Why+Service-Learning?



According to a bulletin prepared by RMC Research Corporation in 2007: “Research shows that when service-learning is designed in particular ways, __students show gains on measures of academic achievement, including standardized tests__.” In addition to the academic benefits of service-learning, studies show that service-learning boosts students’ motivation to learn, sense of civic responsibility and introduction to career pathways. For more information on the research, check out the fact sheet: Why Districts, Schools, and Classrooms Should Practice Service-Learning

__ District Evaluation: __ Round Rock ISD service-learning activities were evaluated, along with several other districts around the state, as part of the evaluation report “STARS of Texas Grant Program: 2008-09,” prepared by RMC Research Corporation for Service Learning Texas. The report showed that for students in grades 6-12, there were statistically significant increases in students’ self-report of civic engagement. The report stated: “The greatest impacts of service-learning on students at the case study sites were in the areas of students’ sense of responsibility as citizens, ability to connect service-learning to what they learned in class, and communication skills.” Additionally, the report found that “all of the teachers at case study sites noted that service-learning impacted their teaching styles, interactions with students and beliefs about how students learn in positive ways.”