http://ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Character+Education

http://www.charactermattersnc.com

Guiding Questions…Guiding Questions… Why does character education matter?

What makes for effective character education?

What resources have you used to support character education in your school and/or district?

Why Character MattersWhy Character Matters“Great learning and superior abilities will be of little value...unless virtue, truth and integrity are added to them.”

Abigail Adams

"Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education"Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Effective character education is not adding a program or set of programs to a school. Rather it is a transformation of the culture and life of the school.”

Dr. Marvin Berkowitz(Center for Character & Citizenship)

World in Crisis …World in Crisis …Lance Armstrong & Doping Chargers

Jerry Sandusky & Penn State scandal

Sandy Hook & other victims of gun violence

Corrupt Politicians

Wall Street greed

Reality TV

Bullying

Drug & alcohol abuse

Girls Gone Wild

Bieber Gone Bad

War

Student PreparationStudent Preparation

College

Career

Civic Life

Character Education isCharacter Education is the Plate! the Plate!

Common Core

Essential Standards

AccountabilityEvaluations

Parent & Community Involvement

Student Performance

Discipline

Legislation

What is Character What is Character Education?Education?

Character education is the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about, and act upon core ethical values.

Intentional and comprehensive

Integrated throughout every aspect of the school day

Provides long-term solutions to address moral, ethical, and academic issues i.e. absenteeism, teen pregnancy, gang violence, drug abuse, poor academic performance

How can we begin to restore a culture How can we begin to restore a culture of character, leadership, & service in of character, leadership, & service in

schools?schools? Use a framework for changing school culture

o Legislation

o The 3 c’s: Community, Climate, & Curriculum

o Character Education Partnership’s 11 Principles

Provide students the opportunity to lead and serve

o Guilford County Schools

o Lincoln Charter Schools

o NCDPI

STUDENT CITIZEN ACT STUDENT CITIZEN ACT (2001)(2001)

In the fall of 2001, the North Carolina State Legislature passed the Student Citizen Act of 2001 (SL 2001-363).

This Act requires every local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community.

With the passage of this Act, the state of North Carolina has affirmed that the development of character in our children is the cornerstone of education.

STUDENT CITIZEN ACT OF 2001STUDENT CITIZEN ACT OF 2001Character TraitsCharacter Traits:

Courage

Good judgment

Integrity

Kindness

Perseverance

Respect

Responsibility

Self-discipline

STUDENT CITIZEN ACT OF 2001STUDENT CITIZEN ACT OF 2001Other elements:

1. Respect for school personnel—holding teachers, administrators, and all school

personnel in high esteem and demonstrating in words and deeds that all school personnel

deserve to be treated with courtesy and proper deference.

2. Responsibility for school safety—helping to create a harmonious school atmosphere

that is free from threats, weapons, and violent or disruptive behavior; cultivating an orderly

learning environment in which students and school personnel feel safe and secure; and

encouraging the resolution of conflicts and disagreements through peaceful means including

peer mediation.

What the Research Says Works…

Character Education Partnership: www.character.org

What Works in Character What Works in Character Education?Education?

The ModelThe Model• Community refers to the process of building consensus and

sustaining community involvement in the shared responsibility of developing character and active citizenship in young people.

• Climate incorporates multiple factors that affect the school environment, such as personal relationships, leadership, discipline, sense of community, safety, civic involvement and democratic leadership.

• Curriculum includes strategies and resource materials for integrating elements of character into the entire school curriculum and for strengthening the civics curriculum. Service learning is suggested as a highly successful strategy for both character and citizenship development.

The KEY to a successful school Character Education program is to follow the “The 11 Principles of Effective Character Education”

Each principle outlines criteria that should be considered when developing an effective program.

“The 11 Principles of Effective Character Education” offer the primary guidance for successful implementation and outcomes.

What is effective character education?What is effective character education?

1. Principle 1: Promotes core ethical values.

2. Principle 2: Defines “character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.

3. Principle 3: Uses a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive approach.

What does a school with quality What does a school with quality character education look like?character education look like?

4. Principle 4: Creates a caring school community.

5. Principle 5: Provides opportunities for moral action (service learning).

6. Principle 6: Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that meets the needs of all learners (performance character).

7. Principle 7: Fosters students’ self-motivation.

Who should be involved in Who should be involved in character education?character education?

8. Principle 8: Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community.

9. Principle 9: Fosters shared moral leadership and long-range support.

10.Principle 10: Engages families and community members as partners.

How are we doing? Where do we go from here?

Assessment should guide the process!

11.Principle 11: Evaluates the character education initiative.

How Do You Know If Your How Do You Know If Your Character Education Program Character Education Program

Is Working?Is Working?

Observable Behaviors:

Do students demonstrate that they know right from wrong?

Do students’ actions show a respect for others?

Do students work well cooperatively?

Do students influence others in a positive way

Is the school becoming a more caring community?

Is the entire school staff working on being a positive role model and friend to students?

How Do You Know If Your How Do You Know If Your Character Education Character Education Program Is Working?Program Is Working?

Collect Definitive Information:

Attendance data

Suspension data

Data on specific behaviors i.e., fighting, bullying, cutting class, etc.

Communication logs i.e., parent/community involvement, school/community collaboration, school

program agendas and bulletins, etc.

State/National District of State/National District of Character 2013Character 2013

Brenda ElliottExecutive Director of Student ServicesProject Manager for Character Development Initiative

elliotb@gcsnc.com 

Yvonne FosterCoordinator of Character Development & Service-Learning

fostery2@gcsnc.com

School To WatchSchool To Watch

Lincoln Charter SchoolDenver

Melissa LasarskyDevelopment Directormelissa.lasarsky@lincolncharter.org

A Partnership withA Partnership with

The Character Matters The Character Matters CampaignCampaign

Public Service Announcements

Website: www.charactermattersnc.com

Educator Toolkit

Youth Advisory Council

I Am…Character, Leadership and

Service

Title V Abstinence Education and Social Studies Partnership

NCDPI Student Leadership Institute

Title V: Abstinence Title V: Abstinence EducationEducation

Students in grades 4, 5 and 6

NC AEGP project focus

– Mental and Behavioral Health

– Health Services

– Health Education

– Parental and Community Involvement

Social Studies EducationSocial Studies Education

Students in grades K-12

NC Essential Standards

– Citizenship Education (Curriculum Development)

– Service Learning (Instructional Practice)

Service LearningService LearningService-Learning is a pedagogy that connects meaningful community service experiences with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Service-learning goes beyond extracurricular community service because it involves participants in reading, reflection and analysis; provides students an opportunity to develop a personal connection to what they are learning; and creates a context for the application of concepts introduced in the classroom.

Benefits:

•It enhances the educational goals of the curriculum through experiential learning and critical reflection.

•It helps students develop the skills and virtues required for full participation and leadership in their democratic communities.

•It serves the public good by providing a needed service to individuals, organization, schools, or other entities in the community.

Service Learning & Service Learning & 40 Developmental Assets40 Developmental Assets

External

• Community Values Youth

• Youth as Resources

• Service to Others

• Positive Peer Influence

• High Expectations

• Creative Activities

• Youth Programs

Source: http://www.search-institute.org

Service Learning & Service Learning & 40 Developmental Assets40 Developmental Assets

• Planning and Decision Making

• Interpersonal Competence

• Cultural Competence

• Resistance Skills

• Peaceful Conflict Resolution

• Personal Power

• Self-Esteem

• Sense of Purpose

• Positive View of Personal Future

Source: http://www.search-institute.org

• Internal• Achievement Motivation

• Bonding to School

• Homework

• Reading for Pleasure

• Caring

• Equality and Social Justice

• Integrity

• Honesty

• Responsibility

• Restraint

Service Learning & Healthy Service Learning & Healthy OutcomesOutcomes

• Personal and Social Development

– Increase measures of personal and social responsibility

– Increased self-esteem and self-efficacy

– Less likely to engage in “risk” behaviors

– Less likely to be referred for disciplinary measures

– Less likely to engage in behaviors that lead to pregnancy or arrest

• School Environment/Climate

– Improves overall school climateSource: Research on k-12 School-Based Service Learning (S.H. Billig)

The Benefits of Service The Benefits of Service LearningLearning

• Civic Responsibility

– Increase awareness of community needs

– Relate to culturally diverse groups

– Feel they can make a difference

• Academic Learning

– Improved grades including test scores

– Improved grade point averages

– Improved problem-solving skills

– Increased interest in academics

– Increased student attendance

Source: Research on K-12 School-Based Service Learning (S.H. Billig)

The Institute Structure The Institute Structure

Four day residential program

– July 6th through July9th 2014

Teams of 4-6 students with 1-2 school-based mentors

Team-building Exercises

Interactive Classroom Sessions

Experiential Learning Opportunity

FREE!!! (except transportation to and from Raleigh)

