1. Moving the Needle Forward: Using Service-Learning Assessment Data to Improve Educational Leadership & Academic Success
Presented by Katherine Nordyke, MLS - Director
The Office of Citizenship and Service-Learning
Missouri State University
April 10, 2013

2. What we will cover…
Why Assessment is Vital to Elevating and Sustaining Service-Learning on Campuses
Importance of Institutional and Course Level Assessments
Dimensions of Institutional Assessments
Assessment Models
Course Service-Learning Outcomes
How Assessment Data Can Elevate and Sustain Service-Learning Programs
Next Steps

3. Why Assessment is Vital to Service-Learning
Data collected
Supports the foundation for service-learning sustainability
Fosters faculty development in teaching methods and supports tenure/promotion ???
Scholarship of Engagement
Promotes on-going engagement and dialogue within communities
Builds community and university relationships
Foundation – from the context of institutionalization, service-learning is integrated into the culture and goals of an institution of higher education.
Barbara Holland, scholar and researcher in the field of academic service-learning claims”for a university’s service movement to be sustained and institutionalized, it must develop its own understanding of the degree to which service is an integral component of the academic mission”
Indicators – the university’s mission; academic units; academic and administrative leadership support; experiential learning; adequate funding; and support structures for service-learning initiatives

4. Who should we Assess?
“Research suggest that there is a need to go beyond counting the number of courses, students, faculty, and community partners involved” – Hanover Research Center, Washington, D.C.
Involves developing strategies to assess the quality of service-learning experiences
Must recognize three key stakeholders
Students
Faculty
Community
According to Hanover Research Center in Washington, DC., scholars in the field of service-learning suggest that “there is a need to go beyond counting the number of courses, students, faculty, and community partners involved in service-learning.
Involves developing new strategies to assess what we are doing

5. Who should we Assess? - Continued
Moving from Course Assessments to Institutional Assessments
Measured Inputs
University Funding
Allocated Support
Faculty Involvement
Measured Outputs
Dollars for Research
Student Engagement
Service to Community
Research also tell us that we must move from traditional course assessment to assessing the university’s commitment to service-learning in order for service-learning to be sustained.
Institutionalization, according to Hanover Research, “addresses the extend to which service-learning is integrated into the culture and goals of a school, community organization, or institution of higher education.

6. Dimensions of Service-Learning Institutionalization
Five Dimensions
Mission & Philosophy
Faculty Support For & Involvement In Service-Learning
Institutional Support for Service-Learning
Student Support & Involvement In Service-Learning
Community Participation & Partnerships
Source: Furco, A. and Holland, B. A. (2005)
Based on the work of Andy Furco and Barbara Holland, both researchers and scholars in the field of service-learning, they cite five dimensions of institutional service-learning that should be assessed.
Distribute Handout on the Dimensions of Service-Learning Institutionalization and discuss each dimension.
Full institutional commitment to service-learning is, according to researchers, “tied to commitment among faculty and academic leaders, the level of student and community involvement, and the strength of campus-community partnerships.” Furthermore they cite that “of these groups, faculty support is essential to institutionalizing service-learning in higher education because they are engaged at every level of implementation.”
In a research study of 45 colleges and universities in the western US, conducted by the University of California, Berkley, “the strongest predictor for institutionalization of service-learning on college campuses is faculty involvement in and support for service-learning.”

7. Promoting Institutional Strategic Goals
Three Key Strategies
Service-Learning must be tied to the scholarly activities that research faculty value most
Service-Learning must be tied to the important academic goals and initiatives underway on campus
Service-Learning must be incorporated strategically into the disciplinary structure of the university
3 Key Strategies for universities to adopt suggested by Andy Furco who further suggests that these strategies be used as a vehicle to promote institutional strategic goals.

8. Institutional Assessments
Fully Integrated into the Assessment Process
Falls under the dimension of institutional support
Departmental
General Education
Four major elements
Stakeholder/People
Nature of the Institution
Teaching and Learning
Maintenance and Evaluation
Source: Furco, A. (2002) revised. “Self-Assessment Rubric for the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Higher Education” & Kramer, M. (2000) June. “Making it Last Forever: The Institutionalization of Service-Learning in America”
Sustainability of Service-Learning requires institutionalization and institutional assessments
Refer to handout (Elements of Assessment) and Discuss

9. Models for Institutional Assessments
Shumer’s Self-Assessment for Service-Learning
CASE (Comprehensive Assessment of the Scholarship of Engagement)
PSU (Portland State University)
CAPSL (Comprehensive Action Plan for Service-Learning
Evaluation and assessment is “key” to justifying service-learning
Must include an on-going systemic effort to support sustainability of the program
Four prominent Models used for Institutional Assessment of Service-Learning
Distribute Models Handout and discuss

