on Service Learning Programs Involving

Students with EBD Muscott (2000)Qualitative rather than quantitative

researchMostly descriptive, anecdotal informationLimited information about methodologyLimited use of pre-post and comparison

groups in design It will take stronger evidence and more

rigorous research to match the anecdotal reports and qualitative studies that suggested service-learning had positive impacts on academic and cognitive, civic, social, and moral, and/or personality development.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

Types of Service Learning Projects

Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)

1. Direct service2. Indirect service3. Advocacy

Direct Service Learning Projects


Students engage in face-to-face interactions with the people being served at either the service site or elsewhere in the community.

Direct Service Learning Projects

Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)TutoringMentoringVisiting/Performing

Senior citizen housingGroup homes for people with disabilities,

Children in hospitals

Love cannot remain by itself -- it has no meaning.

Love has to be put into action and that action is service.

Mother Teresa

Start with Art ProgramMurry (2001)

16 year old Hispanic adolescent with EBD

Lived with alcoholic father abandoned by mother

Many behavior problems and had been incarcerated

Attended alternative high school in CO with a 60% dropout rate

Start with Art Program Murry (2001)

An early childhood development program for low-income children and their families.

Gabriel’s SL experience consisted of helping the lead teacher make three videos that would help parents understand early learning.

He translated them into SpanishThe workshops emphasized art

education, such as story telling, drawing, dancing, and how to teach young children through art activities.

Aerosol is Not Gang ArtGabriel’s StoryMurry (2001)

"I have never thought that I would able to translate and speak in front of many people. From this experience, I learned that anything is possible if there is a chance to try. I don't know if my translation is all up to what a professional would do or not, but at least I have tried my best. Service-Learning gave me a chance to learn outside the classroom. The lessons I have had through service-learning will benefit my personality and future career. Service-Learning is an effective teaching way because students are able to learn while they are providing services to others.”


“It is like what Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Tell me and forget; Teach me and I remember; Involve me and I learn.’ I was hired to aerosol that saying on the wall of a school that does mechanics and construction stuff mostly. They paid me more than I asked for. From service-learning, I found out about my weaknesses and abilities through overcoming difficulties and fulfilling my supervisor's requirements. I overcame my problems of lacking confidence, avoiding expressing my feelings and being afraid to try new things.”


“From the "Start With Art" program, I learned the importance of art education for children. From the older Hispanic lady I met, I learned that one's personality can be improved by gaining more experience. I learned more than I gave. I developed more self-confidence when I was able to show responsibilities, and I am doing what I really huff off on."

A national demonstration SL program supported by CICA collaborative partnership between Rivier College and schools in the local community

–Dr. Crisp, Sunset Heights, Presentation of Mary Academy, Nashua High School, Bishop Guertin High School

The 15-week after school program is designed to teach elementary and middle school students, social skills and attitudes that will build character and enhance citizenship

SO Prepared for CitizenshipMuscott (2001)

The primary recipients are students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and other disabilities, and students at-risk for school failure due to behavior problems

Non-disabled students & gifted and talented students participate

Faculty and families from the schools nominate students who would benefit from character education programming and a relationship with a high school or college student

SO Prepared for Citizenship

Muscott (2001)

Students from Nashua and Bishop Guertin High Schools and Rivier College serve as mentors for the children and run the program

In seven years, more than 200 children and over 240 high school and college students have participated

Program evaluation revealed students gained knowledge in character education & perceived the program to be about fun, friendship, and learning.

HS and College students showed growth in skills and knowledge

The Adventure of Service (2007)The Academy For Learning High

School Alternative public high school serving

youth from urban Chicago Students who are not experiencing

success in their home high school SL for 10 years Help at food pantries, elementary

schools, a day care, a junior high school, and do home repairs for senior citizens

Connected to Personal & Social Responsibility class

The Academy For Learning High School: SL Activities

Direct service every other week at Pace Jr. High School with at-risk students

Academy HS students facilitated experiential education challenge activities to assist the junior high students in learning communication skills and how to work together.

HS students chose activity, planned, facilitated and processed the activity with MS students

The Academy For Learning High School: SL Reflection

Martell – Senior who mentored for 3 years

Advice: “I would tell them to stay cool and not lose their head when the teacher tells them something they don't like. I would also tell them to not let the other kids pull them into negative behaviors. I encouraged them to work hard in school and to never give up.”

The Academy For Learning High School: SL Reflection

Changed You: “I have become more mature and a much better mentor. I saw they were doing the same stuff that I did at their age, so I tried to direct them to a different path. By doing the teambuilding activities with them, I became a leader because it made me think about myself, that I needed to calm down too.”

Indirect Service-Learning Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)

Indirect approaches involve experiences that address a community need but where the service providers and the recipients of service are physically distant from one another.

Writing letters to incarcerated individuals or people in hospitals, nursing homes, etc.

Providing recreational materials for people who are hospitalized

Raising money for a family in need in the local community or abroad (Haiti).

Beautification projectsRecycling projectsPreparing mealsBuilding activities

Indirect Service-Learning Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)

The Get Better Card ProjectHagood Elementary SchoolEmery and Richardson Turpin (1996)

Indirect service Design cards, sayings, and contentDrafts and rewrites

Dear Friend:I feel happy when I make cards. I hope that my

cards are making you feel good. You have more friends now and so do I. I hope you stay well. Stay cool. Stay calm.

Your friend,Charlie

Give Water a Hand ProjectUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Environmental Resources Center McCarty & Hazelkorn (2001)Middle school boys with EBD at

two different public schoolsSupported mainstream classesOne period with special

education for science or social studies

Created water mapsClear streamsMarked drains

Service Learning at DisciplinaryAlternative Education Program in SW

Nelson & Eckstein (2008) Students in grades six through 12

placed in a DAEP as a result of engaging in infractions at school

These infractions ranged from alcohol use and drug possession to offenses against others such as assault and threats

Students who were placed in DAEPs were coded "at-risk" in the, state's Public Information Education Management System (PEIMS)

Service Learning at DisciplinaryAlternative Education Program

in SW The DAEPs in one state were funded through

the Title IV Community Service Grant Money was provided for personnel, capital

outlay, materials for service-learning projects, and travel.

Ideas were generated by students Students competed for the grant money Students wrote proposals for funding for

projects stemming from their own particular community interests and concerns.

Steps in Service Learning at Disciplinary

Alternative Education Program in SW

1. The opportunity to receive funding for service projects was announced to all students at one DAEP in a large school district in the southwest.

2. All teachers at the school received training regarding service learning and the grant writing model, and the grant facilitators encouraged every teacher to participate.


in SW3. Teachers and staff assisted

students as they generated ideas about projects they would like to have funded.

The teachers and staff encouraged the students, gave them class time to work on the grant proposals, and guided students through the grant writing.


in SW4. Students completed a checklist

about various social and environmental issuesThe environment, elder care, drug and

alcohol prevention, violence prevention, tobacco prevention, school safety, child safety, teen health issues, neighborhood safety, animal care, and the homeless.

From this overall list of concerns, students identified their top three concerns.


in SW5. The teachers grouped students

based on similar interests.Students then discussed and

formulated ideas for the projects they wanted to have funded. Researching their topicsContacting potential community partners

Establishing goals and objectives


in SW6. Students completed grant proposals:

Detailed description of the projectRationale for completing the project citing the research they had done

Community partners who would be included in the project

Steps for completing the projectTimelineDetailed budget


in SW7. Students gave presentations to class8. After the proposals were finalized,

the students made presentations to the Service-Learning Advisory Board

9. The Service-Learning Advisory Board voted to "fund" two projectsThe students whose projects were not awarded funding joined the two funded groups.


in SW2 projects were funded at $10,000Construction of a playground at the new

Salvation Army Boys' and Girls' ClubRenovation of a nearby neighborhood

park, which had fallen to disrepair Students designed the playground and

the park renovation, brokered businesses for services, and did most of the labor on Saturdays during 2004-05


in SW Study conducted by RMC Research Corp

(2005) Researchers identified positive outcomes in

students in DAEP programs across the state involved in the Title IV Service-Learning Grant

Outcomes for service-learning included students who were "more likely to value school, he engaged in school, be disposed to being civically engaged, have civic skills, and have favorable attitudes toward people with different cultural backgrounds than students who did not participate in service-learning at the alternative schools."

Advocacy approaches are aimed at increasing public awareness of a problem or issue effecting individuals, the community, or the nation as a whole.

They are sometimes considered a sub-category of indirect approaches in that they frequently don't involve direct contact between the participants.

