publication

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publication

2011
www.character.org
Schools of Character
Bringing out the BEST in everyone
2011 Schools of Character
A
CEP’s Vision:
Quality character education in all schools,
building a nation of ethical citizens who
pursue excellence in all areas of their lives.
CEP’s Mission:
Leading the nation in helping schools
develop people of good character for a
just and compassionate society.
FRONT COVER: (from left to right): Brigantine parent volunteers, Muskogee student leaders, Uthoff Valley buddies,
local police officer visits Salt Brook students, Shepard students support Ronald McDonald House.
2011
Schools of Character
Published and distributed by Character Education Partnership
Copyright ©2011 Character Education Partnership
Printed in the United States of America. Portions of this book may be reproduced for educational purposes.
The contents of this book are also available in PDF format on the Character Education Partnership
website, www.character.org.
FOR INFORMATION, WRITE OR CALL:
Character Education Partnership
■
1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1011, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-7743
■
(800) 988-8081
■
[email protected]
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Charles Haynes, Chairperson
Director, Religious Freedom
Education Project
Newseum
Sanford N. McDonnell, Chairman Emeritus
Chairman Emeritus
McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Frank A. Keating, Vice Chairperson
Former Governor, Oklahoma
President and CEO
American Bankers Association
Thomas Lickona, Secretary
Professor (ret.), Childhood and
Early Childhood Education Department
Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs
SUNY Cortland
Charles E. Baker
CPA (ret.)
Ernst & Young LLP
Marvin Berkowitz
Sanford N. McDonnell Professor
of Character Education
University of Missouri—St. Louis
Michele Borba
Educational Psychologist and Author
Anne L. Bryant
Executive Director
National School Boards Association
Jeffrey K. Cordes
President and CEO
talentRISE LLC
David W. Fisher
Executive Vice President, Wealth Division
BB&T
Charlotte K. Frank
Senior Vice President, Research
& Development
McGraw–Hill Companies
Maryanne Lavan
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Joseph W. Mazzola
President & CEO
Linda J. McKay
National Advocate for Character
Education in America’s Schools
Megan Jones
Senior Administrator
Eileen Santiago
Principal (ret.)
Thomas A. Edison School
Barbara Luther
Professional Development
Associate Director
Michael Shreve
Regulatory Compliance Manager
Savannah College of Art and Design
Lara Maupin
National Schools of
Character Director
Betty Siegel
President Emeritus
Kennesaw State University
Rebecca Sipos
Communications Director
Richard Teerlink
Former Chairman and CEO
Harley–Davidson Motor Company
Glenn Wilke
Executive Director
Midtown Educational Foundation
CEP STAFF
Joseph W. Mazzola
President & CEO
Carol Dreibelbis
Education and Research Fellow
Bryan Eddins
Accountant
John Glover
Resource Development Director
Lisa Greeves
Promising Practices Manager
Katie Hood
Web Content Coordinator
Walnut Street buddies celebrate Earth Day.
ii
Beauvoir buddies
Sarah Twardock
Fundraising and Research Fellow
Iris Wyatt
Database Manager
PUBLICATION CREDITS
Feature articles (“Lessons Learned”)
written by Eileen Dachnowicz
Additional articles, book coordination,
and editing by Lara Maupin
Additional articles and editing by
Lisa Greeves
Book design by Denise Reiffenstein
at VC Graphics, Inc.
Copyediting by Georgia A. Martin
Research assistance by Megan Jones
and Marissa Mazzola
CEP EDUCATION
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Anne L. Bryant, Chairperson
Executive Director
National School Boards Association
Ron Berger
Chief Program Officer
Expeditionary Learning
Marvin Berkowitz
Sanford N. McDonnell Professor
of Character Education
University of Missouri—St. Louis
Jonathan Cohen
President
National School Climate Center
Charles Elbot
Principal Coach
Denver Public Schools
Maurice Elias
Professor, Department of Psychology
Rutgers University
Kristin D. Fink
Secondary English Language Arts/
Literacy Specialist
Granite School District
Philip Fitch Vincent
Director
Character Development Group
Walter Isaacson
President and CEO
The Aspen Institute
David Wangaard
Director
The School for Ethical Education
William S. Kanaga
Former Chairman
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
CEP NATIONAL
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Peter S. Lynch
Vice Chairman
Fidelity Management & Research Company
David M. Abshire
President
Center for the Study of the
Presidency and Congress
Norman R. Augustine
Chairman and CEO (ret.)
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Senior Advisor
Center for Strategic &
International Studies
Barbara Bush
Former First Lady
Stephen L. Carter
William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law
Yale Law School
Karen Geller
Assistant Principal
Upper Merion Area Middle School
Stephen R. Covey
Co-Founder/Vice Chairman
Franklin Covey Company
Thomas Lickona
Professor (ret.), Childhood and Early
Childhood Education Department
Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs
SUNY Cortland
William H. Danforth
Chancellor Emeritus
Washington University
Darcia Narváez
Director, Collaboration for Ethical Education
University of Notre Dame
Larry Nucci
Research Educator,
Institute of Human Development
Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Education
University of California, Berkeley
Archie Dunham
ConocoPhillips
George H. Gallup, Jr.
Chairman
The George H. Gallup International Institute
Robert W. Galvin
Chairman of the Board (ret.)
Motorola, Inc.
Clark Power
Professor, Psychology and Liberal Studies
University of Notre Dame
Earl G. Graves
Chairman and CEO
Black Enterprise Magazine
Clifton L. Taulbert
President, The Building Community Institute
President, The Freemount Corporation
J. Barry Griswell
Chairman, President, and CEO (ret.)
The Principal Financial Group
Robert J. Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive
Boy Scouts of America
Harold McGraw III
Chairman and CEO
McGraw–Hill Companies
John E. Pepper
The Procter & Gamble Company
Colin L. Powell
General (ret.), U.S. Army
Former Secretary of State
Richard W. Riley
Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley
& Scarborough, LLP
Former Secretary of Education
Harold T. Shapiro
President Emeritus
Professor, Woodrow Wilson School
of Public and International Affairs
Princeton University
Ralph W. Shrader
Chairman and CEO
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
John M. Templeton, Jr.
President
John Templeton Foundation
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Former Lieutenant Governor
State of Maryland
James S. Turley
Chairman and CEO
Ernst & Young LLP
William H. Webster
Chairman
Homeland Security Advisory Council
Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.
Former Chairman and CEO
TIAA-CREF
iii
Ways to Use CEP’s
2011 Schools of Character:
in Your School or District
Schools of Character: A Path to
Excellence for Schools and Districts
The National Schools of Character and State
Schools of Character programs of the Character
Education Partnership (CEP) are growing and
engaging more educators every day. More and
more communities are finding that becoming a
school of character is something any school can
do—given the right focus, committed leaders,
and a proven framework for success. CEP is
here to help. In what follows, you will find
suggestions of ways to use CEP resources, such
as this book, to get involved in the process of
becoming a school of character.
Make Connections
with Fellow Practitioners
CEP hopes that educators engaged in character
education will work together and learn from
one another. Schools of character are expected
to serve as models for other schools. Look
at the list of National Schools of Character
(NSOC) on page 1 and the list of State Schools
of Character (SSOC) on pages 43–47. Are any
of these schools in your state or district? Is it
possible for you to visit any of these schools––or
to have educators from any of these schools
visit or communicate with you? If any of the
2011 NSOC are located near you, be sure to
read their profiles in this book (pages 16–39). In
addition, see CEP’s website (www.character.org)
for a complete listing of schools of character,
including those from prior years. For more
information about schools of character and to
join the CEP online community of character
educators, visit the website today.
Read about the Remarkable Successes
of Other Character Educators: Use of the
Feature Articles (“Lessons Learned”)
The feature articles on pages 5–15 about
lessons learned from the 2011 NSOC tell the
inspiring stories of how these schools have
successfully used character education to meet
challenges. Form a group of staff members
(and perhaps parents, community members,
and even students) and select one or more of
iv
these articles to read and discuss, based on your
school’s needs and goals. You may also wish to
explore the profiles of NSOC that are similar
to your school or located in your area.
Consider the following discussion questions:
What are the distinguishing characteristics
of these schools’ character education
initiatives?
■
How did these schools devise programs
and practices uniquely suited to their
needs and student population?
■
What impact has character education had
on these school communities? Look at
the data given in the feature articles. How
do you explain the changes in school
culture, student behavior, and academic
performance?
■
What specific strategies, programs,
resources, or ideas will you take away from
these stories? Could you implement any of
these at your school? What would you like
to try after exploring these articles? What
was most interesting or inspiring to you?
■
Address Your School’s Strengths
and Areas for Growth: Use of SelfAssessment and Promising Practices
Think about your school’s strengths as well as
aspects of your school’s character education
initiative that could benefit from improvement.
What do you have to teach others? What
aspects would you like to improve or change?
If you are unsure, use the Eleven Principles
Scoring Guide (available in 11 Principles of
Effective Character Education and accessible on
CEP’s website) to complete a self-assessment.
Once you identify the areas for growth and
improvement that you would like to address,
search CEP’s online database of Promising
Practices for ideas at www.character.org. Discuss
some of the things other schools are doing that
address your areas of concern. What might
your school try? Create an action plan for
improving your school’s character education
program. If you feel you have practices to share
with other educators, be sure to apply online
for recognition as a 2012 Promising Practice.
Apply to Receive Free Professional
Feedback and Recognition
CEP’s NSOC/SSOC application process is
free and open to all schools serving K–12
students. It is not a competition—but rather
an opportunity to receive feedback as well
as recognition for growth and excellence in
the area of character development. As an
applicant, you stand to reap tremendous
benefits, including:
Insight into what high-quality character
education consists of, which could help
you improve and strengthen your own
programs.
■
The opportunity to reflect on your practices
and programs and assess your level of
implementation against a recognized
standard of excellence (the 11 Principles).
■
Expert feedback and guidance at no
cost—other than time.
■
All schools and districts that apply and
are determined to have met CEP’s standard
of excellence are recognized as schools of
character and given a small grant to help
with outreach to others. Those that do not
achieve NSOC status in 2012 will be given
feedback that will enable them to create
an action plan so that they can improve
and achieve NSOC status in the future.
The application deadline for recognition in
2012 is December 1, 2011. Visit
www.character.org for more information
and resources for applicants. ◗
www.character.org
CEP’s website has a new look and a
whole new feel! Visit today to explore
the many resources available to
educators as well as parents, students,
and community members seeking to
improve their schools.
✔ Learn about upcoming webinars
✔ Find out more about schools of
character and best practices
✔ Connect with other character
educators
✔ Find valuable resources
and lesson plans
✔ Explore professional
development opportunities
✔ Apply for recognition and feedback
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................... 2
Bell’s Crossing Elementary School • Simpsonville,
South Carolina................................................................. 26
Lessons Learned from the 2011 National Schools of
Character: A Roadmap to Transformation and Excellence....4
Bingham Farms Elementary School • Bingham
Farms, Michigan............................................................... 26
Lesson #1: Start small and woo your staff.................................... 5
Lesson #2: Keep your eye on academic excellence..................... 7
Bowles Elementary School • Fenton, Missouri. .................. 27
Branson Elementary West • Branson, Missouri. ................. 27
Lesson #3: Shape students who think for themselves
and of others.................................................................................10
Brigantine Elementary School • Brigantine, New Jersey....... 28
Lesson #4: Be creative in making parents your partners..............12
Cotswold Elementary School • Charlotte, North Carolina....... 28
Lesson #5: Don’t file your assessments—use them
for your next steps........................................................................14
Crestwood Elementary School • Crestwood, Missouri......... 29
2011 National Schools of Character. ............................ 16
District of Character
Fort Bend Independent School District • Sugar Land, Texas. ....16
Duffy Elementary School • West Hartford, Connecticut. ....... 29
Duncan Elementary School • Fort Hood, Texas................... 30
Eldridge Park Elementary School • Lawrenceville,
New Jersey....................................................................... 30
Fuguitt Elementary School • Largo, Florida......................... 31
High Schools of Character................................................ 17
Geggie Elementary School • Eureka, Missouri..................... 31
Lindbergh High School • St. Louis, Missouri......................... 17
George Guffey Elementary School • Fenton, Missouri.......... 32
Muskogee High School • Muskogee, Oklahoma. .................... 18
Joseph J. Catena School • Freehold, New Jersey................. 32
South Brunswick High School • Monmouth Junction,
New Jersey..............................................................................18
Kellison Elementary School • Fenton, Missouri. ................. 33
Lincoln Elementary School • Troy, Missouri........................ 33
Middle Schools of Character............................................. 19
Mark Twain Elementary School • Brentwood, Missouri........ 34
Chatham Middle School • Chatham, New York...................... 19
Oakhurst Elementary School • Largo, Florida..................... 34
Fox Middle School • Arnold, Missouri................................... 19
Oakwood Elementary School • Glen Burnie, Maryland......... 35
John A. Carusi Middle School • Cherry Hill, New Jersey......... 20
Pembroke Elementary School • Troy, Michigan................... 35
Lake Riviera Middle School • Brick, New Jersey.................... 20
Pierce Elementary School • Birmingham, Michigan............. 36
Charter Schools of Character. ..................................... 21
Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter
Public School • Franklin, Massachusetts............................. 21
Imagine Schools South Lake • Clermont, Florida. ................... 22
St. Louis Charter School • St. Louis, Missouri....................... 22
Renfro Elementary School • Collinsville, Illinois.................. 36
Roosevelt Primary School • Ferndale, Michigan................... 37
Salt Brook Elementary School • New Providence,
New Jersey................................................................... 37
Union Elementary School • Buckhannon, West Virginia......... 38
Uthoff Valley Elementary School • Fenton, Missouri. .......... 38
Private Schools of Character....................................... 23
Walnut Street School • Uniondale, New York...................... 39
Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School
Washington, D.C............................................................... 23
Woerther Elementary School • Ballwin, Missouri................ 39
Brentwood School • Los Angeles, California.......................... 23
2011 National Finalists................................................... 40
Elementary Schools of Character. ............................... 24
2011 State Schools of Character................................... 42
Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Elementary School • Old Bridge,
New Jersey...................................................................... 24
2011 Promising Practices.............................................. 48
Babler Elementary School • Wildwood, Missouri.................. 25
References...................................................................... 60
Bayless Elementary School • St. Louis, Missouri. ................ 25
1
Introduction
The 2011 Schools of Character…
Bringing Out the BEST in Everyone
In schools of character, adults embrace their critical role as models
for others. Teachers work together as professionals—and with
parents and community members as partners—to positively shape
the social, emotional, and character development of the young
people entrusted to them each day. As a result, students in these
schools feel safe, respected, and connected to those around them,
allowing them to thrive academically and socially and to be motivated
to give back to their communities.
T
he 2010–11 school year was marked
by increasing budgetary strains and
testing pressures on our nation’s
schools—as well as major changes to the
flagship program of the Character Education
Partnership (CEP): The National Schools of
Character. Despite the challenges of having to
do more with less, 140 schools and districts
invested their valuable time in CEP’s schools
of character process in 2011 by applying for
feedback and possible recognition, the 13
schools and two districts named National
Schools (or Districts) of Character (NSOC)
in 2010 reached out to others to help them
improve their school cultures, and educators
from hundreds of schools offered to share
their best practices with others by applying
for recognition as Promising Practices. All
these educators took the time to be part of the
schools of character process because they know
that investment in character development
pays big dividends in improved school culture,
student behavior, and academic achievement.
As Dr. Karen Geller reflected one year after her
school, Upper Merion Area Middle School in
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, was named an
NSOC: “The application takes much effort
but, when finished, the process and final
product substantiate the inspirational character
education journey and the positive impact that
it has had on school culture.”
Since 1998, CEP has recognized schools
for their outstanding character development
of students through its prestigious NSOC
program. With more and more schools
achieving a level of excellence, CEP changed
the program in 2010, from a competition to a
school improvement process. This change allows
CEP to recognize all schools
that meet the standard of
WOULD YOU LIKE EXPERT FEEDBACK ON YOUR SCHOOL’S
excellence outlined in its
CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM? IS YOUR SCHOOL OR
11 Principles of Effective
DISTRICT READY TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS?
Character Education.
The National and State Schools of Character program is a
These schools are named
school improvement process which offers the opportunity
NSOC and will retain this
for self-assessment and expert feedback to schools and
designation for five years,
districts engaged in character education. CEP will name as
NSOC all schools and district applicants that demonstrate
during which time they are
an exemplary level of implementation of CEP’s 11 Principles.
expected to reach out to
Applicants that are not named NSOC in 2012 will receive
many other schools, helping
feedback and assistance to help them develop an action
plan for improvement that will enable them to attain the
them lay the groundwork
NSOC designation in the future.
for a character education
program or improve on an
Consider submitting an SSOC/NSOC application. Visit
www.character.org for details and a variety of resources
existing one. In 2011, CEP
for applicants.
named a record-breaking
44 National Schools of
2
Character: 38 public schools, three charter
schools, two private schools, and one school
district. All of them demonstrated through
a rigorous evaluation process that they have
shaped school cultures that enable all their
students to thrive socially and academically.
The Schools of Character
Application Process
All 140 of the 2011 schools of character
applicants began by gathering a representative
group of stakeholders (administrators, teachers,
support staff, parents, community members,
and even students, when appropriate) to provide
input into the application process and complete
an 11 Principles self-assessment. Most then
submitted their completed 25-page written
application (30 for districts) to their state
sponsor for review. The handful located in states
without state sponsors sent their applications
directly to CEP. Those in the former group
that were declared to have met the standard
of excellence set by their state coordinators
in cooperation with CEP were named State
Schools of Character (SSOC)—a title they will
hold for a period of three years—and forwarded
to CEP for consideration on the national level.
CEP’s national screeners then reviewed
the 73 applications forwarded from the state
coordinators as well as those from schools and
districts without an SSOC program. A total of
50 applicants were determined to have met the
standard of excellence set by CEP and named
National Finalists. Each of the Finalists was then
assigned a National Evaluator (see list next page)
and asked to provide additional information
regarding the impact of character education
on its own campus. The National Evaluators
reviewed the applications and all available
sources of validation. In many cases, the
National Evaluator visited the school or district
to validate the claims made in the application.
If an applicant did not receive a site visit, the
National Evaluator considered other sources of
information, including phone interviews with
stakeholders. Once all the available information
was analyzed, the National Evaluators made
their recommendations to CEP in detailed
written reports. CEP staff and members of the
NSOC Review Panel (see box next page) then
reviewed the reports of the National Evaluators
in order to make a final determination of
whether the applicants recommended by the
National Evaluators should be named NSOC.
Introduction
An Ongoing Process of
Improvement and Outreach
All applicants received feedback in order to
encourage continuous improvement. Those
that were not admitted to the national-level
screening received score sheets, from their
state coordinators or CEP, outlining their
strengths and pointing to areas where growth or
improvement is needed. Those that proceeded
to the national level but were not named
National Finalists received similar feedback from
and purpose to our schools and community.
More importantly, however, it has brought
with it a responsibility to continue to work
as a community to increase our efforts to
promote character.”
The schools of character process is an
annual one, and schools are encouraged
to continue to apply until they have been
designated a National School of Character. It
is CEP’s philosophy that with proper feedback
and dedication to the process, all schools can
“It is truly inspiring to see what these schools have been
able to accomplish by coming together around a shared
purpose. We see over and over that when schools embrace
the critical role they have in shaping the character of young
people, achievement and morale go up and bullying and
discipline problems go down.”
—Joe Mazzola, President & CEO, Character Education Partnership
CEP. All National Finalists received National
Evaluation reports from CEP, regardless of
whether they were named National Schools
(or Districts) of Character. State coordinators
will also help their Finalists not named NSOC
to reflect on their feedback and re-apply in the
remaining years of their tenure as SSOC.
Both SSOC and NSOC serve as models
and ambassadors of effective character
education. NSOC share their successful
strategies with other educators at the National
Forum and in their home states. They open
their campuses as demonstration sites and
contribute to CEP’s communication network.
Each of the 15 schools and districts named
NSOC in 2010, for example, reached an
average of 350 educators representing 100
schools by hosting visits, conducting training
workshops, and making a wide variety of
presentations. The 2011 NSOC will select
from a menu of outreach options that include
being involved in CEP’s online community of
character educators and sharing their stories
and strategies through writing, workshops,
and videos. Typically, former NSOC have
found that even after being named “winners,”
their efforts to improve their own character
education programs continue. As Dr. Bob
Freado of Peters Township School District in
McMurray, Pennsylvania, a 2010 National
District of Character, notes: “Being recognized
as a National District of Character is an honor
that has brought an increased sense of pride
reach the established standard of excellence and
become schools of character. Those that are
named NSOC are encouraged to re-apply after
five years in order to obtain an assessment of
their ongoing efforts. ◗
2011 NSOC NATIONAL EVALUATORS
Ron Axelrod
Staff Development Coordinator (ret.)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for
Community of Caring at the University of Utah
Chris Briggs-Hale
Consultant, Waterfall Learning, LLC
Teacher, Columbine Elementary School
Laurianne Brunetti
Teacher, Memorial Middle School
Eileen Dachnowicz
Senior Consultant
Trainer, New Jersey
Department of Education
Barbara Gruener
Counselor and Character Coach
Westwood Elementary School
Judy Jones
Counselor (ret.)
Cross Bayou Elementary School
Penny Keith
Professional Development Director
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for
Community of Caring at the University of Utah
2011 NSOC REVIEW PANEL
The NSOC Review Panel is a group
consisting of former Blue Ribbon
Panel members, noted professionals
in the field of character education,
experienced NSOC reviewers and site
visitors, and senior CEP staff.
Eileen Dachnowicz
Senior Consultant
Trainer, New Jersey
Michael Galvin
School Leadership Consultant
Focused Leadership Solutions, LLC
Former Principal
Columbine Elementary School
Lara Maupin
Director, National Schools of Character
Terry Ross
Director, Leadership and School Performance, New Leaders for New Schools
Former award-winning urban school
administrator
David Wangaard
Director
Lara Maupin
Director
National Schools of Character
Linda Morris
Educational Consultant
Lead for Success
Assistant Superintendent (ret.)
Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools
Judy Owens
Coach/Facilitator
CHARACTERplus
Richard Puppione
Senior Director of Pupil Services (ret.)
Pleasanton Unified School District
Rebecca Sipos
Director, Communications
David Wangaard
Director
3
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned from the
2011 National Schools of Character:
A Roadmap to Transformation
and Excellence
Forty-three schools and one district—all meeting the
rigorous standards of excellence established by the
Character Education Partnership and outlined in its
11 Principles of Effective Character Education. As we
follow their different paths, we discover some helpful
hints that can serve as a roadmap for other schools
on their character journeys.
“I
encourage those who are embarking
on a journey through character
education to build on what
already exists, take small steps toward their
vision, celebrate successes, and believe
in the power of character education as a
vehicle to transformation and excellence!”
When Dr. Mary Kleekamp, principal of
Geggie Elementary in Eureka, Missouri,
gave this advice, she was reflecting on her
own school’s journey. However, the same
ideas resonate in the advice given by the
administrators in the other 42 schools and
one district honored as 2011 National
Schools of Character (NSOC).
As part of the application process,
each principal or superintendent responds
to a series of questions designed to throw
light on their journeys as they describe the
Fox Middle School seventh graders get to know each other.
outcomes of their individual odysseys and
the obstacles they encountered along the
way. Interestingly, the school leaders in
all 44 NSOC mention a “transformation
From the Principal’s Desk:
“As the process of character education begins to grow, the
results will be astounding. Staff and students can spend
their time learning and growing. Poor student behavior, lack
of [staff/student] motivation, and low expectations do not
get in our way—our days are spent teaching and learning!
I’ve always thought that character education multiplies and
gets out of hand—in a good way.”
—David Cobb, Bowles Elementary School, Fenton, Missouri
4
of school culture” as the catalyst that
brought about better discipline, improved
academics, a decline in bullying, a happier
staff and student body, a safer environment,
and harmonious relationships with parents
and the larger community. Size, grade level,
geographical location, and socioeconomic
conditions made no difference in their
responses. For example, Kathy Robbins,
principal of tiny Eldridge Park School (251
students, grades PreK–3) in Lawrenceville,
New Jersey, describes her staff’s approach
to developing character as “a way of life.”
Some thousand miles away, principal Dr.
Ron Helms, who guides close to 2,000
students at sprawling Lindbergh High in St.
Louis, Missouri, says, “Don’t look at it as
an add-on or program. It is a way of life.”
A Way of Life
School leaders often use the same words
to describe school climate: “a way of life,”
“the way we treat each other,” “how we do
things here,” “the meaningful change that
paved the way for tangible academic and
behavioral growth.” Although all NSOC
attest to the power of school culture, only
a few thought in those terms when first
adopting a character initiative. The three
charter schools—Benjamin Franklin
Classical Charter Public School in Franklin,
Massachusetts; Imagine Schools South Lake
in Clermont, Florida; and St. Louis Charter
School in St. Louis, Missouri—envisioned
the moral development of their students
from the start and articulated that in their
founding principles. Others, like Chatham
Middle School in Chatham, New York, were
responding to a state mandate to initiate
character education. Demographic shifts
and redistricting prompted some schools,
such as Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Elementary
in Old Bridge, New Jersey and Cotswold
Elementary in Charlotte, North Carolina,
to explore ways of forging connections
in their changing schools. Still others,
such as Bingham Farms, Pembroke, and
Pierce elementary schools, jumped on the
bandwagon when their district, Birmingham
Public Schools in Birmingham, Michigan,
wisely adopted a district-wide approach
in 2001. Despite differing motivations, all
NSOC experienced the same outcome.
