A Grant Proposal to Implement Service Learning in the High School Curriculum by Judith Ann Barnicle A Grant Proposal Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillme nt of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree Ill Education Approved: 2 Semester Credits The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout May, 2012 1
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A Grant Proposal to Implement Service Learning
in the High School
Curriculum
by
Judith Ann Barnicle
A Grant Proposal Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Master of Science Degree
Ill
Education
Approved: 2 Semester Credits
The Graduate School
University of Wisconsin-Stout
May, 2012
1
2
The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI
Author: Barnicle, Judith A.
Title: A Grant Proposal to Implement Service Learning
in the High School Curriculum
Graduate Degree/ Major: MS Education
Research Adviser: Jerrilyn A. Brewer, Ed.D.
Month/Year: May, 2012
Number of Pages: 35
Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th edition
Abstract
The Richland School District strives to engage their students in the classroom and
provide them with the tools to develop social responsibility. The goal of this grant proposal is to
implement service learning into the high school curriculum in order to increase student
motivation and performance. A definition of service learning is provided through a review of
historical literature and the evolution of service learning in American education. Program results
from other school districts are examined. The importance of teacher training before
implementation of service learning projects is grounded in research findings. The requested
grant funding will allow the staff of Richland Center High School to attend high quality training
and prepare service learning curriculum for their classrooms.
Objectives of the proposal are to stimulate teacher interest through research and training,
identify social issues in the community, implement service learning projects and evaluate the
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outcomes of improved student behavior and academics. Students, faculty and community
members will maintain personal reflections on the progress of the projects. Qualitative data from
pre and post project surveys and quantitative data from school records will be disseminated.
4
The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout
Menomonie, WI
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Jerrilyn Brewer for her exceptional guidance through the
entire grant process and always making my writing better. Special thanks to my friend and
colleague Lisa Guy for being my proofreader and sounding board. Love and appreciation to my
family who always supports me and understands why I could not always come out and play.
Poverty Level. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (2012),
the poverty level is established annually based on the number of persons in the household in
relationship to their annual income. For 2012, the poverty level for a family of four is an annual
income of $23,050 or less (DHHS, 2012).
Scholarly Activities. The acquisition of knowledge integrating the four categories of
research, synthesis, practice and teaching (Boyer, 1991).
Service Learning. A “teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful
community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities” (National Service Learning Clearinghouse, 2012,
para 1).
Skyward. Web-based school management software that tracks attendance, grading,
scheduling, discipline and demographics currently in use by the Richland School District.
Student Engagement. The International Center for Leadership in Education (2012)
defines student (learner) engagement as “the extent to which students are motivated and
committed to learning, have a sense of belonging and accomplishment, and have relationships
with adults, peers, and parents that support learning” (“Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century
Learners”, para. 4).
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Limitations of the Study
This grant proposal is limited as it will apply to only the students and staff of Richland
Center High School. It is also limited to the small population of the community of Richland
Center. There are also limitations in that even though training and support will be offered to the
entire faculty, the amount of participation cannot be guaranteed.
Methodology
Chapter two will contain a literature review on the importance of incorporating service
learning into the high school curriculum. It will also contain a literature review of the
importance of high quality teacher training before incorporation of the service learning. Project
goals and objectives will be discussed in chapter three. Chapter four will contain the project
methods which include an action plan, evaluation plan, dissemination plan and proposed budget.
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Chapter II: Literature Review
This chapter reviews the literature concerned with the implementation of service learning
in the high school curriculum beginning with its grounding in historical literature. Service
learning will be defined, current practices discussed and existing programs studied. The
importance of teacher training before implementation will be evaluated.
History
The view of service learning as a component of education begins to take root with the
experiential teachings of John Dewey. When Dewey established the University of Chicago
Laboratory School, two of his beliefs for the school were that students would be part of a social
group in which everyone learns to help each other and that they would use their own creativity to
find solutions to problems (Harms & DePencier, 1996). Although Dewey never actually
outlined a system of community-based learning, his contemporaries and colleagues Jane Addams
and Dorothy Day did. Daynes and Longo (2004) are proposing that the history of service
learning be rewritten giving more credit to Jane Addams’ practices in the community than to
Dewey’s work at the university. With the addition of the work of Dorothy Day, it is the
combined practices of these three that provides us with the basis for community service in our
culture today (Morton & Saltmarsh, 1997) Now, over 100 years later, these beliefs are what
school districts are attempting to do with community-based learning for their students.
