Does Quality Really Matter? Testing the New K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice

The K-12 Service-Learning Standards and Indicators for Quality Practice were published in 2008. These standards were created on the basis of an extensive review of the literature within the field of K-12 service-learning and the larger body of literature on effective practices in education. This chapter presents some of the literature on which the standards were based and an analysis of the extent to which the standards are associated with positive outcomes for middle and high school programs implemented in the School District of Philadelphia. Using a quasi-experimental design, researchers compared changes in various academic measures between students in high-quality service-learning programs and students in matched classrooms that did not implement service-learning. Students in high-quality programs, as defined by the standards, showed more statistically significant positive outcomes than their nonparticipating peers on measures of academic achievement, attendance, tardiness, and suspensions. Possible explanations and implications for future studies are discussed. (author)