Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

Source: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, October 2003

NSLC Evaluation and Assessment Hot Topic

NSLC Links - Assessment/Evaluation

NSLC Assessment and Evaluation in Service-Learning Bibliography

Batenburg, Mark, and Denise Clark Pope. Evaluation Handbook: Practical Tools for Evaluating Service Learning Programs. Oakland, CA: Youth Service California, 1997.
An instructive manual and workbook that provides a wealth of field-tested examples, tools and strategies for every step of the evaluation process. The Handbook begins with service learning program examples, and goes on to advise practitioners on how to complete each step of an evaluation, including how to explain the reasons for an evaluation, state and choose goals for an evaluation, select the right evaluation tools, and analyze and report data.

Learn and Serve America. K-12 School-and Community-Based 2006 Performance Measurement Guidance. Washington, DC: Corporation for National and Community Service.
These modules are designed to aid applicants in completing the Performance Measures section of the 2006 Learn and Serve America School- and Community-Based Grant Applications. These instructions are intended to clarify how to develop performance measures that are aligned with the program narrative sections of the grant application and enter those performance measures into eGrants.
PDF version available at:
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/perf_measurement/k-12_cbo.php

Learn and Serve America. Higher Education 2006 Performance Measurement Guidance. Washington, DC: Corporation for National and Community Service.
These modules are designed to aid applicants in completing the Performance Measures section of the 2006 Learn and Serve America Higher Education Grant Applications. These instructions are intended to clarify how to develop performance measures that are aligned with the program narrative sections of the grant application and enter those performance measures into eGrants.
PDF version available at:
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/perf_measurement/highered.php

National Service-Learning and Assessment Study Group. Service-learning and Assessment: A Field Guide for Teachers. 1999. Washington, D.C.: Learn and Serve America.
A comprehensive guide for teachers on assessing service-learning. The following topics are covered: planning for assessment, rubrics for looking at student products, KWLs and Anchor tasks, inviting students into the process, how service-learning can demonstrate standards, and planning and reflection tools. The guide is divided into 8 parts.

NSLC and RMC Research. Educator's Guide to Service-Learning Program Evaluation. Scotts Valley, CA: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, 2001.
To ensure that service-learning programs are effective in achieving their promise long term, programs must be evaluated. With the results of these evaluations, you will know which programs to continue, how to strengthen them, and which ones to end. This booklet will provide you with the tools to: Evaluate how effectively a program meets its objectives; Diagnose which factors contribute to successful or unsuccessful outcomes; and Provide guidance for improvement. This booklet provides tools to evaluate how effectively a program meets its objectives, ways to diagnose which factors contribute to successful or unsuccessful outcomes, and guidance for improvement. The results from these evaluations can help you decide which programs to continue, how to strengthen them, and which ones to end.

RMC Research. "Service-Learning Quality Review." 2003.
This self-assessment is based on research and knowledge of "best practices" associated with the link between service-learning and school improvement efforts. There are seven core elements, each with their own set of criteria used to measure progress in integrating service-learning a school system, including school improvement plans, assessing the quality of the program, and to stimulate reflection, discussion, and further planning to sustain the program.

RMC Research. CART (Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools). Denver:  RMC Research, Inc.
The Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools (CART) is a database that provides information on instruments that measure attributes associated with youth development programs. CART includes descriptions of research instruments, tools, rubrics, and guides and is intended to assist those who have an interest in studying the effectiveness of service-learning, safe and drug-free schools and communities, and other school-based youth development activities.

Shumer, Robert. Shumer's Self-Assessment for Service-Learning. Scotts Valley, CA: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, 2000.
This purpose of this self-assessment is to help practitioners gather information that will improve their service-learning initiatives. The assessment is divided into the following sections: culture and context, philosophy and purpose, policy and parameters, practice and pedagogy, and assessment and accountability. The self-assessment is divided into two parts. Part I is a 23-question rapid assessment, designed to provide a quick analysis of an initiative's strengths and weaknesses. Part II is a much longer and more detailed version of Part I. While the 23 statements are the same in both parts, Part II provides the opportunity to focus attention on specific components of the Part I general questions.