Research Informing Practice: Developing Practice Standards and Guidelines

In K-12 service-learning, standards and indicators for quality practice have been identified on the basis of a thorough review of the research literature and standard-setting by appropriate groups of service-learning experts. This chapter summarizes the process by which the K-12 standards were developed, offering them as a model that might be followed to create guidelines for quality service-learning practice in higher education. The International Association for Research in Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) has taken positive steps to build the research field; additional activities and role for the organization are suggested in building the validity and quality of future research. (authors)