Lessons Learned
Pride in American history is a key component of
character education at Fuguitt Elementary.
Chatham’s retired principal, Gordon Fitting,
sums up the overall effect: “Character
education really works. It produces a sense
of community that forms a strong bond that
unites us in our goals.”
Showing the Way
through Helpful Hints
In each of the past 13 years, we described
our NSOC in detail so that other schools
could learn from their comprehensive
stories and replicate some of the strategies
they used in actualizing the 11 Principles of
Effective Character Education. This year we
are taking a different approach. In keeping
with an age in which life lessons tend to
be condensed into a few simple rules, CEP
has identified five helpful guidelines that
school leaders have alluded to in their
reflections—and evaluators have observed
in their visits and interviews:
1.Start small and woo your staff.
2.Keep your eye on
academic excellence.
3.Shape students who think for
themselves and of others.
Lesson #1:
Start small and
woo your staff
“T
his is hard work and can’t be
accomplished in isolation or
independently,” says Dr. Diane
Metz, principal of Babler Elementary in
Wildwood, Missouri. Metz, who compares
building a successful character initiative to
constructing a house, stresses the importance
of needing the “collaboration and support”
of all the workers to make it a “home.” All
the NSOC principals agree that the first step
is to woo the staff rather than foist character
education on the unwilling.
Ironically, many school leaders listed
the staff as both their greatest initial
obstacle and their strongest asset. Chris
Garland, former principal of Lincoln
Elementary in Troy, Missouri, reflects:
“Our greatest obstacle in the character
education initiative was getting past
the thought that it was another thing
for them to do…. We had to be very
intentional with the ‘why’ and provide
targeted professional development to fill
in the knowledge gaps.” Another Missouri
4.Be creative in making parents
your partners.
5.Don’t file your assessments—
use them for your next steps.
These are essentially hints—from
the folks in the trenches—of practical
ways to implement the 11 Principles.
Collectively, we call this wisdom gleaned
from administrators, staff, students, and
parents “A Roadmap to Transformation
and Excellence.” In the pages that
follow, we discuss each of these five
guidelines separately. ◗
principal, Aaron Wilken of Fox Middle
School in Arnold, tells a similar story: “Our
biggest obstacle was convincing some staff
members that character education would
not decrease the time they have to cover
their curriculum.” Today, the staff at this
school is a tenacious advocate of character
education, but it took “quite a bit of
focused professional development.”
Ways to Woo the Staff
Teachers are eager to learn, and focused
professional development helps them
improve their practice and see the
educational benefits of character education.
It is no accident that 15 of this year’s
NSOC are from Missouri (Babler, Bayless,
Bowles, Branson West, Crestwood,
Geggie, Guffey, Kellison, Lincoln, Mark
Twain, Uthoff Valley, and Woerther
5
Lessons Learned
elementary schools; Fox Middle School;
Lindbergh High School; and St. Louis
Charter School), all but one of which
are active members of Characterplus,
an organization that also coordinates
Missouri’s SSOC program and has helped
its members develop high-quality character
education programs through structured
offerings. The Leadership Academy for
Character Education (LACE) provides
year-long training for administrators;
the Caring School Community model
(CSC) guides each school in becoming a
“caring community of learners” through
embracing four key components (crossgrade buddies, school-wide activities,
homeside activities, and class meetings);
and multiple workshops and conferences
throughout the year furnish additional
training opportunities for staff.
Although Missouri schools appear to
have a built-in advantage because of the
excellent resources of Characterplus, the
principals of all the 2011 NSOC from
this state place a priority on first “building
relationships.” David Cobb, former
principal of Bowles Elementary in Fenton,
who encourages his teachers to “learn and
grow at their own rate,” advises: “Don’t
force it. Character education is a process,
and each staff member, student, and parent
must believe in character education before
it can be effective.” Dr. Tracy Edwards,
Beauvoir builds community by inviting students, staff, and parents to dance and have fun together.
Commitment from All,
in a Variety of Ways
“There is no right way to do character
education, but commitment from all is a
key foundation in its success,” says Janet
Czarnecki, assistant principal of Lake
Riviera Middle School in Brick, New
Jersey. Czarnecki, who helped former
principal Sue McNamara to spearhead
the school’s character education initiative,
found that the staff and students were
energized when this middle school added
service to its curriculum through a grant
“Take the time and energy to allow the 11 Principles to guide
you as a group. Be a role model of exemplary character. Show
empathy and compassion to those that are not as far along
on the journey. Build deep and sustaining relationships with
colleagues so that trust is implicit. Never quit in your goal to
help your school become a school of character.”
—Russ Facione, Bingham Farms Elementary School, Bingham Farms, Michigan
former principal of Kellison Elementary,
another school in Fenton, agrees: “Make
it your own! Do what feels right for your
school culture. If you believe in what you
are doing, then it will be evident in all you
do. Staff, students, and parents will see it as
real and authentic.”
6
with Rutgers University. “Our character
education initiative has gone through a
rebirth with this addition and helped us
to make character education more than
words on posters,” adds Lake Riviera’s new
principal, Dr. Alyce Anderson.
Another school that attributes its
staff’s support of character education to the
power of a specific program is Muskogee
High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
“In the 2007–08 school year, the culture
was one of disrespect, lack of motivation,
academic apathy, and a faculty that was
attempting to ‘survive’ with little or no
positive relationships with students,” says
principal Dewayne Pemberton. “The
implementation of the Advocacy program
in 2008–09 was key to the transformation
of our culture.” From a small pilot program
with 15 faculty members participating,
it has grown to encompass all 105 staff
members and about a thousand of its
students. Teachers meet with their students
on a weekly basis and develop a mentor/
advocate relationship. Consultant Cindy
Heupel says, “I have never seen Advocacy
take hold as a system as it has here. The
culture shift has been phenomenal. Kids
have dreams, and our advocates help
children realize their dreams.”
The Principal as Role Model
“The first critical piece is getting the key
player, the principal, on board,” says Jean
Maier, principal of Salt Brook Elementary
in New Providence, New Jersey, who
adds: “We also recommend that schools
start small. A school just beginning a
new character education program has to
take the time to find out the pulse of [its]
Lessons Learned
community, experiment with different
aspects, and see what works for [its]
population. It should develop its core
values and build a program around those
principles. A committee that includes a
school administrator, [a] counselor, and
teaching staff members is also an integral
part of the process. This committee can be
small at first, and hopefully … will grow
[in time] to include representatives from
each grade level as well as other areas.”
The principal must be a motivator, a
cheerleader, and a role model. One principal
who fulfills all these roles is Don Marrandino,
the principal of ethnically and economically
diverse Brigantine Elementary, located on a
small island near Atlantic City. On opening
day each year, he addresses the school
community: “This is a caring community,
and it is important to treat each other with
kindness and respect.” The faculty has
enthusiastically followed Marrandino’s lead
and created a home-grown program with five
components: the development of strong corevalues-centered classrooms, a program called
Kindness Is Contagious, a multicultural
cross-curricular approach to arts education,
a physical fitness program called G.Y.M.
(Get Yourself Moving), and the training
of strong student leaders. The staff is justly
proud of its academic success, as one of the
top scorers on the New Jersey Assessment of
Skills and Knowledge for Grade 4 (NJASK
4) in science in 2010, with 98.3 percent of
its fourth graders scoring at or above the
proficiency level, and of its multiple awards
for positive school climate (Boyer Award
for Best Practice, and the Kindest School in
New Jersey title four times).
Some educators subscribe to the
notion of embracing a plan that involves
garnering strong staff buy-in and consensus
from the outset. Cotswold Elementary
in Charlotte, North Carolina adopted its
character education program in 1997, when
redistricting resulted in a lopsided student
population consisting of a mix of upper
middle class and very low-income students.
Former principal Denise Hearne offers
sound advice that any school, even one
without such an overwhelming challenge,
would be wise to follow: “Create the vision.
Imagine a learning community the way you
would like it to be, a place where it would be
a pleasure to teach and learn every day. Then
make your school that place by following
through on a character education initiative.”
The Cotswold faculty listened and crafted
a vision of excellence and acceptance. Later
on, the entire staff and parents voted to
Lesson #2:
Keep your eye
on academic excellence
“I
t is also important to make
connections for students, staff,
and parents between character
development and academic performance
to generate buy-in,” says Dr. Timothy R.
Jenney, superintendent of the massive Fort
Bend Independent School District (ISD)
in Sugar Land, Texas. He points out that
every one of the 74 schools of this sprawling
district with over 69,000 students has an
intentional character education program,
a consistency that has brought with it
academic and behavioral riches. Jenney,
who stresses that it has taken 15 years of
hard work to get the district to this point, is
amazed with the results: “Our students made
substantial gains on the state assessments at
every grade level assessed and in comparison
to our regional district cohort and the state
as a whole. What is even more encouraging
is that the gap between white, AfricanAmerican, Hispanic, and economically
disadvantaged student groups is shrinking
on all assessments.”
Crestwood Elementary teachers use professional development time
to infuse character into the curriculum.
become an International Baccalaureate
World School, a program that fulfills the
school’s avowed mission: Making the World a
Better Place.
Different schools, located in different
communities. There is no single approach
to instituting a character education
program which is adopted everywhere.
Some of the schools described herein
have found success in utilizing Missouri’s
remarkable and well-researched professional
development services, while others chose
“the road less traveled” to create a school
where “it is a pleasure to teach and learn
every day.” ◗
The Fort Bend story of observable
academic growth accompanying the
demonstration of character is repeated
43 times over as we see how schools that
are safe, supportive, and caring produce
students who are not just “nice” and wellbehaved but academically committed
as well. We examined ten other NSOC
whose students had performed well in
state-mandated assessments; we sought
to uncover evidence that explains the
success of these schools, which represent a
mix of geographical areas, socioeconomic
conditions, and grade levels. No students
ever talked about “practicing again and
again for the tests;” in fact, teachers spent
so much time in loving and caring for their
students that it is hard to imagine how they
found time to drill them for the tests in
which they performed so admirably.
7
Lessons Learned
Family Ties and Test Success
Currently, the national mandate for
accountability stresses the need for
early preparation of the little ones.
Two schools that offer programs for
preschoolers—Renfro Elementary School
(grades PreK–4) in Collinsville, Illinois
and Roosevelt Primary School (grades
PreK–3) in Ferndale, Michigan—have
seen improvement in student achievement
on standardized tests since they instituted
intentional programs in early character
building. The percentage of Renfro students
meeting or exceeding the state standard in
reading increased from 64 percent in 2005
to 75 percent in 2010, a period in which
the corresponding figure for math increased
from 75 percent to 88 percent. Roosevelt
results show a similar improvement, with
cross-grade groups, buddies, peer assistants,
adult mentoring, and rituals to “create a
sense of connection,” agrees: “You can’t
run a school effectively without a thorough
knowledge that social and emotional
development goes hand-in-hand with
academic success.”
Finding Success despite the Odds
It is easy to see why Walnut Street School
(K–5) in Uniondale, New York has merited
recognition as a High Performing/Gap
Closing School by the New York State
Education Department. With a minority
population exceeding 90 percent and an
economically disadvantaged one of 45
percent, the school has met or exceeded AYP
every year and its student performance on
New York State assessments is extraordinary.
“We have learned that our students’ learning increases when they
are surrounded by caring students, staff members, parents, and
community members. Named one of Missouri’s Top Ten HighestPerforming Schools (for schools over 500 students) for eight years,
based on the percentage of students scoring in the advanced and
proficient levels on the Missouri Assessment Program, we are
also making strides in closing the achievement gap.”
—Jane M. Levy, Woerther Elementary School, Ballwin, Missouri
89 percent of students meeting the state
standard in reading and 97 percent in math
in 2010, compared to the 2004 rates of
52 percent and 46 percent, respectively.
Both schools have a high economically
disadvantaged population: 45 percent at
Renfro, and 72 percent at Roosevelt.
The remark “We are a family” popped
up many times when staff, parents, and
students in those schools were queried about
what made their school special. In Renfro’s
case, many cross-grade-level “families”
have been established. These groups meet
regularly, help one another, and form the
larger Renfro family. Principal John Griffith
believes that the growth in reading and math
scores is truly due to the implementation
of “the successful character education
program.” Dina Rocheleau, the principal
of Roosevelt, which uses strategies such as
8
During the period since 2005, grades 3–5
have demonstrated an 82 percent mean
proficiency in language arts and a 95 percent
mean proficiency in mathematics. Science
and social studies mean proficiencies register
at 99 percent and 98 percent, respectively.
When asked to give advice to failing
schools, dynamic principal Linda Friedman
points to the school’s touchstone, We Are
FAMILY, which was established jointly by
staff and students. In addition to the school’s
strong character education and professional
development programs, a caring faculty,
versed in the latest methods, works hard
so “no one falls through the cracks.” Two
long-standing mentoring programs, L.I.K.E.
(Lawyers Involved in Kids’ Education) and
F.O.C.U.S. (Focusing on Children Uniting
with Staff), ensure that every child at Walnut
Street always has a caring adult close by.
Three other K–5 schools that contend
with factors traditionally associated
with low performance have also become
academic exemplars. All three—Mark
Twain, Union, and Oakwood—have high
proportions of economically disadvantaged
students. Karen Smith, principal of Mark
Twain in Brentwood, Missouri, reports
that student Missouri Assessment Program
(MAP) scores have soared in both reading
and math, “advancing from the 30th
percentiles to the 80th percentiles.” In
addition to focusing on character in the
curriculum, students design projects in
social studies, edit each other’s work,
discuss moral dilemmas, and engage in
investigative science projects.
Some 600 miles to the east, in the
rolling hills of Buckhannon, West Virginia,
children at the rural Union Elementary
perform so admirably that the school,
which has consistently met AYP, has earned
a state Exemplary rating, based on test
scores, grades, attendance, and disciplinary
referrals. Dr. Sara Stankus, principal, credits
her “high-flying” staff for motivating their
charges by modeling the desirable behavior
and “going the extra mile” to help them
with academic, personal, and social needs.
Sheri Phillips, the supervisor of student
teachers at West Virginia Wesleyan and a
frequent visitor to the school, observes that
all Union adults model the values: “from
the janitor, to the cooks, to the bus drivers.”
When asked to name his favorite
thing about Oakwood Elementary in Glen
Burnie, Maryland, first grader Lorenzo
quickly replies, “Doing our work in class
and our homework. Homework is fun.”
In fact, the staff at this lively school with
a high minority population succeeds in
making learning fun for all. Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs) flourish,
with staff working together to find just
the right strategy for each child. Former
principal Nancy Knouse notes, “Everybody
in this building is working for kids. Nobody
ever gives up on any child.” Oakwood’s
success in narrowing the achievement gap
is exceptional: The percentage of AfricanAmerican students passing the Maryland
State Assessment (MSA) in math soared
from 56 percent in 2005–06 to 79 percent
Lessons Learned
Carusi students receive academic support after school.
in 2009–10; the corresponding figure
for Hispanic students increased from 40
percent to 100 percent. During that same
period, the percentage of students passing
the reading section of the test rose from 56
percent to 72 percent for African-American
students, and from 40 percent to 75 percent
for Hispanic students.
Different Socioeconomic
and Grade Levels
The evidence makes a compelling argument
that improved school culture results in
improved academics, particularly in schools
with a socioeconomic disadvantage. How
do elementary schools on the other end of
the spectrum fare with the implementation
of character education? Just ask Kathleen
Tracy, the energetic principal who revitalized
the character education program at Duffy
Elementary in affluent West Hartford,
Connecticut. She points out that from 2006
to 2010, Duffy students in grades 3, 4, and 5
“have demonstrated consistent improvement
[on] the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT)
each year in [terms of the percentage of
students] achieving proficient/advanced
status.” For example, the percentage of grade
3 students passing in mathematics increased
from 80 to 96 percent during those years,
while in reading and writing the passing rates
increased from 75 to 88 percent and from 85
to 91 percent, respectively. Tracy attributes
“the continual positive growth” to a stronger
sense of personal responsibility engendered
by implementing Love and Logic strategies
as well as caring, committed teaching, using
methods such as Math Trailblazers, Literacy
Learning, and mastery learning.
It certainly appears that character
education produces identifiable changes at
the elementary level, but to what extent do
changes occur on the secondary level? The
experiences of a New Jersey middle school,
John A. Carusi in Cherry Hill, and a Missouri
high school, Lindbergh High in St. Louis,
attest to some quite astonishing results.
“We lost our way. Carusi was a train
running at full speed without any direction.
It was a failing school with low morale
and high levels of [disciplinary problems],”
reflects Carusi principal Kirk Rickansrud.
With character education as a framework,
Carusi's Professional Learning Communities
now work together to understand “what [we
should] do with kids who get what we are
teaching, and what [we should] do with kids
who don’t get it.” A Community of Caring
school, it uses diverse strategies to make
certain “all kids get it”: an advisory period,
an individualized support/intervention
system, behavioral/academic monitoring,
counseling, and service projects. The result:
“By 2008, student proficiency level [on] the
New Jersey Grade 8 Assessment had risen to
89 percent in language arts and 87 percent in
mathematics, a major improvement from the
2000 passing levels of 79 percent in language
arts and 64 percent in mathematics.” The staff
heartily agrees with Rickansrud’s observation,
“The impact of character on our school has
been nothing less than amazing.”
Lindbergh High School is another
school that can testify to the success achieved
through fusing academic and character goals.
In 1999 Lindbergh thought it was doing
well academically until it compared itself
with analogous districts: Lindbergh was
sixth out of six in state test results, its ACT
composite was 22, and only about half of the
graduating class had taken the ACT. Today,
Lindbergh is recognized as one of Missouri’s
Top Ten Highest-Performing Schools for
academic achievement in mathematics and
communication arts. From 1999 to 2009,
student performance on the MAP improved
from 24 to 84 percent proficient/advanced
in mathematics, and from 10 to 66 percent
in communication arts. Student ACT
composites have risen to 24.2, with about
three-fourths of the senior class taking the test.
Like Rickansrud, Dr. Ron Helms, Lindbergh’s
principal, attributes the school’s academic
growth to character education becoming “part
of the culture.” Helms reports: “This safe,
secure, and respectful environment has allowed
students to focus their attention on academic
achievement. More time is spent on studies
and academic pursuits rather than struggling
to be safe.”
Character Education
and Charter Schools
To examine the relationship between character
building and academics in another light,
we looked at the records of two NSOC
public charter schools: Benjamin Franklin
Classical Charter Public School in Franklin,
Massachusetts and Imagine Schools South
Lake in Clermont, Florida. Although quite
different in demographics and socioeconomic
levels, both included core virtues in their
founding application and have demonstrated
their belief that “academic excellence and
positive character development must work
together.” For 16 years, Benjamin Franklin
has offered a rich classical education that
infuses the four “cardinal virtues” of justice,
temperance, fortitude, and prudence into
its lessons, rituals, and service projects. The
Boston Globe ranks the school as “one the
best schools in Massachusetts,” because of
student performance on the Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
The Proof
Is in the Data
■
Most of the 2011 NSOC made
Adequate Yearly Progress. Only
22% of the public schools
recognized as 2011 NSOC did not
make AYP in 2009–10, compared
to 38% nationwide.
■
100% of those reporting have
experienced an increase in state
reading scores or have passing
rates above 90%.
■
100% of those reporting have
experienced an increase in state
math scores or have passing
rates above 90%.
9
Lessons Learned
tests in math, science, and English language.
Dr. Kevin O’Malley, head of school, notes that
“character education has provided the basis for
social and emotional development as well as
academic success.”
Imagine South Lake in Florida’s
Lake County, west of Orlando, serves a
more ethnically diverse and economically
disadvantaged population than Ben
Franklin, but it has been equally successful
in shaping “students of substance.”
Former principal Christine Watson says,
“Character education has become part of
our DNA.” The school received a C rating
from the state in its first year, 2005; then in
2010, it celebrated its second consecutive
year of meriting an A ranking because of
improved student performance on Florida’s
Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
Performance on standardized tests
is hardly the best criterion of what
students have learned, nor does it tell us
what kind of citizens they are becoming.
However, in this age of accountability,
performance on state assessments provides
a yardstick by which to measure one
school against another and against itself.
The performance of the NSOC described
herein, which span 10 different states,
leads us to suspect more than a casual
relationship between academic prowess and
the building of character. Mike Dawson,
principal of Branson Elementary West in
Branson, Missouri (another school with
improved test performance), sums up the
relationship: “Schools and districts live in
an unprecedented age of accountability.
State and federal officials want to see
instant results. I strongly believe that in
order to meet the rigorous standards set
forth in No Child Left Behind, schools,
districts, and states need to invest in
creating a school culture that is open
and transparent, with a foundation in
community values.” ◗
Lesson #3:
Shape students who think
for themselves and of others
H
armless fluff that detracts from
real learning or a reactionary
movement that trains students
to be obedient robots? A visit to any
school in our 2011 NSOC roster should
quickly disabuse critics of character
education of these stereotypes. On the
contrary, the students whom they’ll meet
are knowledgeable, friendly, articulate, and
goal-minded, fueled by an intense desire “to
make the world a better place.”
A strong belief in “voice and choice”
for students serves as the philosophical
framework for learning in these schools.
First, students are trained to be inquisitive
explorers, critical thinkers, and problem
solvers in their academic studies. A
passion for learning energizes their lively
classrooms. Secondly, the same approach
extends to the students’ social–emotional
development as they learn and practice
strategies to get along with one another,
demonstrate tolerance and acceptance,
and resolve conflicts successfully. A third
characteristic is the development of a
strong social consciousness. The spirit of
empathy that is nurtured through school
10
initiatives such as cross-grade buddies,
curricular connections, ethical discussions,
and anti-bullying efforts takes on a mature
significance as students become leaders in
projects that improve the local and global
communities.
Thinking for Themselves in
Academics and Life
The thrust for independent thinking begins
early. “Our aim is to help our students
become moral, contributing beings from
the very beginning of their school years,”
asserts Paula Carreiro, the head of school
of Beauvoir, the National Cathedral
Elementary School, a private primary
school in Washington, D.C. All PreK
students keep reflective journals in which
they record in various ways what they have
done, enjoyed, and learned during the
year. Such early reflective practice helps
pupils in their annual global studies unit
later on when they collaborate on topics,
design and construct their own museum,
become docents to their buddies and
parents on Museum Night, and assess
what they have learned. Just as the pupils
Salt Brook fifth grader organizes a school-wide autism awareness
campaign to raise funds and educate his peers.
at Beauvoir practice autonomy from the
outset, kindergartners at Bell’s Crossing
Elementary in Simpsonville, South
Carolina “set academic and personal goals
to track their own progress.” Principal
Barbara Barlow explains that every child
maintains a data notebook in which both
academic and behavioral statistics are kept
and updated regularly. Not surprisingly,
on the date of the site visit, Brady, a fifth
grader, explained his chart entries, revealing
he was “disappointed” that he hadn’t quite
made the growth he wanted in language
arts, but that he was “pleased” he had
surpassed his math goal.
If students show they can solve
problems in the academic realm, they
demonstrate comparable success in
Lessons Learned
social relationships. For example, at
Geggie Elementary in Eureka, Missouri,
kindergarten teacher Amanda Kreienkamp
observes that the little ones are learning
“self-control” and how “to be nice to each
other” through conducting class meetings.
Fourth-grade teacher Lorinda Krey
comments on her pupils’ empathy when
a new student from Haiti arrived. After
researching the country’s plight, her class
sold water bottles at lunch to send shoes
and money for clean water to the suffering
projects of this kind are mandatory because
service is intrinsic to their core mission.
Beginning in seventh grade, students at
Benjamin Franklin plan and implement a
high-level structured capstone project that
will have a positive impact on their world.
Teachers report that many students wind
up “interviewing experts in the field and
forging partnerships with local and national
organizations.” A private school with a
strong tradition of service is the Brentwood
School in Los Angeles, California, where
From the Principal’s Desk
“At Kellison, students individually set academic and social
goals. Also, cooperative learning groups are essential in every
grade level and subject. They promote social interactions
that help students cooperate in academic and cross-gradelevel buddy activities. Curriculum serves as a springboard for
service learning.”
—Dr. Tracy Edwards, Kellison Elementary School, Fenton, Missouri
country. Equally impressive are the efforts at
Fuguitt Elementary in Largo, Florida, where
students have assumed leadership roles in
the anti-bullying initiative. As Character
Coaches (a 2010 Promising Practice),
trained student leaders model and spread
core values by leading monthly character
workshops and class meetings. They discuss a
range of topics, teach anti-bullying strategies,
and plan service projects. Principal Mike
Moss expresses his pride in these young
leaders, who also coach students at other
schools: “They are visible across our campus,
write columns in our newsletter, march
in community parades, survey students to
monitor campus trends, and set the example
for others of doing what is right.”
Thinking of Others
through Service Learning
Students at the 2011 NSOC show
extraordinary ability in thinking for
themselves in both the intellectual and
interpersonal spheres. They also demonstrate
a remarkable capability in thinking of others
in need as they complete many extraordinary
service projects. At some schools, such
as Benjamin Franklin Classical Public
Charter School in Franklin, Massachusetts,
students “are taught from their first days at
school that they are part of a community
that begins at school and extends outward.”
