SITE LEVEL BEST PRACTICES for Service-Learning

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BEST PRACTICE 1: Mission, Beliefs and Goals
Service-learning is promoted and systematically practiced as central to the school’s mission, beliefs and goals. EXAMPLE: Put mission statement on letterhead, newslettes, handbook cover. Dialogue takes place regularly among staff around mssion, and the role of service learning.

BEST PRACTICE 2: Policy
School policies support the use of quality service-learning on a systemwide basis.
EXAMPLE: Develop a belief statement about service learning to include in your current “Statement of Beliefs.”

BEST PRACTICE 3: Funding
Service learning activities and goals are funded through the school and/or district budget.
EXAMPLE: Create visible line items for service learning in your school budget.

BEST PRACTICE 4: Transportation
The district provides transportation for service-learning related activities.
EXAMPLE: Create line items for service learning field trips. Give such trips priority over other field trips.

BEST PRACTICE 5: Scheduling
The school schedule supports service learning.
EXAMPLE: Make schedule flexibility more visible.

BEST PRACTICE 6: Administrative Support
The administration is visibly active in supporting an integrated approach to service-learning.
EXAMPLE: Keep service-learning on agendas for sharing at monthly meetings/year-end summaries; keep an ongoing list of service-learning activities done at the school.

BEST PRACTICE 7: Risk Management
The school has a risk management plan which covers service-learning.

BEST PRACTICE 8: Coordination of Practice and Resources
Service-learning practice and resource needs are coordinated and supported by school system. Structural elements and resources exist to sustain quality service-learning practice.
EXAMPLE: Coordinate K-8 service-learning curriculum.

BEST PRACTICE 9: Training
Service-learning training is made available to staff members.
EXAMPLE: Provide training to help staff access service-learning opportunities, regardless of their entry point level (e.g., provide tools such as this one during in-service meetings, along with time to use them and time for questions).

BEST PRACTICE 10: Professional Development
There are ongoing professional development opportunities to support service-learning practitioners.


How These Best Practices Were Developed

Developed by Class Focus Group, Fall, 1999.These best practices are based upon The Essential Elements for Service-Learning, developed by The National Youth Leadership Council.