These progressive ideas of Dewey and those who followed in his footsteps have been
met with opposition over the course of the 20th century. Rocheleau (2004) contends that one of
the strongest attacks came during the 1950s when because of the scientific success of the Soviet
Union, many Americans were asking for a return to more rigorous educational techniques.
Another surge of changes in the American educational system came after the 1983 Nation at
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Risk report, again bringing about a call for the “back to the basics” movement. The report
insinuates that unproven educational methods such as progressive approaches were the reason for
the slipping test scores of American children (Rocheleau, 2004). This attitude emerges again in
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This law puts accountability on the school districts for
adequate yearly progress in the areas of math, reading and science by using standardized testing.
This puts pressure on school districts to once again focus on the “basics” and steer away from
experiential educational experiences.
Also happening in 1983 was the founding of the National Youth Leadership Council by
Dr. James C. Kielsmeier in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They joined with the Center for Youth
Development and Research at the University of Minnesota and began collecting research on
service learning in the United States. Thus the beginning of the service learning boom in the
United States began. Research from Newmann and Rutter in 1985 showed that 27% of high
schools had some type of community service and 9% offered it as curriculum-related programs
(Skinner & Chapman, 1999). By 1999, the percentage of high schools offering community
service grew to 83% and nearly 50% of the high schools had it as part of their curriculum
(Skinner & Chapman, 1999).
Two main reasons for this increase are the National and Community Service Act of 1990
and the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The 1990 Public Law provided
grants for training, curricula and research in the area of service learning. The 1993 Act
established the Corporation for National and Community Service which became the nation’s
largest grant maker for service learning projects and established AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and
Learn and Serve America. Learn and Serve America has been providing grants to schools for
service learning programs, providing training and assistance and collecting research (Corporation
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for National and Community Service, 2012). The current Obama administration is committed to
continue to offer service opportunities. However, funding for Learn and Serve America was
eliminated from the 2011 budget by Congress, is not included in the budget for 2012 and is not
in the budget proposal for 2013 (CNCS, 2012). Without this funding, the future of service
learning programs in our schools could well be in jeopardy.
Service Learning Programs
There are many pedagogical approaches to take with students who are performing below
their potential both academically and behaviorally. In addition to the traditional differentiation,
one-on-one tutoring and Response to Intervention, many school districts and state education
departments have turned to service learning as another way to reach these reluctant learners.
Research has shown an increase in student engagement and academics. Cone, Inc., a strategy
and communications agency, studied the current group of students known as the Millennials and
found that they are the most civic-minded generation since World War II (2006). In the Cone
survey of 1,800, they found that just over 80% of the Millennials are actively volunteering and
feel responsible to make an impact. In 2009, President Obama called on all Americans to
participate in meaningful community service as part of his United We Serve initiative. It is this
pro-social attitude and willingness to make a difference that high school can take advantage of
by connecting service learning to the high school curriculum.
Research is showing that involvement by high school students in sustained service
learning reaps many benefits beyond just contributing to their communities. A study by Billig,
Root and Jesse (2005) statistically had service learning students scoring higher on enjoyment of
school, were more likely to be academically engaged, and valued schooling over their non-
service learning counterparts. In their 2009 Meta-Analysis of Service Learning’s Effects,
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Conway, Amel and Gerwien compared students involved in service learning versus those not
involved and found that the largest changes were for academic outcomes and for beliefs,
knowledge or attitudes toward those being served. There were positive changes in all of their
categories but academic and social outcomes were the greatest.
In addition, The State of Indiana in the Civic Literacy Project of 2000 reported that
higher state test scores were linked to service learning. Roger Fisher, Assistant Superintendent
of Paoli, Indiana School attributed their low failure rate in part to the desire to attend school
during participation in service learning (Morgan, 2000). High attendance rates were also seen in
the California SLATE Report of 2009-2010 that showed student attendance averaging 93% on
days students were working on projects (Neumann, 2010).
