<p>Northeastmom,
Some students already work the academic system by having, for instance, parents ghostwrite papers for them. That doesn’t mean that we dump academic requirements. IMO, the benefits of required community service outweigh the fact that some people will work the system. There also are ways of keeping track of yours that don’t overburden GCs. Indeed, states that require CS for merit aid already require GCs to do record keeping of CS. Some public schools also put CS on students’ transcripts.</p>
<p>I went to a private high school that crammed school into four days a week so that Wednesdays could be devoted to community service and other forms of experiencial learning. The program has evolved, but I spent one year in a center that took care of kids whose parents were incarcerated, one year tutoring in an elementary school and one year working for a Senator on Capitol Hill. I think it taught me that even when you have a full plate there’s always time for volunteering. And that you often get as much from your volunteer experiences than you give. Obviously the situtation is different at a public school, but I think that you can incorporate some kinds of service into the school day.</p>
<p>Ask not what your high school can do for you…ask what you can do for your high school.</p>
<p>Can we please just get these people to teach our kids without thinking up more activities to get in the way of that?</p>
<p>Our school system has a 24 hour requirement, prorated for transfers- that’s only 6 hours per year. Can be done starting the summer after 8th grade. A list of acceptable volunteer places is given to each student and a sheet to be signed by the student and volunteer place supervisor is turned in and handled by HS clerical staff. NHS requires many more hours (24/year?) but includes more places. Even the busiest kids should have no problem, unless they procrastinate. I think it’s great, especially when you consider all the hours put in by parents for music, sports, etc. for these same kids. The local library summer reading programs, food pantry, middle school solo and ensemble, and many other places benefit.</p>
<p>I do not understand how a few unselfish hours outside the school day each year “get in the way” of teachers teaching in the classroom. In our district the community service does NOT benefit the HS, the teachers have nothing to do with it, and probably because of various unions, does not take away any paying jobs. In fact, it can help teenagers’ self esteem- they are valued for a contribution outside their family and treated with appreciation by the recipients, and it helps the self centered teens look beyond themselves. Being public, there is also no connection with any religion (volunteering for one’s church education program gets no credit, but painting houses thru one’s church group is ok). Many students, and parents, have no church affiliations to give them the concept of volunteering. The concept of doing for others becomes a civic, not religious activity; by dissociating service from churches the students can see where everyone, not just church people, can benefit the community (those who volunteer within their churches are doing it for their own benefit- points for getting into heaven or some such).</p>
<p>I thought forcing people to work for nothing was called “slavery.”</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I do community service as a volunteer because I want to and believe in the utility of what I am doing. I think it’s a good thing for me and my community.</p>
<p>Forcing people to do this is unethical. Plain and Simple.</p>
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<p>wis: care to provide any scientific research that supports that supposition?</p>
<p>Aha! Research on Community Service (called “service learning” in the research) and academic performance. (I was surprised to see that I even know one of the researchers!).</p>
<p>"Students in over half of the high quality service-learning schools studied showed moderate to strong positive gains on student achievement tests in language arts and/or reading, engagement in school, sense of educational accomplishment and homework completion (Weiler, et. al., 1998). </p>
<p>Service-learning participation was associated with higher scores on the state test of basic skills (Anderson, et. al., 1991) and higher grades (Shumer, 1994; Shaffer, 1993; Dean and Murdock, 1992; O’Bannon, 1999). </p>
<p>Eighty-three percent of schools with service-learning programs reported that grade point averages of participating service-learning students improved 76 percent of the time (Follman, 1999). </p>
<p>Middle and high school students who participated in service-learning tutoring programs increased their grade point averages and test scores in reading/language arts and math and were less likely to drop out of school (Supik, 1996; Rolzinski, 1990). </p>
<p>Elementary and middle school students who participated in service-learning had improved problem-solving skills and increased interest in academics (Stephens, 1995). "</p>
<p>Other important results:
"Students who participate in service-learning are more engaged in their studies and more motivated to learn. </p>
<p>Students who participated in high quality service-learning programs showed an increase in measures of school engagement and achievement in mathematics than control groups (Melchior, 1999). </p>
<p>Students who engaged in service-learning came to class on time more often, completed more classroom tasks and took the initiative to ask questions more often (Loesch-Griffin, et. al., 1995). </p>
<p>Service-learning is associated with increased student attendance. </p>
<p>Schools that sponsor service-learning programs reported that attendance increased every year over a three-year period of time (Follman, 1998; 1999; O’Bannon, 1999). </p>
<p>Students engaged in service-learning had higher attendance rates than control group peers (Shaffer, 1993; Supik, 1996; Shumer, 1994). </p>
<p>IV. The Impact on Career Exploration and Aspirations </p>
<p>Service-learning helps students to become more knowledgeable and realistic about careers. </p>
<p>Students who participated in service-learning reported gaining career skills, communication skills and positive increases in career exploration knowledge (Berkas, 1997; Billig, et. al., 1999). </p>
<p>Students who engaged in high quality service-learning programs developed positive work orientation attitudes and skills (Weiler, LaGoy, Crane and Rovner, 1998). "</p>
