2009 Winners - Character.org

Transcription

2009
National Schools
of Character:
A w a r d -W i n n i n g P r act i ces
N SOC S PON SOR S
Sanford N.
McDonnell
The Pieper
Family Foundation
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: Blake upper school students in Ecuador (top left), Milwaukee
College Prep students hand in hand (center), Blake School graduates (top right),
First Philadelphia Charter students enjoying “Bubble Day” (bottom right),
First Philadelphia fifth graders on an overnight retreat (bottom left).
2009
National Schools
of Character:
A war d -W innin g P ractice s
Published and distributed by Character Education Partnership
Copyright ©2009 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 can also be found on the Character Education Partnership Web site, www.character.org,
where individual articles can be accessed.
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]
Acknowledgments
2009 Blue Ribbon Panel
2009 NSOC Site Visitors
Marilyn Watson, Chairperson
Program Director (ret.)
Developmental Studies Center
Kay Augustine
Consultant and Trainer
Associate Director (ret.), Institute for
Character Development at Drake University
Ed Dunkelblau
Director
Institute for Emotionally
Intelligent Learning
Ron Axelrod
Consultant
Staff Development Coordinator (ret.)
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Center for Community of Caring
Michael Galvin
School Leadership Consultant
Focused Leadership Solutions, LLC
Chris Briggs-Hale
Consultant, Waterfall Learning, LLC
Teacher, Columbine Elementary School
Peter Greer
Headmaster (ret.)
The Montclair Kimberley Academy
Eileen Dachnowicz
Consultant, Character Education Partnership
Consultant, Center for Social and Character
Development at Rutgers University
John Martin
President and CEO
The Modeling Virtuous
Principles Foundation
Judy Jones
Counselor (ret.)
Cross Bayou Elementary School
Helen R. Stiff-Williams
Professor, School of Education
Regent University
Penny Keith
Professional Development Director
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Lauren Kelly
Vice Principal
Harvest Park Middle School
Barbara Luther
Senior Consultant,
Character Education Partnership
Coordinator (ret.),
Maryland Schools of Character
ACES kindergartners get a “sneak peek” at first grade.
Lara Maupin
Associate Director of National Schools
of Character
Geoffrey McCarthy-Miller
Principal (ret.)
Philip R. Smith Elementary School
Linda Morris
Educational Consultant, Lead for Success
Assistant Superintendent (ret.)
Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools
Judy Owens
Coach/Facilitator
CHARACTERplus
Rich Parisi
Director of Communications
and Operations
Institute for Excellence & Ethics (IEE)
Faculty Member, Smart & Good Schools
Richard Puppione
Senior Director (ret.), Pupil Services
Pleasanton Unified School District
Rebecca Sipos
Janice Stoodley
Director of National Schools of Character
Steven C. Suess
Education Coordinator for Graduate
Studies, Lindenwood University
Coordinator (ret.)
Missouri Schools of Character
Pat Tibbetts
Coordinator
Michigan Schools of Character
Head of School (ret.), Japhet School
David Wangaard
Director
The School for Ethical Education
Special Thanks
Support for the 2009 National Schools of Character awards program has come from these visionary donors: the John Templeton
Foundation, Sanford N. McDonnell, The Pieper Family Foundation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Sanford N.
McDonnell
ii 2009 National Schools of Character
The Pieper
Family Foundation
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
Board of Directors
David W. Fisher, Chairman
Executive Vice President
Wealth Division, BB&T
Sanford N. McDonnell, Chairman Emeritus
Chairman Emeritus
McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Frank A. Keating, Vice Chairman
Former Governor, Oklahoma
President and CEO, American Council of
Life Insurers
Thomas Lickona, Secretary
Professor, Childhood and Early Childhood
Education Department
Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs
SUNY Cortland
Charles E. Baker
CPA (ret.)
Ernst & Young
Marvin Berkowitz
Sanford N. McDonnell Professor
of Character Education
University of Missouri—St. Louis
Diane Berreth
Former Chief Planning Officer
Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
Eileen Santiago
Principal
Thomas A. Edison School
Betty Siegel
President Emeritus
Kennesaw State University
Richard Teerlink
Former Chairman and CEO
Harley–Davidson Motor Company
CEP Staff
Joseph W. Mazzola
Executive Director
Bryan Eddins
Accountant
Mai Hinton
Community Outreach and
Research Associate
Lara Maupin
Associate Director of National
Schools of Character
Melissa Reilly
Coordinator of Executive Support
Merle Schwartz
Director of Education and Research
Michael Shreve
Research and Education Fellow
Rebecca Sipos
Janice Stoodley
Director of National Schools
of Character
Iris Wyatt
Database Manager
Yetta Joy Ziolkowski
Staff Associate
Publication Credits
Winner articles written by
Eileen Dachnowicz
Additional articles, book coordination, and
editing by Lara Maupin
Additional articles and book
consultation by Janice Stoodley
Book design by Denise Reiffenstein
at VC Graphics, Inc.
Copyediting by Georgia A. Martin
Additional assistance by Cindy Jin,
Melissa Reilly, and Rebecca Sipos
Michele Borba
Educational Psychologist, Author
Anne L. Bryant
Executive Director
National School Boards Association
Jeffrey K. Cordes
President and CEO
talentRISE LLC
Maryanne Lavan
Vice President, Internal Audit
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Joseph W. Mazzola
Executive Director
Blake School students learn teamwork and build community during grade-level retreats.
2009 National Schools of Character
iii
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
CEP Education
Advisory Council
CEP National
Leadership Council
Diane Berreth, Chairperson
Former Chief Planning Officer
Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development
David M. Abshire
President
Center for the Study of the
Presidency and Congress
Ron Berger
Director of Instruction and
Northeast Regional Director
Expeditionary Learning Schools
Outward Bound
Norman R. Augustine
Chairman and CEO (ret.)
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Charles Elbot
Director, Office of Intentional School Culture
Denver Public Schools
Maurice Elias
Professor, Department of Psychology
Rutgers University
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Senior Advisor
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Barbara Bush
Former First Lady
Stephen L. Carter
William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law
Yale Law School
Kristin D. Fink
Executive Director
Utah Coalition for Civic,
Character & Service Learning
Stephen R. Covey
Co-Founder/Vice Chairman
FranklinCovey
Avis E. Glaze
President and CEO
Edu-quest International Inc.
William H. Danforth
Chancellor Emeritus
Washington University
Marisha L. Humphries
Assistant Professor, Department
of Educational Psychology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Archie W. Dunham
Chairman (ret.)
ConocoPhillips
Peter S. Lynch
Vice Chairman
Fidelity Management and
Research Company
Robert J. Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive
Boy Scouts of America
Harold W. McGraw, III
Chairman and CEO
The McGraw–Hill Companies
John E. Pepper
Chairman and CEO (ret.)
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, Princeton University
Professor of Economics and Public Affairs,
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs
Ralph W. Shrader
Chairman and CEO
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
George H. Gallup, Jr.
Chairman (ret.)
The George H. Gallup
International Institute
John M. Templeton, Jr.
President
John Templeton Foundation
Robert W. Galvin
Chairman of the Board (ret.)
Motorola, Inc.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Former Lieutenant Governor
State of Maryland
Earl G. Graves
Chairman and CEO
Black Enterprise Magazine
James S. Turley
Chairman and CEO
Ernst & Young
J. Barry Griswell
Chairman, President, and CEO
The Principal Financial Group
William H. Webster
Partner
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Clifton L. Taulbert
President, The Building Community Institute
President, The Freemount Corporation
Walter Isaacson
President and CEO
The Aspen Institute
Clifton Wharton, Jr.
Former Chairman and CEO
TIAA–CREF
Philip Fitch Vincent
Director
Character Development Group
William S. Kanaga
Former Chairman
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Thomas Lickona
Professor, Childhood and Early Childhood
Education Department
Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs
SUNY Cortland
Darcia Narváez
Director, Collaboration for Ethical Education
University of Notre Dame
Larry Nucci
Visiting Professor, Institute of
Human Development
University of California, Berkeley
iv 2009 National Schools of Character
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................... 2
Brigantine Elementary School.................................... 35
Grades PreK–4 • Brigantine, NJ
2009 Winners................................................... 3
First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy............. 36
Grades PreK–8 • Philadelphia, PA
Alta S. Leary Elementary School.................................. 3
Grades K–5 • Warminster, PA
Bayless Junior High School........................................... 6
Grades 7–8 • St. Louis, MO
Beverly Woods Elementary School................................ 9
Grades K–5 • Charlotte, NC
The Blake School....................................................... 12
Grades PreK–12 • Hopkins, MN
Col. John Robinson School......................................... 15
Grades K–2 • Westford, MA
Fox C-6 School District.............................................. 18
Grades PreK–12 • Arnold, MO
Greenfield Elementary School.................................... 21
Grades PreK–5 • Beverly Hills, MI
Long Elementary School............................................ 24
Grades K–5 • Crestwood, MO
Milwaukee College Prep School................................. 27
Grades PreK–8 • Milwaukee, WI
Westwood Elementary School.................................... 30
Grades PreK–3 • Friendswood, TX
Fuguitt Elementary School......................................... 36
Grades PreK–5 • Largo, FL
Hamilton Township School District............................. 37
Grades PreK–12 • Hamilton, NJ
Kehrs Mill Elementary School.................................... 37
Grades K–5 • Chesterfield, MO
Lake Riviera Middle School........................................ 38
Grades 6–8 • Brick, NJ
Lore Elementary School............................................. 38
Grades K–5 • Ewing, NJ
Lyles–Crouch Traditional Academy.............................. 39
Grades K–5 • Alexandria, VA
Parkside Primary Center............................................ 39
Grades K–3 • Bethalto, IL
Peak to Peak Charter School..................................... 40
Grades K–12 • Lafayette, CO
Seminole Elementary School...................................... 40
Grades K–5 • Seminole, FL
Sullivan Primary School ............................................ 41
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, MO
2009 National Finalists
and Honorable Mention............................... 33
Walnut Street Elementary School............................... 41
Grades K–5 • Uniondale, NY
Ashland High School.................................................. 33
Grades 9–12 • Ashland, OH
2008 Outreach............................................... 42
Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES)................ 34
Grades K–8 • Aventura, FL
2009 State Schools of Character.............. 43
Bayless Elementary School........................................ 34
Grades PreK–2 • St. Louis, MO
2009 Promising Practices........................... 47
Beverly Elementary School........................................ 35
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, MI
1
Introduction
The 2009 National Schools of Character Awards
A
s the nation’s leading advocate for
quality character education, the
(CEP) has recognized approximately 10
K–12 schools and districts as National
Schools (or Districts) of Character (NSOC)
for their outstanding achievements in
character education each year since 1998.
