Service-Learning and Hispanic Students: What Works in the Field

A concern about poor academic achievement among Hispanic students and the corresponding high dropout rate led the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) at the Education Commission of the States (ECS), with funding from the State Farm Companies Foundation, to convene a Thinkers Meeting about Service-Learning for Hispanic Students in March 2008. Thinkers Meeting participants -- representing P-12, universities, policymakers, education leaders, program staff, students and practitioners from around the country, along with community organizations advancing Hispanic initiatives -- explored the positive relationship between service-learning and Hispanic students' education, success and aspirations. Building upon the growing body of research indicating that service-learning is a critical pedagogy for student academic, civic, social and career development, the meeting concluded with a plan to conduct case studies to uncover best practices for engaging Hispanic students in service-learning. The nine schools selected have demonstrated sound experience and commitment to service-learning. Schools reflected urban, suburban and rural communities and varied in size from small to medium to very large inner city schools. Most, if not all, sites were on at least 50% free or reduced lunches and most had a very large percentage of Hispanic students. All of the schools attributed their success to integrated service-learning policies and practices. More than 100 interviews were conducted with school board officials, administrators including principals and assistant principals, superintendents, community members, community-based organizations, teachers and students. Despite the vast amount of diversity among the schools, consistent themes, and best practices and policies emerged across all sites. These best practices and policies are detailed later in the paper. Through prior work, NCLC identified five elements of service-learning policy and practice that are essential to institutionalizing quality programs and leading to greater student success: leadership, continuous improvement, professional development, curriculum and assessment, and community partnerships. The case studies protocol or questionnaire used the five policy areas as a framework for uncovering best practices and lessons learned for engaging Hispanic students in service-learning.