<p><a href=“Why You Need an Essay Writing Tutor? | LearningIndeed.org”>Why You Need an Essay Writing Tutor? | LearningIndeed.org;
<p><a href=“http://www.whatkidscando.org/research/youthactivism.html[/url]”>http://www.whatkidscando.org/research/youthactivism.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.servicelearning.org/resources/online_documents/research/status_s-l_us/index.php[/url]”>http://www.servicelearning.org/resources/online_documents/research/status_s-l_us/index.php</a></p>
<p>My daughters private school not only had service learning ( 200 hours) as a requirement for graduation, but as part of american govt class, they were required to work on a political campaign/ candidate- their choice.</p>
<p>[Although many students are introduced to volunteering because of the graduation requirement, teens in general are becoming more engaged with their communities, said Brian Elsner, program director of Teens in Public Service. The Seattle-based organization is paying 56 teens the minimum wage to work at local non-profit organizations this summer.</p>
<p>“The surprising part, I think for me, is how much they’re not just looking for any job,” he said. “Teens aren’t just looking to earn a paycheck for the summer. … They want to do social justice. They want to help with hunger or (the) homeless.”]( <a href=“http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/235747_lcenter09.html”>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/235747_lcenter09.html</a>)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.learnandserve.org/about/role_impact/index.asp[/url]”>http://www.learnandserve.org/about/role_impact/index.asp</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Teen_Life/Volunteering_and_Service/[/url]”>http://dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Teen_Life/Volunteering_and_Service/</a></p>
<p>nsm;</p>
<p>don’t forget, AP Stat 101: correlation does not equal causation…viewed another way, the studies involve kids who were not conscripted into service.</p>
<p>We can also show that kids who play violiin have higher grades and test scores (to reflect another thread). Does that mean that learning violin makes one smarter?</p>
<p>ekL Mr. Elsner is 100% anecdotes.</p>
<p>The trouble with ed science is that it is not based on double-blind research.</p>
<p>No, community service should not be made a condition of graduation. There is a line between what is the responsibility of the school and what is the responsibility of the parent. This is clearly on the parent side of the line.</p>
<p>(As it turns out, this IS a requirement of the local school system, but having kids who vastly exceed the minimums because of their involvement in church and Scouts, I’ve never been motivated to lawyer up over this issue.)</p>
<p>Its too bad that when something has been clearly identified as increasing involvement in a positive way for our community & especially for young people, some would whinge that “its too much trouble”, rather than looks for ways to increase opportunity.</p>
<p>Good thing not everyone has that negative of an outlook
<a href=“http://www.komotv.com/news/local/4877241.html[/url]”>http://www.komotv.com/news/local/4877241.html</a></p>
<p>I agree with you EK. It honestly surprises me that so many here have obvious hostility towards this. I’m still trying to figure out how performing community service can be a negative.</p>
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<p>I am the Social Studies Dept. Chair at my school. In our system, the responsibility for the community service requirement has been placed within the realm of Social Studies classes. I am not opposed to the principal of community service. I am opposed to it being mandatory. As I stated before mandatory volunteerism is an oxymoron. Within the same course where the community service requirement is expected to be met is also the responsibility for a state mandated assessment that is a graduation requirement. </p>
<p>In addition, I have great issues with the primary responsibility for this is with the schools as opposed to the student themselves and the parents. Believe what you will, it is schools, teachers, and guidance counselors who wind up bearing a major portion of the burden for this requirement. I think we could accomplish the same goals by providing students with opportunities to be of service to the community and by modeling that for them. </p>
<p>In short I guess I somewhat resent the fact that more and more is being placed on the plate of schools and teachers and nothing is being taken off that plate.</p>
<p>My daughter, the senior, has always done a minimum of 100 hours of CS from her heart. Things she’s chosen to do. This year, her religion teacher is an absolute witch and is requiring 20 hours of specific community service. Zoosergirl, who is the least controntational, least argumentative person I know has her back up over this and it, along with the woman’s religious requirement, is absolutely ruining senior year. Zoosergirl works with several organizations that really count on her presence, specifically. She’s been with them for years and is now pretty much running the show on several events that needy members of the community count on to be there for them. Zoosergirl’s point is that SHE should choose what she does (because it comes from the heart) and not have to choose between the areas in which she can and does make a difference and make-work nonsense arbitrarily selected by the teacher. There are not enough hours in a week for her to do both, so she now has to make a choice and she’s leaning toward taking a huge hit on her grade in the class to go with what she knows to be right. I almost never have a problem with teachers, but this woman is out of hand. A total dictator. The Geezer Counselor was reassigned to another parish recently and the teacher demanded that all the kids say a novena or light a candle for him. Daughter (who is known to be non-Catholic and welcomed under the school’s handbook) told the teacher that we don’t do those things but that she would add Father to our church’s prayer chain for a month to honor his service. Not good enough. Arrrrgh!!!</p>
<p>I agree with Wharf, and perhaps that is the problem that I have with the problem too. </p>
<p>It lays another burden on school personnel who are already overburdened. The teachers suffer from this burden, as do the kids, because there is no uniform way of monitoring the program by overburdened personnel.</p>
