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Linking Kids By SAMANTHA MOORES When 16-year-old David smashed the glass case housing a fire extinguisher at school last year, he was as surprised as his classmates when he wasn't sent to the principal's office, a place where David spent considerable time. A student who had never had much success in school, David had just received an A+ -his first ever-on a math test, and he pounded the wall in exuberance. Recognizing that his outburst stemmed from excitement and pride, not anger and frustration-another first for David-Vice Principal Ed Legace simply told him to "cool it" and made him pay to replace the glass. He also congratulated David on the test. Now a junior at Crook County High School in Prineville, Oregon, David is part of the Rotational Work Crew, an intensive service-learning program designed for students who are struggling in school for academic, behavioral, or social reasons. The program blends community-service projects and classroom learning to pique students' interest in school, teach them concrete skills, and help them accomplish real tasks. The changes in attitude and behavior that the kids exhibit are perhaps the program's most beneficial outcome. Given the current educational climate clouded by high-profile incidents of school violence across the country, educators are scrutinizing learning environments and behavior problems more closely than ever. In a variety of similar programs throughout the Northwest, educators are learning that what kids do outside the classroom can greatly improve their behavior during the regular school day. Kids involved in effective out-of-school programs tend to do a better job of staying on task and avoiding fights in school, research suggests. Schools that offer service-learning, after-school, and mentoring programs are finding that the some of students' most critical learning experiences often take place outside the classroom.
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Date of Last Update: 9/28/01 
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