In Brentwood’s clearly defined service
learning program, the annual highlight is the
Invention Convention, a type of science fair
that has students research and build projects
that will solve some global social problem.
If any state has embraced service
learning, it is New Jersey, a state that leads
the nation in Service-Learning Leader
Schools, according to the Corporation for
National and Community Service. All eight
NSOC in the Garden State (Brigantine,
Catena, Eldridge Park, Salt Brook, and
Shepard elementary schools; Carusi and
Lake Riviera middle schools; and South
Brunswick High School) have impressive
service-learning programs, but four schools
connect service to their very identity. For
example, when Joseph J. Catena School in
Freehold found out it had been honored as
an NJSOC again, students and staff planned
more than a traditional celebration: Each
homeroom pledged to perform 100 acts of
kindness in two weeks. Naturally, the school
met its goal, making it quite a celebration in
March. Former principal Cathleen Areman
says, “We are proud to see that our students
are taking what they have learned at school
and are applying it to their own lives.”
Lake Riviera Middle School in Brick
has made service learning the keystone of
the school’s mission, Aiming for Excellence,
by embedding it in daily practice,
curriculum, club activities, and community
relationships. Its signature program, Step
Up! With Service Learning, encompasses
an impressive array of opportunities for
students to engage in moral action. Five
of these opportunities (Literature at the
Lake, Lil’ Scientists, Laker Delivery System,
Book Buddies, and Kettle Creek Crusaders)
were named Promising Practices during the
years 2008 through 2010. Science teacher
Jennifer Lane, a stalwart in the school’s
character initiatives, reports, “Adding service
learning has given us more autonomous
opportunities to stretch our wings and
give back to the community [which] has
supported us from the beginning.”
Another school that has stretched its
wings in new directions through service
learning is Monmouth Junction’s South
Brunswick High School. For example,
traditional fund-raising for Haiti rose a
notch when the global studies class, after
studying about Haiti, partnered with the
journalism class who wrote about it in the
school newspaper. The result: Students raised
$8,000 in one week. Activities Coordinator
Gina Welsh notes that the school is in the
forefront in dealing with contemporary
issues, pointing to the success of a schoolwide awareness campaign about the dangers
of texting while driving.
Alan B. Shepard, Jr. in Old Bridge has
managed to turn negatives into positives
Brentwood third graders raise funds to support a local
community organization.
11
Lessons Learned
through innovative service learning. When
a survey revealed an increase in pupil
anxiety in regard to test-taking, students
took the lead in resolving the concern.
They investigated the issue, wrote skits,
created a TV broadcast on strategies to
reduce anxiety, and shared their findings
with the student body. The school’s
newest service learning project, working
with the New Brunswick Chapter of the
Ronald McDonald House, a home-awayfrom-home for families with children
who are undergoing long-term medical
treatment, came as a result of 2010 NSOC
feedback about connecting service to the
curriculum. Dr. Kathleen Hoeker, former
principal, states, “The project has evolved
and continues to grow, driven by students,
with the support of their parents and our
staff. Students maintain a reflection journal
with entries made after each learning
opportunity. These entries document the
development of empathy. Their reflections
are telling and express a desire for more
Lesson #4:
Be creative in making
parents your partners
J
ust as the concept of the traditional
family has changed drastically in
the last decades, so too our 2011
NSOC have pursued some nontraditional
approaches to making parents their partners
in education. Not only do these schools seek
the help of the parents as volunteers in the
classroom and at home, but they also give
help to parents in navigating life’s turbulent
waters. An interesting pattern has emerged
in many of this year’s NSOC: They identify
and address the needs of parents in order to
enrich the education of their children.
When the staff of Eldridge Park School
in Lawrenceville, New Jersey saw that
its Hispanic students in grades 1–3 were
not meeting the target areas in reading
and math, it created Latinos Unidos. In
these lively supper meetings, Hispanic
families have a chance to mingle with one
another, hear a specialist who explains
learning strategies they can use at home, ask
questions about the school, and meet with
successful high school students of their own
culture who share what their parents did to
help them achieve.
Lives of families at military posts can
be quite complicated as they adjust to the
“new normal” of multiple deployments,
12
Uthoff Valley unveils a sign designed by a parent to
commemorate being named a National School of Character.
frequent school transitions, and postponed
homecomings. Marie Davis, retired
principal of Duncan Elementary—one of
the four elementary schools at Fort Hood,
the military installation that witnessed the
2009 mass shooting—says that students
often come to school suffering from an
“emotional paralysis.” A Military Family
Life Consultant provides services to
students and families who are struggling,
and the Community in School Liaison
and the Parent Liaison work with families
to help them utilize the available social
service agencies. But Davis and her caring
staff, realizing that these children need
opportunities to help others.” Ronald
McDonald house manager Carol Reynolds
is delighted to see that “character doesn’t
just stop with the school day.”
Shepard music teacher Carolyn
Kimock is known for urging her pupils
to “leave a lasting legacy” and to be
“remembered for the positive things” they
have done there. The impressive record
of service registered by students in all of
this year’s NSOC indicates that they are
heeding Kimock’s inspirational advice. ◗
much more, run many support groups to
help students talk about their traumatic
experiences and recurring anxiety. Parents
such as Andrea Wallace agree they are
“blessed to be at Duncan,” which also
works to ease the lives of its young parents
by providing some unusual perks. Since
many of the families have no car or only
one car, Duncan offers the opportunity of
earning a GED on campus in concert with
Central Texas College. Teddy Time, an
early literacy program, encourages parents
to bring their toddlers to school for stories
and crafts. The Fort Hood National Bank
sponsors the Wooden Nickel store, where
parents are able to exchange tokens received
from volunteering at the school for muchneeded supplies.
Allaying Parental Anxiety
Another school that has intentionally
worked to allay the anxiety of parents and
children is Oakhurst Elementary in Largo,
Florida. As a result of a zoning change, 160
new students joined Oakhurst in 2009–10.
Adding to the complexity of the situation
was the fact that English was a second
language to 24 of those new students, and
109 were economically disadvantaged.
Instead of fretting over perceived problems,
Oakhurst’s Character Committee designed
an inclusion strategy. The committee
welcomed parents in different languages,
paired new students with buddies, gave
school tours to parents and children,
and extended a special invitation to new
students to participate in clubs. The result:
An enthusiastic group of parents and
Lessons Learned
children joined the school, quite eager to
embrace its unifying theme, The Mustang
Way. The PTA, in turn, repaid the school’s
intentional efforts to include parents by
financially supporting its focused antibullying initiative, Teaching Children
Empathy and the Power of One.
Dr. Gina Siebe, the principal of
Bayless Elementary (grades PreK–2) on the
south side of St. Louis, has always called
on her caring staff to find inventive ways
of reaching the parents of her little ones
in a school with 43 percent minority and
61 percent economically disadvantaged
students, respectively. The school’s Practical
Parenting Partnership has become a decided
hit. Parents are recruited and trained, and
become active participants in school events
that educate other parents on parenting
skills and the importance of academics
while engaging families in interesting and
lively activities. The school, with a heavy
Bosnian population, has capitalized on
its powerful ethnic ties: One Bosnian
father took it upon himself to recruit
other families, and the initiative has seen
phenomenal growth.
Rockwood School District in Missouri
(a 2006 NSOC) can boast of six NSOC
this year: Babler, Bowles, Geggie, Kellison,
Uthoff Valley, and Woerther elementary
schools. Rockwood, in the business of
building character since 1998, is true to its
motto, Doing Whatever It Takes, particularly
in helping working parents. Among the
many benefits the district offers are a beforeand after-school child care program and
an Adventure Club for pupils during the
summer and holiday breaks. Parents of the
Muskogee High hosts a banquet to recognize students in their
district for displaying exemplary character.
voluntary transfer students from inner-city
St. Louis find a special welcome at Rockwood
schools. Amazingly, 100 percent of them
were able to participate in Uthoff Valley
teacher conferences last year, thanks to the
school’s arranging for transportation and to its
scheduling of phone chats. Geggie and Uthoff
Valley teachers also bond with the newcomers
by taking turns riding the school bus home
with them. Bowles has taken an even more
Whether it is Being Our Bingham Best,
or Pembroke Pride, or The Pierce Path,
the rallying motif unified each school in
defining and fulfilling its mission. With that
in mind, the three schools urged parents
to craft their own individual touchstones
which identified their family’s core values,
replete with photographs and a motto.
The Birmingham community came alive
with animated conversations about what
“We have put much effort into designing programs that will
attract parents. Each grade presents a parent workshop aimed
at developing academic and parenting skills. Our ‘Turn Off TV
and Exercise with Me Tonight,’ an evening of exercise, nutrition,
and wellness, drew a large crowd. We are pleased that our efforts
have been recognized and that we were named a National PTA
School of Excellence for Parent Involvement.”
—Linda Friedman, Walnut Street School, Uniondale, New York
personalized approach: Its administrators
visit the homes of voluntary transfer students
before school starts. Initially, there was
some trepidation, but now the home visits
have become celebrations, attended by
grandparents and other family members.
A Touchdown for a Touchstone
Birmingham Public Schools, a district that
regards its “unparalleled parental support”
as one of its greatest strengths, does not
face the problem of parental involvement.
In fact, it is not unusual to see five or six
parents helping in classrooms or all PTA/
PTSA subcommittees filled with volunteers.
Whether it is the Proud Dads (a 2005
Promising Practice) repainting a school
playground or moms leading the recycling
effort to become a Michigan Green School,
parents are clearly activists here. Instead, a
different question arose last year: How can
a school involve parents in taking character
building to an even higher level?
All three Birmingham schools that
claim NSOC status this year—Bingham
Farms, Pembroke, and Pierce elementary
schools—talk about the powerful bond that
students, staff, and parents felt in designing
their schools’ individual touchstones.
it means to be a family of character.
Pembroke principal Colette Ivey says that
developing the new school touchstone
“brought our school faculty together,” and
Pembroke parent Melissa Caton sees a
similar value with the family touchstones
because they “created some great discussions
at home.” Pierce principal James Lalik
reports that students at his school were also
excited about engaging their families in
conversation about the values that guided
them. The “almost 500 Family Paths”
now hanging in the hallways at Pierce are
tangible proof of the project’s success.
Bingham Farms, which sees itself as
“soaring with character,” made certain
its families received practice in modeling
“Bingham Best” behavior by hosting a
Character Education Expo at which parents
had a chance to practice conflict resolution
strategies and discuss character-related
literature. Bingham Farms principal Russ
Facione, who has been active in district
character education since its inception, is
proud of these efforts to include parents
in such ingenious ways: “The application
of core values to adult behavior is very
authentic now. It is just part of the fabric of
our school and our community.” ◗
13
Lessons Learned
Lesson #5:
Don’t file your
assessments—use them
for your next steps
D
ata, data, data. With the national
demand for accountability in
full swing, schools across the
country are busy accumulating data about
their students. Unfortunately, some define
“assessment” very narrowly: performance on
high-stakes state tests. Other schools strive
to examine the conditions that support
learning, by soliciting the perceptions
of their staff, students, and parents on
school climate. Although most schools
use standardized test results to design
these concerns, but they are also alert
to other measures—school disciplinary
and attendance statistics, focus groups,
interviews, class meetings—to identify
and correct problems that interfere
with learning.
Lessons from the “Show Me” State
It is not surprising that the 15 NSOC
hailing from Missouri use data to chart
their progress and plan their next steps. If
their Characterplus affiliation trains them
From the Principal’s Desk
“We use many tools to assess the effectiveness of our character
education: Characterplus surveys; discipline referrals; attendance
reports; Student Summit evaluations; student, staff, and parent
surveys; [disciplinary] referrals; class meetings; and report card
results. [These data help] us to analyze our current methods and
plan our future initiatives.”
—Jackie Waller, George Guffey Elementary School, Fenton, Missouri
intervention and remediation plans, climate
surveys often go the way of tax returns. They
are neatly filed away, only to be resurrected
when the next report comes due.
Not so with this year’s NSOC, who
offer some impressive ways of looking at
data to shape creative next steps. Aware of
the importance of summative assessments
but opposed to teaching to the test,
Professional Learning Communities in
our NSOC look beyond test scores to see
what can be done to help every child learn.
Equally important to them are the helpful
insights gained by scrutinizing responses
on climate surveys. Not only have our
NSOC used novel approaches to address
14
to collect data, the staffs show remarkable
resourcefulness in utilizing those data. For
example, Dr. Diane Metz, principal of
Babler Elementary, explains the success of
her staff in using results-based counseling
techniques to improve the communication
arts performance of a small, targeted group
of third graders on the Missouri Assessment
Program (MAP). Essentially a “whole child”
approach, the plan called for input from
the classroom teachers, guidance lessons to
allay anxiety, after-school tutoring, parental
involvement, attendance monitoring, and
student goal-setting—in the weeks prior to
the test—as well as positive encouragement
during testing week. Although the school
aimed for 25 percent of the targeted
students to attain proficiency on the tests,
57 percent of these students were successful
in doing so.
Lincoln Elementary in western
Missouri has shown comparable success
in raising the communication arts MAP
scores of its students, through extensive
professional training in the best practices
for increasing the levels of literacy and
student engagement. Within a two-year
period, the percentage of economically
disadvantaged pupils who passed the test
increased from 32 to 55 percent. More than
250 miles to the south, teachers at Branson
Elementary West often tease their principal
about his fondness for spreadsheets that
track the quarterly formative assessments
and grade-level expectations for each
student and each class. However, they
are enthusiastic in explaining that these
spreadsheets easily show them how
successful the instruction has been or where
there might be room for improvement.
Principal Mike Dawson says, “This is not
a ‘gotcha’ tool, but rather a foundation
for conversation and collaboration.
Collaboration at this level would not have
been possible if it were not for the climate
and culture that our character education
program has created.”
Conversation and collaboration
did indeed help Fox Middle School in
Arnold, Missouri in its commitment to
change from a “good school to a school of
excellence.” The staff took various types of
data into consideration: state test scores,
disciplinary stats, academic trends, survey
results, and extracurricular involvement.
From its collaborative study of needed
changes came a host of exciting initiatives: a
sixth-grade transition program, an opening
day team-building exercise, an advisory
program, and a pairing of seventh graders
with eighth-grade buddies. Likewise, the
staff designed highly innovative strategies to
make students the center of learning. Not
only do students write letters to teachers
about how they learn best, but they also
set their own learning goals, have study
and goal buddies, and choose projects that
match their own learning styles. The effort
Lessons Learned
has paid dividends: Student performance
on the MAP has consistently improved
over the past four years, disciplinary
incidents have decreased, and 100 percent
of the student body now participates in
service learning.
Crestwood Elementary, the most
ethnically diverse of the schools in the
Lindbergh district, shares how student
responses to a Caring School Community
survey served as a “wake-up” call to
develop student leadership. Principal
Scott Taylor recalls, “During our first
year in the partnership, we were surprised
and concerned by our students’ lowerthan-anticipated responses in the area of
autonomy.” When the topic arose in the
school’s morning meetings, students went
into high gear, enthusiastically sharing
ideas for their involvement. The result: the
creation of the Character Crew, a group of
students who meet monthly to lead their
peers in character-related initiatives. The
Character Crew has greatly expanded over
the years to spur many service activities,
and its members are now assuming
another vital role: as friendly tour guides
to the approximately 150 new students
expected each year.
Finding Solutions to Problems
“Strong schools build strong
communities” has been the favorite slogan
of New Jersey’s Brigantine Elementary.
When the economic downslide in Atlantic
City casinos brought about an increase in
the mobility and poverty rates for many
Brigantine parents who worked there,
the school put its slogan into action. It
joined the Strengthening Families program
offered by Atlantic Prevention Resources.
Through a 12-lesson curriculum
reinforced with role playing, realistic
videos, discussions, and games, families
learned to build on their strengths, hone
their parenting skills, and prevent future
behavioral problems or substance abuse.
The free family dinner that concluded
each session was a distinct drawing card.
Principal Don Marrandino says his staff’s
“collegiality” always prevails when a crisis
looms: “Most of our character processes
have come from the staff’s innovative ideas
and talents.”
Another school that has demonstrated
innovation in addressing problems is New
York’s Chatham Middle School. “The time
that students drop out of school is not the
high school, but the middle school,” says
guidance counselor Cyndi Herron. “We
The Proof
Is in the Data
■
The average attendance rate at
the 2011 NSOC schools was 95%,
compared to 92.1% nationwide.
■
89% of the 2011 NSOC that
reported disciplinary referrals either
experienced declines in that area or
had rates that were extremely low.
■
90% of those that reported
suspensions either experienced
declines or had rates that were
extremely low.
■
Close to 100% of students
attending 2011 NSOC participated
in service learning projects.
■
87% of students attending 2011
NSOC reported in climate surveys
that they felt safe at school or
that bullying was rare (with 27 of
the 44 NSOC reporting data in
this category).
■
89% of students attending 2011
NSOC reported in climate surveys
that students at their school
respect each other (with 30 of
the 44 NSOC reporting data in
this category).
do everything to keep students engaged.”
For example, the staff transformed a MixIt-Up Lunch into an occasion for student
leadership. Small groups of students in
each grade identified possible problem
areas within the school building, and then
brainstormed for solutions and came up
with a list of over 50 possibilities. Retired
assistant principal Larry Burud reports
amazing success in reducing bullying by
providing more playground activities,
identifying problem areas, and increasing
locker room supervision—all studentinspired solutions.
New Jersey’s South Brunswick High
School has also profited by listening to the
student voice. Principal Tim Matheney
talks about success in partnering with
the school’s Site Council in “conducting
multiple, intensive focus groups with
students.” Each focus group lasted about
an hour, with approximately 250 students
participating in the activity. These sessions
led the school to identify two primary
areas of need: improving communication
with parents and students, and revamping
freshman induction and orientation.
Looking at data under a different lens
can also bring about an easy solution to
what appears to be a formidable problem.
For example, Oklahoma’s Muskogee High
School was concerned about student
performance on the ACT. When the
school’s math PLC analyzed responses to
specific questions, they discovered that the
students had not learned geometry by the
time they took the test. By proposing a
change in the curriculum, with geometric
principles taught earlier, the problem was
eliminated.
At St. Louis Charter School, data are
never banished to some dusty file cabinet;
indeed, they take center stage via a major
hall display. Dr. Michael Schrimpf, head
of the middle school, explains how the
data for grades 6, 7, and 8 become an
effective motivational tool. Each trimester,
the middle school compiles the academic,
behavioral, and climate data, uses them for
setting goals, holds an animated student
assembly to discuss the findings, and then
posts the results. It is not unusual to find
a bevy of students gathered around the
display, remarking, “Wow! Look at how
we’ve improved!” or “We better work on
that one.” Head of School Julie Frugo adds
that the staff regularly reflects on data:
“From hard and soft data, we have picked
out academic trends.”
From picking out academic trends to
improving school climate to determining
which strategies will work with particular
students, it is unmistakable that the
2011 NSOC regard assessment as their
GPS for the next leg of their character
education journey. ◗
15
2011 NSOC
District of Character
Districts face a myriad of challenges as they work to implement a
comprehensive character development initiative throughout their
individual campuses. This is especially true in large districts such as
the one profiled here. A district of character is one in which most of its
schools have well-developed character programs, support for character
education is systemic, and expectations for the integration of core
values are well known to personnel at all levels. Fort Bend joins other
outstanding districts such as Rockwood, Fox C-6, and Lindbergh in
Missouri, Peters Township in Pennsylvania, Jefferson in Wisconsin, and
Pinellas in Florida in having created caring communities by putting their
resources behind social, emotional, and character development.
Keys to Success
■
District strategic plan, policies,
and publications that promote
character development
■
District- and building-level character
education coordinators
■
Programs implemented in every
school: CHAMPs, Character Links,
Peer Assistance and Leadership,
Junior Achievement, No Place for Hate
■
District Diversity Committee and
annual Cultural Diversity Conference
IMPACT
Academics
The percentage of district students passing
state reading/ELA tests increased from 79% in
2003 to 93% in 2010.
The percentage of students passing state math
tests increased from 66% in 2003 to 87% in
2010. During this period, the percentage of
African-American, Hispanic, and economically
disadvantaged students passing state math
tests increased by 33 points.
Behavior
FBISD’s rates of removal of students for disciplinary reasons have dropped over the past two years.
The dropout rate for 2009–10 was 1.1%, and the
high school completion rate was 94%.
Culture
62 schools in the district have been identified
as No Place for Hate campuses by the AntiDefamation League, which recognized Fort Bend
for its exemplary implementation of the No
Place for Hate program.
16
Demographic Profile:
Fort Bend Independent
School District
FBISD students attend 11 high schools,
14 middle schools, 45 elementary
schools, and four specialized learning
centers.
More than 30.9% of FBISD students are
considered economically disadvantaged.
43% of FBISD students have been
identified as at-risk.
In 2009–10, 31.3% of FBISD students
were African-American, 24.1% were
Hispanic, 22.5% were white, and 21.9%
were Asian/Pacific Islander.
Fort Bend Independent School District
Grades PreK–12 • Enrollment 69,194 • Sugar Land, Texas
F
ort Bend ISD has an intentional
and proactive character education
program in every one of its
74 schools. A task force consisting of
representatives of all stakeholder groups
adopted the district’s core values, which
are now well-known throughout the
community. The task force, which has been
in place for 15 years, selected Character
Links to provide the district and its schools
with a framework to engage stakeholders
in supporting the district’s character
education goals. Despite being a large,
diverse district, support for the character
initiative is universal, and character goals
have been embraced by and implemented
in every building through the adoption of
Character Links in all schools.
Students report being especially
proud of the diversity in their schools.
One student, Nathan, says, “I go to the
most diverse high school in the nation,
and we make connections to work for a
better future.” By district mandate, each
year students on the secondary campuses
develop and implement a character
education and cultural diversity plan to
engage all stakeholders. Along with this,
a coalition of all stakeholders oversees the
implementation of the No Place for Hate
program in every school. Josh, another
student, expresses his appreciation: “I
have been so fortunate to grow up in
a community and go to schools that
are so accepting of diversity.” A district
Cultural Diversity Conference involves
over 450 high school students and is
being expanded each year. The goal of
the Diversity Conference is to increase
awareness, improve communication,
develop leadership qualities, and foster
mutual understanding and respect among
student groups. In addition, numerous
groups at individual schools offer students
opportunities for leadership, service, and
increased understanding. “We have had a
huge increase in service and in the number
of students involved in clubs, leadership,
and teams,” notes one counselor. For more
information, contact Ilene Harper, assistant
director of student support services and
diversity: [email protected]. ◗
2011 NSOC
High Schools of Character
As those who have worked at the secondary level will tell you, systemic, integrated, high-quality character
education is often a challenge to implement at the high school level. High schools are large, complex
organizations where teachers face immense pressures to prepare young people for the challenges of
college and the workplace and students feel the many pressures that come with adolescence in today’s
world. Creating a caring community built on shared beliefs and a commitment to one another is hard work.
These three schools have managed to do it. How? By empowering teachers with the tools they need to
connect character and content and by empowering teens to be strong leaders, participate in discussions
of key issues, and engage in service projects. The result? Three model schools where students celebrate
diversity, embrace challenging curriculum, tackle community needs and issues, and participate in a wide
variety of extracurricular activities. All three boast academic results above—and disciplinary incidents
below—those of similar schools, as well as high rates of attendance and graduation.
By the Numbers
Free or
reduced-price lunch
Attendance
Suspensions
Graduation
College
attendance
Lindbergh
16.5%
95.8%
2.3%
95.9%
91%
Muskogee
73%
94%
16.7%
75%
63%
South Brunswick
9%
95%
10%
98.5%
92%
Lindbergh High School
Grades 9–12 • Enrollment 1970 • St. Louis, Missouri • Lindbergh School District
W
hile high schools are often
difficult environments for
attaining character education
goals, Lindbergh, located in a 2008 National
District of Character, has successfully
IMPACT
Academics
Lindbergh’s average composite ACT
scores rose from 22 in 1999 to 24.2
in 2011.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals have decreased by
70% over the past decade. The number
of class disruptions, for example, went
from 1763 in 1999–2000 to 116 in
2009 –10.
Culture
According to annual CSC surveys,
students’ sense of safety, autonomy,
and community have all increased.
integrated character into school life with an
intentional and proactive approach. Almost
all service learning activities are curriculum
based. Dr. Ron Helms, principal, states,
“The positive climate created with the We
Are Lindbergh Way has contributed to a
drastic decrease in bullying incidents in
our school. The norm is to step up and
make sure that…our campus [is] free
from bullying behavior.” Topic Time gives
students the opportunity to discuss character
issues that might not be addressed in the
classroom. Helms also notes that “the word
discipline has all but been removed from
[the school’s] vocabulary, and is instead
replaced with words such as responsibility
or making it right.” Lindbergh has gained
a reputation for being a place where core
values are “brought to life.” For more
information, contact Amy Richards,
Lindbergh Schools character education
coordinator: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
District-level support
■
Integration of core values
into disciplinary procedures
■
Opportunities for student
voice and leadership
through peer mediation,
Topic Time discussions,
service learning, and
establishing class norms
17
2011 NSOC
Muskogee High School
Grades 9–12 • Enrollment 1595 • Muskogee, Oklahoma • Muskogee Public Schools
I
n its long and rich history, things have not
always gone smoothly at Muskogee High.
