Supporting the Transition of
Students with Emotional/
Behavioral Disorders
to Adulthood Using
Service-Learning
Programs
A Presentation for the
Sacramento County Office of Education
February 4, 2010
Howard S. Muscott, Ed.D., Director,
www.nhcebis.seresc.net
603-206-6891; hmuscott@seresc.net
Creating a Curriculum for Caring
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The dream and the nightmare
Effective transition strategies
What is service-learning?
What are the best practice principles?
Why use it with students with ED?
What types of projects are possible?
What are the challenges to involving
students with challenging behavior?
How do I get started?
Next Steps
The Dream for Students with
Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
What 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 Disorders
Students 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 selfsufficiency for individuals
with disabilities.
The Nightmare:
Educational Outcomes
 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:
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 peers
1.
2.
3.
Limited prosocial interactions
Misinterpretations of neutral social cues
as hostile
Behavior patterns that impede teachers’
abilities to conduct instruction
effectively
What Causes the Nightmare?
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 EBD
 In 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
What Causes the Nightmare?
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 succeed
 Get evidenced-based instruction and
programming
 Build 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 students
to drop out of school, hinders access to
postsecondary education opportunities, and
restricts later employment and career
opportunities. Equipping students with basic
academic skills should be an essential
component of secondary educational services
for many youth with EBD, enabling them to
obtain a high school diploma, move beyond
entry-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 curriculum
 Emphasize vocational education and
job-training experiences including paid
work experiences and internships
 Provide instruction in transition and selfdetermination skills
 Provide service learning opportunities
and mentoring programs.
3. Sufficient Support Across
Postsecondary 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 and
Supports for Families
 Ensuring 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.
Student and Family
TransitionRelated Social
Skills
Mentoring
Service
Coordination
through
Wraparound
Personal Futures/
Person-Centered
Planning
Effective Transition
Strategies for
Students
with EBD
Innovative
Vocational
Placements
Transition and
Behavior Plan in
IEP
Innovative
Curriculum
Community Agencies
and Businesses
School
Muscott (2007)
Student and Family
Effective Transition
Strategies for
Students
with EBD
Innovative
Vocational
Placements
Innovative
Curriculum
Community Agencies
and Businesses
School
Muscott (2007)
Innovative Vocational Placements
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.
Innovative Vocational Placements
Bullis and Cheney (1999)
Internships
Apprenticeships
Paid experiences
Connected to classroom
instruction and associated
with high school credit
Reasons for Accepting Young Adults
with EBD in Job Placements
Bullis 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 college
In 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 Learning
Muscott(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)
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.
1.
Service-Learning
National 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;
Service-Learning
National Service Act (1993)
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 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).
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.”
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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).
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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).
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
Muscott (2006)
 Despite their limitations, students with ED
also have strengths and gifts to share with
others.
 Service-Learning offers an opportunity for
these students to share those gifts while
simultaneously helping them practice
social, communication, academic, and
vocational skills in applied settings.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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 schoolrelated activities and curriculum; and;
(3) Reframe other’s pessimistic views of their
worth and ability to contribute to society.
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
Muscott (2006)
5. There is the emerging research
base in the area of ServiceLearning 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 categories
 Broad-based,
specific project-based, and
complex, multi-level
Programs at every almost level of
continuum
Broad-based and specific projectbased predominated
Direct and indirect predominated
Rationale for Service-Learning and Students
with Emotional Disturbance
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 research
 Mostly descriptive, anecdotal information
 Limited information about methodology
 Limited 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)
Direct service
2. Indirect service
3. Advocacy
1.
Direct Service Learning Projects
Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)
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)
Tutoring
Mentoring
Visiting/Performing
 Senior citizen housing
 Group 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 Program
Murry (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 Spanish
 The workshops emphasized art education,
such as story telling, drawing, dancing, and
how to teach young children through art
activities.
Aerosol is Not Gang Art
Gabriel’s Story
Murry (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. ServiceLearning gave me a chance to learn outside the
classroom. The lessons I have had through servicelearning 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.”
Aerosol is Not Gang Art
Gabriel’s Story
Murry (2001)
“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.”
Aerosol is Not Gang Art
Gabriel’s Story
Murry (2001)
“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
A national demonstration SL
program supported by CIC
A 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 Citizenship
Muscott (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
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.
Indirect Service-Learning
Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)
 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 projects
 Recycling projects
 Preparing meals
 Building activities
The Get Better Card Project
Hagood Elementary School
Emery and Richardson Turpin (1996)
Indirect service
Design cards, sayings, and content
Drafts 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 Project
University of Wisconsin-Madison Environmental
Resources Center McCarty & Hazelkorn (2001)
Middle school boys with EBD at two
different public schools
Supported mainstream classes
One period with special education
for science or social studies
Created water maps
Clear streams
Marked drains
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative 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 Disciplinary
Alternative 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.
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
3. 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.
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
4. Students completed a checklist about
various social and environmental issues
 The
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.