Advocacy Service-Learning


Advocacy Service-Learning

Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)Speaking, performing, or lobbying

for equal rights for minorities, the disabled, or women

Getting adequate school funding for the arts

Getting out the vote among 18-21 year old young adults

Lobbying city council for a skateboard park

Student Leadership TeamsPBIS-NH & Main Street

Academix

PBIS-NH & Main Street Academix

Safe Measures Program (www.msanh.com) Raymond HS Student

Leadership Program

"We are determined to create a level of respect in our school that goes beyond today's formal boundaries and reaches every student, teacher and staff member of RHS."

http://www.msanh.com/

Safe Measures™: A Student-Led, Collaborative Action Research

Process(1) Initial design meeting with principal and

PBIS universal leadership team (2) Orientation for students and mentors, (3) Collection of school climate data based on

action research, (4) Student and faculty data analysis and

action planning workshop, (5) On-going implementation of projects, and (6) Student leader presentations to teachers,

peers, superintendent, and school board

Main Street Academix: Safe Measures Program

(www.msanh.com) Woodsville HS Bullying and

Harassment Prevention

http://www.msanh.com/

PBIS-NH and Somersworth HS

S-Cubed: Somersworth Social Skills

12:15

Peers as Social Coaches

Combination Projects

Many school programs provide a variety of direct and indirect projects to meet the needs of the community while focusing on student strengths and minimizing barriers

Service-Learning ProjectsRockwell (1997)

1. Books for young children2. Instructional games3. Cards for the elderly4. Gardening or Landscaping5. Piggybacking with local community-

service projects6. Special services7. Gift-making8. Models and large displays9. Special food items10.Business services

Therapeutic Learning CenterWentzville IV School District Missouri

Frey (2001)Senior citizen

grounds Community

centerResident

GardensErrand runningCurriculum

ConnectionLandscaping

Soil types, plants and flowers

MeasuringPrice

comparisonsThe elderlyCitizenshipSelf-

improvement

Starr Commonwealth Service-Learning Projects

Preparing a house or yard for a new refugee family

Bringing toys to welcome the childrenUsing money saved as the result of

less vandalism in the school to buy canned goods for needy families

Putting on rhythm band concerts at a camp for students who are mentally retarded

Painting bridges in a city park

Starr Commonwealth Service-Learning Projects

Gathering flowers the day after Mother’s Day and redistributing them to residents of nursing homes

Chopping firewood for family with lots of children and a father who was disabled

Rebuilding a burned out picnic shelter at a

Campfire Girl’s campground Working in the “Sitting Tall” program of

horsemanship with students with physical disabilities

Clown performances for young children

HOME ProgramSyd Lash AcademyLibertyville, Illinois

Painted community room of the Civic Center

Adopted a roadHelped build a Habitat HomeRaked leaves in a trailer parkMade handcrafted items to sell and donate

to charityMade items (Velcro boards, bean toss

boards) for children at special schoolWorked with students with severe

disabilities at special schoolInstituted Meals on Wheels

A Gift Given and ReceivedStephenie Woods

“The job I have this summer is unlike the jobs most kids have. A lot of people my age might be working at movie theatres or restaurants or at Six Flags. I work at Laremont School. Laremont is a place dedicated to teaching and caring for children of various ages with mental and physical disabilities.”


“The children I work with are moderately to severely mentally handicapped adolescents, and all of them are very sweet. Three of them are in wheelchairs, two of which are severely visually impaired. At first, I didn’t really try to get to know any of them. I felt sympathy for them, and I wanted to help them, but I was a 1itt1e afraid to get too emotional1y bonded to them. A few days into the program, however, my attention was s1owly drawn to an active, curious boy named Alex.”

A Gift Given and Received Stephenie Woods

“He is a very sweet boy and shows his affection often. Sometimes while I sit next to him, playing with him or talking to him, he puts his hand on my arm and makes eye contact with me for a second, giving me a playful smile. Other times he wraps his arms around my neck and pulls me so close to him my nose touches his, so he can see me clearly. At the end of the day after I put on his harness and give him his backpack, he tugs on my shirt until I kneel down and look at him. He puts his hand on my neck and kisses my cheek before letting go of me and walking away. Affection is obviously something he's learned and comprehends to a certain extent, and even though be may not remember doing it later, at that moment he's telling me he cares about me.”


“This is what really fuels my desire to work at Laremont. Knowing that I am making a difference in that person’s life, even if it's only for a few hours of the day, a few days of the week, I was still there for them when they needed me. That makes me feel really good inside. I only wish Alex cou1d know the incredible gift he’s given me this summer.”