Until fairly recently, news items about
the school were usually negative, as was the
school’s reputation in general. Today, however,
Keys to Success
■
Advocacy Groups where students discuss real-life issues
and build connections
■
40 student organizations
that provide service and
leadership opportunities
■
Instructional strategies that
help students from varied
backgrounds succeed
■
Engaging, interactive lessons
the entire community celebrates Muskogee
as the first-ever Oklahoma State and
National School of Character. The Muskogee
“Roughers” are now on the ROAD (Respect,
Opportunity, Achievement, Determination)
to Success because of the synergy that character
development has created. The Advocacy
program, initiated in 2008–09, has become
a powerful connector that supports a sense of
security and belonging among a highly diverse
student population. Students feel cared
for, and as a result, academic achievement
is up and disciplinary referrals are down.
Intentional opportunities to serve can be
found everywhere at MHS, and 40 different
student groups and organizations offer
something for everyone. Mayor John Tyler
Hammons, an MHS graduate, notes about
Muskogee: “There are so many different
lifestyles, cultures, and opportunities in one
IMPACT
Academics
Average scores on end-of-course tests
in five of the seven subject areas
increased from 2008 to 2010.
Behavior
Attendance has improved steadily, from
89.8% in 2005–06 to 94% in 2010–11,
and suspensions dropped by 58% from
2008–09 to 2010–11.
Culture
Participation in the Advocacy program has
grown from 15 teachers and 150 students
in 2008–09 to all 105 teachers and over
1,000 students in 2010–11. In 2010,
99% of participating students reported
that they “appreciate” their advocate.
special place. The kids are exposed to so many
differences but still feel loved and accepted.”
For more information, contact Madison
Tomlinson, director of character development:
[email protected]. ◗
South Brunswick High School
Grades 9–12 • Enrollment 2,825 • Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
South Brunswick School District
T
eaching and reaching a teenage
population of just under 3,000
poses challenges to any school staff.
However, South Brunswick manages to
IMPACT
Academics
Test scores exceed state averages in
both language arts and math. South
Brunswick has narrowed the achievement
gap in language arts, with 91% of
African-American students, 90% of Latino
students, and 92% of economically
disadvantaged students passing.
Behavior
The attendance rate is 95%, and the
graduation rate is 98.5%.
Culture
In 2009–10, the ratio of disciplinary
incidents violating the values of honesty
and kindness to the size of the student
body was 0.07:1.
18
challenge its students, staff, and community
members by focusing on moral and
performance character. At South Brunswick,
Strive for Five serves as the driving philosophy
for developing character by focusing on
honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility,
and service as the five tenets which shape the
culture of the school. Principal Tim Matheney
and activities coordinator Gina Welsh
champion the effort to develop and sustain
a culture of character and support their staff
and colleagues as they, too, “Strive for Five”
in their daily practice and long-range plans.
South Brunswick coaches expect their teams
to stand for something bigger than themselves;
they encourage each team to identify a cause
to champion, and to find ways to sponsor
that cause throughout the season. Despite
its size, South Brunswick boasts a sense of
connectedness and belonging among its diverse
student population. For more information,
contact Welsh: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
Action plan that encourages
integration, reflection, and
positive action
■
Reflection of core values in
sports and other extracurricular activities
■
Focus on infusing core values
into content in order to enhance academic achievement
2011 NSOC
Middle Schools of Character
The “middle years” can be a time of great trauma—or great triumph—for students. These are the
years many of us would prefer to forget. Not so for those attending middle schools of character.
For students fortunate enough to attend schools that emphasize building positive relationships,
such as the four that follow, these often tumultuous years can be a time of peaceful transition from
childhood to adolescence—and even a time worth remembering.
Chatham Middle School
IMPACT
Grades 5–8 • Enrollment 400 • Chatham, New York • Chatham Central School District
Academics
S
Students in all grades demonstrated
consistent improvement on state tests
in English language arts (ELA) and
math from 2006 to 2009. For example,
eighth graders went from 66% to 79%
proficient in ELA and from 48% to 89%
proficient in math.
chool psychologist Dr. Winston
Hagborg calls Chatham’s character
education “a process” that has evolved
over the years. “Enormous changes have
occurred, but they have been achieved one step
Keys to Success
■
Class meetings
■
Service learning
■
Conflict resolution and
anti-bullying strategies
■
Daily team meetings for staff
at a time.” Long before the term “Professional
Learning Community” became popular, the
Chatham staff functioned as such—reading
reports of educational research, visiting
other schools, piloting an advisory program,
examining data, and discussing what worked
and what needed tweaking. Students are as
proud of their Chatham “home” (and their
home and classwork that covers every nook
and cranny) as they are of the brotherly love
that defines school culture. Guidance counselor
Jackie Hoffman states, “Every student is an
individual, and we make certain that each one
gets the nurturing he or she needs.” Chatham’s
character-building effort has been sustained
by an engaged faculty who listen to students
Fox Middle School
W
Keys to Success
■
■
■
Focus on meeting individual
student needs
Service learning
Buddies and team-building
activities to ease transition
to seventh grade
■ Innovative strategies to
involve parents
Suspensions have declined steadily,
from 3% of the total student population
involved in 2006–07 to 1% in 2009–10.
Culture
In a 2011 survey, 86% of students
reported that they feel safe at school.
and shape them to lead the charge to change
the world. For more information, contact
Hoffman: [email protected]. ◗
IMPACT
Grades 7–8 • Enrollment 511 • Arnold, Missouri • Fox C-6 School District
hile Fox Middle School has
always had solid test scores, it
has undergone quite a positive
Behavior
transformation in the last nine years. The
staff have become character education leaders
frequently called upon to share best practices
with other educators. Service learning is seen as
a tool to help students learn important skills—
and learn to appreciate what they have. As a
school with only two grades and a high mobility
rate (15 percent), Fox works hard to ease the
transition for all new students. Both parents
and students write letters to their teachers before
the year begins, to let them know about their
learning needs and interests. In order to meet
the dual challenges of having many students
whose families are financially stressed and
being faced with shrinking school budgets, Fox
teachers “go above and beyond,” according to
Academics
The number of D and F grades dropped
from 898 in 2004–05 to 199 in
2009–10.
Behavior
The number of students receiving inschool or out-of-school suspension
decreased by 71%, from 338 students
in 2003–04 to 98 in 2009–10.
Culture
94% of students report that students at
Fox “get along well.”
Principal Aaron Wilken. “They do anything to
make the kids successful. They make do with
what we have. Staff are willing to take risks and
[exercise] responsibility.” For more information,
contact Wilken: [email protected]. ◗
19
2011 NSOC
John A. Carusi Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Enrollment 981 • Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill Public Schools
C
arusi students tell visitors they feel
even more cared about at Carusi
than they did at their elementary
schools. Science teacher Angela Warrington
notes, “We at Carusi are so committed to
our students’ success. We all believe we
Keys to Success
■
Teacher dedication to student
success and the building of
caring relationships
■
Advisory period where academic and character issues
are discussed
■
Daily “House” team meetings
for staff
can make a difference.” The hallways and
classrooms are covered with student artwork,
posters, and documents that publicize the
school motto: Enter to Learn, Go Forth to
Serve. The motto, however, is much more
than words on a wall or poster. It embodies a
school that infuses character and academics
into every class, every interaction, every
day. Character education informs every
decision at the school, including curriculum
design, student–teacher relationships, and
approaches to discipline. A seventh grader
who wears a hijab reports that she has never
been made fun of at Carusi and says that the
“school teaches us to accept all people for
who they are and what they enjoy.” For more
information, contact Theresa Wisniewski,
teacher and Character Education Committee
chair: [email protected]. ◗
Lake Riviera Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Enrollment 1,062 • Brick, New Jersey
Brick Township Public Schools
W
hen asked what two words
best describe Lake Riviera,
former principal Susan
McNamara answers, “Family and service.”
Surrounded by woodlands trails, wetlands,
and a small lake, the school is an oasis
where the six pillars of trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and
citizenship are at the heart of a harmonious,
Keys to Success
20
■
Numerous innovative
service learning programs
■
Strategic planning through
staff Leadership Council
■
Infusion of Character
Counts six pillars
focused, and respectful school family.
Lake Riviera has extensive and exemplary
programming for deepening student
learning through service learning. They
have established a professional learning
community (PLC) framework for teachers
to collaborate in regard to student data
and curriculum. Teachers report that this
structure has the flexibility to allow the
IMPACT
Academics
Grade 8 state test scores rose from
79% proficient in language arts and
64% proficient in math in 2000, to
89% in language arts and 87% in math
in 2008.
Behavior
Carusi has no dropouts, and
suspensions have declined by 45%.
Culture
In a recent student survey, the mean
score for responses to the statement “I
am bullied in school” was 4.14 (with “4”
being “not often” and “5” being “never”).
IMPACT
Academics
The percentages of students scoring
proficient or advanced on state tests
generally exceed state averages. In
2009–10, 91.5% of Lake Riviera eighth
graders scored proficient or advanced
in language arts literacy, and 75.6%
scored proficient or advanced in math.
Behavior
The daily attendance rate rose from
94.9% in 2009–10 to 96.9% in 2010–11.
Culture
According to a 2010–11 climate survey,
99.2% of students agree with the
statement “My teachers expect me to
do my best.”
school to be responsive when needs arise.
Dr. Alyce Anderson, principal, notes that
“kids have come” to PLC meetings to
add student perspectives. Lake Riviera
uses character education as the “lens”
through which they address all areas of
programming. For more information,
contact Janet Czarnecki, assistant principal:
2011 NSOC
Charter Schools of Character
Intended to give parents a free alternative to the local public school,
charter schools frequently include the development of students’
character among their selling points. While the three K–8 public
charter schools that follow are located in very different settings and
serve very different student populations, they all have character at
the center of everything they do.
Benjamin Franklin Classical
Charter Public School
Grades K–8 • Enrollment 442 • Franklin, Massachusetts
E
stablished in 1995 as one of the first
charter schools in Massachusetts,
BFCCPS also has the distinction
of being among the first schools in the
country to be named National Schools of
Character, in 1998. The BFCCPS mission
is to assist parents in their role as primary
educators of their children by providing
students with a classical academic education
coupled with sound character development
and community service. One of the key
strengths of BFCCPS is its determination
to maintain its original unique and focused
vision to integrate virtues not only into
IMPACT
Academics
Scores on state tests are generally
high—ranging from 75% to 98% of
students proficient in English language
arts (ELA) and 74% to 98% proficient in
math (for all grades, 2006 to 2010). In
2011, 100% of eighth graders scored
proficient or above in ELA.
Behavior
The attendance rate for 2009–10
was 95.8%.
Culture
The school has been recognized by
the state of Massachusetts for its
anti-bullying initiative.
Keys to Success
■
Core Knowledge and
classical academic studies
■
Responsive Classroom and
Second Step strategies
■
Intentional integration of
character into curriculum
■
Capstone project for
seventh and eighth graders
its mission but into what takes place there
every day—and its history of success in
doing so. In addition to providing an
education based on the “cardinal virtues”
of the ancient Greeks, BFCCPS uses
a teaching strategy borrowed from an
American founder, Benjamin Franklin, to
set weekly character goals which enable staff
and students to focus on these virtues in
both academics and personal interactions, in
order to help develop virtuous habits. Also,
the school incorporates current researchbased strategies taken from Responsive
Classroom, such as class meetings and
service opportunities, to facilitate reflection
on the character goals and practice in
achieving them. For more information,
contact Heather Zolnowski, assistant head
of school: [email protected]. ◗
Facts about Charter
Schools
A public charter school is a publicly
funded school that is typically governed
by a private group or organization under
a legislative contract or charter with the
state; the charter exempts the school
from selected state or local rules and
regulations. In return for funding and
autonomy, the charter school must meet
the accountability standards articulated
in its charter.
■
As of November 2010, charter
schools operated in 40 states and
the District of Columbia.
■
From 1999–2000 to 2008–09, the
number of students enrolled in public
charter schools more than tripled,
from 340,000 to 1.4 million students.
During this period, the percentage of
all public schools that were charter
schools increased from 2% to 5%,
comprising 4,700 schools in 2008–09.
■
The percentage of charter schools
that were high-poverty schools—
where 75% or more of students were
eligible for free or reduced-price
lunch (FRPL)—increased from 13% in
1999–2000 to 30% in 2008–09. By
way of comparison, 19% of traditional
public schools were considered high
poverty in 2008–09.
■
In 2008–09, about 55% of charter
schools were located in cities, 21%
were in suburban areas, 8% were in
towns, and 16% were in rural areas.
In contrast, 25% of traditional public
schools were in cities, 28% were in
suburban areas, 14% were in towns,
and 33% were in rural areas.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics.
The Condition of Education 2011 (NCES
2011–033), Indicator 3.
21
2011 NSOC
Imagine Schools South Lake
Grades K–8 • Enrollment 893 • Clermont, Florida • Lake County Schools
D
espite being one of the largest
of the more than 70 Imagine
Schools campuses, Imagine South
Lake feels like a “family” school. Each
day, students are greeted by the principal
(who knows everyone by name), other
administrators, teachers, parents, and
student safety patrols. Teacher turnover
Keys to Success
■
Staff modeling and infusion of
Character Counts six pillars
■
Peer relationships and student
sense of belonging fostered
through class meetings, buddy
activities, and cooperative
learning
■
Shared leadership; empowerment of teachers and students
is minimal, and the re-enrollment rate is
above 95 percent. When speaking of her
schoolmates and teachers, fourth grader
India says, “They are my family.” Living
the core values has become second nature
to staff, students, and parents at Imagine
South Lake. Staff members incorporate
character within the classroom in ways
that best meet the needs of their students
and reflect the school’s mission statement.
Middle school language-arts teacher Joyce
Crawford notes that “being here at Imagine
means you have a voice”; all classrooms
have meetings where students’ “voice and
choice” is heard and appreciated. Teachers
care about the students academically,
socially, and emotionally. Fourth grader
Eliya states that the teachers “don’t want us
to fail. They teach us how to learn from our
mistakes.” For more information, contact
Sherry Anderson, fourth-grade teacher:
IMPACT
Academics
In 2005, the school received a C rating
from the state of Florida. By 2010, they
celebrated their second year ranked as
an A school.
Behavior
The attendance rate rose from 91.4%
in 2004–05 to 95% in 2009–10.
Culture
96% of students report that teachers
“always” or “often” respect students.
St. Louis Charter School
Grades K–8 • Enrollment 943 • St. Louis, Missouri
C
omprehensive character education
has been a part of St. Louis
Charter School’s mission since its
inception 11 years ago: “to provide children
with an individualized education rich in
academics and character.” All classrooms
emphasize core values. According to school
board member Lynn Yearwood, the values
Keys to Success
■
22
Use of data to plan student
interventions and schoolwide goals
■
Support for character-related
staff development and
reflection
■
Multi-age advisories and
cross-age buddies
are so embedded in the school that “[t]hey
are even woven into board meetings.” This
urban school draws a diverse student body,
with nearly seven in 10 students being
eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
St. Louis Charter staff work hard to create
community among their students—who
come from different parts of the city and
from different backgrounds—and to
celebrate their differences. Student work
and art are everywhere, even on attractively
painted ceiling tiles. Staff members monitor
data closely and plan program changes
in response. The school also uses its data
to help individual students improve. St.
Louis Charter does an outstanding job
of providing professional development
opportunities for the entire staff, in order to
help them meet the needs of their students.
Administrators review every teacher’s goals
for the year, looking for commonalities, and
IMPACT
Academics
St. Louis Charter is recognized as
the top-performing charter school
in St. Louis.
Behavior
The attendance rate averages 95%.
Culture
Teachers staff a homework
hotline from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. each
school day.
then provide staff development workshops
on popular areas of concern. For more
information, contact Julie Frugo, head of
school, [email protected]. ◗
2011 NSOC
Private Schools of Character
Private schools, such as the two private elementary schools that follow, often have the development of
character as a central tenet of their mission. Parents are drawn to schools such as these, not only for their
strong track record of preparing students academically but also for their intentional focus on preparing
students to be leaders and future citizens who use the talents, resources, and opportunities they have
been given to better their communities.
Beauvoir, the National Cathedral
Elementary School
Grades PreK–3 • Enrollment 392 • Washington, D.C.
B
eauvoir is located on the grounds of
the National Cathedral, located in
Washington, D.C. Head of School Paula
Keys to Success
■
Responsive Classroom as
the foundation for the social
curriculum
■
Use of in-depth narratives
and portfolios instead of
report cards
■
Student involvement in
setting personal goals and
class norms
Carreiro came to Beauvoir 19 years ago and
began exploring school culture based on shared
core values and individual character. A focus
on the whole child and each child’s moral and
social development now pervades the Beauvoir
program. The school invests time and resources
into both social and academic curricula.
Beauvoir also emphasizes responsiveness to the
needs and concerns of students, parents, and
staff. The school’s associate teacher program
provides two teachers in every classroom. Since
about 85 percent of Beauvoir students are from
dual-working-parent families, parent schedules
are accommodated in many ways, particularly
at drop-off time, in school communications,
and for volunteer opportunities. Parents attest
Brentwood School (Lower Division)
Grades K–6 • Enrollment 300 • Los Angeles, California
D
r. Dawn Cunnion, the head of
Brentwood School’s elementary
program, asserts: “There are a lot of
schools that can teach traditional core subjects
Keys to Success
■
Integration of Community
of Caring and Responsive
Classroom
■
Emphasis on differentiated instruction and the whole child
■
Variety of service learning
activities
and do it really well; we are also creating students
who really have a strong moral compass and
can go out there and be ethical leaders.” Core
values are the foundation of the Brentwood
community and the character education
program at Brentwood. Students note that
helping others is rewarding and can also be
a lot of fun. Teachers engage students’ moral
reasoning by incorporating current issues and
events into their academic content and address
ethical issues that arise by allowing students
to develop service learning projects. As one
faculty member puts it, “The teaching staff feels
comfortable taking risks here.” All stakeholders
have embraced a common language. One
parent comments, “I was looking for a school
IMPACT
Academics
In 2010–11, average percentages of
correct responses of third graders on
the Comprehensive Testing Program IV
were 87% for auditory comprehension,
86% for reading, and 88% for math, at
or above the averages for independent
schools generally.
Behavior
The average daily attendance rate is 95%.
Culture
In a 2011 survey, 84% of students
reported that teachers, classmates,
and friends help them accomplish their
hopes and dreams.
that Beauvoir’s approach lets them “push back”
many of today’s negative influences. For more
information, contact Pat Austin Luce, director of
special programs: [email protected]. ◗
IMPACT
Academics
Brentwood’s curriculum was developed
by its faculty. Students are not given
grades until fifth grade, and they do not
take state tests.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals and suspensions
are rare.
Culture
97% of parents believe Brentwood offers
a nurturing environment, and 100% feel
that the school promotes the student’s
personal growth.
that would help my child look outside of her
own world, and I found it here.” For more
information, contact Laura Stahoski, lower
division counselor, [email protected]. ◗
23
2011 NSOC
Elementary Schools of Character
Public elementary schools have always taken the lead when it
comes to recognition as State and National Schools of Character.
This year is no exception. Of the 43 schools being recognized in
2011 as National Schools of Character (NSOC), 31 are public
elementary schools. These schools have built caring communities
where young students feel safe and cared for—and thus they
thrive academically and socially. All 31 have high attendance
rates and high levels of parent involvement. All can report positive
outcomes on state tests and low levels of disciplinary problems.
Almost every student attending these schools participates in
service learning projects.
By the Numbers
Average enrollment: 508
Average number of students
eligible for free or reduced
price lunch: 30%
Average attendance rate: 95%
Percentage that made AYP
in 2010: 88%
Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 290 • Old Bridge, New Jersey
Old Bridge Township Public Schools
P
Keys to Success
24
■
Responsive Classroom
morning meetings
■
Staff Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs)
■
All students involved in
service learning
■
Infusion of Character
Counts six pillars
ositive, exciting, cohesive, caring,
extraordinary, and family are just a few
of the words that people at Shepard
Elementary use to describe their amazing
school community. This small elementary
school has had a big impact within its walls and
in its larger community. Dr. Kathleen Hoeker,
the former principal, started her journey as
school leader in 2001 by focusing on ways
to combat bullying. From there, the school
underwent a district-wide redistribution of
students and in 2004 adopted the Character
Counts six pillars as the foundation of its
character initiative. Today all students are
involved in creating the caring climate that
permeates the building. An inclusive school,
Shepard has a mission to provide the same
educational opportunities to children with
disabilities as they do to their able-bodied
peers. Having one student whose recess
activities were limited because of his disabilities
led to the building of Shark Park, a playground
that enables students with disabilities to play
side-by-side with their classmates. For more
information, contact Martha Simon, principal:
IMPACT
Academics
For students who participated in
character-based programs in 2009–10,
such as Student Council, Safety Patrol,
and Friendship Club, combined math–
literacy scores on state tests averaged
45 points higher in 2010 than in 2009.
Behavior
The attendance rate is consistently
above 96%.
Culture
97% of students report that bullying
rarely occurs at Shepard.
2011 NSOC
Babler Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 586 • Wildwood, Missouri • Rockwood School District
B
abler is one of 19 elementary
schools in Rockwood School
District, a 2006 National District
of Character. While Babler is located in a
relatively affluent section of Rockwood, the
IMPACT
Academics
Babler has been recognized as one of
Missouri's Top Ten Schools in each of
the last five years.
Behavior
The number of disciplinary referrals has
shown an overall decline, from 134 in
2006–07 to 67 in 2009–10.
Culture
90% of Babler students report that
they feel safe at school and that their
teachers really care about them.
school and families are nevertheless facing
the challenge of shrinking budgets and
“maintaining the Rockwood advantage”
with less. Unlike other Rockwood schools,
Babler is surrounded by highways and
subdivisions, with no town center or
businesses with which to partner. Despite
these challenges, Babler staff work to
create community, communicate with
stakeholders, and bring new students and
their families into the fold. “We’re all in it
together,” notes former assistant principal
Paul Godwin. Students jump right in to
help and welcome new students, according
to fifth-grade teacher Michelle Bolton.
“We have very clear expectations that form
a foundation,” adds Assistant Principal
Missy Parker. For more information,
contact Dr. Diane Metz, principal:
Keys to Success
■
Strong district-level support, including participation
in Characterplus and Caring
School Community (CSC)
■
Student leadership and
goal-setting
■
Staff willingness to tackle
challenging issues
Bayless Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 • Enrollment 398 • St. Louis, Missouri • Bayless School District
B
ayless Elementary School, located on
the south side of St. Louis, sits on a
small campus comprised of all the
district’s schools: one elementary school and one
intermediate school, plus a junior high and a
IMPACT
Academics
In each of the past four years, 94% of
Bayless students were reading at or above
their expected grade level by year’s end.
Behavior
Since full implementation of character
education initiatives, disciplinary
referrals have decreased, from 263 in
2007–08 to 73 in 2010–11.
Culture
Results of the 2010 Caring School
Community survey indicate that 95% of
students feel they are safe at school
and have concern for others.
senior high. Bayless School District is designated
as one of the most diverse school districts per
capita in the state of Missouri, with over 17
languages spoken at home. Bayless Elementary
has 43 percent minority students, and 60.5
percent of the student body receives free or
reduced-price lunch. Dr. Maureen Clancy-May,
the district superintendent, says that despite
these challenges, “Bayless staff are creative
in finding funds. They turn challenges into
opportunities.” Clancy-May also describes the
Bayless environment as one of total integration
of the core values. She says that when you
walk through the doors you can “feel it, see it,
and taste it.” Both staff and students model
character with each other. When speaking
with Dr. Gina Siebe, the principal of Bayless
Elementary, or with parents or members of its
Character Education Committee, one is struck
by their deep commitment to the development
of students of character. For more information,
contact Siebe: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
Inclusion of special needs
students in all school activities
■
Focus on building caring
relationships with all students
and their families
■
Emphasis on social-skill
building, bullying prevention,
and conflict resolution
■
Student autonomy, goalsetting, and “voice and choice”
25
2011 NSOC
Bell’s Crossing Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 1,205 • Simpsonville, South Carolina
Greenville County School District
B
ell’s Crossing Elementary was opened
in 2002 to relieve overcrowding in
four other Greenville County schools.
Although large for an elementary school,
IMPACT
Academics
In 2011, 91% of students met or
exceeded state standards in English
language arts, and 88% met or
exceeded them in math.
Behavior
Out of 1,241 students enrolled in
2009–10, only 82 received disciplinary
referrals.
Culture
According to 2010 school survey
results, 92% of students agreed or
mostly agreed with the statement
“I feel safe at school during the day.”
rarely does one find a school so student
focused. Beginning in kindergarten, students
are taught to be responsible for themselves,
set academic and personal goals, track their
own progress, and be prepared to explain
the data to anyone who asks. Every child has
a data notebook where both academic and
behavioral statistics are kept and updated
on a regular basis. Bell’s Crossing was one
of the first Greenville County schools to
implement the Baldrige Model, which
emphasizes leadership, strategic planning,
process management, and performance
results. Stakeholders selected the work of
Steven Covey to provide more “focus on
student leadership and developing essential
skills that are needed in the workplace of
tomorrow,” according to Principal Barbara
Barlow. Today more than 10 leadership clubs
are provided for students in grades 3–5, while
younger students participate in activities with
their grade-level peers. For more information,
contact Kimberly Groome, guidance
counselor: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
Baldridge Model used
as foundation of school
culture
■
Steven Covey’s “7 Habits”
as foundation of core values
■
Focus on student leadership
and autonomy
■
Highly involved parents
who donate many hours of
service to the school
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 328 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
Birmingham Public Schools
L
ocated in the affluent Birmingham district
northwest of Detroit, Bingham Farms
celebrates being one of the more ethnically
diverse schools in the area. Encouraged by the
district to develop a touchstone, this school’s staff,
students, and parents are now unified around
IMPACT
Academics
Most Bingham Farms students pass
state math and reading tests, and the
percentages of students passing at the
highest level are on the rise—with rates
as high as 88%.
Behavior
After-school detentions have been
completely eliminated.
Culture
Keys to Success
26
■
District support, resources,
and encouragement
■
Conflict resolution strategies
in place to help students
settle disputes peacefully
■
Focus on differentiation and
meeting individual needs
■
Meaningful academics and
curricular integration of
character
their vision for positive character known as
the “Bingham Best.” According to Principal
Russ Facione, the touchstone allows students
to “reflect and refocus” and take charge of their
choices. “It has literally transformed discipline
in our building,” he adds. The school also boasts
numerous Promising Practices awards and
creative strategies that have enabled students to
succeed—both academically and socially. All
students, for example, have learned a five-step
conflict resolution strategy called Solve-It-Spot.
The statement “Students treat
classmates with respect” received a
score of 2.88 on a 2010 climate survey
completed by parents and students
(with “3” being “most of the time” and
“2” being “some of the time).”
Students are reminded of the steps through
posters placed around the school and practice
during class meetings. Students report that the
strategy is informally implemented by peers, and
parents testify to seeing Solve-It-Spot practiced
at home. For more information, contact Facione:
2011 NSOC
Bowles Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 327 • Fenton, Missouri
Rockwood School District
B
owles was one of the first schools in
Rockwood School District (a 2006
NSOC) to pilot the Caring School
Community (CSC) model. Over the past
IMPACT
Academics
The percentage of students passing
the state math test rose 14 points
from 2007 to 2011, going from 72.3%
to 86.4% proficient. Students on free
or reduced-price lunch experienced the
largest gain—an increase of just over 65
points, from 17.3% proficient to 83.1%.
Behavior
Attendance has consistently been above
96% since 2003–04.
Culture
On the 2010 CSC survey, 72% of third
and fourth graders, and 76% of fifth
graders, reported feeling safe at school.
seven years, they have moved from a “trait
of the month” approach to a deeper, more
comprehensive approach tied to curriculum
and content. While Bowles’ socioeconomic
status is the second lowest in Rockwood,
this Title I school continues to strive to
be among the highest achieving of the 19
elementary schools in the district. Former
principal Dave Cobb describes Bowles as
a caring community that places a priority
on building relationships. “Without
relationships, we believe that strong character
cannot be achieved.” Building relationships
is challenging, given the school’s evershifting demographics. But that diversity
and student mobility has “challenged us to
do out-of-the-box thinking,” according to
Cobb. “We literally have to do whatever it
takes.” Despite demographic changes,
Cobb notes that Bowles has been able to
maintain parental support and good test
scores. For more information, contact
Keys to Success
■
■
Focus on relationship building and meeting individual
student needs
■
Shared leadership
Dr. Danielle Vogelsang, principal:
Branson Elementary West
Grades 2–4 • Enrollment 562 • Branson, Missouri • Branson R-IV School District
S
ophia, a third-grade student at Branson
Elementary West, declares, “We are not
a good school, we are a great school!”
This is the chant in which Principal Mike
Dawson leads students, staff, parents, and
IMPACT
Academics
Since 2003, the percentage of students
achieving either proficient or advanced
status on standardized tests has
doubled, from approximately 25% to
over 50%.
Behavior
Out-of-school suspensions dropped from
93 in 2004–05 to 28 in 2009–10.
Culture
In a 2010 school survey, 92% of BEW
students agreed with the statement “I
feel safe at school.”
community members each Monday morning
at the all-school character assembly. The chant
reminds all stakeholders that the school has a
vision for success which includes every student.
Isaac, a third grader, describes Branson West
as a place where “[t]eachers and the principal
always care about us and really want to help
you with stuff.” He adds, “I like summer, but
I love school!” Dawson attributes his students’
steady academic gains to the systematic
implementation of character education.
“Once the culture and climate changed,
teachers were more trusting and able to plan
for student success. Now, we have an aligned
curriculum, systematic formative and common
assessment data collection, a seamless approach
to intervention, and an online curriculum
resource available to parents and teachers.”
Despite a mobility rate of 35 percent, parents
feel welcome in the building, and as proof
of community support, a recent school
bond passed with 75 percent approval.
For more information, contact Dawson:
Keys to Success
■
Comprehensive, intentional
approach that includes detailed plans for embedding
character education into the
curriculum
■
Use of instructional strategies designed to meet student needs such as cooperative learning, differentiation,
and use of assessment data
■
Strong community and business partnerships
■
Weekly class meetings
27
2011 NSOC
Brigantine Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Enrollment 460 • Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine Public Schools
B
rigantine Elementary is highly
recognized in the state of New
Jersey as well as nationally for its
IMPACT
Academics
The percentage of fourth-grade students
scoring advanced proficient on state
math tests almost doubled in 2010,
rising from 27% to 48%. In the at-risk
category, 23.5% of special education
students and 35% of economically
disadvantaged students scored in the
advanced proficient category.
Behavior
There have been no out-of-school
suspensions in the past two years. The
state average is 4%.
Culture
Teacher retention is very high, with no
new hires in over six years.
outstanding character education program.
Brigantine’s Strategic Planning Committee
has built a caring school community using
a comprehensive, intentional approach
designed to address specific community
needs. Located in a small-town island
community across a bridge from Atlantic
City, the community is greatly impacted by
its proximity to the nearby gambling casinos.
Demographic changes have dramatically
impacted the district and the school,
prompting development of a plan and a
home-grown program to meet the needs
of the increasingly diverse population. The
result: being named the Kindest School
in New Jersey four times. According to
Principal Don Marrandino, “Our goal at
Brigantine Elementary is to teach children
at a very young age to make good ethical
decisions. Part of that process is learning
how to have power over your own
behavior. When children make the right
Keys to Success
■
Whole-child focus through
values-centered classrooms
which foster acceptance
■
Kindness Is Contagious—an
anti-bullying, safe-school initiative created by the principal
■
A multicultural, cross-curricular approach to arts education
■
Focus on health through
programs such as G.Y.M (Get
Yourself Moving), a physical
fitness program
■
Student empowerment and
leadership, including a strong
Student Council
choices, they are empowering themselves
to be the best they can be.” For more
information, contact Teresa Gragg,
art teacher and Character Committee
chairperson: [email protected]. ◗
Cotswold Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 650 • Charlotte, North Carolina
C
haracter education has long been
an integral part of Cotswold
Elementary School’s focus. Since
becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB)
World School, the school’s character focus
has shifted to include the IB model. The IB
curriculum was developed by staff members,
Keys to Success
28
■
International Baccalaureate
model
■
Emphasis on service learning, with an international
focus
■
Staff modeling and buy-in,
resulting in curricular
integration
IMPACT
Academics
From 2007–08 to 2009–10, math scores
of targeted groups in grades 3–5 on
state tests improved: by an average of 23
percentage points for African-American
students, and 20 percentage points for
economically disadvantaged students.
Behavior
The rate of short-term school
suspensions decreased from 2.7% in
2006–07 to 1.3% in 2009–10.
Culture
using the IB guidelines, and thus there was
strong buy-in and modeling. “Everyone in
this building takes responsibility for character
education,” states former principal Denise
Hearne. “Whatever we’re asking the kids to
do, we do ourselves. This has fostered wholeschool ownership.” Staff members agree that
the shift to the IB model was a “perfect fit”
for Cotswold, given the school’s long-time
commitment to character and service, as
both of these are integral components of the
According to a 2009–10 survey, 98.1%
of students agree that adults make sure
that students are kind to one another.
IB program. Academic content is effectively
woven into each IB unit, and students
work in cooperative groups—researching,
planning, and carrying out projects. All
classes have reading buddies, class meetings,
and “voice and choice” in the classroom. For
more information, contact Mary Hooks, IB
coordinator: [email protected]. ◗
2011 NSOC
Crestwood Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 337 • Crestwood, Missouri • Lindbergh School District
C
restwood Elementary School is one
of five elementary schools in the
Lindbergh School District, a 2008
National District of Character. Crestwood
serves a diverse population, with 15 different
languages spoken at home and the highest
IMPACT
Academics
Subgroup scores on state tests were
ranked #1 in St. Louis County for four
years in a row and are consistently at
least 20 percentage points higher than
the state averages.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals are extremely rare,
averaging approximately one per month.
Culture
All student CSC climate survey results
show gains from 2008–09 to 2009–10.
poverty level in the district. Despite the many
challenges of meeting the needs of a diverse
population, Crestwood has the highest student
achievement among the district’s elementary
schools, recently receiving the Missouri Gold
Star Award and the National Blue Ribbon
Award. Character education, which has been
in place at Crestwood since 1989, has evolved
into a “way of life,” according to Dr. Jim
Simpson, the district superintendent. This is
a warm and welcoming school, with a strong
camaraderie among staff, students, and parents.
Principal Scott Taylor describes his staff as
“wonderful, caring, loving, and great teachers
who have high expectations for all students.”
Because of recent redistricting, Crestwood
has gained about 150 students in 2011–12.
The school’s touchstone, I Belong, You Belong,
We Belong, unifies the community. For more
information, contact Jan Liebel, building
coordinator for character education:
Duffy Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 560 • West Hartford,
Connecticut • West Hartford Public Schools
T
he origins of character education at
Duffy Elementary go back to May
1998, when the school’s Strategic
Planning Committee, after an exhaustive study
by the Action Team on Character Education,
decided to implement character education.
Duffy is a school in which students take
Keys to Success
■
Use of Character Counts in
combination with Second
Step, Responsive Classroom,
and Love and Logic
■
Focus on problem-solving
skills and student leadership
■
Staff willingness to reflect,
grow, and change in
response to feedback
learning seriously: Student behavior—not only
in the classrooms but also in the cafeteria and
on the playground—indicates a high degree of
intrinsic motivation to do well. Many factors
account for this: high parental expectations, an
extraordinarily dedicated faculty, and a student
body that truly pursues academic excellence.
Second grader Rosemary adds a very practical
interpretation to the school’s emphasis on
academics: “Without academics, there would
be so many things we could not do! Without
knowing numbers, you couldn’t drive a car.
How would you get to far places?” But it is
clear that the Duffy students do “get to far
Keys to Success
■
Strong district-level support,
including participation in
Characterplus and Caring
■
Opportunities for students
to practice character traits
■
Strong administrative
support and staff modeling
■
Student leadership,
autonomy, and participation
IMPACT
Academics
During the years 2006 to 2010, grades
3, 4, and 5 demonstrated consistent
improvement in terms of the percentage
of students achieving at/above proficiency
status on the state tests. In grade 5,
for example, the percentage of students
proficient rose from 85.7% to 92.5% in
math, from 85.1% to 88.6% in reading,
and from 90.1% to 96.4% in writing.
Behavior
From 2000–01 to 2010–11, suspensions
dropped more than 95% (from 22 to 1).
Culture
Student surveys consistently reveal high
rates of agreement with the statement
“Principal and teachers at my school
care about the students” (94% of
respondents in 2005; 96% in 2007,
and 100% in 2010).
places,” not just academically but in terms of
character development. For more information,
contact Kathleen Tracy, principal:
29
2011 NSOC
Duncan Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 685 • Fort Hood, Texas
Killeen Independent School District
D
uncan Elementary School is one
of four elementary schools on the
Fort Hood military base, the largest
IMPACT
Academics
For two consecutive years, Duncan has
received the Commended Performance
rating for student performance on state
science tests.
Behavior
For three years, Duncan’s attendance
rate has remained at 95% despite a
high mobility rate of 39% resulting from
military life.
Culture
Parents express satisfaction with school
climate during monthly meetings with
the principal, and over 90% attend
parent conferences.
military installation in the world. The school
provides a safe haven for military children.
Parent Gary Tomblin describes the children
at the school as “different in that they know
life and death,” adding, “[T]heir parents are
part of an organization where character is part
of who they are. For everyone at Duncan,
character is a way of life.” Duncan’s character
education program teaches students basic
values, and it permeates all aspects of the
school. Students determine the direction of
club activities. All service learning projects are
now part of the lesson plans that teachers have
generated or are part of the planning process
of the student-led clubs. Rigorous reading
in the content areas, reading intervention
programs, and overall high expectations
allow students to thrive in an atmosphere of
academic challenge. For more information,
contact Loucindy Benton, school counselor:
Keys to Success
■
Family-style dining manners
at the lunch table
■
Intentional development of
core character traits in
lesson plans
■
Planning guided by
assessment
■
Exemplary communication
between parents and school
Eldridge Park Elementary School
Grades K–3 • Enrollment 251 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrence Township Public Schools
E
ldridge Park has created a culture
of character where every first step
and all the steps thereafter lead their
students on a journey that has already begun
IMPACT
Academics
For the past seven years, Eldridge
Park has met all 40 of the indicators
established by federal law.
Behavior
The attendance rate for 2009–10
was 96.2%, and action plans to deal
with tardiness have been successfully
implemented.
Culture
The most recent exit survey of thirdgrade students indicates that 100% feel
safe at school.
30
to shape the paths of their lives. Students,
staff, and community members describe
Eldridge Park as a “cocoon” which prepares
and places the most beautiful of butterflies
into the world—their children. A smiling
principal meets students at the morning
buses, a police officer high-fives students
walking to school, and teachers meet
students coming to early-morning clubs
with projects ready. Daily activities and
projects connect to core values. Families are
actively involved and are a regular presence
within the school. Students are encouraged
to be “bucket fillers”—people who celebrate
one another’s successes. Eldridge Park is an
inclusive, family-oriented, and high-energy
environment where going the extra mile
is a way of life. For more information,
contact Patricia Burns, guidance counselor:
Keys to Success
■
Morning meetings that set
the tone for each day
■
Latino Family Night and
PTO-facilitated projects
■
Turn-key staff training
2011 NSOC
Fuguitt Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 630 • Largo, Florida • Pinellas County Schools
F
uguitt Elementary truly embraces
the “it takes a village” approach to
character education. Staff members are
focused and intentional as they work to build
the academic program on the foundation of
IMPACT
Academics
From 2007 to 2010, the percentages
of Fuguitt students meeting state
standards increased from 76% to
80% in math and from 76% to 79% in
reading.
Behavior
The number of disciplinary incidents
and referrals decreased from 277 in
2006–07 to 77 in 2009–10.
Culture
98% of students report feeling safe at
school, and 95% feel peer mediation
strategies are successful.
a strong character education base. Student
leaders known as Character Coaches lead
discussions of the school’s character book of
the month. Reading and writing programs
have been intentionally linked to character
education. Teachers have integrated the
service learning program into the curriculum
and provide structured opportunities for
student initiative and reflection. Students
are included in the planning and leadership
stage, and both pre- and post-reflection
opportunities are developed for each activity.
The assistant principal, who launched the
Bully-Free Club, and the guidance counselors
and classroom teachers all have critical roles
in the success of the school. At Fuguitt, all
employees are considered to be “character
educators,” and Principal Mike Moss says
their character education efforts are “bringing
the staff alive.” For more information, contact
Moss: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
District-wide support
■
School-wide, student-shaped
expectations successfully
established through the
CHAMPs program
■
Strong student leadership
opportunities, including the
Bully-Free Club
■
Extensive parent and
community involvement
Geggie Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 556 • Eureka, Missouri • Rockwood School District
D
r. Mary Kleekamp, the principal
at Geggie Elementary, proudly
declares, “We continue to grow
as a community of learners, with a positive
reputation that attracts high-quality teachers
IMPACT
Academics
The percentage of students scoring
proficient and above on state tests rose
8.2 points in math, and 1.9 points in
communication arts, from 2006–07 to
2009–10.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals declined from 113
in 2007–08 to 49 in 2009–10.
Culture
According to CSC surveys, students’
“sense of autonomy” rose from 63% in
2008 to 75% in 2010.
and new families in the area, as they too desire
to be a part of this amazing and successful
school community!” This is a large elementary
school that is growing rapidly and facing
overcrowding as new housing is built and new
families move into the attendance zone. Another
wing may need to be added to the school to
accommodate increasing numbers. Despite
significant population growth over the past
five years, disciplinary referrals have declined.
Recent climate goals include the building of
students’ sense of competence, especially in
girls, and continuing work on the school’s
new bully reporting system. All stakeholders
had a part in the development of the school
touchstone, recited every day. According to
Kleekamp, “Parents are integral members of our
learning community and volunteer countless
hours to ensure the success of all our students.”
For more information, contact Kleekamp:
Keys to Success
■
■
Parental participation in
staff hiring
■
Mixed-age monthly family
groups
■
Opportunities for all students
to be leaders
31
2011 NSOC
George Guffey Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Enrollment 633 • Fenton, Missouri • Fox C-6 School District
G
uffey’s charismatic principal,
Jackie Waller, explains that she
and her staff put their “heart and
soul” into Guffey because they want to
IMPACT
Academics
On 2009–10 state tests, Guffey
third graders scored in the top 3% in
communication arts and in the top
7% in math; the corresponding
figures for sixth graders are 7% and
8%, respectively.
Behavior
The total number of suspensions has
declined by 39% since the 2008–09
school year.
Culture
96% of students in grades 3 through
6 believe that the teachers treat the
students with respect.
make a difference at this diverse school.
Students recite the “Shine On” character
pledge daily, and they strive to be “Guffey’s
Gold” by treating one another the way
they would want to be treated. Teachers
greet their students at the door every day
with a smile, to welcome them into the
classroom and set the tone for the day.
According to Waller, “Students at Guffey
feel safe and know they are surrounded
by caring individuals.” Kristen Pelster,
the principal of Ridgewood Middle
School (a 2006 NSOC and the school to
which the Guffey students proceed upon
graduation), comments that she has seen
positive changes in the Guffey students
who come to her school. She reports that
Guffey students are leaders on her campus.
Parents and community members declare
that the staff is unified in their approach to
character. For more information, contact
Waller: [email protected]. ◗
Joseph J. Catena School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 512 • Freehold, New Jersey
Freehold Township School District
C
atena School is a model of progress. It
is a place where relationships matter,
activity abounds, and learning reaches
IMPACT
Academics
In the first two marking periods in
2010–11, more than 75% of students
in grades 3 through 5 earned honors
distinctions.
Behavior
Attendance rates are consistently
steady at 96%.
Culture
Surveys indicate that 91% of students
agree that “My teachers show me
respect,” and 97% of parents agree that
“Teachers and staff at my child’s school
show me respect.”
32
beyond classroom walls and into the outside
world. At Catena, every day offers highly
engaging opportunities for students to “pass on”
compassion and to self-monitor their behavior.
Catena is committed to a constant reevaluation
of student needs, and staff work toward
improving the depth and breadth of their
instructional approaches. A common language
permeates every space at Catena. The modeling
of respectful, responsible, and safe behavior
sends clear and consistent messages. Catena
School understands that a strong curriculum,
strong programs, and strong leaders shape
strong students, and that these early educational
years form the foundation upon which
students will build their lives. According to its
students, service at Catena is “just what we do
here.” For more information, contact Kimberly
Fitzpatrick, guidance counselor:
Keys to Success
■
Monthly Character Education
Team meetings
■
Teachers serving as tutors
and mentors
■
High levels of staff buy-in
and district support
■
Disciplinary character
reflection sheets
Keys to Success
■
Character Education Guide
Book in every classroom
■
“Buckets Brimming” with
acts of kindness
■
Common planning time,
resource block for students,
and daily Morning Meetings
■
PTO committee for
mentoring new parents
2011 NSOC
Kellison Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 452 • Fenton, Missouri • Rockwood School District
A
large, diverse elementary school, Kellison
uses core values (or “Tigertudes”) to
form a common language which is used
throughout the school all day long. According
IMPACT
Academics
In 2009–10 state testing, 79% of
Kellison students scored in the top two
levels of achievement in communication
arts, and 79.5% of students did so in
math, surpassing state averages.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals for disrespectful
behavior decreased from 74 in 2006–
07 to 31 in 2009–10.
Culture
Since implementing the CSC model
in 2004, surveys indicate that the
percentage of students believing that
they treat one another with respect has
increased from 55% to 88%.
to former principal Tracy Edwards, “The staff at
Kellison works really hard to ensure success for all
of our students.” Like other Rockwood schools,
Kellison has embraced the Caring School
Community (CSC) model. Kellison teachers
moved away from extrinsic rewards some time
ago, citing an emphasis on goal setting and the
support of parents that allowed them to do
so. “Trinkets” are no longer found at Kellison.
Students participate in service projects for the
joy of helping others, not to win a pizza party.
According to Edwards, “Each year we continue
to see [fewer] office referrals for disrespect,
and we solidly believe that this is the result of
our concentrated character work.” Kellison
has a mature, embedded character initiative
that has reached a high level of excellence.
“Whether it’s the playground, the cafeteria, the
bus, or the bathroom,” says Edwards, “one can
hear reminders of the Tigertudes.” For more
information, contact Suzanne DuPree, assistant
principal: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
■
Flexible groupings
■
Daily reflection and goalsetting
■
Student autonomy and leadership
Lincoln Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 445 • Troy, Missouri • Lincoln County R-III School District
L
ocated in a district and community
hit hard by the economy’s downturn,
Lincoln works together—just like
family—to meet tough challenges. Lucky
the Leopard, the Lincoln mascot, greets
IMPACT
Academics
In 2009–10, 82% of first graders,
85% of second graders, and 85% of
third graders met state standards in
communication arts.
Behavior
Office referrals decreased 45%, and bus
referrals dropped 58%, from 2008–09
to 2009–10.
Culture
According to a 2010 student survey,
91% of students feel that teachers care
about them, and 91% like their school.
students in the morning with his paw raised
as a reminder of the school touchstone, Show
Your Paw, which reinforces the core values
of respect, self-control, accountability, and
being ready to learn. All teachers are trained
in a district-wide reading program, and
the entire school has strengthened its focus
on math. Learning abilities are addressed
with differentiated instruction strategies.
Students have an active voice and choice
in the character education process. Lincoln
promotes caring attachments through
monthly buddy programs, cross-grade
student mentors, weekly class meetings,
and cooperative learning academic centers.
According to parent Tracy Hulbert, Lincoln
is “an extension of the home, a nurturing
environment that feels like family.” For more
information, contact Amy Porter, principal:
Keys to Success
■
Increased school focus on
math
■
Academic Centers for cooperative learning
■
“Two-Hour Power Hour” for
parents
■
Disciplinary reflection on
core values
33
2011 NSOC
Mark Twain Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 185 • Brentwood, Missouri • Brentwood School District
M
ark Twain Elementary School
is the hub of a neighborhood
community. Most students walk
to school, many of them accompanied by
their parents. Throughout the building, staff
and students refer to the Big Four character
Keys to Success
■
Teacher connections with
students via small-group
learning
■
Linking of every at-risk child
with an adult, through the
Navigator Pals program
■
Inquiry-based learning
traits: respect, responsibility, caring, and
service. These core values have created a
climate and culture where words such as “feels
like a second home” are used to describe the
ethos of the school. Dramatic improvements
in academics, coupled with reductions in
disciplinary referrals and bullying behavior,
constitute evidence of the culture and climate
change that has taken place here. As part of
the Voluntary Transfer Program, 25 percent of
the student body travels from urban St. Louis
to the school every day; however, as noted by
third-grade teacher Kim Staggs, “Students feel
like they belong.” The Mark Twain pledge is
recited by all students every morning. The last
verse of the pledge, I will work hard each day
to grow and learn, reminds students that the
efforts they put forth are important. For more
information, contact Karen Smith, principal:
IMPACT
Academics
Over the past six years students
have made significant gains on state
tests. The percentage of students
scoring proficient or above rose
nearly 50 percentage points in both
communication arts and math.
Behavior
The school reports an 85% reduction
in disciplinary matters, and an 81%
reduction in incidents of bullying, over
the past six years.
Culture
2010 student surveys show that 98%
of students show respect for and care
about one another.
Oakhurst Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 790 • Largo, Florida • Pinellas County Schools
M
34
■
District-wide support
■
Inclusive Character
Education Committee
■
Emphasis on conflict
resolution skills and use
of morning meetings
■
Partnership with Kiwanis
Club
Academics
In eight of the past nine years, 90% of
Oakhurst students achieved level 3.5 or
above on the state writing test.
arcia Stone, retired principal
of one of the 2006 NSOC,
remarks about Oakhurst,
“Professionally, I have watched [Oakhurst]
. . . effectively and efficiently integrate
character development into each day,
each classroom, and each student without
losing sight of the curriculum.” The traits
Keys to Success
IMPACT
Behavior
The number of students assigned to
in-school suspension dropped from
18 in 2009–10 to eight in 2010–11.