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
5. The teachers grouped students based
on similar interests.
Students then discussed and formulated
ideas for the projects they wanted to
have funded.
 Researching their topics
 Contacting potential community
partners
 Establishing goals and objectives
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
6. Students completed grant proposals:
 Detailed description of the project
 Rationale for completing the project
citing the research they had done
 Community partners who would be
included in the project
 Steps for completing the project
 Timeline
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
7. Students gave presentations to class
8. 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 projects
 The students whose projects were not
awarded funding joined the two
funded groups.
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program in SW
2 projects were funded at $10,000
 Construction
of a playground at the new
Salvation Army Boys' and Girls' Club
 Renovation 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
Service Learning at Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program 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 servicelearning at the alternative schools."
Advocacy Service-Learning
Dunlap, Drew, & Gibson (1994)
 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 subcategory of indirect approaches in that
they frequently don't involve direct
contact between the participants.
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 Teams
PBIS-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."
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
PBIS-NH and Somersworth HS
S-Cubed: Somersworth Social Skills
Peers as Social Coaches
12:15
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 Projects
Rockwell (1997)
1. Books for young children
2. Instructional games
3. Cards for the elderly
4. Gardening or Landscaping
5. Piggybacking with local community-service
projects
6. Special services
7. Gift-making
8. Models and large displays
9. Special food items
10.Business services
Therapeutic Learning Center
Wentzville IV School District Missouri
Frey (2001)
 Senior citizen
 Soil types, plants
grounds
 Community
center
 Resident Gardens
 Errand running
 Curriculum
Connection
 Landscaping
and flowers
 Measuring
 Price comparisons
 The elderly
 Citizenship
 Self-improvement
Starr Commonwealth
Service-Learning Projects
 Preparing a house or yard for a new refugee
family
 Bringing toys to welcome the children
 Using 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 Program
Syd Lash Academy
Libertyville, Illinois





Painted community room of the Civic Center
Adopted a road
Helped build a Habitat Home
Raked leaves in a trailer park
Made handcrafted items to sell and donate to
charity
 Made items (Velcro boards, bean toss boards) for
children at special school
 Worked with students with severe disabilities at
special school
 Instituted Meals on Wheels
A Gift Given and Received
Stephenie 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.”
A Gift Given and Received
Stephenie Woods
“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.”
A Gift Given and Received
Stephenie Woods
“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 Activity
What 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 Programs
Hedin and Conrad (1990)
Club or Co-curricular Activity
Volunteer Clearinghouse
Community Service Credit
“Lab” for Existing Courses
Community Service Class
School-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 ServiceLearning Projects with Students with ED
Muscott (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.
Practical Strategies for Starting ServiceLearning Projects with Students with ED
Muscott (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.
Practical Strategies for Starting ServiceLearning Projects with Students with ED
Muscott (2006)
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.
Practical Strategies for Starting ServiceLearning Projects with Students with ED
Muscott (2006)
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 Preparation
 Identify 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
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 Proposal
Muscott (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 Proposal






Muscott (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 Service
Muscott (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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reflection activities must emanate from
clear goals and objectives for student
learning
Reflection should be planned and
structured
Reflection should be engaging and
ongoing throughout the program
Reflection should be integrated into
students’ coursework
A variety of methods should be used to
foster reflection
Creating a Climate for Reflection
Community Service-Learning
by Rahima Wade
Respect for students’ ideas
Student-to-student talk
Room arrangements that facilitate student
interaction
4. Mutual respect and caring among students
5. Planned reflection and openness to the
unexpected Reflection sessions throughout the
SL experience
6. Adequate time for reflection
7. A balance of different reflection methods
8. Challenging, relevant, fun reflection activities
9. A leader skilled in facilitating student reflection
1.
2.
3.
Methods to Encourage Reflective Thinking
Discussion
by Rahima Wade
 Think-Pair-Share
 Student Facilitated
Discussion
 Numbered Heads
 Talking Stick
 Quote Responses
 Circle in a Circle
 Fishbowl
 Opposing Views Lines
 Positive/Negative
 Metaphor Making  Individual Conference
 Yes/No/Sometimes/  Discussion with
Community Members
Not Sure
Discussion Activities
Wade (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.
Discussion Activities: Quote Responses
Wade (1997)
 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: Fishbowl
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: Positive-Negative
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: Metaphor Making
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:
Yes, No Sometimes, Not Sure
•
•
•
•
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:
Student Facilitated Discussion
•
•
•
•
•
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: 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.
Discussion Activities:
Opposing Views Lines
Wade (1997)
• 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:
Individual Conference
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:
Discussion with Community Member
•
•
•
•
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.
Methods to Encourage Reflective Thinking
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 Reflection
Community Service-Learning
by Rahima Wade
 Events
 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 the
SO 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 the
SO 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 Reflection
Community 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.”
Methods to Encourage Reflective Thinking
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
Stages in Planning
Service-Learning Projects
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
Stages in Planning
Service-Learning Projects
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: