Character education has always played a role in the purpose of schools. Most US states have a statement about character education as a part of the mission of the schools. This research studied how character education was perceived by participants in regards to school mission statements/philosophies, school atmosphere and curriculum in a Catholic school, a Quaker school and a public school. Using interviews and observations, the public school and two private schools approaches to character education were explored. Character education explicitly connected and applied from the mission statement manifested more fully in the school culture.

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In this concluding chapter, the authors, who are service-learning and teacher education scholars, present a typology of service-learning field experiences as a means of considering how and why service-learning field experiences are included as teacher preparation. The typology is a way to examine and inform the critical decision-making process when planning, implementing, and assessing service-learning field experiences. This chapter is a departure from other chapters in this edited volume, but its purpose is to extend the conversations all chapters inspire, which is to include service-learning as a form of community-engaged pedagogy and scholarship that endorses, represents, and promotes culturally responsive practice. The authors presume it is impossible to create a complete and comprehensive taxonomy of service-learning as community-engaged work continues to evolve. The typological structure can be used to identify, define, and describe the nuanced applications salient in service-learning field experiences within teacher education.

The purpose of this study was a state-level investigation of school counselors’ knowledge of their role in the implementation of service-learning policy using survey research methods. The respondents reported having little knowledge of the policy, not having implemented it statewide, and not having been trained in service-learning pedagogy. Based on these results, this article provides implications for consideration when states develop educational policies that impact school counselors’ work.

Pre-service teachers are on an educational and professional journey in which they are trying to figure out the “right stuff” needed to be an effective teacher while being a “student.” Many pre-service teachers engage in community service projects, yet it is unclear how these experiences inform the dispositional development of pre-service teachers. In this study, the authors examined the outcomes of a community service experience pre-service teachers (n = 20) participated in as part of the [student group]. The authors present the results of a qualitative study. Findings suggest pre-service teachers realize the multiplicities of student needs in an authentic setting and the potential disconnect between what is learned during one’s teacher education undergraduate program and the realities of being a teacher once employed as a classroom teacher. The authors conclude with reflections on the importance of having concrete ways for pre-service teachers to develop dispositions beyond the course-based field experiences and student teaching.