Culture
Oakhurst Elementary volunteers logged
a total of 5,400 volunteer hours during
the 2009–10 school year, exceeding the
district average.
of respect, responsibility, and honesty
comprise The Mustang Way at Oakhurst,
illustrated by a large mural depicting
the mustang mascot. The growth in
the Character Education Committee
membership reveals the strong faculty
buy-in, as does the willingness of teachers
to spend personal time preparing for the
Morning Meeting program. Students
have leadership opportunities through
the Model Mustang program, leading
service learning projects, and the school’s
“kid-friendly” version of the 11 Principles.
Former PTA president Theresa Favell
reports that there is “not one person on
the [PTA] board who doesn’t support the
school’s work in character education.” For
more information, contact Kelly Kennedy,
principal: [email protected]. ◗
2011 NSOC
Oakwood Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 306 • Glen Burnie, Maryland • Anne Arundel
County Public Schools
P
arents and staff consistently refer to
Oakwood as “the best-kept secret in
Glen Burnie.” The sense of caring and
compassion that has been fostered here, as well
as the dedication to meeting the individual
needs of students, has translated into a
remarkable narrowing of the achievement gap
Keys to Success
■
Chick-fil-A’s Core Essentials
program and materials
■
Recognition and additional
character education opportunities rather than rewards
■
Staff modeling of core values
■
Learning Lab for students
needing additional support
IMPACT
Academics
In 2009–10, 100% of third graders,
96% of fourth graders, and 93% of fifth
graders scored proficient or above on
state reading tests; the corresponding
figures for math are 100%, 98%, and
82%, respectively.
Behavior
Pembroke’s daily attendance rate has
remained above 96% since 2007–08.
Culture
Recent family surveys indicate that 81%
of students always feel safe and an
additional 16.7% frequently feel safe.
The percentage of African-American
students scoring proficient or above on
the state math test rose from 56.3%
in 2005–06 to 79.3% in 2009–10; the
corresponding percentages for Hispanic
students and ELL students increased
from 40% and 50%, respectively, to 100%.
Disciplinary referrals at Oakwood
diminished from 175 in 2003–04 to 18
in 2008–09.
and academic excellence for all. In class, students
help one another, soothe each other, and share
classroom materials. Teachers help children in
such seamless and natural ways that no child is
singled out for being “special.” Oakwood staff
find strategies that suit every student, and they
have devised a consistent set of expectations
for student behavior throughout the building.
Parents feel well informed and welcome in the
school and are involved in character education
leadership. When asked about how the school
has made such remarkable academic gains,
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 327 • Troy, Michigan • Birmingham Public Schools
I
Academics
Behavior
Pembroke Elementary School
n 2007, Pembroke Elementary had an
ideal opportunity to recast itself with a new
vision, touchstone, and school mascot as
they moved into a brand new building. The
IMPACT
Pembroke Character Education Committee
played a role in developing the new school
touchstone, with its focus on core values, as the
new building opened. Pembroke has achieved
great clarity of vision, with its core values
supported by the touchstone and the school
pledge. The faculty and administration recognize
and testify to a well-developed integration of core
values into curricular lessons. In addition to crossage buddy programs, the school also implements
a Links program, where older students reach out
to special needs students every day at lunch and
recess. Intrinsic reward strategies are understood
and practiced, along with reflection by students
involved in disciplinary situations. Parents are
actively engaged in the work of the Character
Education Committee and in meaningful
volunteer activities in the school and through
the PTA. For more information, contact
Vickie Muir, community school organizer:
Culture
According to a recent survey, 98.3% of
parents feel that their child’s teacher
listens to parent concerns at least some
of the time; of those, 91% believe that
teachers listen to their concerns most
of the time.
former principal Nancy Knouse responds:
“Everybody in this building is working for kids.
Nobody ever gives up on any child.” For more
information, contact Carolyn Hall, school
counselor: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
and encouragement
■
Efforts to build community
among staff and parents
■
Representative character
education leadership team
that meets twice monthly
■
Integration of core values
into language arts and social
studies curricula
35
2011 NSOC
Pierce Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Enrollment 670 • Birmingham, Michigan
P
ierce Elementary underwent a
significant transformation as a result
of adopting character education as its
focus. The changes have impacted students
and staff alike. The administration, along with
IMPACT
Academics
Over 90% of Pierce students score
proficient or above on state math and
reading tests every year.
Behavior
Pierce maintained a daily attendance
rate of 97% in 2010--11.
Culture
Surveys indicate that 88% of students
believe that the school does a good job
of helping all students to feel safe and
to feel that they belong.
the leadership of the Character Education and
Wellness committees, have all played positive
roles in this transformation. The touchstone,
Pierce Path, unified the school community
with a common language, and projects
such as the Family Path (the opportunity
for families to create their own touchstone
and highlight core values) are universally
recognized at the school. Several schoolwide events focused on character are held
throughout the year, including Spirit Week,
Peace Day, and assemblies. The school utilizes
“town meetings” by grade level and allows
for ample reflection at the student level. The
addition of a shared grade-level planning
time helped to rejuvenate and inspire teachers
and led to formation of an Ethical Learning
Community. For more information, contact
Aaron Chalker, PE teacher and Character
Education Committee chair:
Keys to Success
■
and encouragement
■
Emphasis on core values in
academics
■
Focus on differentiated learning and intrinsic motivation
■
Pairing of special needs
students with peers during
lunch and recess
Renfro Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Enrollment 550 • Collinsville, Illinois
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10
R
enfro special education teacher Mary
Anne Hempsted observes, “This
school is the most welcoming place
that I have ever worked. People respond to any
Keys to Success
36
■
Caring community among
faculty and staff
■
Full staff participation in all
school and family activities
■
Elimination of all extrinsic
motivators
■
Character education on the
agenda of every monthly
staff meeting
■
Opportunities for student
leadership and service
need.” Renfro’s teachers and students connect
through class meetings and the cross-gradelevel Renfro “families.” Each family creates
their own silent family greeting that they use
whenever they encounter a “family member”
in the halls. Renfro defines character to include
thinking, feeling, and doing and takes a very
comprehensive, intentional, proactive approach
to character education. Carrie White, parent of
a second grader and a kindergartner, praises the
common language used at the school, which
carries into the home, and observes that the
words mean the same at school and at home.
Entire classrooms of students are recognized
for showing good character, not individuals.
Third-grade teacher Carolyn Demaree says,
“Every adult cares for the students in this
school and holds them accountable.” For more
information, contact John Griffith, principal:
IMPACT
Academics
Despite a 10-point increase in the
percentage of low-income students from
2005 to 2010, the percentage of third
and fourth graders meeting or exceeding
the state reading target rose from 63.6%
to 74.6%; the corresponding percentage
for math rose from 75% to 87.7%.
Behavior
Out-of-school suspensions dropped from
13 in 2008–09 to 6 in 2009–10.
Culture
2010 surveys show that 89% of staff
feel intrinsically rewarded for doing their
job well, and 93% feel that they belong
at Renfro.
2011 NSOC
Roosevelt Primary School
Grades PreK–3 • Enrollment 460 • Ferndale, Michigan • Ferndale Public Schools
R
oosevelt’s vision is to provide a
Successful Appropriate Foundation
to Educate all children. The key
IMPACT
Academics
From 2004–05 to 2009–10, the
percentage of students passing state
tests in reading rose from 52% to
89%; the corresponding figure for math
increased from 46% to 97%.
Behavior
School disciplinary incidents diminished
to such an extent that the old method
of aggregating disciplinary data was not
needed.
Culture
Surveys reveal that 99% of students
agree or strongly agree that their
teacher expects all students to succeed,
no matter who they are.
letters spell out SAFE. The school has created
a caring community—or, as staff and parents
would say, a “family.” Principal Dina Rocheleau
says, “My staff is so committed to make this
work, and they have such a connection with
each other. Even when they have conflict
with each other, they know how to resolve
it.” Under the guidance of this principal, staff
created classroom climates that teach children
essential values. They moved to a relation-based
approach that focuses on love, safety, and
the whole child. There is no competition at
Roosevelt, and they celebrate successes as a class
and a school family. Service learning projects
emphasize to young children that not only
should they be helpful, safe, kind, respectful,
and responsible within the school but that their
outreach to people beyond the campus makes a
world of difference. First-grade teacher Jennifer
Zublick observes: “Our staff works together
so well.” For more information, contact
Rocheleau: [email protected]. ◗
Keys to Success
■
Peers Assisting Others
through Loving Support (PALS)
■
Parents asked to volunteer
40 hours a year
■
Emphasis on “brain-based
learning”
■
Specific school structures
that promote a caring
community
Salt Brook Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Enrollment 645 • New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence School District
S
alt Brook strives to bring the Golden
Rule to life by encouraging students
to develop dignity and pride in
everything they do. Salt Brook students see
IMPACT
Academics
On state tests in 2011, 92% of sixth
graders scored proficient in language
arts, and 97% did so in math.
Behavior
Salt Brook saw an average of 27
disciplinary infractions per year over the
last three academic years, which is fewer
than three incidents per month. There
were no suspensions during that period.
Culture
Surveys reveal that 93% of students feel
safe at school.
themselves not merely as classmates but
also as citizens of the world. Teachers view
character education not as an additional
element to their classroom practice but as
a comprehensive, pedagogical approach to
education. Collaboration and creativity work
hand-in-hand, as staff, students, parents,
and community members are all involved
in conversation, reflection, and choice in
regard to annual character themes. Teacher
teams work to link daily instruction to weekly
events, monthly programs, and annual
themes. Salt Brook encourages a “Pass It On!”
approach to service. Students participate in
service projects that are both personal and
community based. They understand at a very
personal and profound level the powerful
adage If it is to be, it is up to me. For more
information, contact Jean Maier, principal:
Keys to Success
■
Annual core value themes
promoted through a launch
event
■
Shared leadership, including
students and teachers
■
Involvement of all
stakeholders
■
Emphasis on doing the right
thing for its own sake, rather
than extrinsic rewards
37
2011 NSOC
Union Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 314 • Buckhannon, West Virginia
Upshur County Schools
H
allways at Union Elementary
are covered with evidence of the
students’ character-related work:
from anti-bullying pledges, to Rachel’s
IMPACT
Academics
In 11 out of 12 cases, Union students
outperformed both district and state
averages on state math, reading, social
studies, and science tests.
Behavior
Disciplinary referrals at Union declined
from a high of 53 in 2005–06 to nine in
2009–10.
Culture
Results of a random survey of 128
students in grades 2 through 5 reveal
that 92% of respondents have never
been bullied.
Challenge pledges, to individual student
goals, to fundraising efforts to support the
family of a student with cancer. Over 3,000
paper chain links—each representing an act of
kindness—hang in the hallways; students have
a goal of making the chain extend around the
entire school. Union has a dedicated staff that
does whatever it takes to meet the needs of
all students, a number of whom live in severe
poverty. Students, parents, and community
members contribute to the cleanliness and
maintenance of the school and school grounds.
Teachers not only model core beliefs and
caring for others, they are overwhelmingly
positive and welcoming, and they work
together to solve problems. As both teachers
and parents emphasize repeatedly, the belief
that “there are no bad students” pervades the
Union community. For more information,
contact Catherine McCauley, school counselor:
Keys to Success
■
Love and Logic behavior
management
■
Hands-on simulations and
projects
■
Proactive, responsive,
and all-inclusive planning
opportunities for staff
Uthoff Valley Elementary School
IMPACT
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 532 • Fenton, Missouri • Rockwood School District
Academics
U
UV leads the district in narrowing
the achievement gap between white
and African-American students in
communication arts and math.
thoff Valley staff create a welcoming,
supportive, and celebratory
atmosphere to help all students
achieve their personal goals and feel good about
their accomplishments. Uthoff Valley builds
empathy as well as pro-social skills in students
through class meetings, service opportunities,
Behavior
Bus suspensions decreased from seven
in 2007--08 to four in 2009--10, and
in-school suspensions decreased from
eight to four during that period.
Culture
Keys to Success
38
■
■
Focus on building relationships to improve academics
■
Celebration of all students
■
Future planning guided by
data
and buddy activities. All students are celebrated
through quarterly “Rock On” assemblies,
positive referrals, and lunch with the principal.
Principal Connie Browning’s first day at UV
was on a Rock On Assembly day. “It was the
most incredible experience I have ever had.
Every student felt great about supporting
friends and about meeting their goals.” Uthoff
Valley has high rates of parent involvement
and volunteerism; a large group of parent
volunteers assist with early-release-day
According to CSC climate survey
results, positive staff feelings on
their relationships with parents have
increased from 87.55% in 2005 to
96.91% in 2010.
activities so that teachers can engage in
staff development. Because of the support
students get to help them meet their goals,
“Everybody feels good about themselves,”
says third-grade teacher Mary McCullough.
For more information, contact Browning:
2011 NSOC
Walnut Street Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 562 • Uniondale, New York • Uniondale School District
W
alnut Street School, with a diverse
student population that is 42
percent African-American and
48 percent Hispanic, initiated a character
IMPACT
Academics
Walnut Street was recognized as a High
Performing/Gap Closing School by the
New York State Education Department
in May 2006 and has since met or
exceeded AYP targets each year.
Behavior
Suspensions decreased from a high
of 39 in 2006–07 to a low of 14 in
2009–10, a 64% reduction.
Culture
According to a 2010 survey, 99% of
students agree with the statement
“Adults at my school treat me with
respect,” and 100% feel that “My
teachers think I can be successful.”
education program six years ago in response
to escalating gang violence. The initiative
accomplished much more: It now defines
the school’s approach to learning and to life.
This school has narrowed, and in some cases
reversed, the achievement gap. Character
education is now an integral part of the schoolwide plan. Quarterly assemblies reinforce
character lessons. The school ties character
education to sports activities. The G.R.E.A.T.
(Gang Resistance Education and Training)
program teaches about bullying prevention and
learning not to be a bystander. Walnut Street
uses multiple strategies to reach every student.
Parental support is strong; the school was
named a PTA School of Excellence. According
to Walnut Street paraprofessional and parent
Donna Jackson, “Walnut Street School is not
just a school; it’s a home to students, staff, and
parents.” For more information, contact Sharyn
Leibowitz, character education coordinator:
Keys to Success
■
Multi-layered approach to
academics
■
Thoughtful communication
with parents and high levels
of parent support
■
Character resource books
for staff
■
Service learning at each
grade level
Woerther Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Enrollment 566 • Ballwin, Missouri • Rockwood School District
W
oerther staff work hard to
create an inclusive, supportive
atmosphere for all. Principal
Jane Levy notes, “We are in a time of strong
IMPACT
Academics
Woerther has been one of Missouri's
Top Ten Highest-Performing Schools
(for schools over 500 students) for
eight years.
Behavior
Out-of-school suspensions declined from
19 in 2007–08 to five in 2009–10.
Culture
CSC surveys indicate that the
percentage of students that feel safe at
school has increased nearly 12 points
(from 71.7% to 83.4%) over the past
three years.
professional growth. Individual teachers are
taking responsibility for students, and they
have a whole team behind them.” After
creating a data self-evaluation wall in one
hallway so that they could share what they
were doing and hear from all stakeholders—
even the youngest students—staff learned
that they should communicate even more
about goings-on at the school. Woerther
has made a determined effort to reduce
material rewards. All school employees,
including support staff, cafeteria monitors,
recess monitors, and bus drivers, are involved
in planning and implementation of the
character initiative. Every report of bullying
or peer cruelty is taken seriously. A special
effort is made to include and reach out to the
parents of Voluntary Transfer students from
inner city St. Louis. For more information,
contact Amanda Ryman, school counselor:
Keys to Success
■
■
Increased communication
with families
■
Reduction in material
rewards
■
Discipline reflection sheets
39
2011 National Finalists
National Finalists
National Finalists are schools and districts selected by CEP on the basis of their strong
written applications. In 2011, CEP chose 50 National Finalists from 140 applications—
all those that met the standard of excellence set forth by the 11 Principles. CEP then
assigned a National Evaluator to each. At the conclusion of the national evaluation
process, CEP selected a record-breaking 44 National Schools of Character. (See the
Introduction for more information about this year’s selection process.) All 50 Finalists
have clear strengths and inspiring stories of the impact of character education on their
school cultures. Read more about the remaining six Finalists here.
Fox River Country Day School
Grades PreK–8 • Elgin, Illinois
Set in a peaceful oasis of trees in the
Chicago suburbs, Fox River’s sense of
family is palatable. Each child is seen,
greeted, and connected to the whole school
as the day begins. FRCD staff work hard
to create an emotionally safe place for
children to learn and express themselves
creatively. The caring atmosphere is the
result of long-standing traditions and
programs designed to create a sense of team
and connectedness. Board President Al
Neil remarks, “We have to teach more than
values. After all, a thief can be courageous.”
Fox River’s academic programming
clearly focuses on providing a challenging,
engaging curriculum that emphasizes the
development of higher-level thinking
skills. When asked if he likes his school, a
fifth grader replies, “Are you kidding? We
love it here!” Unfortunately, after 98 years
of operation, Fox River closed its doors
following the 2010–11 school year, for
lack of funding.
Hamilton City School District
Grades PreK–12 • Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton City Schools, with the committed
leadership of the superintendent, the
character education coordinator, and
two character education committees,
has proactively advanced a vision for
character education based on a set of five
core values (respect, acceptance, honesty,
compassion, and personal responsibility)
that are internalized by students and teachers
throughout the district. Each school has its
own character education committee and
hosts an annual Character Day that offers
a variety of ways for its students to learn,
reflect, and think about their core values.
Other strategies that Hamilton City schools
use to advance their core values include
assemblies, character awards, advisory
meetings, newsletters, community service,
and school clubs. For more information,
contact Chrissy Hutzelman, character
education and chemical abuse specialist:
[email protected].
Lakes International
Language Academy
Grades K–6 • Forest Lake, Minnesota
Lakes International Language Academy is recognized as a Minnesota School of Character and National Finalist at an awards ceremony held
at the Minnesota State Capitol May 19, 2011. Special guest speakers included Deputy Commissioner Jessie Montano and Secretary of
State Mark Ritchie.
40
Lakes International is an International
Baccalaureate (IB), Spanish-language
immersion charter school which draws
students from the local district as well
2011 National Finalists
as about 20 other metropolitan districts.
With buenos días being the first words
students typically hear from staff as they are
welcomed at the drop-off line, connecting
with family and students begins with the
first moments of the day. Sixth grader
Lauren observes, “Children have a special
bond with their teachers here.” Lakes
utilizes many character-oriented resources
throughout the day, including Reflect,
Choose, and Act for puzzling problems,
Responsive Classroom strategies to guide
students in their interactions, and specific
discussion protocols for class meetings.
The school’s blend of character education,
Spanish Immersion programming, and the
IB Attributes and Attitudes is a powerful
combination that has given students
unique skills. For more information,
contact Julie Lundgren, budgets manager:
[email protected].
Valley Prep’s monthly character assembly
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Southern Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
Wilson School District
At Southern Middle, the school day
officially ends at 2:40 p.m., but students
and teachers stay later in the building
for projects or clubs. As a sixth grader
says, “School is so much fun here that we
don’t want to leave.” Modeling works at
Southern: The students exhibit the same
degree of caring as the staff. A rich array
of instructional strategies helps Southern
students develop critical thinking and
problem-solving skills while giving them
“voice and choice.” The faculty functions
as professional learning communities
that examine data, share best practices,
and collaborate on what works best for
the students. PTO president Lisa Lasky
notes: “Seldom will you find a school in
which the teachers know their students
so personally. They really care here.” For
more information, contact Dr. Stephen
Burnham, assistant principal:
[email protected].
Grades 9–12 • Kent, Ohio
Valley Preparatory Academy
Charter School
Kent City School District
Grades K–8 • Fresno, California
Roosevelt High School is a caring community
led by a dedicated staff and a strong character
education committee, with goals firmly
embedded in the school’s culture. Roosevelt
offers student retreats for leadership training,
sharing, and building of connections, as
well as an ethical fitness seminar. Character
education is integrated into academic content
and instruction; students are encouraged to
reflect on core values and to note exemplars
in literature, media, and other areas of
study. Students have internalized wanting
to behave because they feel respected by the
adults at school—and consider it a privilege
to go to such a caring school and be a part
of “The Roosevelt Way.” Despite having few
parent volunteers because of state rules and
no PTA, the principal and staff all publish
their home phone numbers to encourage
communication, and the school serves in
many community partnerships. As one
freshman observes, “Everyone gets along
here.” For more information, contact
Aaron Hido, French teacher:
[email protected].
Valley Prep is a public K–8 charter school
with open enrollment. It provides a safe
learning environment where students can
develop academic and character excellence.
The school has a peaceful school culture
that is enjoyed by students, parents, staff
members, and all who visit the campus.
One teacher comments, “You can see the
pressure drop from the students’ shoulders
when they come on campus.” VPA is a
Title I school that embraces the challenges
presented by a high-poverty, high-minority,
and highly mobile student population.
The school has made the core values of
trustworthiness, empathy, citizenship, and
diligence the bedrock of its academic and
social life. The students all know and follow
the seven rules of the classroom. The staff
truly cares about the well-being of the
students. As another teacher observes, “The
school character program is why most of us
work here.” For more information, contact
Rhonda Hearnsberger, sixth-grade teacher
and character program coordinator:
41
2011 State Schools of Character
State Schools of Character:
Building Local Networks
of Successful Schools
With major changes to the program in 2011 that allow
all schools and districts that meet the standard of
excellence outlined in the Character Education Partnership’s
11 Principles of Effective Character Education to be named
State and National Schools of Character, state-level
networks of schools helping schools continue to expand.
S
tate Schools of Character (SSOC)
sponsors encourage schools in their
states to enter the schools of character
process and submit an SSOC/NSOC
application for feedback and possible
recognition. State coordinators in many
states offer workshops on the application
process and the 11 Principles and assist
schools by offering resources, answering
questions, providing technical assistance,
and connecting schools with one another.
Building state-level networks of schools
of character and educators who become
experts in the 11 Principles has enabled the
program to expand and has enhanced the
overall quality of character education in
schools, especially in very active states.
State coordinators and their teams
of reviewers receive and review the
applications from schools and districts
in their states. They provide feedback
to applicants and select State Schools of
Character, sending these applications to
for consideration on the national level.
For schools or districts from participating
states, becoming an SSOC is a prerequisite
to becoming a National School (or District)
of Character. Once designated as SSOC,
42
a title they hold for 3 years, schools and
districts serve as models within their states,
where they share best practices and develop
state-level mentoring networks by hosting
visitors at their sites and presenting at
workshops and conferences.
State sponsors recognize their SSOC
in awards ceremonies and celebrations. In
the spring, for example, Missouri sponsor
Characterplus presented each Missouri
SSOC with a banner at a school assembly.
They then honored all the SSOC and
NSOC from Missouri at a luncheon held
at their annual conference in June. CEP’s
Chairman Emeritus Sandy McDonnell and
Kevin Demoff of the NFL Rams presented
the awards, and several local legislators
offered resolutions and proclamations
in their honor. Following the awards
ceremony, SSOC led breakout sessions for
participants during which they shared best
practices. According to Missouri SSOC
Coordinator Suzy Ward, “The Missouri
State Schools of Character stressed to
others that it is not about winning but
[about] going through the process of the
11 Principles to improve your school and
students’ lives.” Similarly, state sponsors
in states such as Pennsylvania and North
CEP Board Chairman Emeritus Sanford “Sandy” McDonnell
honors the Missouri State and National Schools of Character
at Characterplus’ annual conference.
Carolina visited their SSOC individually
to present banners so that members of
each school community could be part of
the celebration. Others, such as California,
Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Utah, held
awards ceremonies that often included
other awards, such as Promising Practices,
or were part of conferences where attendees
could learn more from the schools being
recognized.
State Sponsors Named 73 State
Schools of Character in 2011
In 2011, state sponsors named a total
of 73 State Schools of Character. Fortytwo of these were subsequently named
NSOC. Notably, all but two of the 2011
NSOC and National Finalists are from
SSOC states, reflecting the level of activity,
resources, and leadership in character
education in states with sponsors. The
states with organizations offering strong
support experience the highest levels of
participation in the program. Missouri,
New Jersey, and South Carolina received
applications in the double digits in 2011.
These states continue to serve as models to
guide the way for others. ◗
CALIFORNIA
Oakhurst Elementary School*
Largo, FL
Pinellas County Schools
STATE SPONSOR:
University of San Diego
Character Development Center
GEORGIA
Brentwood School*
STATE SPONSOR:
Los Angeles, CA
Pioneer RESA (Regional
Educational Service Agency)
Charter School**
Fresno, California
Carmel Elementary School
Woodstock, GA
Cherokee County School District
COLORADO
STATE SPONSOR:
Foundation for
Character Development
Charles M. Russell Middle
School of the Performing Arts
and Science
ILLINOIS
Laura Stahoski and Kelly Heard from Brentwood School
display their SSOC banner awarded at the University of San
Diego Character Development Center’s conference.