Growing out of these research statistics is the abundance of school districts and state
education agencies that are including service learning as part of their state standards, graduation
requirements or allocating special funding for service learning programs. The latest report from
the Education Commission of the States (2011) shows that the District of Columbia and the State
of Maryland both have statewide high school service requirements and just under half of the
states require school districts to grant credit toward graduation for service learning or community
service. One must keep in mind that in addition to these state mandates, many school districts
have their own graduation and/or credit requirements for service learning. One example of a
district wide provision is the Chicago Public Schools Social Science 2.0 curriculum that
integrates service learning into the social science K-12 curriculum and requires service learning
hour as a graduation requirement (Chicago Public Schools, 2012). Another example is the
Oregon City, Oregon School district which maintains a charter school, Oregon City Service
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Learning Academy, where high school students earn their graduation requirements through
service learning internships (OC Service Learning Academy, 2012).
These examples of state and district service learning initiatives give us the tools to
continue to build on their success and expand the use of service learning across the high school
curriculum.
Teacher Training
“Teacher professional development is essential to efforts to improve our schools” (Borko,
2004, p.3), If we are to have successful service learning curriculum in our schools, it is necessary
to focus on training our teachers to successfully implement it. Just as we expect teachers of
history to know their subject well, the same standards apply to any faculty implementing service
learning into their curriculum.
One strategy suggested by Billig and Freeman (2010) is to adopt service learning as an
instructional strategy in teacher education programs. They found from Anderson and Erickson’s
2003 study that less than 20% of teacher education programs actually gave teacher candidates the
opportunity to either develop lesson plans or engage in service learning internships (as cited in
Billig & Freeman, 2010). The establishment of the International Center for Service Learning in
Education in 2003 promotes this strategy and continues today at the Duke University Program in
Education. In June of 2012 they will be holding their Third Annual Conference as an
international forum for service learning educators. This shows a growing interest in the
importance of pre-teacher education service learning curriculum.
Another strategy is to provide ongoing professional development for teachers involved in
the implementation of service learning in their curriculum. The Providers' Network was
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established in 2007 to improve the quality of service-learning practice. With funding from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the National Service Learning Partnership, Compass Institute and
other partners, they are able to provide guidelines, networking, a resource library and
collaborative interest groups for service learning professionals (The Providers’ Network, n.d.).
Ten states currently have policies that support, encourage or require service learning professional
development for their teachers (Education Commission of the States, 2011). The State of
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction provides regional trainings and webinars for
teachers, in addition to providing service learning standards and an implementation guide. The
National Youth Leadership Council feels that “effective professional development is at the heart
of school success and teacher effectiveness” (NYLC, 2012) and provides year-round training for
education professionals through collaborative networks and annual conferences.
The purpose of this grant proposal is to gain financial support to implement service
learning into the Richland Center High School curriculum. The research shows that service
learning can improve student performance both academically and behaviorally. Research also
indicates that continued high quality teacher training is essential for successful program
implementation.
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Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives
This project addresses the mission of the Richland School District by providing
educational opportunities that develop social responsibility and inspire lifelong love of learning
through the shared development of the entire community. Our overall project goal of
implementing service learning into the high school curriculum matches the strategy of the NEA
Foundation’s research which shows that developing and strengthening partnerships among
school districts and community organizations is a means for improving student performance.
Research shows that service learning increases motivation to learn, reduces risky behaviors and
increases student attachment to their communities.
Overall Project Goal: Implement Service Learning Into The High School Curriculum
Objective 1: Stimulate teacher interest in service learning through collaborative
research and scholarly activities. By the beginning of the 2012-13 school year, 50% of the
high school staff will conduct research and scholarly activities on service learning in the
classroom. The project leader will attend the National Service Learning Conference sponsored
by the National Youth Leadership Council. Sharing of acquired knowledge and resources will
take place during an in-service with fellow teachers. Teacher teams will attend summer
workshops on service learning which will reaffirm the desire to create more links between
students and the community. Provided with this opportunity, teachers will develop an
understanding of service learning and the way it can transform education. Armed with a
framework of understanding, teachers can return to their communities with concrete ideas on
how to implement service learning. Publications, handbooks and manuals from DPI and
National Service Learning Clearinghouse will be ordered, received and disseminated among the
teacher staff.
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Objective 2: Investigate and identify social issues impacting the community.
Students will investigate and identify social issues impacting their community related to their
classroom curriculum. Local service agency personnel will be brought into the classrooms to
present and discuss their needs with students. Through this investigation, students and teachers
will select and develop appropriate projects which are dedicated to providing opportunities for
meaningful student voice and learning opportunities that resonate with purpose. With a deeper
understanding of service learning, teachers can focus on creating learning experiences that
enable students to apply skills and content knowledge to real needs in their local community.
