Best Practice Name: Operation Bulldog: Engaging Students in Civic Responsibility Through Service-Learning
Population Served: Grades 9-12
1. Describe the practice proposed for recognition, and list its objectives. Detail how the practice is innovative and how it promotes high student achievement.
For decades, our students have served the needs of our local community. Within the past seven years, our school has become integrally involved in the concept of Service-Learning to promote high student achievement and character education, while at the same time encouraging a sense of civic responsibility. Born form that mindset, three years ago Operation Bulldog, originated and has become a program that has been recognized by the local community, the media, the state government, our congressional representative, and out national armed services.
An extensive Service-Learning project, Operation Bulldog has not only crossed disciplines to involve a large percentage of our students, but has grown to the point where we can say with pride that 100% of our students have participated in this program in one way or another. The objectives of Operation Bulldog are simple, yet so meaningful. Operation Bulldog was designed and still currently operates with the following objectives in mind:
¬ Demonstrate to students how classroom activities and experiences relate to the outside world.
¬ Provide opportunities for students to apply academic skills and concepts as they problem solve to address a genuine community need.
¬ Have students develop an interest, and more importantly an involvement in current events.
¬ Strengthen relationships between the school and the local community.
¬ Develop a sense of civic responsibility and national pride.
¬ Support our United States Armed Forces, with a specific focus on the Marine Corps
Operation Bulldog had humble beginnings. Originally, our school participated in a project that involved creating a Vietnam Veterans' Memorial that was originally based at the Smithsonian Institute called "Memories at the Wall". Along with an employee of the Smithsonian museum, students helped create the display in a classroom. Over a span of three weeks, members of the community, Vietnam Veterans, and the entire student body visited the Memorial. During this time, our students wrote reflections about their experience in creating and visiting the Memorial. Those reflections are now at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
After receiving recognition from the local community as well as veterans, the school community looked for ways to continue supporting our armed forces. The unfortunate events of 9/11 proved to be a catalyst for our school community as Operation Bulldog expanded immeasurably. Following the events of 9/11 our school "adopted" the USS Shreveport. During this time, our students created care packages for all 500 Marines stationed aboard the battleship that was headed for Afghanistan. Throughout the course of that year, students wrote letters, designed holiday cards, and maintained an ongoing correspondence with the members of that ship. In some cases, the packages that these Marines received were the only "gifts' that they were able to receive that holiday season. Upon the Shreveport's return, the Marines visited individual classes to thank students, tell their stories, and in some cases, instruct class. As our students observed, they were quick to point out how similar in age they were to the visiting service personnel. For our efforts, our school was awarded an official Certificate of Appreciation from the Marine Corps and a proclamation from the NJ State Assembly.
Now in its third year, Operation Bulldog has followed a group of those Marines to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Again, care packages and correspondence have been sent out to these defenders of freedom. For our efforts, the local media has kept track of our progress and has helped us extend our desire to support our service men and women to the community.
Operation Bulldog served as a motivational catalyst for our students. The stunning events of 9/11 drove home to the students how important our program had become. Students eagerly looked forward to writing letters and designing project that would transmit their feelings and the feelings of the community to military personnel. Classrooms became a frenzy of activity that allowed our students to apply academic skills concerns, and pride in the actions of our military personnel. Writing assignments that are frequently painful to students now become something to which they look forward. Students' writing became more articulate and expressive which translated into higher standardized testing scores. In addition to writing activities, students in art classes designed holiday and seasonal cards, home economic classes made candy and cookies for "goody-bags," social studies classes discussed related current events and examined the issue of global terrorism, and the overall student population organized fundraisers, assemblies, and community events. All of these projects proved to be a motivational force that promoted high student achievement and active civic engagement throughout the school community.
2. List the specific Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Career Education and Consumer, Family, and Life Skills, addressed by the practice and describe how the practice addresses those standard(s). Provide an example to substantiate your response.
As an interdisciplinary program, Operation Bulldog has incorporated many of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Career Education and Consumer, Family, and Life Skills. As a fully functioning Service-Learning program Operation Bulldog continues to function and can conceivably integrate ALL of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the Career Education and Consumer, Family, and Life Skills. Although several aspects of Operation Bulldog, touch on a particular standard more than once, listed below is an overview, briefly summarizing how these standards were met in various aspects of Operation Bulldog.