2011 STATE SPONSOR:
FLORIDA
Fox River Country Day School**
Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs School District 11
STATE SPONSOR:
North Star Academy
Fuguitt Elementary School*
Parker, CO
Douglas County School District
Largo, FL
Pinellas County Schools
Rocky Heights Middle School
Imagine Schools South Lake*
Littleton, CO
Douglas County School District
Clermont, FL
Lake County Schools
The Golden Rule Foundation
University of Illinois Extension
Elgin, IL
Renfro Elementary School*
Collinsville, IL
Collinsville Community Unit
School District 10
INDIANA
STATE SPONSOR:
Indiana Department
of Education
IOWA
STATE SPONSOR:
Character Counts in Iowa/
Institute for Character
Development at Drake University
KANSAS
STATE SPONSOR:
Kansas Department
of Education
Hesston Schools USD 460
Hesston, KS
SSOC Coordinators Millie Corder and Mary Lasris present the SSOC
banner to staff and students at Carmel Elementary.
*2011 National School of Character
**2011 National Finalist
43
“In my school visits this year, I was most inspired, actually, by a school that didn’t win.
What inspired me most was witnessing the students’ engagement and ownership of
what they were learning about character. The staff was receptive to the idea of creating a
whole-school vision for character education, rather than using a hodgepodge of different
‘for-purchase’ programs, their current approach. They are on the cusp of true character
education, and it’s just as exciting to witness this growth as it is to congratulate a ‘winner.’”
—Betsy Stecker, Michigan SSOC Coordinator
KENTUCKY
STATE SPONSOR:
Character Council of Greater
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Oakwood Elementary School*
Bingham Farms Elementary School*
Glen Burnie, MD
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Bingham Farms, MI
Valley Elementary School
Derby Middle School
Jefferson, MD
Frederick County Public Schools
Birmingham, MI
LOUISIANA
Pembroke Elementary School*
STATE SPONSOR:
MASSACHUSETTS
LSU AgCenter 4-H Youth
Development
STATE SPONSOR:
MARYLAND
STATE SPONSOR:
Maryland Center for Character
Education at Stevenson University;
Maryland State Department
of Education
Eva Turner Elementary School
Waldorf, MD
Charles County Public Schools
Troy, MI
Hudson Public School District;
Center for Character and Social
Responsibility at Boston University
Pierce Elementary School*
Benjamin Franklin Classical
Charter Public School*
Roosevelt Primary School*
Birmingham, MI
Franklin, MA
Ferndale, MI
Ferndale Public Schools
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
STATE SPONSOR:
STATE SPONSOR:
Michigan Department
of Education
Synergy & Leadership
Exchange; Minnesota
Lakes International Language Academy**
Forest Lake, MN
MISSOURI
STATE SPONSOR:
CHARACTERplus; St. Louis Rams
Babler Elementary School*
Wildwood, MO
Bayless Elementary School*
St. Louis, MO
Bayless School District
Representatives of the 15 Missouri State Schools of Character that were named National
Schools of Character, with Characterplus founder Sandy McDonnell.
44
Bowles Elementary School*
Fenton, MO
Branson Elementary West*
Branson, MO
Branson R-IV School District
Crestwood Elementary School*
Crestwood, MO
Lindbergh School District
Fox Middle School*
Arnold, MO
Fox C-6 School District
Geggie Elementary School*
Eureka, MO
New Jersey state coordinators Nina Kemps and Rebecca Sapora-Day celebrate the accomplishments of all 25
SSOC applicants from their state at a recognition ceremony held at Rider University March 15, 2011.
George Guffey Elementary School*
Fenton, MO
Kellison Elementary School*
Fenton, MO
Sherwood Elementary School
Woerther Elementary School*
Arnold, MO
Ballwin, MO
Spoede Elementary School
St. Louis, MO
Ladue School District
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Troy, MO
Lincoln County R-III School District
St. Louis Charter School*
Ethics Institute at
Dartmouth College
Lindbergh High School*
Trautwein Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School*
St. Louis, MO
Lindbergh School District
Mark Twain Elementary School*
Brentwood, MO
Brentwood School District
Ross Elementary School
Creve Coeur, MO
Parkway C-2 School District
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis, MO
Mehlville School District
Uthoff Valley Elementary School*
Fenton, MO
Westridge Elementary School
Ballwin, MO
STATE SPONSOR:
NEW JERSEY
STATE SPONSOR:
New Jersey Alliance for Social,
Emotional and Character
Development (NJASECD)
Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Elementary School*
Old Bridge, NJ
Old Bridge Township Public Schools
Brigantine Elementary School*
Brigantine, NJ
Brigantine Public Schools
Eldridge Park Elementary School*
Lawrenceville, NJ
Henry C. Beck Middle School
Cherry Hill, NJ
John A. Carusi Middle School*
Cherry Hill, NJ
Joseph J. Catena School*
The team from Kellison Elementary proudly display their SSOC award and state proclamation, with Kevin Demoff of the St. Louis Rams.
Freehold, NJ
Freehold Township School District
45
“Missouri had the most 2011 SSOC and NSOC. This synergy is a result of dedicated
educators who understand the importance of character education and the willingness to
share best practices within their district and with others. Schools of character network
and become models for others. They provide consultation, collaborations, workshops,
field trips, and inspiration. Working together, they positively impact students, staff, and
communities. Character education is changing the world—one heart at a time.”
—Suzy Ward, Missouri SSOC Coordinator
Lake Riviera Middle School*
Liberty Corner School
South Brunswick High School*
Brick, NJ
Brick Township Public Schools
Liberty Corner, NJ
Bernards Township School District
Monmouth Junction, NJ
South Brunswick School District
Lawrence Intermediate School
Salt Brook Elementary School*
Lawrenceville, NJ
New Providence, NJ
New Providence School District
Interested in Becoming
a State Sponsor?
Are you a possible state coordinator? Would your organization like
to sponsor a State Schools of Character program in your state?
The kinds of organizations that sponsor the SSOC program vary
from one state to another. The most common types of sponsoring
organizations are:
NEW YORK
STATE SPONSOR:
Academy for Character Education
at The Sage Colleges
Chatham Middle School*
Chatham, NY
Chatham Central School District
Van Schaick Grade School
Cohoes, NY
Cohoes City School District
Walnut Street School*
Uniondale, NY
Uniondale School District
■
University departments of education, extension offices, or character
development centers
■
State departments of education
■
Foundations with an interest in service, character, and youth development
■
Regional character councils
North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction
■
School districts with a strong history of character development
Cotswold Elementary School*
■
Character education organizations and nonprofits
Charlotte, NC
Sometimes several organizations will partner to sponsor the program. In
other cases, networks of volunteers and educators create alliances that
manage the program and support schools.
State coordinators serve as the point of contact for the sponsoring
organization (or group of partner organizations) within each state. State
sponsors receive modest start-up funds to begin their programs as well
as ongoing training and resources from CEP.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lara Maupin, National Schools of Character Director
NORTH CAROLINA
STATE SPONSOR:
OHIO
STATE SPONSOR:
Ohio Partners in Character
Education; Ohio Department
of Education; Ohio Better
Business Bureaus
Hamilton City School District**
Hamilton, OH
Theodore Roosevelt High School**
Kent, OH
Kent City School District
46
Blessed Sacrament is recognized as a Utah State School of Character at a ceremony
held by Community of Caring at the University of Utah April 6, 2011.
OKLAHOMA
STATE SPONSOR:
Character Council
of Central Oklahoma
Staff from Mountainville Academy display their Utah State School of Character banner.
Bell’s Crossing Elementary School*
Simpsonville, SC
Greenville County School District
Berkeley Elementary School
Muskogee High School*
Moncks Corner, SC
Berkeley County School District
Muskogee, OK
Muskogee Public Schools
Doby’s Mill Elementary School
PENNSYLVANIA
2011 STATE SPONSOR:
Center for Leadership and Ethics
2012 STATE SPONSOR:
Lugoff, SC
Kershaw County School District
Indian Land Middle School
Indian Land, SC
Lancaster County School District
DeSales University
TEXAS
Abington Junior High School
STATE SPONSOR:
Abington, PA
Abington School District
Texas Elementary Principals and
Supervisors Association (TEPSA)
Aston Elementary School
Duncan Elementary School*
Aston, PA
Penn–Delco School District
Fort Hood, TX
Killeen Independent School District
First Philadelphia Paradigm Schools
Fort Bend Independent School District*
Philadelphia, PA
Sugar Land, TX
Southern Middle School**
Sinking Spring, PA
Wilson School District
UTAH
STATE SPONSOR:
SOUTH CAROLINA
2011 STATE SPONSOR:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Center for Community of Caring
at the University of Utah
South Carolina Department
of Education
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
2012 STATE SPONSOR:
Mountainville Academy
Palmetto Character Council
VIRGINIA
STATE SPONSOR:
School of Education,
Regent University
WASHINGTON
STATE SPONSOR:
Leadership Innovations
Team; Whitworth University;
Washington State Association
for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
WEST VIRGINIA
STATE SPONSOR:
College of Education
and Human Services,
Marshall University
Union Elementary School*
Buckhannon, WV
Upshur County Schools
WISCONSIN
STATE SPONSOR:
Wisconsin Character
Education Partnership
Sandy, UT
Alpine, UT
47
2011 Promising Practices
National Promising Practices
Each year, the Character Education Partnership (CEP)
recognizes unique and specific lessons, strategies, projects,
and programs that foster the character development of
K–12 students. We call these Promising Practices.
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
I
Alma Schrader Elementary School
n 2011 CEP is recognizing 260
Promising Practices from 231 schools
and districts, including a few from Brazil,
Mexico, and Singapore. This is an all-time
high for Promising Practices in a single year,
indicating educators’ increasing commitment
to character development as well as the impact
that quality character education has on school
climate. The Promising Practices program
continued to grow this year, with a record 500
applications submitted for consideration.
Each Promising Practice addresses
one or more of the principles outlined in
CEP’s 11 Principles of Effective Character
Education. Winning practices cover almost
every aspect of education, including
anti-bullying programs, staff development,
academic integration, service-learning
activities, recess-management practices,
inclusion of families, community outreach,
concerns about at-risk youth, and preparation
for standardized test-taking.
This list of 2011 Promising Practices
can be used as a handy reference to guide
you in your exploration of new and exciting
character education activities to pursue at
your own school. Visit the CEP website at
www.character.org for a description of each
Promising Practice, together with contact
information. The Promising Practices
online database is searchable by topic,
theme, school name, and principle. ◗
Grades K–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Birthday Book
Alcoa Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Alcoa, Tennessee
Teacup Dinner/Dance
Grades K–4 • Cape Girardeau, Missouri
ABC, 123, Anti-Bullying Club Is for Me!
Alton Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Alton, Illinois
“Increase the Peace” Flags
Antonia Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Barnhart, Missouri
The Year of the JagBull
W.O.W.
Apollo Beach Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Apollo Beach, Florida
Character Goal Setting
Area Learning Center
Grades 9–12 • Northfield, Minnesota
Soy Scents Candle Company
Arrowhead Union High School
Grades 11–12 • Hartland, Wisconsin
Letters for Justice
Audubon School
Grades PreK–8 • Chicago, Illinois
Unique Week: “Great Minds Think Differently”
Aventura City of Excellence School
Grades K–8 • Aventura, Florida
ACES Collaborates with Aventura Theater
Batesburg–Leesville Elementary School
Grades 3–5 • Batesburg–Leesville, South Carolina
Peace Agreement
Bayless High School
Grades 9–12 • St. Louis, Missouri
Lake Forest High School freshmen “learn the ropes” through a year-long wellness course.
48
Autism Awareness
Bayless Intermediate School
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Boone Elementary School
Grades PreK–8 • Sandy, Utah
Grades K–5 • Troy, Missouri
Career Day Assembly
Reflections in Faith, Academics, Character
Focus Groups
Bayless Junior High School
Bonneville Elementary School
Bowles Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Grades K–5 • Fenton, Missouri
Living on Your Own: Creating
Responsible Consumers
Respecting the Environment
M.A.P. Kickoff Assembly
Booker Middle School
Brentwood Middle School
Beasley Elementary School
Grades 6–8 • Sarasota, Florida
Grades 6–8 • Brentwood, Missouri
Grades K–5 • St. Louis, Missouri
Building Tolerance and Accepting
Differences
Pit Crew
Non-Negotiables
Shoes Supply Safe Water
Belleville East High School District #201
Grades 9–12 • Belleville, Illinois
DECA Needy Family Food Drive
Ben Franklin Elementary School
Grades PreK–3 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Ben Franklin Peer Leaders
Berkshire Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
“Stand Up to Peer Mistreatment” Week
Bernard Middle School
Salute to Veterans
Beverly Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
Developing Character during Recess
Successful character development activities have spread to the playground and
recess areas. PE teachers across the country have “stepped up to the plate” to
craft creative solutions to behavioral problems that are often manifested during
the beloved—but often unstructured and chaotic—recess period.
When school officials at Eva Turner Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland
noticed that many disciplinary referrals occurred during unstructured recess
times, the PE teacher designed Recess Stations that all grade levels can use
during outdoor recess. The activities at the stations address skills being
learned in all PE classes, and include a variety of individual and cooperative
activities. Recess Stations provide opportunities for students to interact with
each other in a guided activity if they choose, and have resulted in a decline
in recess-related office referrals.
Crafts for a Cause
Bierbaum Elementary School
Healthy Recipes for Local Food Pantry
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
A Letter for Uncle Joe
Blades Elementary School
100% Giving Day of Character
The Blake School
Grades 9–12 • Minneapolis, Minnesota
Through the Facilitated Recess Program, the PE teacher at Gallup Hill
School in Ledyard, Connecticut is granted scheduled time to plan activities
and assist groups of students (by grade level) who may be having difficulty
meeting the expectations of daily grade-level recess. While students can
join voluntarily based on interest in the activity offered, others attend as
reinforcement for an individual behavioral plan or are assigned to the group
in order to deal with a specific recess-related concern.
In Setting the Structure for a Successful Recess, the PE teacher at South
Grafton Elementary School in South Grafton, Massachusetts is instrumental
in setting the tone for successful recess behavior at the beginning of each
school year, spending 4–5 weeks modeling safe and respectful behaviors for
both PE classes and outdoor recess periods, resulting in fewer recess-based
disciplinary referrals and visits to the nurse.
The Service Paths: Reflection and Recognition
49
Circle High School
Grades 9–12 • Towanda, Kansas
Books Can Build Character Too
Books continue to play a major role in character development at many
schools. Crestview Middle School in Ellisville, Missouri created Book Swap
as a way to promote both literacy and sharing by encouraging all students to
bring in a beloved book from home that they were willing to trade. Volunteers
sorted the books, and every child got to choose a “new” book to have and
enjoy, with any leftovers being donated.
At Derby Middle School in Birmingham, Michigan, students in the literacy
classes read aloud to autistic students in special education classes.
Reading Buddies benefits both groups by providing additional reading
practice for students in the literacy classes and giving the autistic students
who love having someone read aloud to them the chance to engage in a
favorite activity.
The community surrounding Main Street Elementary School in Troy, Missouri
created Literacy Backpacks to provide local families who could not afford or
obtain quality reading materials the chance to “check out” from the school
a backpack filled with up to eight quality books and literacy materials.
Similarly, the Kehrs Mill Book Foundation at Kehrs Mill Elementary School
in Chesterfield, Missouri helps to put books in the homes of needy children.
Donations from individual families and the PTO established the Book
Foundation, which allows children who can’t afford to purchase a book at the
annual book fair to select an appropriate book to keep.
Faculty/Student Inclusion
Clifton–Clyde High School
Grades 9–12 • Clyde, Kansas
Angel Tree
Colleton County School District
Grades PreK–12 • Walterboro, South Carolina
“Character Counts” Project
Columbus Elementary School
Grades K–3 • Columbus, Wisconsin
Hearts and Hands: Symbols of a Caring School
Cotswold Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Charlotte, North Carolina
Recharge on a Road Trip: The Power
of Staff Retreats
Cranford High School
Grades 9–12 • Cranford, New Jersey
Cutting Boards for Toys
Crestview Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Ellisville, Missouri
Morning Greeters
Book Swap
Cuivre Park Elementary School
Brookstone School
Central School
Grades PreK–12 • Columbus, Georgia
Grades 4–5 • East Hanover, New Jersey
Senior Capstone Project
SALAD (Student Actors’ League
of Arts and Drama)
Panther Publications
C. S. Lewis Academy
Grades PreK–12 • Newberg, Oregon
Character Building Institute
Student Community Outreach Program
Grades PreK–K • Singapore
Preschoolers Receive and Give
Caddo Parish Public Schools
Grades PreK–12 • Shreveport, Louisiana
Strengthening Character through
the Arts
Chester M. Stephens
Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Budd Lake, New Jersey
Kindness on the Road
Camden County Technical Schools,
Pennsauken Campus
Chesterfield Elementary School
Grades 9–12 • Pennsauken, New Jersey
Grades K–5 • Chesterfield, Missouri
Behavior Development Program
Adopt a Marine
Central Junior High School
Christa McAuliffe School (PS #28)
Grades 7–8 • Belleville, Illinois
Grades PreK–8 • Jersey City, New Jersey
Bully Free: The Way to Be!
Wii Commend You
Crestview Middle School’s Book Swap provides students with an
opportunity to trade gently used books.
50
Cypress Woods Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Palm Harbor, Florida
Heroes for the Planet/STAND
(Students Taking Action Daily)
The Alliance
Derby Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Birmingham, Michigan
Reading Buddies
Dixie M. Hollins High School
Grades 9–12 • St. Petersburg, Florida
Dixie Cares
Doby’s Mill Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Lugoff, South Carolina
Beaming Beacons of Good Character
Dorman High School
Grades 10–12 • Roebuck, South Carolina
011 (Oh-Eleven)
Duncan Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Fort Hood, Texas
Random Acts of Kindness
Edgewood Middle School
Grades 7–8 • Wooster, Ohio
Veterans Celebration Day
El Dorado Elementary School
Students at Forest Avenue School “shop” for Thanksgiving meals for local needy families.
Grades K–8 • Stockton, California
“Colors of Character” Mural Initiative
Ellisville Elementary School
Eva Turner Elementary School
Forest Avenue School
Grades PreK–5 • Waldorf, Maryland
Grades PreK–2 • Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Recess Stations
“Neighbors in Need” Food Drive
Fairway Elementary School
Fox Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
Grades K–6 • Arnold, Missouri
Socks to the Rescue
Filling Buckets One Drip at a Time
Fayetteville–Manlius High School
Fox High School
Grades 9–12 • Manlius, New York
Grades 9–12 • Arnold, Missouri
Coffeehouse
Project Hope
Fox Olympics
Grades K–5 • Ellisville, Missouri
Project Hero
Endeavour Elementary Magnet School
Grades PreK–6 • Cocoa, Florida
Peace Pentagons
Englewood Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Englewood, Florida
Mosaico de la Comunidad: Changing the
World One Community at a Time
Escola Americana de Brasília
Grades PreK–12 • Brasília, D.F., Brazil
Felisa Rincon de Gautier Institute
for Law and Public Policy
Fox Middle School
Grades 9–12 • Bronx, New York
Grades 7–8 • Arnold, Missouri
Integrated Character
Moral Action in Practice
“Make a Difference” Day
Escola para Pais (School for Parents)
Forder Elementary School
Freeburg Community Consolidated
School District #70
Escuela Secundaria Thomas Alva Edison
Grades PreK–5 • St. Louis, Missouri
Grades PreK–8 • Freeburg, Illinois
Grades 7–9 • Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
A Day in the Life at Forder Elementary
The Head, the Heart, and the Hand
Disability Buddy Program
Helping the Community through “Pescador”
51
Gallup Hill School
Gotsch Intermediate School
Grades PreK–6 • Ledyard, Connecticut
Facilitated Recess Program
Family Flags
George Guffey Elementary School
Green Pines Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
SHINE ON and Show Your Guffey Gold
S.O.S. (Sending Our Sunshine)
Young Learners’ Conference
Greenwood Elementary School
Gettys Middle School
Grades K–5 • River Falls, Wisconsin
Grades 6–8 • Easley, South Carolina
The Great Greenwood Giveaway
Gettys Gives Back
Breaking into Business
Hagemann Elementary School
Hampstead Middle School
Second Grade Business
Breakfast for Angels Arms
Grades 5–8 • Hampstead, New Hampshire
Anti-Bullying Program
Harlan Elementary School
Combining Academics
with Character Development
Many schools have seamlessly integrated character education into academic
lessons and have seen positive results all around. At Fox High School in
Arnold, Missouri, for example, the Industrial Arts class instituted Project
Hope to enable students to create a wheelchair ramp and deck to fit the
house of a special-needs community member. Theory and hands-on skills
taught in the class helped guide the planning and crafting of the structure,
and students learned the importance of civic involvement and giving back to
the community.
At West Springfield High School in Springfield, Virginia, seniors participate in
a Senior Capstone Project through both English 12 and Government classes
that emphasizes research and participation in a service-learning project
and sharing with the community. Surveys provide feedback and reflection on
these projects, revealing maturity and growth on the part of the students.
Second graders at Hagemann Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri
participate in the Second Grade Business project, where they learn about
economics, business, and math; create their own “store” and sell a product;
and research a charity to which they will donate a portion of the proceeds.
Students learn valuable lessons as producers, consumers, business owners,
and good citizens.
Fifth-grade students at Cypress Woods Elementary School in Palm Harbor,
Florida, participate in the Heroes for the Planet/STAND (Students Taking Action
Daily) program, where they identify and research a social issue that is of interest
to them. Using technology, social skills, and personal initiative, students explore,
communicate, and present their findings in individual slide-show presentations—
and, in the process, learn that their voices can carry weight.
Grades K–5 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Harlan Hula Hooping for an Autism Cause
Harrison Avenue Elementary School
Grades K–5 • South Glens Falls, New York
After-School Exploratory Enrichment Program
Harry S Truman Elementary School
History Happens Here through Character
“Oh, the Places We’ll Go” through
Service Learning
Hawk Point Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Hawk Point, Missouri
We Are Family!
Henry Raab School
Grades K–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Core Value Boot Camp
Hesston Schools USD 460
Grades K–12 • Hesston, Kansas
Effective School Discipline
Hiawatha Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Toledo, Ohio
Counselor Mail
Hoboken Charter School
Grades K–8 • Hoboken, New Jersey
Hope Dolls and Bedding for Babies
Daring Drama
Holly Glen Elementary School
Grades K–4 • Williamstown, New Jersey
Character Education Club
52
Holman Middle School
Imagine Schools South Lake
Jefferson City Academic Center
Grades 6–8 • St. Ann, Missouri
Grades K–8 • Clermont, Florida
Grades 10–12 • Jefferson City, Missouri
Character Education Info-tainment
Character Caroling
CCC Day (Creating Confidence
through Character)
Hope Academy Charter School
Imagine Schools Town Center
Grades K–8 • Asbury Park, New Jersey
Grades PreK–8 • Palm Coast, Florida
Jefferson East Elementary School
Hope Academy Charter School
Community Circles
Learning with a Purpose
Grades PreK–5 • Jefferson, Wisconsin
“Military Care Package” Project
Indian Land Middle School
House Springs Elementary School
Grades 6–8 • Indian Land, South Carolina
Jefferson School
Grades K–4 • House Springs, Missouri
Warrior Time Advisory Program
Grades PreK–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Growing Happy Kids with Dr. Seuss
Building Inner Wealth within the Staff
Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Campus Sonora Norte
Julian Elementary School
Grades 10–12 • Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Grades K–6 • Julian, California
Building Rocket Pride
Red de Educación del Carácter: Parents
Fostering Character Development
Garden Ambassadors
DREAM Friday
Imagine at Desert West
Iola High School
Kehrs Mill Elementary School
Grades K–8 • Phoenix, Arizona
Grades 9–12 • Iola, Kansas
Junior Police Program
Building Assets One Project at a Time
Kehrs Mill Book Foundation
Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence
Ironwood Area Schools
Kellison Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Cleveland, Ohio
Grades PreK–12 • Ironwood, Michigan
Bella Ball
Character on the Move:
“Walk to School” Day
Watching Good Character Grow:
Norrie Park Project
Stripes Buddy Activities
Imagine Academy of Environmental
Science and Math
Imagine Charter School at Weston
Grades PreK–5 • Weston, Florida
Character Development Progress Report
Kennerly Elementary School
Service with Song
Imagine East Mesa
Grades PreK–8 • Mesa, Arizona
Staff Development
Imagine Kissimmee Charter Academy
Grades PreK–8 • Kissimmee, Florida
School-wide Character Assemblies
Imagine Klepinger Road
Community School
Grades K–7 • Dayton, Ohio
We Are Bucket Fillers!
Imagine Master Academy
Grades 6–8 • Fort Wayne, Indiana
Communication Card (C-Card)
Imagine Prep at Surprise
Grades 7–12 •Surprise, Arizona
Moral Foundations: A Class United
Imagine Schools
Grades PreK–12 • Arlington, Virginia
National Character Essay Contest
Year-End Character Self-Evaluation
The Kehrs Mill Book Foundation puts books into the homes of needy students.
53
Lindbergh Schools
Transitions as a Community of Character
Long Elementary School
B-Mail
Louisa County Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Mineral, Virginia
Validation Program
Lowndes High School
Grades 9–12 • Valdosta, Georgia
Shop with a Viking
Main Street Elementary School
Literacy Backpacks
Main Street Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Lake City, South Carolina
One Village
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education’s monthly newsletter includes ideas for character-related service and art projects.
