Developing a Plan for ServiceLearning Institutionalization
For 2006-09 Subgrantees
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 THE ELEMENTS OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION ............................................................................................... 2 INSTITUTIONALIZATION LOGIC MODEL TEMPLATE ................................................................................ 3 A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION ............................................................ 11
Introduction
This document is meant to provide Learn and Serve Colorado subgrantees with a framework that can be used to support the use of service-learning as an everyday practice in their school districts and communities. Colorado has received federal funding to support service-learning for over fifteen years. It is time to move beyond simply getting people to “try it,” and hoping it sticks. Service-learning is an effective educational practice that is supported by solid research. With fewer federal dollars supporting service-learning, we must think beyond 3-year grant cycles. We must bring new partners to the table—partners who can influence others and think strategically about how to align service-learning with other initiatives, trends and movements. When we think about long-term viability for service-learning, we often use the term “sustainability.” But we are, more accurately, working toward the “institutionalization” of service-learning in schools and communities. Although they are often used as synonyms, sustainability and institutionalization are not the same. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary: sus·tain·a·ble: ADJ. able to be maintained at a certain rate or level. DERIVATIVES: sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty. in·sti·tu·tion·al·ize: V. (trans.). 1. establish (something, typically a practice or activity) as a convention or norm in an organization or culture. DERIVATIVES: in·sti·tu·tion·al·i·za·tion. With respect to service-learning, sustainability means that schools and districts in Colorado continue to utilize service-learning at the limited levels they do today. Under this perspective, sustainability means that current Learn and Serve Colorado programs would be able to continue providing support to schools in a few districts around the state when Learn and Serve funds are no longer available. Sustainability implies maintenance, but not necessarily wholehearted support of service-learning. Support for service-learning in a district could be very limited, and that level of support could still be sustainable. Institutionalization, on the other hand, is about the culture of a district or community. When service-learning is institutionalized in a district, it has support across the district, from the top and bottom, and from the outside. Institutionalization means that service-learning is as much a part of students’ educational experience as lectures, research papers and written tests. Service-learning is not used all the time—maybe not even by every teacher. But it is expected and supported by parents, community members, students, teachers and administrators. Mechanisms and resources are in place to ensure that service-learning occurs and is done well, such as professional development and technical assistance, student assessment tools, curricular materials and logistical and administrative support. Service-learning is part of teacher evaluations. Time is provided for service-learning planning and for teacher collaboration. Schedules are flexible, to enable students to conduct their service off campus. Clearly, for a school district to embrace service-learning in this way, minor programmatic changes and fundraising plans are not enough. Offering service-learning workshops and hoping teachers come is not enough. Changing the cultural norms of an organization takes time and dialog and a plan. It takes patience and long-term commitment. It requires that individuals who seek to transform an organization step outside their comfort zones to take on unfamiliar tasks and reach out to new partners. This document provides a five-part template that can be used to develop a plan for service1
learning institutionalization in your school or district. As you plan for institutionalization, it will become clear that many of the goals are different from those you may have had when your focus was simply on introducing service-learning in your school or district. Different outcomes, of course, require different strategies and, possibly, different partners. You will still need to include strategies to encourage adoption of service-learning by those new to the methodology, but you will also need to think about what it would take to make service-learning an expectation and common practice. Developing a plan for institutionalization can help you achieve both short- and long-term goals.
The Elements of Institutionalization
According to Learning That Lasts: How Service-Learning Can Become an Integral Part of Schools, States and Communities, advocates seeking to institutionalize service-learning must focus on five important areas of work: 1. Vision and leadership: how a diverse leadership comprising key stakeholders supports service-learning; 2. Curriculum: how the pedagogy of service-learning is developed, practiced and supported; 3. Professional development: how a variety of training opportunities are created and presented, and how staff members are given time to share their learning and insights; 4. Partnership and community: how schools and community organizations, each with specific needs and expectations, can collaborate in the development of quality servicelearning efforts; and 5. Continuous improvement: ways in which districts and states have used evaluation and advanced trainings to boost both the quality and quantity of practice (p. 27). The template on the following pages will help you create an institutionalization plan for each of these five areas. Within each area you and your partners should choose three types of strategies and indicators: policy, practice and capacity.
