Service-Learning in One State: Results of the North Carolina Service-Learning Inventory

Recent years have seen greatly expanded interest in service-learning among educators at both the K-12 and college levels. By most accounts, the initiation of service-learning programs and courses has come about in response to a recognized need to provide more effective citizenship education and to do a better job of preparing young people to be active members of their communities (see, for example, Barber). What is less clear, however, is the overall shape and substance of these programs. Because service-learning usually has a strong local component, not very much is known of the broader patterns and trends at the national and state levels

A Developmental Perspective on Community Service in Adolescence

A substantial number of U.S. adolescents currently participate in community service and there is increased national interest in service programs. This article assesses the assumption of developmental benefits to service participants by critically reviewing 44 empirical studies. It offers a theoretical framework for understanding the findings by connecting them to identity development and delineating three pertinent concepts: agency, social relatedness, and moral-political awareness. These concepts are applied to studies that investigate: ( 1) the characteristics and motivations of participants, ( 2) the effects of service, and ( 3) the process of service. The findings support the conclusion that service activities which provide opportunities for intense experiences and social interactions are often associated with prosocial development. The findings also point to the need for more studies focused on particular service programs and on relationships between service providers and those served

New Directions in the Development of Population Estimates in the United States?

The advent of a continuously updated Master Area File (MAF) following the 2000 census represents an information resource that can be tapped for purposes of developing timely, cost-effective, and precise population estimates for even the smallest of geographical units (e.g., census blocks). We argue that the MAF can be enhanced (EMAF) for these purposes. In support of our argument we describe a set of activities needed to develop EMAF, each of which is well within the current capabilities of the U.S. Census Bureau and discuss various costs and benefits of each. We also describe how EMAF would provide population estimates containing a wide range of demographic (e.g., age, race, and sex) and socio-economic characteristics (e.g., educational attainment, income, and employment). As such, it could largely negate and eliminate the need for many of the traditional demographic methods of population estimation and possibly reduce the number of sample surveys. We identify important challenges that must be surmounted in order to realize EMAF and make suggestions for doing so. We conclude by noting that the idea of the EMAF could be of interest to other countries with MAF files and strong administrative records systems that, like the United States, are facing the challenge of producing good population information in the face of increasing census costs

Predicting youth participation in urban agriculture in Malaysia: insights from the theory of planned behavior and the functional approach to volunteer motivation

This study examines factors associated with the decision of Malaysian youth to participate in a voluntary urban agriculture program. Urban agriculture has generated significant interest in developing countries to address concerns over food security, growing urbanization and employment. While an abundance of data shows attracting the participation of young people in traditional agriculture has become a challenge for many countries, few empirical studies have been conducted on youth motivation to participate in urban agriculture programs, particularly in non-Western settings. Drawing on the theories of planned behavior and the functional approach to volunteer motivation, we surveyed 890 students from a public university in Malaysia about their intention to join a new urban agriculture program. Hierarchical regression findings indicated that the strongest predictor of participation was students’ attitude toward urban agriculture, followed by subjective norms, career motives and perceived barriers to participation. The findings from this study may provide useful information to the university program planners in Malaysia in identifying mechanisms for future students’ involvement in the program

Serow, Robert C., Credentialism and Academic Standards: The Evolution of High School Graduation Requirements, Issues in Education, 4(Summer, 1986), 19-41.

Traces the evolution of high school graduation requirements

Retirement return migration from Sweden

This study deals with return migration among immigrants in Sweden who are between 51 and 80 years old. An important question regards the impact of retirement on return migration. Some circumstances connected to the withdrawal from the labour market suggest an increased propensity to return, such as the transition from a wage income to a pension, which weakens the link between place of residence and income. In addition, patterns of return migration at the end of working life may indicate whether or not temporary migration is a planned strategy. It is found that when reaching the age of 65, the legal retirement age in Sweden, the probability of return migration increases, in particular for men. The effect of retirement is immediate; the probability of return migration declines again beyond the age of 65, indicating a conscious plan to return to the home country when the labour market career is over. Furthermore, immigrants who receive early retirement compensation have a considerably higher probability of return migration compared to those who are not retired. These clear "retirement effects" show that return migration can be an important ingredient in the welfare optimization strategies of migrants. When it comes to income selectivity, the analysis shows that there is a positive selection, something that is expected when migrants are target savers with a temporary migration strategy