Students involved in creation, and elements of art (CCCS 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.3, 3.4, CECFLS 9.1, 9.2). Health classes that investigated the sanitary conditions and illnesses that the Marines abroad would face examined health promotion and health enhancing behaviors (CCCS 2.1, 2.2, 5.3, 5.5, CECFLS 9.2). Students who exchanged correspondence with Marines (CCCS 3.3, 3.4, 6.2, CECFLS 9.1, 9.2), read letters at the Vietnam Memorial (CCCS 3.3, 6.1, CECFLS 9.2), and who were instructed by the Marines on how to generate PowerPoint presentations and later gave their own presentations (CCCS 3.1, 3.5, CECFLS 9.1, 9.2) covered all of the Language Arts Standards. While creating care packages for the Marines, students had to carefully keep track of amount of items, as well as the weights of packages, and the costs of sending such items (CCCS 4.5 CECFLS 9.1, 9.2). During the "assembly line" production of the packages, students employed problem-solving skills that involved the steps of the scientific process (CCCS 5.1, CECFLS 9.1, 9.2). Students also investigated the location and environment of Afghanistan (CCCS 5.8, 6.6, CECFLS 9.1). Furthermore, throughout all three years of Operation Bulldog, students have constantly researched their roles in our society, via reflections, both as resident of this country and the outside world (CCCS 3.4, 6.2, 6.4, WRS 9.1, 9.3). Finally, in the actual preparation of food and snacks to be delivered to Marines, such as the chocolate-covered candy canes that required the building of a drying rack, students showed self-management skills, career awareness, critical thinking, and technology education (CCCS 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.5, CECFLS 9.1, 9.2). Documentation for all aspects of Operation Bulldog is available and supports all our assertions as to how the program covers the aforementioned standards.
A common complaint teachers have heard from their students for years is "Why do we have to learn this?" or the even more popular "When are we ever going to have to use this stuff?" Operation Bulldog has rendered such questions obsolete as its unique. Interdisciplinary components all students to recognize that what they do in the classroom does indeed connect to the outside community and the world. During the course of Operation Bulldog, students have come to realize how their critical-thinking skills, problem solving capabilities, research techniques, communication skills and specific academic content can be beneficial to others - not just themselves. It is because of this that our students have developed a sense of civic responsibility, and more importantly the desire to act on that sense of responsibility. Time and time again, our students have written reflective journals which prove this to be true.
Assessments for Operation Bulldog have taken a variety of forms. As mentioned above, students have reflected upon their experiences in both oral and written forms. Often students focus on their efforts to assist Operation Bulldog, but even more frequently students reflect upon the impact their efforts had on members of the armed services. One student wrote "Operation Bulldog became very real to me when the Marine I was corresponding with told me that his own family's holiday gifts did not reach him until mid-January. He told me that my care package was the only solace that was provide for him during that time. It made me feel great knowing that all of my hard work was really affecting someone else. I can't wait to help someone else like that again." This is just one of many examples of our students' thoughtful reflections.
Further assessments of the steps involved in Operation Bulldog are done on an individual basis by individual teachers in their classrooms. In addition to oral and written reflections, students are evaluated by specific criteria as set forth by the teacher prior to the class taking part in Operation Bulldog. These assessments include participation assessments, mastery criteria assessments, process-based assessments, and assessment based on the state's scoring rubric for writing. With such a huge part of Operation Bulldog revolving around writing components - reflections, journal entries, letters, persuasive essays, etc. - we are proud to report that over a three year period, our school's HSPT/HSPA scores in writing have dramatically increased. In Operation Bulldog's first year of existence, 87.4% of our students passed the writing component of the state mandated assessment. This past spring, that number jumped to 95.9% passing. Clearly, the amount of writing involved with Operation Bulldog has significantly contributed to the rise in test scores.
As mentioned earlier, one of the special aspects of Operation Bulldog is that 100% of our students have been involved with this program in one form or another. But perhaps the most special way in which we are assessed is by the community and their response to our efforts. Vietnam Veterans who visited our "Memories of the Wall" display fought back tears when thanking us. The director of the Smithsonian Institute was so impressed with our efforts that our students' work has become a permanent part of the display at the Institution. Our local community contributed immensely to our efforts dealing with the USS Shreveport and has shown appreciation for our involvement in many ways. The Marines who came back to visit our school let us know how much our efforts were appreciated, which is perhaps the ultimate form of assessment - knowing that what our students did made a difference.
4. Describe how you would replicate the practice in another school and/or district.
Being recognized by the media, armed forces, and state government has placed our school in an advantageous position to replicate Operation Bulldog. Schools who are interested in starting a program modeled after Operation Bulldog can contact our school and we would be more than happy to help facilitate the genesis of their program. Students and staff are available to help in both general and specific ways. Using Operation Bulldog as a model, we will help schools design and develop their own programs and activities that promote academic achievement and civic responsibility. Suggestions for creating a similar program would include:
¬ Conducting a school-wide Needs Assessment in order to identify a genuine school or community concern.
¬ Contacting a local armed services recruiting officer to get information about how to contact veterans and/or current members, and community liaisons to determine the objectives of your program and align them with the Core Curriculum Standards and Workplace Readiness Standards.
¬ Formulating ways in which to generate students' involvement through classroom experiences that will translate into "real-world" actions. Create assessments for such experiences.
¬ Assessing the needs and outcomes of particular aspects of the program.
¬ Most importantly, continuing to reevaluate projects and goals on an ongoing basis.
Service-Learning Projects promote character education because they provide a venue for students to become actively engaged in their community, reinforce civic responsibility, and allow students to model traits of good character while strengthening academic standards.