Policy in its fullest and richest form: Gives permission for programs to develop and expand; Provides resources to help programs develop and expand; Improves program sustainability; Stimulates resource support from other sources; Lends credibility and legitimacy to programs.
The goal of policy is to develop and align education policy and service-learning so that it is an expected and supported element of each student’s education. Practice refers to strategies that create an understanding and further the implementation of service-learning. Practice is characterized by strategies that: Meet a real community need; Align with the curriculum; Assess applicable standards; Include reflection; Provide opportunities for civic development; Engage the community. The goal of practice is to increase the prevalence of high-quality service-learning in schools through all grades and systems. Capacity and infrastructure are the systems within schools and communities that
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support service-learning integration. They include: Designated staff; Professional development; Networks of support; Reward systems. The goal of capacity is to ensure sufficient school and community support so that service-learning is an expected component of education and community partnerships. Learning That Lasts, p. 27-28.
Institutionalization Logic Model Template
Directions
In order to complete the template below you should have some understanding of how to create a logic model. You can find guidance on logic models in “Performance Measurement Guidance for 2006-09 Learn and Serve Colorado Grant Applicants,” located here: www.icgregis.org/media/EDocs/Peformmeasuretoolkit.pdf. The template below is essentially five separate logic models that correspond to the five essential areas of work described above. Each logic model includes end outcomes that, if achieved, would indicate that a school, district or community had institutionalized service-learning. As institutionalization planners, your task is to fill in the blank columns in the logic models. In the “outputs” and “outcomes” columns, you will also need to identify the instruments, tools or sources of information that will be used to gauge your progress. Begin by reviewing the end outcomes. Take some time to consider what those outcomes would look like in the context of your school, district or community. Review the sample indicators that follow the logic models and consider what kinds of inputs and activities those indicators involve. With the end outcomes in mind you and your partners can begin to brainstorm strategies for getting to those outcomes.1 As more partners get involved, it is likely that you will wish to modify and refine your strategies. This is perfectly acceptable since internal and external conditions and personnel change over time. Although your logic model may change several times, the institutionalization outcomes should remain the same.
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It is not necessary to complete your logic models using the format used in this document. The template is meant to provide a simple representation of the flow of work. You are encouraged to be creative in your efforts to capture visually the inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes generated by your team.
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Vision and Leadership
Need: To make service-learning a common practice in the school, district or community. Inputs
In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following:
Activities
In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities:
Outputs
We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following direct results: Description:
Intermediate Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: Description:
End Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: A diverse group of stakeholders have a shared vision and leadership opportunities. Service-learning is aligned with current and emerging local, state and national policies and priorities. The district has a clear vision of what full school, district and community integration looks like. Tools, instruments or data source:
↓ Results ↓
Tools, instruments or data source:
Tools, instruments or data source:
INDICATORS →
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Curriculum
Need: To make service-learning a common practice in the school, district or community. Inputs
In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following:
Activities
In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities:
Outputs
We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following direct results: Description:
Intermediate Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: Description:
End Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: The procedures used to develop and revise curriculum allow for the integration of servicelearning. Service-learning projects address curricular demands, student interests and community needs. Service-learning aligns with district or state content standards. Students are able to demonstrate and articulate the knowledge and skills (contained in state standards) acquired through service-learning. Tools, instruments or data source:
↓ Results ↓
Tools, instruments or data source:
Tools, instruments or data source:
INDICATORS →
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Professional Development
Need: To make service-learning a common practice in the school, district or community. Inputs
In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following:
Activities
In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities:
Outputs
We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following direct results: Description:
Intermediate Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: Description:
End Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes:
School and district faculty and other employees have regular opportunities to receive training and to create a community of practice around service-learning. The district has partnerships with community-based organizations, higher education institutions or others to provide high-quality staff development opportunities. Teachers of various curricular areas have opportunities to discuss potential collaboration on service-learning projects.
