Unpacking What Works in Service-Learning: Promising Research-Based Practices to Improve Student Outcomes

In this age of educational accountability, outcomes count more than ever. Fortunately, the research in K-12 service-learning has begun to illuminate what it is about service-learning design that promotes stronger outcomes, particularly in the areas of academics and civics. This article explores eight promising service-learning practices. These eight emerged from the past several years of collecting research on what works, and from recent studies that tested the Essential Elements of Service-Learning (National Service-Learning Cooperative and National Youth Leadership Council 1999) and other indicators defined as being associated with quality practice in the field. Each of the eight that emerged as predictive of positive outcomes has statistical evidence of effectiveness in several studies, either within the field of service-learning or in a closely related field of educational reform.