10. Models for Institutional Assessments - Continued
Shumer’s Self-Assessment for Service-Learning Model
Assess and Strengthen Service-Learning
Utilizes 23 Standards
Organized into Five General Sections
Culture & Context
Philos0phy & Purpose
Policy & Parameters
Practice & Pedagogy
Assessment & Accountability
Shumer’s Self-Assessment model is utilized to assess the institutionalization of service-learning utilizing 23 standards organized into five sections: 1) Culture & Context, 2) Philosophy & Purpose, 3) Policy & Parameters, 4) Practice & Pedagogy, and 5) Assessment and Accountability. The goal is to strength service-learning programs on campus that will increase higher learning outcomes for students, promote academic success and retention, engage students and faculty in community partnerships, and develop opportunities for faculty to promote their work through publications and research as a part of tenure/promtion.

11. Models for Institutional Assessments - Continued
CASE Model
Focus is to evaluate the institution’s current level of involvement in engagement activities
Develop a clear perspective for on-going planning, program development, and strategic development
Current
One year
Five years
Compiling evidence, artifacts, and surveys of various stakeholders
CASE Model focuses on assessing the institution’s current level of service-learning activities and then developing a strategic plan. This model uses evidence such as artifacts and surveys from key stakeholders as part of the assessment data collection.
Benefits from using the CASE Model include: 1) focused campus discussion, 2) comprehensive assessment of current community engagement, 3) information base about campus resources to support service-learning activities, 4) the development of clear benchmarks, 5) information for reports, grants, etc., 6) defines a culture of evidence to support service-learning, 7) provides for the development of a portfolio that can be shared, and 8) increases the campuses understanding and the importance of supporting the scholarship of engagement and service-learning.

12. Models for Institutional Assessments - Continued
PSU Model
Ongoing Strategy for Data Collection
Orientation to Teaching and Learning
Resource Acquisition
Image in the Community
Specific Indicators include:
Requests for assistance from community
Changes in enrollment/transfer patterns
Faculty involvement
Site visits
Number of media reports
The PSU Model focuses on: 1) An on-going strategy for data collection, 2) orientation to teaching and learning, 3) Resource Acquisition, 4) the service-learning program’s image in the community, and supports the inclusion of specific indicators for evaluation which include: 1) the number of community partners requests for service-learning students, 2) the impact of changes in patterns of enrollment and transfer students, 3) how involved are faculty members, 4) did other institutions or schools make site visits, and finally, 5) how many times did the media report on the university’s service-learning efforts.
Provide handout on PSU Model and discuss

13. Models for Institutional Assessments - Continued
CAPSL Model
Focus on 4 Constituencies
Institution
Faculty
Students
Community
Evaluates
Culture
Climate
Values
Promotes the Scholarship of Engagement
Recognition in Professional Journals
Research
Tenure/Promotion
The CAPSL Model looks at assessing 4 primary constituencies: 1) Institution, 2) Faculty, 3) Students, and 4) Community and through data gathering from each of these areas evaluates the culture, climate and values associated with service-learning. Finally, the CAPSL Model through its data collection works to promote and foster the scholarship of engagement for faculty through publications, research and tenure/promotion.

14. Course Assessments Who? Why? Faculty Students
Survey Methodology
Focus Groups
Students
Reflection
Why?
Improve Student Learning Outcomes
Improve Delivery of Service-Learning
Enhance Service-Learning Course Curriculum

15. Course Assessments - Continued
Based on CASL Service-Learning Outcomes
Six Key Elements
Critical Thinking
Communication
Career and Teamwork
Civic Responsibility
Academic Development and Educational Success
Public Affairs Mission
Faculty and Students Surveyed at the End of Each Semester
Provide CASL Service-Learning Outcomes Handout and Copies of the Faculty and Staff Survey form

16. How Assessments Can Elevate & Sustain Service-Learning
Collection and analysis of data provides for:
A better understanding of how course materials, lectures and readings support service-learning coursework and increase student learning outcomes
Substantiates research that participation in service-learning increases student retention and academic success
Increases XXXXX

17. How Assessments Can Elevate & Sustain Service-Learning - Continued
Service-Learning supports faculty contributions to:
The scholarship and application of:
Pedagogy and curricular innovation
Discovery, integration, or aesthetic creation
Knowledge to issue of contemporary social concern
Service to the community
Developing
Research initiatives
Teaching portfolios
Supports intrinsic rewards

18. Next Steps for MSU CASL Program…
Conduct an Institutional Assessment
Supports our work for Institutional Accreditation
Carnegie Classification
HLC
QIP
New Faculty and Student Course Surveys
Focus on CASL Service-Learning Course Outcomes
Administered at the end of each semester
Develop and Implement Service-Learning Workshops to Enhance Faculty Development
Based on Survey Data
Create a Service-Learning Dashboard
Updated on a semester-to-semester basis

19. References