↓ Results ↓
Tools, instruments or data source:
Tools, instruments or data source:
Service-learning is incorporated into curricular activities, district initiatives and education reform strategies. Tools, instruments or data source:
INDICATORS →
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Partnership and Community
Need: To make service-learning a common practice in the school, district or community. Inputs
In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following:
Activities
In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities:
Outputs
We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following direct results: Description:
Intermediate Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: Description:
End Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: Partnerships benefit schools, students and community partners. Organizational mechanisms (e.g., staff support & planning time) are available to develop and support community-school partnerships. District, school and partner policies and resources encourage partnerships. Community-school partnerships are evaluated, documented and publicized. Tools, instruments or data source:
↓ Results ↓
Tools, instruments or data source:
Tools, instruments or data source:
INDICATORS →
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Continuous Improvement
Need: To make service-learning a common practice in the school, district or community. Inputs
In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following:
Activities
In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities:
Outputs
We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following direct results: Description:
Intermediate Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: Description:
End Outcomes
We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: The district provides formal opportunities for assessing service-learning and for continuous improvement of servicelearning practice. District policies and practices support continuous improvement. A variety of processes and protocols are used to evaluate instructional practice. Tools, instruments or data source:
↓ Results ↓
Tools, instruments or data source:
Tools, instruments or data source:
INDICATORS →
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Indicators of Institutionalization
Learning That Lasts and the Learning That Lasts Field Guide describe five general areas that must be addressed in any effort to institutionalize service-learning, as well as indicators in each area that can be used to assess the extent to which service-learning is or is not institutionalized in your school or district. These indicators can be used in your logic model, along with others of your own choosing, to assess your progress toward the end outcomes. These indicators are purposely imprecise. For example, in the area of professional development, one indicator is “Districts provide incentives to involve faculty in professional development for service-learning.” The indicator does not describe the specific kind of incentives for faculty involvement. Nor does the indicator describe how much professional development is enough. The specifics of each indicator, as well as the relative importance of the indicators, will differ depending on the individuals involved, available resources, current level of support for servicelearning, and a variety of other factors. Once you choose your indicators you will also need to determine—in cooperation with your partners—what level of achievement would indicate success.
Vision and Leadership Indicators
A broad-based leadership team and a respected coordinator oversee service-learning efforts. Knowledge of service-learning is a factor in the hiring process and in orientation for new staff. Service-learning is aligned with other school reform initiatives being implemented. Students assume leadership roles. District and board goals, policies and strategic plans provide permission and resources for service-learning. There is consistent and clear communication between the service-learning leaders and key stakeholders. Ongoing efforts solicit and use funding to enhance service-learning.
Curriculum Indicators
Service-learning is tied to curriculum and academic standards. Students are involved in the planning and design of service-learning curriculum. Service-learning is acknowledged as a key instructional strategy in policy and practice.
Professional Development Indicators
Districts provide regular opportunities for faculty and other employees to receive servicelearning training. Districts provide incentives to involve faculty in professional development for servicelearning. Districts create partnerships with higher education institutions to provide high-quality staff development opportunities.
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Partnership and Community Indicators
The district and its partners have developed policies and practices that govern the operation of school/community partnerships. School and community partners have ongoing opportunities to meet, discuss expectations and when necessary revise the operations of service-learning activities. Mechanisms are in place to evaluate the impact of the partnership and the viability of service-learning activities. Districts and community partners share trainings and other resources.
Continuous Improvement Indicators
The district provides ongoing opportunities for experienced service-learning practitioners to improve their skills and share information with others. Service-learning is included in school or district improvement plans. There are continual efforts to evaluate the impact of service-learning and to make modifications as needed. Significant accomplishments are publicly acknowledged and celebrated.
The Logic Model and Planning for Institutionalization
While a logic model is important as a planning tool, it should not serve as the plan itself. As more stakeholders get involved, your plan will probably become too complex to be captured in a simple logic model. These complexities are important and should be included in a more detailed institutionalization plan that includes a clear timeline and defines stakeholder roles and responsibilities. The detailed plan is important for the initiative’s leaders, while the more straightforward logic model can be used to share your vision with potential community partners and fu nders. The logic model can also help those involved in the initiative to see the larger connections between their work and the desired outcomes. Because many of the indicators and end outcomes will seem very ambitious for districts just beginning to think about institutionalization, you may want to develop a timeline that is longer than the term of your grant. A change in the culture and norms of an organization and the larger community takes time. By establishing clear indicators, celebrating the achievement of those steps along the way and reminding stakeholders of how far you have come, you will keep your partners engaged and supportive even if institutionalization does not occur within three years.