Margaret Buerkle Middle School
Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum
Lawrence Middle School
Grades K–12 • Trenton, New Jersey
Grades 7–8 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Multi-Tiered Advisory Program
Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes
and Fostering Respect
Cardinal Countdown 3, 2, 1!
Marlboro County High School
Leola Elementary School
Grades 9–12 • Bennettsville, South Carolina
Kuser Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Leola, Pennsylvania
Bridge Program
Grades PreK–5 • Hamilton, New Jersey
“It’s a Parent Thing” Class Meeting
Marquette High School
Daily Morning Assembly
Liberty Corner School
Grades 9–12 • Chesterfield, Missouri
Lafayette High School
Grades K–5 • Liberty Corner, New Jersey
Activities Leadership Program
Grades 9–12 • Wildwood, Missouri
Boosters
McLean High School
New Student Breakfast
Lincoln County R-III School District
Grades 9–12 • McLean, Virginia
Lake Forest High School
Grades PreK–12 • Troy, Missouri
Mentorship Program
Grades 9–12 • Lake Forest, Illinois
Basketball Character
Mehlville High School
Health and Wellness for Life
Lincoln Elementary School
Lakes International Language Academy
Grades K–6 • Forest Lake, Minnesota
Knowledge-A-Thon
Sewing for Santa
Sewing for Soldiers
Classroom Agreements
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education
Mehlville School District
LaSalle Springs Middle School
PreK–K • St. Louis, Missouri
Grades 6–8 • Wildwood, Missouri
“Got Character!” Newsletter
Project E.N.G.A.G.E.
WEB Lunches
Lindbergh High School
Meramec Heights Elementary School
Laurel Middle School
Grades K–6 • Arnold, Missouri
Grades 6–8 • Laurel, Mississippi
Community Partners’ Service That Saves
Celebrating America: A Tribute to Our Heroes
Veterans Day Celebration
Bullying Prevention Month
54
Mill Pond School
Grades 4–6 • Westborough, Massachusetts
Feeding Our Learning
Morgan Selvidge Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Ballwin, Missouri
S.T.R.E.A.M.S.
Nature Trail Workdays
Morganton Day School
Grades PreK–8 • Morganton, North Carolina
How We Share the Planet
Mount Olive Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Budd Lake, New Jersey
Character C.R.E.W.
Mountainville Academy
Grades K–8 • Alpine, Utah
Leadership Hour
Muhlenberg Elementary Center
Grades K–4 • Laureldale, Pennsylvania
Cool Muhl
Murphy Elementary School
Grades K–4 • High Ridge, Missouri
Supporting Our Active-Duty Troops
Muskogee High School
Grades 9–12 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
Advocacy Families
Namaste Charter School
Grades K–7 • Chicago, Illinois
Friday Family Breakfasts
Neosho R-V School District
Grades PreK–12 • Neosho, Missouri
“Stand Up to Bullying” Week
Advisories: A Place to Call Home
and Develop Character
The relationship-building nature of advisory time has always provided
an ideal environment for character development. Many educators have
taken advantage of this consistent time with a regular group of students
and tried new character development activities that have yielded
notable results.
At Indian Land Middle School in Indian Land, South Carolina, the Warrior
Time Advisory Program gives each student the chance to develop
relationships with a faculty member as well as learn how to deal with
social, physical, academic, and emotional changes. Students participate
in a variety of activities—from role playing to signing a bully-free pledge—
that emphasize making wise choices, embracing diversity, and becoming
productive citizens. Furthermore, club time is built into Advisory, which
allows students to become involved in groups of their choice during the
school day.
Muskogee High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma uses Advocacy Families
to assist students in achieving greater success at school and in their local
community. At-risk students are mixed with other students in advisory
groups, and remain in the same group for all their years in high school.
Advocacy families meet for 20 to 30 minutes once a week and deal with
a variety of topics: from grade checks, attendance, and character lessons,
to the planning of outside-of-school events and fun activities designed to
build relationships.
Students at Southern Hills Career and Technical Center in Georgetown,
Ohio, all have a staff mentor. Mentoring Monday is on the schedule twice
each month. During this time, which takes up one full period of the school
day, the staff focuses on character education and relationship building. Since
implementing Mentoring Monday, the school has experienced a 35 percent
decline in disciplinary infractions involving disrespect and disobedience,
cheating, and class disruption.
Little Families at Woodlands School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin are groups
of 12 students and a faculty member who meet monthly to discuss,
analyze, and propose solutions to problems in ways that exhibit respect,
responsibility, fairness, trustworthiness, caring, citizenship, and creativity.
The dialogue is enriched by the diverse perspectives of culture, race, home
language, and socioeconomic background that brighten the school. The Little
Families remain intact over time, with younger students joining when older
students graduate.
Fourth- and fifth-grade student ambassadors at North Boulevard
Elementary collaborate on service learning projects.
55
Newport Mill Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Kensington, Maryland
Growing in Character Can Be Fun
North Boulevard Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Pompton Plains, New Jersey
School Ambassadors Serving the
School and Community
North Brunswick Township High School
Grades 9–12 • North Brunswick, New Jersey
HOST Program
North Pike Elementary School
Grades K–4 • Summit, Mississippi
Little Jags C.A.R. E.
(Care and Respect Everyone)
The G.R.E.E.N. Team (Growing Recyclers
for Earth’s Environmental Needs)
North Star Academy
Salam School students learn how to prevent and address bullying behaviors.
Grades K–8 • Parker, Colorado
Making Character Memorable
Northwest High School
Grades 9–12 • Cedar Hill, Missouri
Northwestival
Northwest R-1 School District
Grades PreK–12 • High Ridge, Missouri
Keeping the Promise for Your Citizenry
Oakville Middle School
Pinson Valley High School
Grades 9–12 • Pinson, Alabama
Cooperative Learning: Increasing Student Engagement in the Foreign Language Classroom
Alma Mater Idol
Plattin Primary School
Orrs Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 •Festus, Missouri
Grades PreK–5 • Griffin, Georgia
Caring Corner
Nickels for Nails
Point Elementary School
Oak Brook Elementary School
Orrville City Schools/
Heartland Education Community
Grades K–5 • Ballwin, Missouri
Grades K–12 • Orrville, Ohio
Celebrating Veterans Day throughout the Year
Word of the Month
Oakville Elementary School
Oxford High School
Freshman Academy
7 Habits: The Leader in Me
Grade 9 • Oxford, Alabama
Ridgeway Elementary School
Academy Character
Grades PreK–6 • Hamilton, Ohio
Open Hearts, Open Doors
Volunteering at Nazareth Living Center
“Kids Helping Kids” Project
Redland Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Wetumpka, Alabama
Smart Start
Oxon Hill High School
Grades 9–12 • Oxon Hill, Maryland
Riverbend School
One Less Bully ... One More Friend
Grade 8 • Pacific, Missouri
Character Connection Class Contract
Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School
Grades K–12 • Norristown, Pennsylvania
Robert R. Lazar Middle School
The Diamond Model
Grades 6–8 • Montville, New Jersey
LNN (Lazar News Network)
Pershing Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
Rogers Elementary School
Project S.A.V.E.
“Heart to Heart” Project
Oakville Elementary students collect resources to benefit a local
animal shelter.
56
Rougher Alternative Academy
Grades 7–12 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
Challenge Youth Trips
Sadler Arts Academy
Grades K–8 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
Capacity to Care
Sag Harbor Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Sag Harbor, New York
“Soup”er Bowl Celebration
Standards of Behavior and
“Blue Slip” Awards
Developing Character through
Honoring Those Who Serve
Honoring our nation’s veterans and active-duty military members remains
a popular way to emphasize character development. Below is a sampling
of some of this year’s practices that give students the opportunity to honor
our veterans.
 Salute to Veterans at Bernard Middle School, St. Louis, Missouri
Salam School
Grades PreK–12 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bullying Awareness: Creating a Safe
Learning Environment
Acting Right: Teaching Social Skills
to Build Student Confidence
San Leandro High School
Grades 9–12 • San Leandro, California
Season of Service, Period of Peace
 Adopt a Marine at Chesterfield Elementary School, Chesterfield, Missouri
S.A.I.L. (Service Activities Involvement
and Leadership)
Students and staff collected money to make up care packages for
friends and families who are currently in the military.
 Veterans Day Celebration at Laurel Middle School, Laurel, Mississippi
Seckman High School
Grades 9–12 • Imperial, Missouri
Special Needs Prom
Writing Well and Living Well for
Living Well Village
A fifth-grade class adopted and supported several U.S. Marines
deployed to Afghanistan by sending letters of encouragement and
care packages.
 Military Care Package Project at Jefferson East Elementary School,
Jefferson, Wisconsin
Secaucus School District
Grades PreK–12 • Secaucus, New Jersey
The school puts on an annual concert involving all performance groups
and honoring area veterans for their service.
This school holds an assembly to honor local veterans, which features
performances by school groups and individuals. Students also
participate in a variety of relevant academic lessons and work together
to create meaningful decorations for the assembly.
 Supporting Our Active-Duty Troops at Murphy Elementary School,
High Ridge, Missouri
Seckman Middle School
In December, students wrote 250 letters and filled six boxes of care
items for soldiers overseas.
Grades 7–8 • Imperial, Missouri
A Collective Expression of Gratitude
Secundaria Bilingüe Albert Einstein
Grades 7–9 • Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico
 Celebrating Veterans Day throughout the Year at Oak Brook
Elementary School, Ballwin, Missouri
Feria Ambiental y Ecologista del Mayo
(Mayo Environmental and Ecological Fair)
Secundaria Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Campus Ciudad Juárez
Grades 7–9 • Ciudad Juárez, Aguascalientes, Mexico
Choosing a School President
Oak Brook Elementary students honor veterans throughout the year
by supporting Fisher House, a “home away from home” for families
of members of the armed forces who are receiving medical care for
service-related injuries.
 A Collective Expression of Gratitude at Seckman Middle School,
Imperial, Missouri
Students create a human flag display and produce a video to share
with local veterans at an annual Veterans Breakfast.
Secundaria Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Campus Zacatecas
Grades 7–9 • Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico
Leafing through the Past
57
Simpson Elementary students learn about disabilities through
interactive activities.
Sherwood Elementary School
Southwest Early Childhood Center
Trautwein Elementary School
PreK • Jefferson City, Missouri
Character in Action
“Manners Mentors” Program
Springhead Elementary School
Troy Ninth Grade Center
Grades PreK–5 • Plant City, Florida
Grade 9 • Moscow Mills, Missouri
Savvy Señoritas
Anti-Bullying Week
St. John’s Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Darlington, South Carolina
Troy R-III Early Childhood
Education Center
Singing for Success
PreK • Troy, Missouri
The Wishing Well
St. Louis Charter School
Tuttle Elementary School
Middle School Advisory
Grades K–5 •Sarasota, Florida
Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn!
Grades PreK–6 • Arnold, Missouri
Staff Development
Shirley Hills Primary School
Stanton Elementary School
Upper Merion Area Middle School
Everyone a Leader
Grades 5–8 • King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Service Learning Project for the Needy
Grades PreK–4 • Mound, Minnesota
Caring for Our Community
Sibley East Schools ISD 2310
Starside Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • De Soto, Kansas
Uthoff Valley Elementary School
It’s All about RESPECT
“Uthoff’s Newest Viking” Program
Grades K–12 • Arlington, Minnesota
Sibley East School Garden
Simpson Elementary School
Student Leadership Academy
Grades 6–8 • Venice, Florida
Vail School District
Caring through the Arts
Grades K–12 • Vail, Arizona
Link Crew
Grades PreK–6 • Arnold, Missouri
Special Friends Club
Sullivan Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Sullivan, Missouri
Valley Elementary School
Fall Festival of Character
Grades PreK–5 • Jefferson, Maryland
Student–“Grandfriends” Partnership Program
English Language Learners Parent–
Teacher Night
Sullivan Primary School
Special Friend Mentor Program
Book Cafés
South Brunswick High School
Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Escuela Secundaria Bilingüe
Isaac Newton (ESBIN)
Snow Creek Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Hickory, North Carolina
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, Missouri
Liberty Eagle’s Journey: A Purpose
Valley Park Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Valley Park, Missouri
Grades 9–12 • Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
Building Character through Illuminating
Characters: The Monologue Project
South Grafton Elementary School
Grades 7–9 • Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
Four Keys to Reflexive Thinking
Bullying Awareness/Prevention Workshops
Grades PreK–2 • South Grafton, Massachusetts
Setting the Structure for a Successful
Recess
Character Fitness
Charter School
Grades K–8 • Fresno, California
Monthly Character Assembly
Daily Greet and Meet
Thomas Stone High School
Grades 9–12 • Waldorf, Maryland
Class Character Competition: “The Golden Stone”
Southern Hills Career and
Technical Center
Timberlane Middle School
Grades 11–12 • Georgetown, Ohio
Grades 6–8 • Pennington, New Jersey
Mentoring Monday
Diversity Appreciation Days
Southern Valley Jr./Sr. High School
Tioga Middle School
Grades 7–12 • Oxford, Nebraska
Grades 7–8 • Fresno, California
Giving Students a Meaningful Voice in
Educational Decisions
MicroSociety Leads Students in
Real-Life Learning
58
Fifth graders at Snow Creek Elementary are paired with local
“grandfriends” for regular activities.
Venice High School
Grades 9–12 • Venice, Florida
Does your school have a unique,
specific character education
practice to share?
Unity Day Student Forum
Washington High School
Grades 9–12 • Washington, Missouri
Blue Jay Pride
West Haven Public School District
Grades PreK–12 • West Haven, Connecticut
Academic Integrity Committee (AIC)
West Springfield High School
Grades 9–12 • Springfield, Virginia
Senior Capstone Project
Westhaven Elementary School
Grades PreK–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Joke of the Day
Westridge Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Ballwin, Missouri
Change the World through Service Learning
Wild Horse Elementary School
“Neigh”borly Café with Reservation Seating
Willards Elementary School
CEP will be accepting applications for the 2012 Promising Practices
program starting in January 2012.
What types of practices do you look for?
CEP looks for practices that successfully promote character education
in K–12 schools and address one of the principles outlined in CEP’s
11 Principles of Effective Character Education. We recognize these
annually as Promising Practices. The practices cover many different areas
and activities, including service learning projects, academic practices,
anti-bullying strategies, character assemblies, family/community
involvement, staff development, innovative buddy programs, and many,
many more. We do not recognize entire (school- or district-wide) character
education programs, practices emphasizing extrinsic rewards, or the
singling out of students for recognition for good behavior; also, many
copyrighted, trademarked, or packaged programs do not qualify since
they are so widely used. We are looking for unique, specific practices that
have been created by you and tried out by you—and have worked in your
school/district. Send them to us!
What must I do to apply?
Complete a simple online application, which will be available on the
CEP website, www.character.org. You will be asked to:
■
Provide contact information, and school and district information
(including demographics, population numbers, etc.)
■
Provide one paragraph explaining how the practice works
(150 words maximum)
A Party to Remember
■
Explain in more detail what the practice is and how you have
implemented it in your school/district (300 words maximum)
Woerther Elementary School
■
Explain how this specific practice contributes to character
development (200 words maximum)
“Circle of Concern” Birthday Club
Character Celebration
■
Describe the impact that this specific practice is having
on your school/district (200 words maximum)
Wohlwend Elementary School
■
Attach one photo of your specific practice in action (required!)
Grades PreK–2 • Willards, Maryland
Healthy Decisions for Healthy Bodies
William Cappel Elementary School
Grades K–5 •Moscow Mills, Missouri
Grades K–5 •Ballwin, Missouri
Grades K–5 •St. Louis, Missouri
Project ENGAGE
Woodlands School
Grades PreK–8 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Little Families
Developmental Values Chart
Zion–Benton Township High School
Grades 9–12 • Zion, Illinois
Plan now to apply!
Keep checking the website (www.character.org) in early 2012 for an
announcement that the 2012 Promising Practices program is open.
We look forward to seeing your application!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lisa Greeves, Promising Practices Manager
Freshman Zero Day
59
References
Resources Used by the 2011 National Schools of Character
11 Principles of Effective Character Education. Washington, DC:
Character Education Partnership, 2010.
International Baccalaureate. Geneva, Switzerland: International
Baccalaureate Organization. Website: www.ibo.org.
Baldridge Model. Gaithersburg, MD: National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST). Website:
www.nist.gov/baldrige.
Junior Achievement. Colorado Springs, CO: Junior Achievement
USA. Website: www.ja.org.
Caring School Community. Oakland, CA: Developmental Studies
Center. Website: www.devstu.org/caring-school-community.
CHARACTER COUNTS! Los Angeles, CA: Josephson Institute
Website: www.charactercounts.org.
Character Links. Katy, TX: Positive Learning Systems.
Website: www.characterlinks.com.
CHARACTERplus. St. Louis, MO: Cooperating School Districts.
Website: www.characterplus.org.
Community of Caring. Salt Lake City, UT: Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Center for Community of Caring at the University of
Utah. Website: www.communityofcaring.org.
Core Essentials. Cumming, GA: Chick-fil-A. Website:
www.coreessentials.org.
Core Knowledge. Charlottesville, VA: Core Knowledge Foundation.
Website: www.coreknowledge.org.
Corporation for National and Community Service.
Washington, D.C. Website: www.nationalservice.gov.
Covey, S. R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY:
Simon and Schuster, 1989.
DuFour, R., R. DuFour, R. Eaker, and G. Karhanek.
Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities
Respond When Kids Don’t Learn. Bloomington, IN:
Solution Tree Press, 2004.
Math Trailblazers. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing
Company. Website: www.kendallhunt.com/mtb3.
Mix It Up. Montgomery, AL: Teaching Tolerance.
Website: www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up.
No Place for Hate. New York, NY: Anti-Defamation League.
Website: www.noplaceforhate.org.
PAL Peer Assistance and Leadership. Austin, TX:
Workers Assistance Program. Website: www.palusa.org.
PRIDE Surveys. Bowling Green, KY: International Survey
Associates. Website: www.pridesurveys.com.
Rachel’s Challenge. Littleton, CO: Rachel’s Challenge.
Website: www.rachelschallenge.org.
Rath, T., and D. O. Clifton. How Full Is Your Bucket?
Positive Strategies for Work and Life. New York, NY:
Gallup Press, 2009.
Responsive Classroom. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation
for Children, Inc. Website: www.responsiveclassroom.org.
Ronald McDonald House. Oak Brook, IL: Ronald McDonald
House Charities. Website: www.rmhc.org.
Sanford N. McDonnell Leadership Academy in Character Education
(LACE). CHARACTERplus. St. Louis, MO: Cooperating
School Districts. Website: www.characterplus.org.
Second Step. Seattle, WA: Committee for Children.
Website: www.cfchildren.org.
Fay, J., and D. Funk. Teaching with Love and Logic:
Taking Control of the Classroom. Golden, CO:
Love and Logic Press, Inc., 1995.
Sprick, R. CHAMPs: A Proactive and Positive Approach to
Classroom Management, 2nd Edition. Eugene, OR:
Pacific Northwest Publishing, 2009.
G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training).
Tallahassee, FL: Institute for Intergovernmental Research.
Website: www.great-online.org.
Strengthening Families Program. Pleasantville, NJ: Atlantic
Prevention Resources. Website: www.atlprev.org.
60
Schools of character…
bringing out the best in everyone
Ready to improve your school culture so that all students succeed?
Need feedback on where to go from here? Want to share your successful
strategies with others? Join the schools of character process in 2012!
CEP’s National and State Schools of Character
program offers K–12 public, private, and charter
schools and districts across the U.S. a path to
school improvement and excellence through
high-quality character education. When schools
engage in this process and seek to implement
CEP’s framework for success, the 11 Principles
of Effective Character Education, they:

Bring teachers, administrators, support
staff, parents, students, and community
members together to identify a common
set of core values and unite around a
common purpose
The 2012 Schools of
Character Process
Step 1: Prepare to apply
(October–November 2011)
Assemble a representative group of stakeholders (administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, community members, and even students,
if appropriate) to provide input into the application process and complete a self-assessment.
Visit CEP’s website (www.character.org) to
view resources for applicants and find out
the questions the 2012 applicants will be
asked. Gather the information you will need
to complete the application.

Go through a process of reflection
and self-assessment that helps the
school community identify strengths
and next steps

Gain insights into what high-quality
character education looks like, helping
them to improve and strengthen their
own programs
Step 2: Complete the online
application (application deadline:
December 1, 2011)

Receive guidance, expert feedback,
and recognition at no cost—other than
their time
Visit www.character.org to complete your
application online.
CEP recognizes all schools and districts
that meet the standard of excellence articulated
in its 11 Principles document and helps them
with outreach to others. State sponsors
recognize State Schools of Character (SSOC)
at state-level awards ceremonies, and CEP
recognizes NSOC at an awards ceremony held at
our annual conference as well as on our website
and in this annual publication.
What happens after I hit “Submit”?
“As we worked on the application,
we realized the ‘winning’ was the
process itself.”
—Nan Peterson, The Blake School,
2009 National School of Character
The schools of character program is not a
competition—but rather an opportunity to obtain
feedback on existing character education initiatives
and possibly receive recognition for growth and
excellence in the area of social, emotional, and
character development. Applicants repeatedly
attest to the tremendous benefits of participating
in the schools of character process.
In December and early January, state
coordinators (in states with sponsors) review
and score all applications from their respective
states. Those that meet the standard of
excellence set by their state coordinators are
named State Schools of Character (SSOC)—a
designation that they retain for a period of 3
years—and their applications are forwarded
to CEP for further consideration. (CEP reviews
applications from states without sponsors.)
In January and February, CEP national
screeners review and score applications
forwarded from the state coordinators and
those from non-sponsored states. Those that
meet CEP’s standard of excellence are named
National Finalists in early March, and they are
informed about the next stage in the process.
In March and April, National Evaluators
review Finalist applications and other available
sources of validation. In many cases, the
National Evaluator will visit the school or
district. If the applicant does not receive a
site visit, the National Evaluator will consider
other sources of information, including phone
interviews with stakeholders. The National
BACK COVER (from left to right): Catena students and their principal work to beautify their campus, Beauvoir buddies,
South Brunswick students show off their core values, Mark Twain buddies, Brigantine’s principal models kindness.
Evaluator summarizes his or her findings
in a report sent to CEP that explains his or
her recommendation and gives feedback to
the school.
In early May, CEP reviews the reports and
decides whether the applicants recommended
by the National Evaluators should be named
NSOC. CEP invites state coordinators to inform
those selected as NSOC and then posts a list
of the NSOC on the CEP website.
Step 3: Review your feedback
and plan next steps
All applicants receive feedback in order to
encourage continuous improvement. When
you are notified of your application status
and given your feedback, reassemble your
stakeholder group or character education
committee to review the feedback and plan
your next steps. If you are named an NSOC,
publicize your recognition and begin to develop
your outreach plan.
Expectations of Schools of Character
Schools and districts named National Schools
of Character (NSOC) are expected to serve
as ambassadors of character education and
models and mentors to other schools. At a
minimum, CEP expects all NSOC to be open
to inquiries and visits from other educators
and to contribute to their profiles on the CEP
website and in the NSOC book. Beyond this,
NSOC are expected to select from a menu of
outreach options in a way that best suits their
available resources.
NSOC outreach options:

Create a short video to be posted on the
CEP website

Post lesson plans and best practices on
the CEP website

Lead a breakout session or hot topic
discussion at CEP’s National Forum

Conduct an outreach session, workshop,
conference, or in-service presentation in
your home state or district

Develop a mentoring relationship with
another school or district

Participate in the CEP online community:
CEP blog, Facebook, Twitter, electronic
newsletter, webinars
The schools of character process is an
annual one, and schools are encouraged
to continue to apply until they have been
designated a National School of Character.
CEP believes that with proper feedback and
dedication to the process, all schools can
reach the established standard of excellence
and become schools of character. ◗
CEP’s 11 Principles
of Effective Character Education
A Framework for School Success
Based on the practices of effective schools, CEP’s 11 Principles form the cornerstone of our philosophy
on how best to create school cultures that support and promote positive character development and
student success. As broad principles that capture the essence of excellence in character education, the
11 Principles serve as guideposts that schools can use to plan and evaluate their programs.
PRINCIPLE 1
PRINCIPLE 5
PRINCIPLE 9
The school community promotes
core ethical and performance
values as the foundation of
good character.
The school provides students with
opportunities for moral action.
The school fosters shared
leadership and long-range
support of the character
education initiative.
PRINCIPLE 2
The school defines “character”
comprehensively to include
thinking, feeling, and doing.
PRINCIPLE 3
The school uses a comprehensive,
intentional, and proactive approach
to character development.
PRINCIPLE 4
The school creates a caring
community.
PRINCIPLE 6
The school offers a meaningful and
challenging academic curriculum that
respects all learners, develops their
character, and helps them to succeed.
PRINCIPLE 7
The school fosters students’
self-motivation.
PRINCIPLE 8
The school staff is an ethical
learning community that shares
responsibility for character education
and adheres to the same core
values that guide the students.
PRINCIPLE 10
The school engages families
and community members
as partners in the characterbuilding effort.
PRINCIPLE 11
The school regularly assesses
its culture and climate, the
functioning of its staff as
character educators, and the
extent to which its students
manifest good character.
To read more about the 11 Principles and learn how to evaluate your character education
initiative using the Eleven Principles Scoring Guide, visit www.character.org.
lxiv

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