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.

Winston Churchill

Four Corners ActivityWhat are the Challenges to

Implementing Service-Learning Programs at your

School?Logistical, Fiscal, Staff,

Students?

Challenges to Implementing Service-Learning with Students with Behavioral

Disorders

Learned to view hurting behavior as fashionable while helping or being 'nice' to others is seen as a sign of weakness

Frequently search for self-worth by concentrating on what they can purchase, manipulate or bargain for instead of finding ways to be of value to others

Challenges to Implementing Service-Learning with Students with Behavioral

Disorders

Initial tendencies to think in terms of self, rather than service to others

Limited social skills, particularly in the context of cooperative group activities

High needs for structure

A Framework for Organizing School-Based ProgramsHedin and Conrad (1990)

Club or Co-curricular ActivityVolunteer ClearinghouseCommunity Service Credit“Lab” for Existing CoursesCommunity Service ClassSchool-wide Focus or Theme

Vocational Education

How to Get Started in Service Learning

Sylvia Rockwell (1997)1. Assess your own likes, dislikes, interests,

and needs.2. Generate a list of possible personal, school,

and community resources.3. Assess your students’ likes, dislikes,

interests, and needs.4. Establish initial limits on the time available

for the project.5. Determine the level of integration with

academic content desired.6. Discuss possible policy issues with an

administrator.7. Brainstorm ideas with the class.

How to Get Started in Service Learning

Sylvia Rockwell (1997)8. Conduct an interest survey with

the targeted population.9. Advertise.10. Walk the class through the

planning process.11. Invite business representatives

to the classroom.12. Involve students in the

assessment process.13. Have students develop

portfolios.14. Share your success with others.

Practical Strategies for Starting Service-Learning Projects with

Students with EDMuscott (2006)1. Starting small and simple including

beginning with programs that take place in the school, on school grounds or close by. Less complex programs have a greater chance of success and allow you the opportunity to get the bugs out.

2. Identifying indirect, rather than direct or advocacy programs. Examples include making instructional materials for other students, books for young children, or refurbishing toys for hospitalized children.


Students with EDMuscott (2006)

3. Highlighting short-term programs with lots of preparation in advance of implementation. Examples include gardening or landscaping or murals.

4. Proposing programs that are of high interest to students. Students who are more interested in sports, art, videotaping, carpentry, etc. would benefit from programs that include these elements.



5. Allowing students to choose among several programs. Having multiple community partners visit the class and pitch their site to the students is an empowering approach.

6. Matching students’ talents to specific project roles. Programs should allow students who are more verbal, those who prefer drawing, those who like to work with their hands, etc. to use those talents in the program.



7. Having students help other students who are either younger or more disabled. Students with ED often have to prove themselves in new situations and create a social pecking order. If direct service programs are chosen, those involving people who aren’t a threat to your students’ self-esteem will minimize this concern.

Stages in Planning Service-Learning Projects

Muscott (2001)

1. Planning and PreparationIdentify community and learner needs

Develop goals and objectives Design project Recruit participants and recipients

Conduct orientation or training

Step 1 Preplanning Muscott (2001)

Who will be involved in providing the service (students, staff, and families)?

How long will the project last?How much class time can be used?How much time in the field can be

devoted to the service?Who on the administration needs to be

contacted for permission?How will parents/guardians be notified

and involved?

Step 2 Selecting and Pinpointing a

Project Muscott (2001)What are the community needs?

Which sites, agencies, or people should be contacted to determine interest?

Which curriculum areas or units of study are involved?

What learning outcomes/goals are important for students?

Step 2 Selecting and Pinpointing a Project

Muscott (2001)What are the most appropriate annual goals on the students’ IEPs?

Will it include direct, indirect, or advocacy activities?

What are the students’ interests and strengths?

How can students’ interests and strengths be matched to potential projects?

Step 3 Designing and Writing the

ProposalMuscott (2001)

• Who are the key contact people at the site who will be directly involved in designing & coordinating the project?

• What specific service activities will be performed and with whom?

• What prerequisite skills will students need in order to participate?

• How will you assess learning?

Step 3 Designing and Writing the

ProposalMuscott (2001) What logistical (e.g., transportation,

insurance, safety) and resource (e.g., staff, funding, materials) support is needed?