Winners of the prestigious national award
have successfully put in place character
education initiatives that develop in
students important, agreed-upon core
ethical and performance values. While
no two NSOC Winners are exactly alike,
all of them feature programs that are
comprehensive in scope and consistently
yield positive results in student behavior,
citizenship and leadership, school climate,
and academic performance. Teachers at
these winning schools are clear about their
role as character educators, a role they
embrace with passion. Regardless of the
type of school or the challenges it faces,
every National School of Character is a
place where adults work together to create
a caring community that nurtures young
people in the hope that they will someday
use their character and talents to make the
world a better place.
In 2009, CEP has named seven public
schools, one charter school, one private
school, and one school district as NSOC.
These 10 Winners have demonstrated
the success of their initiatives through the
demanding and rigorous NSOC application
and screening process, which requires
extensive reporting, documentation, and
IS YOUR SCHOOL OR
DISTRICT READY TO SERVE
AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS?
Consider applying for the NSOC
award. Visit www.character.org for
details and a variety of resources
for applicants.
2 2009 National Schools of Character
assessment of their school or district’s climate,
academics, and programs to develop civic,
moral, and social–emotional competencies.
CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character
Education, which defines excellence in
character education, guides the evaluation of
applicants and the selection of Winners.
In early December, applicants submit
a detailed written application, comprised
of a narrative and a portfolio, to either
their state sponsor or CEP. This year, 26
states participated in the State Schools
of Character (SSOC) awards program.
the written applications and site-visit
reports of the 27 National Finalists to
determine the Winners. Given the quality
of the Finalists and the desire of the
panel to select from among the strongest
applicants a group of Winners that offered
a variety of models reflective of the
diversity of schools across the nation, this
was no easy task.
This year’s Winners will receive a
$3,000 grant in addition to their award,
to help them enhance their own programs
and serve as mentors and models for other
Character education has never been more important.
It is a genuine honor to recognize these exemplar schools that
are setting the standard for the rest of the nation.
—Joe Mazzola, CEP Executive Director
Schools and districts in those states apply to
their state sponsor as the first step toward
reaching the national level of competition.
State and national evaluators review the
applications they receive, using CEP’s
Character Education Quality Standards, an
assessment tool derived from the Eleven
Principles. States then forward their
strongest applications to CEP. Most of the
185 NSOC applications received in 2009
came through SSOC-participating states
(see related article, pages 43–46).
CEP narrowed the pool of state
and national applicants to 27 National
Finalists. Because the number and quality
of NSOC applicants rose again this
year, CEP established an additional level
of recognition, by according National
Honorable Mention to 28 non-Finalists
based on the quality of their written
applications (see list, page 33). After
announcing the National Finalists and
National Honorable Mentions, CEP sent
two-person teams of site visitors to the
Finalists in March and April. In May,
CEP’s Blue Ribbon Panel of experts in
the field of character education (see list of
Panel members, page ii) considered
schools and districts seeking to improve
their character education efforts. CEP
will also tell their stories and share their
strategies—through this publication and
others, as well as on the CEP Web site
(www.character.org) and at the National
Forum. The NSOC for 2009 demonstrate
that school transformation is possible
through low-cost, high-quality character
education initiatives. They have closed
the achievement gap and raised academic
expectations for all students; built strong
relationships and partnerships among
parents, teachers, and students; and given
their students opportunities to serve their
communities. To see how they have done
this, read their inspirational stories—as well
as those of the other 17 Finalists—on the
pages that follow.
REFERENCES
Character Education Partnership. Character
Education Quality Standards: A Self-Assessment
Tool for Schools and Districts. Washington, DC:
CEP, 2008.
Lickona, T., E. Schaps, and C. Lewis. Eleven
Principles of Effective Character Education.
Washington, DC: CEP, 2007.
2009 Winners
Alta S. Leary Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Enrollment 384 ★ Warminster, Pennsylvania ★ Public/Suburban ★ Centennial School District
Practicing a Common
Goal of Goodness
was born, and a year later the council,
representing staff, parents, and community,
adopted the six pillars of Character Counts
to enrich its efforts.
“We are trying to be the best human beings we can be,”
says a parent in describing the goals of this Pennsylvania
school. Students in this No Place for Hate school
demonstrate amazing skills at resolving conflicts and
display a tolerance much needed in the world today.
H
idden in a picturesque area of
Bucks County, Pennsylvania,
surrounded by winding lanes,
manicured lawns, and well-maintained
split-levels and ranchers, Alta S. Leary
Elementary School could easily serve as
the backdrop for Leave It to Beaver. The
school, now 50 years old, still retains its
“small town” friendliness; however, its
students are global, not suburban, citizens.
Each morning, they recite the No Place for
Hate promise and the Centennial Diversity
Pledge, and each day, inside and outside
school, they demonstrate the philosophy
and practice of global citizenry: respect for
all, ability to settle disagreements amicably,
and helping those in need.
“We’re teaching our kids to go back
to the community to change things. It’s
nice to have a common goal of goodness,”
says Kelly Kohler, student support teacher.
The “common goal of goodness” that
envelops the school is the result of 15 years
of conscious character-building begun
when the school, in response to escalating
discipline problems, started working on
conflict resolution with the Peace Center in
Langhorne. In 2004, Leary adopted Project
Peace, a program that aims to reduce school
violence through peer mediation training,
positive interpersonal skills, and problemsolving strategies.
“When Dr. [Donna] Dunar became
our principal four years ago, she brought
a new vision to our school and to the way
we inculcate character,” says second-grade
teacher Debbie Walker. Dunar envisioned
a model school of excellence, one with
a comprehensive approach to character
that incorporated the power of shared
leadership. The Leary Council (TLC)
Building Professional
Peacemakers
“We are building a team of professional
peacemakers,” wryly observes Susanne
Carter, a building aide and co-chair of
the Leary Family and Friends Association
(LFFA), the school’s organization for parents.
Counselor Leanne Hibbs points out that
the consistent training in conflict resolution
has helped students to see “mediation as a
natural tool to solve conflicts.” Walker adds,
“When peer mediation was first introduced,
the kids were hesitant about using it. Now,
when they find themselves in a quarrel, they
actually ask for a session, because they know
it’s a great way to solve problems.”
If conflict resolution, peer mediation,
and bullying prevention served as the
genesis of Leary’s character education
Leary students display their many talents in Suessical the Musical.
2009 National Schools of Character: Alta S. Leary Elementary School
3
2009 Winners
The Proof Is in the Data
How we know character education is
working at Alta S. Leary Elementary
School:
★ In grades 3, 4, and 5, Leary exceeded
both district and state averages on the
2008 Pennsylvania System of School
Assessment (PSSA).
★ During the period 2006–2008, Leary
PSSA scores in reading, mathematics,
and writing showed steady growth.
★ The percentage of fifth graders scoring
proficient or above in writing on the
PSSA increased from 48 percent in
2006 to 88 percent in 2008.
★ In 2008, 95.6 percent of fourth
graders scored proficient or above
in science on the PSSA , and Leary
students performed highest in the
district in the “advanced” category.
★ Grade 1 nonsense-word fluency skills
increased dramatically, from 30
percent in January 2008 to 63 percent
in January 2009.
★ In a December 2008 survey, 28 out
of 29 teachers chose “definitely”
as their response to the statement
The character education program has
contributed to enhancing the academic
program.
★ From 2004–05 to 2007–08, physical
bullying decreased by 50 percent, from
21 to 10 incidents.
★ From 2006 to March 2009, peer
mediations increased, showing that
students are more comfortable and
facile in resolving their conflicts
through the peer mediation process.
program, a genuine feeling for one another
provides the bond that makes Leary a
family. When fourth grader Sarah is asked
to describe her school, she quickly replies,
“A home away from home.” Countless other
students mirror Sarah’s feelings, each one
commenting on how much the teachers
care, how nice the kids are to one another,
or what “a fun place to learn” Leary is.
Sharon Regensberger, the teacher of a
transitional first grade, says that the character
education program has had a tremendous
effect on the way students treat one another.
For example, an often-troubled boy in her
class exhibited the most caring behavior
when the students from the nearby autistic
class joined them. When a frightened autistic
child rocked back and forth, the little boy
went over to him and stroked his back to
calm him. “It is amazing to see how even the
little ones have absorbed the caring spirit of
the school,” says Regensberger.
Making the Pillars a Way of Life
“Students are developing life skills here that
they will be carrying way beyond Leary’s
walls,” says fourth-grade teacher Matt
Freeman. The faculty consciously works
to make certain that students understand,
reflect on, and practice what it means to be a
good person each day. Among the strategies
used are class meetings, morning meetings,
peer mediation, anti-bullying activities,
reflection exercises, and service projects.
Librarian Lauren Zucker says that character
education defines the school’s mission, and
that building character has long-range gains:
“We’re here to instill tomorrow’s future.”
Students internalize the pillars to
such a degree that fourth-grade student
Brendan, when asked about trustworthiness,
replies, “When you don’t tell the truth, you
feel doubly guilty—guilty for lying, but
really guilty inside because you’re hiding
something.” Moreover, the students can
see the significance of the pillars in their
lives and understand how they affect their
behavior. Marcos, a fifth grader, comments,
“They didn’t have the pillars in my other
school, and kids were mean to each other.
