According to the National Study of the Prevalence of Community Service and
Service-Learning in K-12 Public Schools, for schools that have service-learning, 39 percent include service-learning in the board-approved curriculum for at least one subject in one grade level (Spring et al, 2009). 

School principals in schools that implement service-learning reported that service-learning was most likely to take place in social studies, science, and English/language arts (Spring, Grim, & Dietz, 2009):

• 52 percent of principals reported that service-learning was included in core curriculum for social studies.
• 42 percent of principals reported that service-learning was included in core curriculum for science.
• 34 percent of principals reported that service-learning was included in core curriculum for English/language arts.

View examples of service-learning projects in these disciplines.

While less frequent, principals also reported that service-learning was incorporated into

• art, music, and theater;
• career education;
• mathematics;
• health;
• special education;
• gifted/talented education;
• physical education; and
• foreign languages.

District policies that support service-learning can legitimize the practice of service-learning as a key component of education. These policies can also provide resources, professional development, and guidelines for service-learning programs. As such, they can ensure successful implementation and sustainability of school-based service-learning programs. Research shows that schools where there is a district policy in place are much more likely to participate in service-learning (51 percent) than schools where the district does not have a policy (17 percent) or where the policy is unknown (21 percent) (Spring et al., 2009).

The majority of schools implementing service-learning integrate it into at least one aspect of school policies (Spring et al, 2009). Such policies may include one or more of the following:

• Integrating service-learning as a part of the board-approved course curriculum for at least one subject area in at least one grade level.
• Recognition of service-learning in the school improvement plan.
• Inclusion of service-learning in teacher and staff orientation.

Consideration of service-learning as a criterion for teacher and staff evaluation.

View ReferencesReferences

Resources

Service-Learning Ideas and Curricular Examples (SLICE)
SLICE is an easy-to-search database full of hundreds of high-quality service-learning lesson plans, syllabi, and project ideas housed on Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. Lesson plans are submitted by educators and service-learning practitioners.