Who is likely to provide financial support? What are the potential barriers to

implementation(resources, logistics, people)?

What is the timeline for all phases of the project?

Who needs to sign-off on the written proposal once it's completed?

How will the project be celebrated?

Step 4 Training for ServiceMuscott (2001)

What types of orientation or training activities are needed prior to implementation?

What specific information is needed in preparation for implementation?

What on-going training or reflection is needed throughout the project?

Elements of Quality Reflection

Carin and Kielsmeier (1991)1. Reflection activities must emanate

from clear goals and objectives for student learning

2. Reflection should be planned and structured

3. Reflection should be engaging and ongoing throughout the program

4. Reflection should be integrated into students’ coursework

5. A variety of methods should be used to foster reflection

Creating a Climate for Reflection

Community Service-Learning

by Rahima Wade1. Respect for students’ ideas2. Student-to-student talk3. Room arrangements that facilitate student

interaction4. Mutual respect and caring among students5. Planned reflection and openness to the

unexpected Reflection sessions throughout the SL experience

6. Adequate time for reflection 7. A balance of different reflection methods8. Challenging, relevant, fun reflection activities9. A leader skilled in facilitating student

reflection

Methods to Encourage Reflective Thinking

Discussionby Rahima Wade

Think-Pair-ShareNumbered HeadsQuote ResponsesFishbowlPositive/NegativeMetaphor MakingYes/No/

Sometimes/Not Sure

Student Facilitated Discussion

Talking StickCircle in a CircleOpposing Views

Lines Individual

Conference Discussion with

Community Members

Discussion ActivitiesWade (1997)

1. Think – Pair – Share • Present the topic or question for

reflection and have students deliberate silently for a minute or two.

• Have them write down a few notes. • Each student pairs up with

someone sitting nearby and they discuss their ideas.

• Provide an opportunity for the whole class to share.

Discussion Activities: Numbered Heads

Wade (1997) Divide students into groups of five. Students number off in their groups from one to

five. Present a reflection question. Each group discusses the question for a few

minutes. Choose a number card randomly from a stack of

cards labeled one through five. Students with that number are invited to

respond to the question in a whole class discussion.

Proceed with new discussion questions until each number has been called and every student has had the opportunity to speak at least once.

Puts some of the quotes below on the blackboard or give them to students.

Students are encouraged to discuss their service experiences in light of one or more of the quotes that has meaning for them.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."-Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss)"Of all the teachings we receive, this one is the most important: Nothing belongs to you of what there is. Of what you take, you must share."- Chief Dan George

Discussion Activities: Quote Responses Wade (1997)

• A small circle of four or five chairs is assembled in the middle of the room.

• Students form a large outer circle around this inner circle.

• Present a question or topic for reflection and those interested in discussing it move to the inner circle.

• As students finish their comments they move back to the outer circle and new students may then enter the inner circle.

• When sitting in the outer circle, students remain silent observers.

Discussion Activities: Fishbowl Wade (1997)

• In a whole class or small group discussion, students are asked to talk about the negative aspects of their service experience.

• They then list the positive outcomes of their service activity.

• Brainstorming may follow to both build on strengths and come up with potential solutions to problems.

Discussion Activities: Positive-Negative

Wade (1997)

• Pose a question in the following form, "In what way is serving in the community like?"

• For example, in response to the question "In what way is serving the community like climbing a mountain?" students might respond that it takes a lot of effort, that you have to keep going sometimes when you're tired, or that you get a great feeling of accomplishment.

• Here are some other phrases that could be used metaphorically to stimulate students' creative reflection on their experiences. Baking a cake, hugging a friend reading a good book, running a race, planting flowers.

Discussion Activities: Metaphor Making

Wade (1997)

• Signs with each of the terms in the title are placed in the four comers of the room.

• Read a statement such as "Service in the community is an important activity for all citizens" or "Service takes too much time out of the school day to be included in the curriculum."

• As a statement is read, students move to the comer of the room with the sign that best indicates their views.

• The leader can ask students who are willing to state briefly why they chose the responses

Discussion Activities: Yes, No Sometimes, Not Sure

Wade (1997)

• Students sit in a large circle. • Present an issue or question and call

on a student who wants to respond. • After stating his or her views, that

student then calls on the next student who wants to speak.

• The discussion proceeds with each student who speaks being the one to call on the next student.

• The activity can also be conducted in small groups.