This school has changed who I am.” Conner,
also a fifth grader, believes that following
the pillars “will give us a better future in our
lives.” Second-grade sage Haley poetically
observes, “Character education is like a
shadow . . . when you are really good, it
spreads with you.”
Tying the Pillars and Service
to the Curriculum
Named an NSOC Finalist in 2008, Leary
is an excellent example of a school that
listens to suggestions and collaborates
to implement them meaningfully. In
4 2009 National Schools of Character: Alta S. Leary Elementary School
response to the suggestion of the CEP site
visitors that character and service be more
fully integrated into the curriculum, the
Leary Council met for two full days in
the summer. “A change in the curriculum
happened to be on our side,” says
Dunar. Since the school was required to
implement a new Rigby Literacy program,
TLC and the staff worked industriously
to develop curriculum guides for every
grade that showed how essential questions
can lead to themes on ethical values and
specific service-learning projects. For
example, in a fifth-grade unit entitled “Let
Freedom Ring,” the essential question
Why do we have the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights? leads to thought-provoking
assignments researching the background of
specific amendments and concluding with
an advocacy letter to a local congressman.
Fourth grader Edwin remarks, “I’m never
bored in class. We connect everything to
the real world.”
The Character by Design Curriculum
Guide, as it is called, lists service-learning
activities that are natural outgrowths of
the reading and discussion. Every teacher
receives a hard copy of this curriculum
guide but also has access to what other
teachers are doing and to additional
enrichment activities via a WIKI Intranet
system in Leary’s library. Art teacher Laurie
Schenfelt says that WIKI has opened a
whole new world: “I love using it and
finding out what my colleagues are doing to
teach character. It’s great for sharing ideas.”
Leary has a clear expectation of
service within the school as well as to the
larger community. First-grade teacher
Lisa Stecklein reports that even her little
ones “get on board immediately” to help
those in need. Walker’s second-grade class,
after reading a story about Haiti, raised
enough funds to donate 400 pounds of
beans and rice to help the poor there. Not
only did students write reflections, but
parents commented too. One parent, Leslie
Treffeisen, wrote: “Ryan just seems so much
more aware of the poverty in our world and
very willing to help. Great assignment in
these times!”
2009 Winners
Character by Design: Students “turn and talk” as they
“make meaning” together.
Forming a Village
to Raise a Leary Child
Just as parents are included in service
projects, so too are they welcomed into
every phase of Leary life. The school’s Web
site lists 12 opportunities for parents to
volunteer, running the gamut from serving
as room parent to staffing the Holiday
Gift Shop. Parent Colleen Paris says,
“I feel that I am always welcome,” and
Veronica Connelly, another parent, says,
“I quickly learned that a personal touch
was characteristic of the majority of the
Leary staff, and it truly makes everyone feel
important and appreciated.” Wilma Starr
describes how volunteering as a Thursday
Center parent led to a host of positive
encounters with the librarian, the art
teacher, and the principal, prompting Starr
to conclude, “If the saying ‘It takes a village
to raise a child’ is true, then any Leary child
is lucky to have such a village of teachers
and parents.”
Leary makes certain that the actual
village is also part of character building. Last
year the school partnered with Kiwanis, the
Latino Leadership Alliance, Big Brothers
Big Sisters, and Warminster Township
in service projects. The community was
also included in the celebration of the
school’s 50th anniversary during American
Education Week in November. Using
Microsoft Photosynth, students, guided by
fifth-grade teacher Michael Scanella, created
a digital history of the school that the public
could view. The Pennsylvania Educational
Technology Conference invited the Leary
team to showcase that and five other
technological projects.
Assuming a New Role
Schools who must contend with rapid
changes in demographics that require new
strategies and extra resources would be
wise to use Leary as a role model. Although
Leary has undergone demographic
changes (28 percent on free or reducedprice lunch; 38 percent receiving Title I
services in reading and math), its academic
achievement continues to soar. The school
has met AYP goals every year, and its scores
on the Pennsylvania System of School
Assessment (PSSA) improve each year,
exceeding those of other elementary schools
in its district.
Dunar and the energetic TLC
look forward to the school’s outreach
presentations as a National School of
Character. Leary, honored as a 2009
Pennsylvania School of Character, has
already gotten an early start by making
a summer professional development
presentation to the Centennial district.
Dunar began her tenure at Leary with the
firm belief that “character is paramount
to success as a human being.” The Leary
story is clearly a fulfillment of that vision.
Fifth grader Jessica sums up the spirit of the
school: “We really try to do our best and
also make the world a better place.” ✪
REFERENCES
CHARACTER COUNTS! Los Angeles, CA:
Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics.
Web site: www.charactercounts.org.
No Place for Hate. New York, NY: Anti-Defamation
League. Web site: www.adl.org/npfh_philadelphia.
Project PEACE. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana
Department of Education. Web site: www.doe.
in.gov/sservices/peace.
Rigby Literacy. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt. Web site: rigby.hmhco.com/en/
RigbyLiteracy_home.htm.
THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER:
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Dr. Donna M. Dunar
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: Paying
attention to the heart is essential in achieving excellence in academics and
citizenship. You can realize success if you know it is about building relationships
with a strong emphasis on respect, excellence, innovation, and active engagement of
students, families, and staff. Where you have a culture of respect and engagement,
where there is a celebration of unity in diversity, and where you address matters of
the heart, you can achieve academic success. Accountability through the strategic
planning process, coupled with high-level interactive engagement, makes for
universally satisfying results. The engagement and empowerment factors become both
the means and the medium in making a difference in the lives of children and in our
world. We are realizing untold joy in the academic and social–emotional success of
our students, many of whom would be considered underdogs.
Dr. Donna M. Dunar, Principal
157 Henry Avenue
Warminster, PA 18974
Telephone: (215) 441-6066, ext. 1302
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.centennialsd.org/le
2009 National Schools of Character: Alta S. Leary Elementary School
5
2009 Winners
Bayless Junior High School
Grades 7–8 ★ Enrollment 279 ★ St. Louis, Missouri ★ Public/Suburban ★ Bayless School District
Achieving the
American Dream
In pursuing the American dream for their children, many immigrant
families, primarily Bosnian and Vietnamese, flock to the Bayless area
of St. Louis. Bayless Junior High does a remarkable job in helping them
achieve that dream by uniting ALL of its students into one caring family.
R
onald Tucker, principal of Bayless
Junior High School, is not a
man who flinches at hard work,
particularly when it improves his school.
When the faculty lounge of the 75-year-old
building needed sprucing up, Tucker and
the school secretary, Debbie Meyer, rolled
up their sleeves, grabbed paint brushes,
and immediately became, as they termed
themselves, “artists in residence.”
With innovative Tucker at the helm,
it seems natural that the Bayless faculty
consistently seeks inventive ways to
surmount hurdles in this lively junior high
school, located just southwest of the city
of St. Louis in the “the most culturally
diverse district in the state.” Optimistic
and energetic, the staff sees the school’s
diversity as a strength and explores many
avenues to meet the needs of a student
population that is 35 percent Bosnian, 46
percent non-Bosnian Caucasian, 8 percent
African-American, 9 percent Asian, and 2
percent Hispanic.
Parent Kathy Wood, whose three
children had the option of attending school
in a more affluent district in which she is
an administrator, explains why they prefer
Bayless: “There’s a feeling of family here,
and teachers are always willing to go out of
their way for students.” Carissa, a seventh
After studying the issues and voicing their
opinions, students participate in “Kids Voting”
on Election Day.
grader, says, “Every single teacher here
knows how we want to be treated. They
listen to us and treat us with respect, and
we respect them.”
Reciting the Touchstone Daily
The school’s motto, Where Character
Is a Team Effort, embodies its genuine
commitment to shared responsibility
for character education. Every morning, the
6 2009 National Schools of Character: Bayless Junior High School
staff joins students in reciting the Pledge of
Allegiance and the Bayless touchstone:
At Bayless Junior High we take the high road.
We take pride in our school.
We use kind words and actions, listen thoughtfully,
and stand up for ourselves and others.
We show respect and take responsibility
for our learning.
We are Bayless Junior High!
Tucker points out that “a touchstone
is used to measure the quality of precious
metals,” and the character initiative at
Bayless is as precious as gold. Although
the school’s character education journey
began more than a decade ago, with an
emphasis on many traits, the Character
Education Committee, after discussion
and consensus, pared the original list
down to two: respect and responsibility.
The committee then created the
touchstone. Tucker says, “It is a consistent
reminder of the roles and responsibilities
of everyone in the school.”
The school has also incorporated
the Boys Town behavioral protocol
in all classes, providing students with
practice in how to listen, ask questions,
take constructive criticism, and disagree
respectfully. Character education finds
its way into the curriculum, with many
lessons centered on ethics, responsibility,
and critical choices. Counselor Suzanne
Richardson says, “Character education is
not a program here—it is what we do. It is
in all our classes on a daily basis.”
Data Drives Decisions
Although the warm relationship
between staff and students is clearly
the spark that ignites the Bayless fire
today, statistical data served as the basic
framework for initiating school change.
2009 Winners
When Tucker became principal six years
ago, the faculty rigorously examined data
(attendance, demographics, failure rates,
parental involvement, disciplinary referrals,
suspension rates, NCLB subgroups) in
order to chart a course that would help
students make wise choices and improve
both academically and socially.
The faculty’s innovative approaches
to improving academics and developing
character are not accidental; they are the
result of five years of sustained professional
development. In an effort to improve the
quality of the advisory program that
had already existed, students,
staff, and parents participated
in training for the Huddle
Up in Advisory project, a
Characterplus undertaking
sponsored by the St. Louis Rams,
which greatly changed the school’s
“business as usual” approach.
Eighth-grade student Dustin
says, “The advisory really helped
me adjust to the school, and it
gave lots of opportunities to
discuss important topics that affect us
as teenagers.”
