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School-based service learning

Public Health & Prevention: School-based
  Literature review updated April 2012.
This program was archived December 2024.

School-based service learning programs are typically delivered to high school students. They promote integration of service-learning in the school curriculum and deliver services to the community. Students are involved in community field experiences in nursing homes, senior centers, and child centers, among other locations. This program is coupled with classroom discussions of their experiences to reinforce social and critical thinking skills and help students develop as individuals and engaged citizens. Health education and/or social studies may be included in the curriculum. Typically, these programs target higher-risk student populations.
 
ALL
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
ES SE Age ES p-value
Teen pregnancy (under age 18)
Becoming pregnant (or getting someone else pregnant) before age 18.
0 3 680 -0.053 0.270 16 -0.050 0.852

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Coyle, K.K., Kirby, D.B., Robin, L.E., Banspach, S.W., Baumler, E., & Glassman, J.R. (2006). All4You! A randomized trial of an HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy prevention intervention for alternative school students. AIDS Education and Prevention, 18(3), 187-203.

Melchior, A. (1998). National evaluation of learn and serve America school and community-based programs: Final report. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates.

O'Donnell, L., Stueve, A., O'Donnell, C., Duran, R., San Doval, A., Wilson, R.F., . . . Pleck, J.H. (2002) Long-term reductions in sexual initiation and sexual activity among urban middle schoolers in the Reach for Health service learning program. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(1), 93-100.