<p>I think what many of the comments here show is that it matters very much how the program is instituted and monitored. My point all along is that there ARE ways where it can be done efficiently so that it is a benefit to both the student and the community. I know a lot of teachers, including one of my Ds, and I’ve yet to talk to any, including guidance staff, who are as opposed to it as many of you seem to be. It really isn’t the huge burden that you think it is.</p>
<p>I do understand the concern about schools taking on many of the activities/responsibilities which many feel should be the family’s. In our school board, elementary students are required to take a course of swimming lessons over a ten week period, during school time. They’re bussed to the pools and supervised by teachers and parent volunteers. Same with skating in the winter, once a week outings to the local arenas, which often eat up much of a morning. I have heard some complaining over the years about these programs, always from parents, though, never from teachers. Looking back, though, I can’t say that any of it was time wasted. In the big scheme of things, it’s a drop in the bucket in terms of time in a school career. The community service hours are even a more minute drop. Similarly, with field trips or bringing speakers or artists, etc. into the schools, should those things only be the purview of the parent as well? I guess I’m not seeing a clear distinction here.</p>
<p>How these programs are run, I believe, is the key. It’s a provincial mandate here so boards of ed. are all given the same basic parameters, while developing a program which is best for the individual board. Perhaps one of the reasons it works here is that the schools are much more homogeneous than they would be in any given state.</p>
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<p>That’s because you don’t have the responsibility of seeing it gets done.</p>
<p>Our experience has been that unless you absolutely do all kinds of hand holding and build the community service into an already jam-packed Gov’t course the kids simply do not take the initiative to complete the requirement until their backs are completely against the wall.</p>
<p>At that point it simply becomes something to deal with and get out of the way in order to graduate. The greater lesson gets lost on the kids entirely.</p>
<p>Granted there are exceptions, but they have proven to be just that, exceptions not the rule. I have seen teachers have to give up Saturdays to supervise trips that enable their students to meet the requirement. I have seen students receive credit for activities that are virtually entirely without merit.</p>
<p>“Our experience has been that unless you absolutely do all kinds of hand holding and build the community service into an already jam-packed Gov’t course the kids simply do not take the initiative to complete the requirement until their backs are completely against the wall.”</p>
<p>Community service could be built into required classes like health and phys ed that - -depending on the system – all kids have to take. Community services also could be a required part of all school clubs.</p>
<p>An hour or 2 of community service also could be built into all school courses. It wouldn’t need to be done during class time, though – depending on the project – that could be a possibility. The teacher could give credit for the students doing things related to the class. The students could be expected to write a brief paper about their experience and to provide proof that they did it. When S was in middle school, all of the students taking 8th grade government were required to serve as jurors in Teen Court once during the school year.</p>
<p>The PTO and SGA also can sponsor service activities that would be school-wide. </p>
<p>All of my district’s high schools have been involved in building a Habitat for Humanity House. The top school administrators are working with our county’s volunteer center to have a week long series of service activities for high school students. </p>
<p>And, yes, students often will not do their service until their backs are against the wall. However, that’s life. They act the same way with term papers, book reports, etc. Those things still are assigned.</p>
<p>wharfrat, sorry, but you don’t know what responsibility I do or do not have! 
As I said earlier, I know several teachers, two of whom are responsible for coordinating the community service requirements in their schools. Neither has had difficulty with the job of seeing that it gets done. As I also said, there will always be a few kids who will leave it til the last possible moment, and there will be those who don’t take it seriously or try to play games with fulfilling their hours, but the majority will not. You’re making it sound like Canadian kids somehow have more initiative than American kids, and I think we both know that that isn’t the case. What kind of trips are necessary for kids to fulfill a CS requirement, and why would teachers need to be involved? Seems to me that the issue THERE is not the trip, but the way the requirements are set up. What about field trips, in general, or speakers coming into the schools? I’m curious how you feel about those things, as I asked earlier.</p>
<p>always:</p>
<p>I apologize if my post came off as hostile. </p>
<p>The original post asked if schools should require CS; I wholly support CC when its voluntary, just not conscripted. </p>
<p>Reading the articles posted by nsm and ek, it is clear that CS has many tangible benefits. But, those benefits were based on voluntary programs - it is impossible to project them onto a conscripted programs. I’d like to see research on the largest conscripted CS program out in the US, i.e., CS required by the courts, and the benefits it provides to participants.</p>
<p>Searching for one of the authors that northstarmom posted, I ran across this 2002 summary:</p>
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<p>Also, if I understand correctly, Service Learning is just not external to the classroom, but is included in the class curriculum. Thus, I think it is different than the type of required volunteerism being discussed on this thread, but perhaps I’m mistaken.</p>
<p>and, 2001 abstract:</p>
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<p>I also concur with wharf:
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