“Everyone is a learner at Bayless,” says
Tucker, who has garnered many ideas from
his own participation in the Leadership
Academy in Character Education. The
school’s ongoing relationship with
Characterplus has also inspired many
effective strategies to define and promote
ethical behavior. English language learner
(ELL) specialist Mary Forst points out
that the staff received training in the
Sheltered Instruction Observational
Protocol (SIOP). This program, designed
to address the language needs of the high
immigrant population, in conjunction with
character initiatives, has nearly eliminated
the achievement gap typically seen with
limited-English students. From spring 2006
to spring 2008, there was a 1,783 percent
increase in the number of ELL students
who scored proficient or advanced on the
annual Missouri State Assessment (MAP) in
communication arts.
Falling in Love with Diversity
“Some places tolerate diversity; this
place just loves it,” comments eighth grader
Mehmed during lunchtime. Pointing to his
pals around the table, he continues, “We
three are Bosnian, he’s Asian, he’s American,
he’s…” Parent Tammy Dunworth expresses
a similar sentiment: “It’s like a family here.
Kids don’t even know racism.”
A visitor to the school quickly senses that
connection to the school and to one another
is intrinsic to the Bayless mission. Advisory,
which takes place for 25 minutes each
day, serves as a tangible way to include
everyone seamlessly and to provide a
bonding experience. A relatively new
addition is the Character Council
class, consisting of two student leaders
from each advisory, 32 students in all.
These students not only serve as student
government representatives for their
advisories but also facilitate a weekly
character education lesson. It is not just
ethnic and racial diversity that Bayless
embraces; the school consciously
works to make ALL students feel
accepted. For example, when a hearingimpaired child entered mid-year as a seventh
grader, student-led lessons in advisory gave
their classmates simulated experiences in being
deaf so that all could empathize with the
newcomer. Selma, a former advisory leader
who is now a freshman at the high school,
points out that the advisories “help students to
open up to each other and to develop trust.”
She adds, “I’ll never forget a lesson I taught,
What Makes You Pop. Real sharing took
place as we trusted each other with our bare
emotions by describing situations that made
us angry. We left with new tools to handle
explosive situations.”
To check harassment and teasing, both
teachers and students receive training in
bully-proofing the school, and community
members and parents are kept in the loop
through workshops and printed brochures and
letters. District social worker Jennifer Nelson
says, “This school is amazing in all the
issues it tackles—suicide prevention, sexual
integrity, drug and alcohol abuse, mental
illness. It really helps kids handle problems.”
working at Bayless Junior High School:
★ Failing grades decreased by 63 percent
over a period of four school years, from
a high of 880 in 2004–05 to a low of
328 in 2007–08.
★ The school met AYP goals in both
communication arts and mathematics
in four of the last five years.
★ The Limited English Proficient
subgroup has demonstrated
significant improvement on the annual
Missouri State Assessment (MAP) in
communication arts. The number of
students scoring proficient or advanced
increased by 1,783 percent from 2006
to 2008, despite increases in NCLB
benchmarks during the same period.
★ Attendance has averaged 95 percent
for the past five school years (2004–
05 through 2008–09).
★ Disciplinary referrals decreased by 46
percent, from 401 in 2007–08 to 217
in 2008–09.
★ The number of fighting incidents
decreased by over 81 percent, from 32
in 2007–08 to 6 in 2008–09.
★ The number of out-of school
suspensions decreased by over 73
percent, from 98 in 2007–08 to 26 in
2008–09.
★ Spring 2008 CHARACTERplus surveys
showed that an average of 81.58
percent of parents surveyed over the
past two years believe that “their
children are getting a well-rounded
education and an excellent education.”
Students as Activists
All students, not just a select few, have
a voice in the school. Chris, an eighth-grade
student, tells how his older sister Tracy was
having “a tough time” with a degenerative
disease. “I asked the school if we could
have a fundraiser,” he continues, “and they
supported me.” Students have high praise
for the Pony Pals program, a service-learning
initiative that matches students from some
advisory classes with second-grade students
at Bayless Elementary School, located across
the street. Junior high students visit their
2009 National Schools of Character: Bayless Junior High School
7
2009 Winners
“buddies” throughout the year and help
them both academically and socially.
Opportunities for student autonomy
have increased over 31 percent in the last
year after a Characterplus survey identified it
as a need. Another innovation is the studentled parent conferences, a strategy that was
showcased at the Missouri School Board
Association conference this year. Amazingly,
parents of 99 percent of the students
attended the September program, Days of
Our Lives, at which students guided their
parents through a typical day at Bayless.
Focusing on the Future
Just as an examination of data served
to move character education in exciting
new directions, so too does the Character
Education Committee continue to look at
data to plan its next steps. At the beginning
of each school year, the principal sets up
large graphs of data so the faculty can
discuss and pinpoint areas for strategic
planning. Tucker says this process helps the
staff “to make data-driven decisions which
impact our school climate and culture.”
Equally strong is the commitment
of Bayless Junior High to spreading the
message. With 53 percent of its students
receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and
the school’s per-pupil expenditure ranked
second lowest among the 22 school districts
in the St. Louis area, Bayless has much
to show other schools about positively
influencing school culture on a shoe-string
budget. Tucker, who has high praise for the
Bayless students facilitate an exploration of shared values with regional business leaders.
dedication of the Bayless faculty, points
out that the school has the lowest teacher
turnover in the district.
