2005-2006 Learning Technology Grant Program s3
2007-2008 Project SAVE Grant Program
Abstract
Abstracts are posted as submitted by the Project SAVE award winners
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Address 1115 Mohawk Street
City Utica / State New York / Zip 13501
Contact Person Carla J Percia / Telephone with area code 315-792-2215
E-mail Address / Fax with area code 315-792-2209
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Pre-K-4
X Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12
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Arts / Mathematics
Career Development & Occupational Studies / Physical Education
X English Language Arts / Science
Family & Consumer Sciences / XSocial Studies
Health Education / Technology Education
Languages Other Than English
Project SAVE Grant 2007-08 Abstract: (type in the shaded area, and please note that ‘spell check’
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Utica City School District Project SAVE
Abstract
The Utica City School District (UCSD) needs a comprehensive approach to solving the social problems their youth exhibit. They need a program that in addition to providing youth with basic academic knowledge and skills will promote character development. Research shows that comprehensive high quality character education not only promotes the development of good character but also is a promising approach to the prevention of a wide range of the contemporary problems that districts face. The UCSD needs a program that fills the gaps in their current character education curriculum and infuses into the academic curriculum, best practices with opportunities for children to learn positive character traits that support good behavior, civic values and citizenship. Through this social emotional curriculum UCSD hopes they can create an environment where children will develop empathy, understanding, respect, support for one another and increasing responsibility for their behavior as they grow in character. Our proposed Project SAVE involves not just academic skills, infused with character education, but opportunities through service-learning projects for children to be given the opportunity to develop the ability to work effectively with peers and others as they manage projects, handle conflicts and reflect upon the role of character education in the real world.
Briefly, our goals are: Goal 1 is to formulate teaching and learning strategies and materials that integrate character education into grade 5 Social Studies Curriculum. This goal will be evaluated by an offsite evaluator who will monitor the effectiveness of the integrated curriculum. Goal 2, Through professional development, change teachers’ knowledge and understanding of character education and service learning to develop capacity building. This will be evaluated by pre and post data collection. Goal 3 is to implement extended day programs and to complete a service-learning project that through reflection and behavior will demonstrate character education and Lifeskills in action. This goal will be evaluated through monitoring the effect of the service-learning component including facilitated reflection. This is the portion of the design that makes coherent the academic curriculum and the experiential curriculum.
The three-year grant will work with the entire grade 5 population in the UCSD, approximately 900 students. Each year, activities and strategies will include working with community partners to develop four thematic units integrating character education into the grade 5 Social Studies curriculum. All four units will be taught during the school day each year. To support the school day curriculum, programs beyond the school day will include after school programming that is integrated with the regular school day and a summer program where the culminating activity of each integrated unit will be a service-learning project with a community partners. The community partners will be: Central New York Conservancy; Utica Zoo; Utica Marsh Council; and Oneida County Historical Society. Instructional staff will include contracted consultants, grade 5 teachers, representatives from each partner, curriculum specialists and representatives from current character education programs. Professional development will be research based on best practices and provided by Integrated Thematic Instruction and consultants. We will use an offsite evaluator, Research Works from Albany, N.Y.
In addition to reducing the risk of involvement in negative behaviors, a social emotional curriculum has the added benefit of helping youth to develop positive, personal and social attitudes and skills that will help them to lead satisfying and productive lives, and to become active and effective citizens in our democratic society. An effective social emotional program with the expected outcomes: to increase learning; foster prosocial behaviors; and prevent a variety of social problems may be more cost effective than the implementation of more specific school based programs aimed at influencing particular behavioral outcomes.
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