SLI ResourcesSLI Resources

Lincoln

DurhamAlamance

Alleghany

Anson

Ashe

Avery

Beaufort

Bertie

Bladen

Brunswick

Buncombe

Burke

Cabarrus

Caldwell

Carteret

Caswell

CatawbaChatham

CherokeeClay

Cleveland

Columbus

Craven

Cumberland

DareDavidson

Davie

Duplin

Edgecombe

ForsythFranklin

Gaston

Gates

Graham

Granville

Greene

Guilford

Halifax

Harnett

Haywood

Henderson

Hertford

Hoke

Hyde

Iredell

Jackson

Johnston

Jones

Lee

Lenoir

McDowell

Macon

MadisonMartin

Mecklenburg

Mitchell

MontgomeryMoore

Nash

NewHanover

Northampton

Onslow

Orange

Pamlico

Pender

Person

Pitt

Polk

Randolph

Richmond

Robeson

Rockingham

Rowan

Rutherford

Sampson

Scotland

Stanly

StokesSurry

Swain

Transylvania

Tyrrell

Union

Vance

Wake

Warren

Washington

Watauga

Wayne

Wilkes

Wilson

Yadkin

Yancey

Perquimans

Chowan

2012 & 2013 SLI TEAMS2012 & 2013 SLI TEAMSPasquotank

Camden

Currituck

Alexander

REGION 8WESTERNBruce Drysdale Bruce Drysdale ElementaryElementaryPleasant Gardens Pleasant Gardens Elementary SchoolElementary SchoolAlternative Alternative Education CenterEducation Center

REGION 7NORTHWESTSnow Creek ElementarySnow Creek ElementaryBethlehem/Ellendale Bethlehem/Ellendale Elementary SchoolsElementary Schools

REGION 5PIEDMONT - TRIAD/ CENTRALEfland CheeksEfland CheeksErwin MontessoriErwin MontessoriMineral Springs MiddleMineral Springs MiddlePenn-Griffith High Penn-Griffith High Ronald E. McNair Ronald E. McNair Elementary SchoolElementary SchoolGrove Park ElementaryGrove Park ElementaryBonlee Elementary SchoolBonlee Elementary School

REGION 1NORTHEASTLakeforest ElementaryLakeforest ElementaryFirst Flight MiddleFirst Flight Middle

REGION 3NORTH CENTRALMoore Square Museum Moore Square Museum MagnetMagnetRocky Mount Rocky Mount PreparatoryPreparatorySoutheast HalifaxSoutheast HalifaxNorth Johnston HighNorth Johnston HighAurelian Springs Aurelian Springs Elementary SchoolElementary SchoolWilliam G. Enloe High William G. Enloe High SchoolSchool

REGION 6SOUTHWESTLincoln Charter Lincoln Charter ElementaryElementaryConcord MiddleConcord Middle

REGION 4 SANDHILLS/ SOUTHCENTRALCameron ElementaryCameron ElementaryHoke County HighHoke County HighVass Lakeview ElementaryVass Lakeview ElementaryGray's Creek Middle School Gray's Creek Middle School

REGION 2SOUTHEASTPenderlea ElementaryPenderlea ElementarySouthwest MiddleSouthwest MiddleKenansville Elementary Kenansville Elementary SchoolSchoolTown CreekTown CreekGreene County Middle Greene County Middle SchoolSchoolSouthwest High SchoolSouthwest High School

2014 SLI 2014 SLI

July 6-9, 2014

William Peace University

Veteran Cohort and Beginner Cohort

Focus: Building Capacity in Student Leadership, Service and Character Development.

Application process to select teams

A Snapshot of SLI 2012A Snapshot of SLI 2012

If Implemented Well, If Implemented Well, Character Education Can…Character Education Can… Bring Schools and Communities together

Improve school and classroom climate

Create safer (Safe & Drug Free) and more caring schools

Close the achievement gap

Improve academic achievement for all

Increase academic integrity

Foster greater professional ethics

Lead to improved healthy behaviors

Lead to service to others

“Nothing is more important to the public weal [well-being] than to form and train up

youth in wisdom and virtue.”

--Benjamin Franklin

Contact Info:Contact Info:

Fay GoreFay Gore

Section Chief, K-12 Social Studies

NC Character Education Coordinator

Fay.gore@dpi.nc.gov

(919) 807-3954