A Note on Funding
You will by now have noticed that this document contains no logic model, nor any indicators, nor any discussion (until now) of funding for service-learning. School districts already seek funding for character education, prevention, career education and many other outcomes. Because service-learning is an effective strategy in these and other areas, it can be supported—like lecture, internships, research papers and other standard teaching methodologies—with funding sought for these outcomes. Service-learning itself costs little. Professional development, of course, does have a cost, especially if service-learning is just being introduced in a district. But Learn and Serve Colorado funds can be used to support professional development during the three years of your grant. And other opportunities for teachers to learn about service-learning are available at low cost, such as an online course offered in recent years 10
through Adams State College in Alamosa. Funding should, of course, be part of your strategic plan. But if your aim is truly institutionalization, and if service-learning is tied to school and district improvement plans, community priorities, standards and educational reform initiatives, service-learning will become such a core part of the educational process that it will not need its own, separate funding source.
A Developmental Approach to Institutionalization
The five areas of work described above are not absolute. Maine, for example, has developed a “systemic continuum” model that describes three stages through which a district might move toward institutionalization: “exploring,” in which the district is beginning to learn about servicelearning; “transitioning,” in which the district has recognized the value of service-learning and is utilizing it as an important educational strategy, but the methodology has not yet been fully embraced; and “transforming,” in which service-learning becomes an integral part of the way the district operates. In a district that has reached the “transforming” stage, service-learning has become institutionalized. Maine’s systemic continuum model, like the model presented in the template above, encourages the development of strategies in five major areas. But Maine’s areas are slightly different: (1) leadership and vision, (2) curriculum, instruction and assessment, (3) professional development, (4) administrative policy and support, and (5) community involvement. Maine’s model identifies indicators in each of these areas that correspond to the three developmental levels. So within the “curriculum, instruction and assessment” category, for example, a district might use the following indicators to demonstrate progress through the three stages: Exploring: The district establishes curriculum committees to align service-learning projects with standards. Transitioning: District curriculum and assessment committees/staff help teachers align service-learning projects with standards and include authentic performance assessments of student learning. Transforming: All projects are aligned with state and local standards, and assess student learning. Although the categories used in Maine’s model are not identical to those used in the logic model template above, the indicators are equally applicable and may be useful in identifying your own indicators. For more on the Maine model, see pp. 71-73 of Learning That Lasts. You can also order the entire systemic continuum model from KIDS Consortium in Maine. Call (207) 7840956 or e-mail kap@kidsconsortium.org. A useful resource based on a similar developmental framework is “Looking Back, Going Forward,” an online package on service-learning institutionalization produced by James Toole for the CenterPoint Institute. Like the Maine model, the CenterPoint package describes three distinct stages through which a district must pass, including adoption, implementation and institutionalization. The package contains all the resources needed (agendas, PowerPoints and overheads, discussion guides, worksheets, etc.) to conduct a 90-minute or half-day workshop, or a 5-session study group. This package may be useful as you work with colleagues and partners on your institutionalization plan.
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Conclusion
This document is meant to help you think big. If your plan does not aim for institutionalization, you will not achieve it. If you are attempting to meet the terms of your grant without seeking to change the organization or the community in which you work, you are thinking small. Institutionalization requires ambition and courage, and involves discomfort and loss of control and u ncertainty, and maybe even a little fear. The development of a logic model is only one step towards institutionalization—and not even the first step. Begin by bringing people together to talk about the future, and about their dreams for their children and the community. Invite those whom you know will say yes, and those you think will say no. Invite teachers, administrators, community-based professionals, local officials, parents, students and your next-door neighbors. From this group you can identify influential partners who can, in turn, identify other partners. Blah, blah, blah…inspirational crap.
Resources
Education Commission of the States (2002). Learning That Lasts: How Service-Learning Can Become an Integral Part of Schools, States and Communities. Denver: author. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/40/54/4054.pdf Education Commission of the States (2005). Learning That Lasts Field Guide. Denver: author. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/60/79/6079.pdf Toole, James C. (2003). “Looking Back, Going Forward: How to Adopt, Implement and Institutionalize Service-Learning.” Mokena, IL: CenterPoint Institute. http://www.centerpointinstitute.com/Resources/Multimedia/SLCD/Start.html
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