Ethics of access: Provocative impacts of k-12 service-learning and civic engagement policy

Abstract

In K-12 settings, civic engagement curricula and service-learning hold promise for developing the agency and capacity of marginalized youth, their families, and their communities to effectively address self-identified needs. Yet, ethical issues of access around educator preparation, both teacher preparation and counselor preparation, and subsequent student participation exist even where statelevel policy dictates civic engagement's use. In this multi-case study, three engaged scholars/teacher educators share three distinct cases, each focusing on a specific state's policy positions on civic engagement, including service-learning, in the U.S. K-12 context. Each case is discussed as either a bifurcation (divergence) or dichotomy (contradiction) of policy within the context of teacher preparation/practice. Further, each case's impact on K-12 students' potential access to participation in service-learning/community engagement initiatives is outlined. A cross-case analysis revealed that K-12 service-learning/civic engagement policy exhibits a large degree of disparity within the quintain, which, as defined by Stake (2006), is the complexity across the bounds of multi-case-study research.