Discussion Activities: Student Facilitated Discussion

Wade (1997)

Discussion Activities: Talking Stick

Wade (1997)•Students sit in a large circle. •One person holds the talking stick.• In order to speak, an individual

must be holding the talking stick. •The stick can be passed around the

circle or randomly. If the stick is passed around the circle, students should be informed they can pass.

Discussion Activities: Circle in a Circle

Wade (1997)• Students form two concentric circles

of equal number facing each other. • The leader asks a question or poses a

topic for discussion and each pair of students facing each other talks for a minute.

• Before the leader asks the next question, the inner circle moves to the left so that everyone is facing a new partner.

• Students form two straight lines of equal number facing each other.

• The leader presents a question or issue that is likely to encourage diverse views.

• The students in the left line must address the issue in a positive light while the students in the right line must discuss the issue from a negative point of view.

• The leader can have one line move so that students face a new partner for each question and/or have students switch sides so that they are discussing issues from different perspectives.

Discussion Activities: Opposing Views Lines

Wade (1997)

•Leaders can hold conferences with each student involved in the service-learning activities.

•Conferences can include a standardized set of questions asked of all students or can be conducted on a more informal basis.

Discussion Activities: Individual Conference

Wade (1997)

• This activity can be used before the service experience begins, during the project, or as a culminating lesson.

• Community agency members working in the area of the students' service activity are invited to class to discuss their views on key issues of concern.

• Students should prepare for their visit by developing a list of suitable questions to ask.

• Students can also share their own opinions and hear the responses of those working in the field.

Discussion Activities: Discussion with Community

MemberWade (1997)


Community Service-Learning by Rahima Wade Writing

Journals Dialogue Journal Learning Log Creative Writing Persuasive Letters Concept Map Publicity Evaluations Guide for Future Participants Directed Writing Writing in the Curriculum

Topics for ReflectionCommunity Service-Learning

by Rahima WadeEvents

What happened at your project this week? What was your biggest challenge?

Self What skills did you learn/use for helping others? How did you make a difference?

Others What are the values, beliefs, hopes, and dreams

of the people you worked with? How do they perceive their needs and

problems?

Comments of a Fifth Grader with Learning Disabilities and ADHD in theSO Prepared for Citizenship Program

“It’s like a colored cube. You try to put it together, you get so frustrated you want to throw it at the wall and smash it. But you have to take time, you have to cooperate with it. You have to make it go the way it needs to go. When you finally do it, you’re like, ‘man’, I’m kind of glad I didn’t throw it at the wall and smash it. “

Comments of a Fifth Grader with Learning Disabilities and ADHD in theSO Prepared for Citizenship Program

“So I know how to do what I need to do now. I know what I need to do to make this cube work. And sometimes life is like that. And you need to be patient. You need to get all your anger out and cooperate with this cube -- with the cube of life. ... Yea. You need to stay in control. You need to cooperate. You need to have fun and see if they (others) will have fun with you. Just like this cube, and you can try. You could throw the cube at the wall; you can break the cube, but it won’t get you anywhere. You won’t learn anything. You won’t make new friends. You won’t have fun.”

Topics for ReflectionCommunity Service-Learning

by Rahima Wade Service

What do you gain from helping others? Is making a difference easy or difficult? How?

Societal issues What issue is your project addressing? What historical events have been connected

with issue? Citizenship

What is a good citizen? What are the ways that citizens help their

communities?

Voices of “At-Risk” College Students

“The best thing about SO Prepared is making a new friend and feeling that you can make a difference in a child’s life. I enjoyed going to meet my buddy every week and many times I felt I learned as much as she did. I left thinking about the idea (respect, tolerance, etc.) and trying to see how that idea was part of my own life, too. The one suggestion I would have is to make the training sessions shorter.”


Community Service-Learning by Rahima Wade

Artistic Expression Visual Arts Music Theater Dance Technology

Presentations Student Display/Presentation General Public Presentation Community Agency Presentation Policy Presentation Conference Presentation Training Presentation


Muscott (2001)2. Action:

Implement activities Engage in ongoing practice, preparation in school

3. Evaluation: Conduct formative and summative assessments

Engage in ongoing reflection activities


Muscott (2001)

4. Recognition: Celebrate achievements

5. Reconfiguration:Adjust needs, goals and objectives

Redesign future projects

Action Planning Activity: Next Steps

What:Who:By When:

a presentation for the sacramento county office of education february 4, 2010

Documents