Learning objectives of the projects will be well defined and connected to state standards, local
curriculum and school goals.
Objective 3: Engage in five service learning projects. Students and teachers will
engage in five service learning projects with the community during the second semester of the
2012-13 school year. As students are invested as real partners and collaborators in the
experience, they will be engaged in meaningful work. Students will keep project journals
reflecting on their experiences. The integration of reflection into the experience will deepen and
reinforce the learning. The teacher team will meet regularly to discuss progress and issues.
Deepened collaborations among teachers, students and community will be a result of learning to
work together in new ways.
Objective 4: Increase student motivation and productivity. Grade and attendance
records of participating and nonparticipating students will be assessed prior to the
implementation of the service learning projects. Post-project surveys will be distributed and
completed by student, faculty and community service agency personnel. Grades, discipline
referrals and attendance records of students will be compared after completion of the projects.
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New relationships and roles, along with partnerships with the local community are an important
and inherent part of this process. Long-lasting academic and social development will be
assessed by questioning graduates on the Richland Center High School five-year post-
graduation survey.
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Chapter IV: Project Methodology
Successful service learning depends on well-prepared teachers bringing research-based
strategies into their classroom. The teachers at Richland Center High School will be provided an
opportunity to participate in ongoing professional development. The project leader will be sent
to the National Service Learning National Conference in April, 2012. The knowledge and
strategies acquired at the conference, as well as the Department of Public Instruction Service-
learning Implementation Guide will be shared with colleagues during a high school in-service
day. Fellow teachers will be given the opportunity to attend summer institutes and continue to
share with their colleagues during weekly Collaborative Planning Times (CPT). A teacher team
of ten regular and special education teachers will then be formed to begin implementing the
service learning curriculum in the classrooms. The following objectives and activities will
improve both student and teacher collaboration, increase student motivation and give our
students the tools to become long-lasting contributors to their community.
Action Plan and Timeline
Month Activities
April 2012 Stimulate teacher interest in service learning through collaborative
research and scholarly activities
Attend National Service Learning Conference
Request, receive, and disseminate Department of Public Instruction
Service Learning Handbook and National Service Learning
Clearinghouse publications
June 2012 Attend summer institutes on service learning
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September 2012 Investigate and identify social issues impacting the community
Invite local service agency personnel to classrooms to discuss
their needs with students
Develop and implement class lessons based on service learning in
the classroom research
Select and develop appropriate service learning projects
January 2013 Engage in five service learning projects
Reflect on experience in student project journals
Meet monthly with teacher team to discuss ongoing progress and
issues
May 2013 Assess increase in student motivation and productivity
Administer post-project surveys to students, faculty, and
community service agencies
June 2013 Compare grades, attendance and discipline reports of engaged
students to previous year
Share project evaluation with Richland School District
Evaluation Plan and Tools The evaluation plan and tools will be used on students and staff of Richland Center High
School as well as members of the Richland Center community during the 2012-2013 school year.
The project’s impact on staff learning and teaching, student learning and behavior, and our local
community will be measured using a variety of formative and summative assessments. Teacher
attendance at conferences, institutes and in-services will be tracked by completion records and
log-in sheets. Teacher reviews of service learning literature and handbooks will be assessed with
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a locally developed staff survey. Classroom observations of local service agency personnel will
be administered by the teacher team using presentation rubrics. Students will keep prepared
checklists of service needs presented by community members. A follow-up questionnaire will be
given to the students and teachers will compile the issues on a teacher team blog on the school
Google site. Once the implementation of the projects begins, students will reflect in individual
journals, teachers will blog, attendance logs will be kept at each project and a locally designed
project implementation rubric will be implemented by the participating project teachers.
Monthly teacher team meetings will be held to assess progress and institute any necessary
changes in project procedures.
At the end of the school year, attendance records from Skyward will be compared to the
previous year. Grade reports of participating students will be compared from the previous year
using Skyward. Using the annual discipline report from the Assistant Principal, the number of
referrals will be compared to the previous year. Locally developed project surveys will be
distributed and completed by students, faculty and community service agencies. The
effectiveness of the project will be measured by both student improvement and the strengthening
of the partnership between the school and the community.
