The Providers Network Fostering Excellence in ServiceLearning Professional

The Providers' Network Fostering Excellence in Service-Learning Professional Development If Service-Learning is So Great, Why Doesn’t Everyone Use it? James Toole, Ph. D. Compass Institute University of Minnesota Lake Superior Service-Learning Regional Conference University of Wisconsin Superior • April 15, 2010

Ball Toss and PLCs Tennis Ball Toss Typical School Decision The goal is well defined. People often don’t agree on what the goal should be. Everyone is given a clear role and responsibility. Roles and responsibilities are not clear. The task is relatively value free. The task is value-laden and therefore people may passionately disagree. Everyone participates. Participation is highly uneven. The outcome doesn’t matter. The outcomes matter significantly/ high stakes.

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Large Share of Schools (Percentage of schools using service learning) Service Learning 38. 6% Service Learning 48. 7% Middle Schools High Schools Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey, 1999.

Small Share of Teachers (Percentage of teachers using service learning) Users 6. 6% Don’t Use Service Learning Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey, 1999. Very few teachers are doers. At three quarters of the schools with service learning, 80% or more of the teachers don’t engage in the practice. The portion of all middle and high schools in which most of the teachers use service learning: 5%.

Strong Support Doesn’t Ensure Implementation Share of schools with or without the support where most of the students receive service learning Support in Place Without Policies to encourage service learning 15. 4% 3. 6% Financial support or additional time 13. 7% 2. 8% Training 14. 4% 2. 1% Service learning coordinator 14. 9% 4. 1% Service learning requirement 16. 2% 3. 5% All of the above 24. 0% 5. 2% Source: U. S. Department of Education, National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey, 1999. 7

What Else is Needed?

The Big Questions Individual Level q Why do some teachers/ youth workers use service -learning and some not? q What are the implications for how we reach out to people? Organizational Level q Why are some schools more successful implementing servicelearning than others? q How do we support whole -school adoption?

Big Question #1 Individual Level q Why do some teachers/ youth workers use service -learning and some not?

How Are They Different? ?

How Are They Different? ? q Age q Teaching Experience q Teaching Commitment q Gender q Beliefs about Teaching and Learning q Staff Development Involvement

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Are There More Differences? Classroom Practices Work in cooperative groups Use the internet Work on a project that required data collection Go into the community to learn Students make assessment of their own work Are the classrooms of those that do service-learning different from nonusers even when they aren’t using service-learning?

Yes! There are Significant Differences Classroom Practices (1999) t Work in cooperative groups 2. 53** Use the internet 3. 73*** Work on a project that required data collection 4. 45*** Go into the community to learn 4. 89*** Students make assessment of their own work 1. 94*

“What is most important to teach people is not behaviors or activities but cognitive. ” “What drives what we do and say is our assumptions and beliefs about something. ” Bob Garmston 17

The Importance of Assumptions “Regardless of what new method or latest technique is attempted, the mind/brain will always choose to reduce such practices to fit entrenched assumptions and beliefs. ” Renate Nummela Caine and Geoffrey Caine

Pioneers Versus Settlers

What are the Implications? If service-learning adoption is dependent on people’s deep pedagogical beliefs, what does this mean for professional development?

Behaviors Can be the Easiest Hospital Example Using a Procedure Checklist q Did we give the patient her antibiotics? q Did we introduce ourselves to one another? Benefits q Can reduce infections and deaths by one-third q Greater efficiency and teamwork

How do you reach people at deeper levels?

Levels of Intervention § Behaviors What? § Capabilities How? § Beliefs Why? § Values Meaning? § Identity Who?

Behavior Change & Communication q Liver q Heart q Kidney q Sweetbreads

Service-Learning Questions q Behavior: What are the most important elements of teaching a service-learning lesson? q Capabilities: What strategies did you employ to foster youth voice? q Beliefs: Why do you think service-learning is an effective teaching strategy? q Values: Why is service important for youth? q Identity: How does service-learning relate to your personal sense of mission as a teacher?

Big Question #2 Organizational Level q Why are some schools more successful implementing servicelearning than others? q How do we support whole -school adoption?

The Role of Organizational Culture Question Willow Oak 100% 61% Teachers in this school trust each Strongly other. Agree or Agree 93% 52% How many teachers in this school Most or feel responsible to help each Nearly All other do their best? 75% 35% How many teachers in this school Most or help maintain discipline in the Nearly All entire school, not just their classrooms? 82% 33% Teachers respect other teachers who take the lead in staff improvement efforts. Answer Strongly Agree or Agree

Reflection Differences: How might it be different to work in these two schools? Learning Impact: How different might it be to implement service-learning at the two sites?

Cultures Impact Implementation Question The implementation of servicelearning has created divisions and conflict among our staff. Answer Disagree or strongly disagree A small group of people at this Disagree or school control service-learning strongly and use it for their own purposes. disagree Those who provide leadership around service-learning are motivated primarily by the good of children. Agree or Strongly Agree I have a sense of personal ownership for the school-wide success of service-learning Agree or Strongly Agree Willow Oak 100% 72% 90% 56% 100% 67% 83% 30 57%

What is the Most Difficult Part? The Plumbing (The “Hard” Part) q q q Structures Systems Procedures Rules Controls Plans The Poetry (The “Soft” Part) q q q q People Attitudes Energy Buy-in Attitude towards change Fears Trust

“Individuals are almost indestructible, but organizations are very fragile. ” – Farson, 1996

“When I opened my first shop, I was looking for employees, but people showed up instead. ” Anita Roddick, Founder of the Body Shop

Four Types of Cultures q Isolation q Balkanization q Contrived Collegiality q Community

What Do These Movies Have in Common?

High V. Low Performance Teams

Why Do We Care? The Teamwork Dividend WHEN: 1993 for Nine Months WHO: 23 New England heart surgeons WHAT: Observe each other regularly in the operating room and share their knowledge, insights, and approaches. RESULT: What happened to the mortality rate? Sources: New York Times National Staff Development Council

A Relationship-Rich Pedagogy q Teacher-Student q Student-Community q Teacher-Community q Cross-Age Work q Intergenerational

The Power of Social Trust Faculty-Faculty Trust Faculty-Principal Trust r =. 16* r =. 07 r =. 45*** r = 21** Teacher Service. Learning Use Service-Learning Institutionalization • p<. 05 **p<. 01 *** p<. 001 • N=216

Healthy And Innovative Workplaces ü A place where I can pursue my passions. ü A place where I am respected and valued. ü A place where I get better at what I do. ü A place where I can have an impact. ü A place where I am part of a larger, healthy organization.

Service-Learning in Middle Schools Civics-Based Service-Learning S Service as a Strategy for Drop-Out Prevention Service-Learning And Resilience Service as a Strategy To Close the Achievement Gap Service-Learning In Small Schools