Dissemination Plan
Students and faculty will be engaged in activities that encourage positive behavior and
academic growth. The sharing of successful strategies with colleagues in the district and
promulgating the positive results with community members will foster a collaborative
environment between the school district and its community. Staff members will be presented
strategies to use in their classroom through presentations during staff in-services and links to
appropriate curricular materials on the school Google page. Project results of student
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improvement will be presented to the district school board using charts of comparison data
before and after the implementation of the project. The community will observe the ongoing
involvement of the students by broadcasting video of project participation on the local public
access channel and publishing photos and articles in the local newspaper.
Budget
The funds requested from the Learning and Leadership Grant will be used for training our
teachers how to incorporate service learning into their curriculum. The items listed in the
detailed budget below will be used for the first step in accomplishing that goal. Funds are
requested for one staff member to travel to the National Service Learning Conference, including
airfare, hotel and per diem. Funds are also allocated for that staff member to travel to our local
Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA #3) for further training and sharing with
colleagues within the school district. In-kind contributions from the Richland School District
will include general office supplies, photocopies, and substitute teachers. In-kind contributions
from the Richland Center High School staff include planning time and summer hours. Per Diem
and mileage rates are based upon the Internal Revenue Service guidelines.
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Budget Item Requested from Sponsor
Travel Conference Registration - National Service Learning Conference $525.00 Roundtrip airfare Madison to Minneapolis $529.40 Millennium Hotel $149/night + tax x 3 nights $507.00 Meals and incidental expenses $71.00 per diem x 3 days $213.00
Local mileage to CESA #3 training 80 miles r/t x $0.51/mile x 2 trips $81.60
Supplies Curriculum Materials - Service Learning Manual/Complete Guide/Student Guidebook $69.00 General office supplies in-kind contribution Personnel Substitute teacher pay - CESA training $75.00/day x 1 day $75.00 Substitute teacher pay - conference in-kind contribution Staff planning time in-kind contribution Summer staff hours in-kind contribution Total Project Costs $2,000.00
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References
Anderson, J.B. & Erickson, J.A. (2003). Service-Learning in Preservice Teacher Education.
Academic Exchange Quarterly, v7n2, 111-115. Retrieved from
09 October 2011 Mr. Jesse Graytock Grants Manager NEA Foundation 1201 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Re: Letter of Intent Integrating Service Learning in the High School Curriculum Richland Center High School Dear Mr. Graytock: This letter conveys my intent to submit a formal proposal for the NEA Foundation’s Learning and Leadership Grant. My participation in the National Service Learning Conference will enable me to bring hands-on professional and curriculum development back to my colleagues for implementation within our district. I will submit the proposal through the NEA Foundation’s online grant system before the October 15th deadline. In the meantime, feel free to contact me for further information. Sincerely, Judith Ann Barnicle Spanish Teacher/Exchange Director
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Appendix B: Richland Center High School Faculty Survey
Please answer the following questions and submit. Thanks. * Required In which department do you mainly teach? *
Art/Music
Tech Ed/Agriculture
Science
Special Education
Mathematics/Computer
Social Studies
English
World Language
Physical Education
Business Education
Guidance
Administration
How familiar are you with service learning initiatives? *
How familiar are you with service learning initiatives?
not familiar
somewhat familiar
familiar but have never implemented
have implemented service learning activities
Have you thought about implementing service learning initiatives with students? *
Have you thought about implementing
Yes
No
What type of service learning initiative do you think would be most beneficial? *
What type of service learning initiative do you think would be most beneficial?
environmental
cross generational
community-based
school based
Other:
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What would be your reason(s) to include service learning in your curriculum? *(check all that apply)
it will enhance my ability to communicate the core competencies of the subject matter
it will help my students see the relevance of the course subject matter
it will help students see how subject matter can be applied to everyday life
it would fulfill the Richland School District mission statement
it would be beneficial to the character of my students
Other:
What would be your issue(s) in NOT incorporating service learning? *(check all that apply)
interference with students' academic responsibilities
interference with teacher's academic responsibilities
liability/safety issues
lack of monetary support
lack of administrative support
lack of professional development
Other:
Some Wisconsin schools require service learning to graduate. What are your thoughts? *
great idea
not sure
we have enough requirements
need more information to decide
Other:
If not a graduation requirement, do you believe RCHS should have courses with service learning components? *
great idea
not sure
we have enough requirements
need more information to decide
Other:
r
r r r r r
r r r r r r r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
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Which of the following do you feel are necessary to successfully incorporate service learning into your curriculum? *(check all that apply)