Bayless Junior High has faced
challenges that would overwhelm many
schools, yet it has been able to convert
these challenges into advantages and
to do a remarkable job of educating its
students to be self-reliant, responsible,
and respectful citizens with a high regard
for learning. In many ways Bayless Junior
High is like the impressive bell tower that
sits commandingly atop its building and
watches over the district’s campus: The
Ronald J. Tucker
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: As opposed to
purchasing slick programs and prefabricated banners, attempt to keep your character
education program as authentic as possible. Focus on relationships to build trust
and a caring community. Little things can make a big difference when it comes to
acknowledging the good things already occurring daily at your school. Review and
make public the progress your program is making. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to
provide your students with ownership. It is amazing what kids can accomplish when
provided the opportunity to be responsible.
8 2009 National Schools of Character: Bayless Junior High School
school’s vision always points upward, but
never does it fail to look out for its diverse
student body that manages to blend
together as one family. ✪
REFERENCES
CHARACTERplus. St. Louis, MO: Cooperating
School Districts. Web site: www.characterplus.org.
Hensley, M., W. Powell, S. Lamke, and S.
Hartman. The Well-Managed Classroom, 2nd
Edition. Boys Town, NE: Boys Town Press, 2007.
Sanford N. McDonnell Leadership Academy in
Character Education. CHARACTERplus. St.
Louis, MO: Cooperating School Districts. Web
site: www.characterplus.org.
Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol
(SIOP). Glenview, IL: SIOP Institute. Web site:
www.siopinstitute.net.
Ronald J. Tucker, Principal
4530 Weber Road
St. Louis, MO 63123
Telephone: (314) 256-8690
Web site: www.baylessk12.org
2009 Winners
Beverly Woods Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Enrollment 808 ★ Charlotte, North Carolina ★ Public/Suburban ★ Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools
Working Together,
Hand in Hand
Never look down on someone unless you are helping them up. This
inspirational message, which accompanies a student mural in this caring
North Carolina school, epitomizes its approach to character. Students
demonstrate strong academic achievement while consistently helping
those in need, both inside and outside school.
“K
evin won a medal. Kevin
won a medal.” When parent
Liz Daniel heard her thirdgrade son Jake, a peer buddy, rush home
breathlessly with the news that his friend
had won a medal in the Special Olympics,
she knew that Beverly Woods Elementary
School was truly developing young people
of character.
A student’s willingness to help another
and to take pride in that individual’s
accomplishment is not unusual at this
Charlotte–Mecklenburg school, the third
in its district to gain NSOC status (after
Cornelius, 2005, and McKee Road, 2006).
Story after story reveals bonding between
buddies in this inclusion model school.
A peer buddy is a coveted role sought by
general education students, and students
with special needs thrive in regular classes
with the help and friendship extended
by their peer buddies (a 2008 Promising
Practice). Monique, a fourth-grade peer
buddy, says, “I feel real good, because it’s
helping people that have problems, but
it doesn’t seem like they have a problem.”
Another peer buddy, third-grade student
Jakob, sums up the experience: “It feels
great to learn science and social studies with
our EC [special needs] friends! It is great for
A fourth grader and her teacher plant a tree
on the Beverly Woods playground as part of an
Earth Day assignment.
them to be with us, so we can help them
and they can learn new things. Sometimes
they teach us new things!”
Special education teacher Barbara
Putnam is teary-eyed when she describes
the support her students with disabilities
receive when participating in the Special
Olympics three times a year: “On the day
of the competition, the other classes line the
halls and cheer for the athletes as they board
the buses. When we return to the school,
the participants are again met with cheers as
the classes line the halls to congratulate all
the athletes.” Putnam adds, “Never have I
been in a school in which the special needs
children are embraced with such love and
positive reinforcement.”
Building Character through
Relationships
It is not just students with special
needs that Beverly Woods nurtures; a spirit
of caring extends to all—students, staff, and
the wider community. Principal Caroline
Horne gives a high priority to building
relationships: “If you have the relationship
piece, children will learn.” Student services
specialist Kristen Danusis, who co-chairs
the Character Education Committee,
points out that an accent on relationships
has helped the school’s character program
to evolve from just “an add-on program”
based on Steven Covey’s principles to “an
initiative that defines who we are.” In
addition to promoting North Carolina’s
monthly character traits, Beverly Woods
accents the “3 R’s”—respect, restraint, and
responsibility—in its rituals, its curriculum,
and its behavioral code.
“Everyone is looking out for everyone
else,” say staff members in describing the
family atmosphere of Beverly Woods.
Third-grade teacher Loretta Buck says,
“To teach this [character education], you
have to live it.” Principal intern Latoya
Williams shares that she “felt so embraced,
and respected as a person” from the
moment she began work here. Many social
opportunities exist for teachers to bond
with one another, and diverse professional
2009 National Schools of Character: Beverly Woods Elementary School
9
2009 Winners
offerings enable them to develop their
craft. First-grade teacher Amanda Rose
says that “teachers learn much from
each other through Learning Walks.”
This innovative strategy fosters collegial
sharing as teachers are given release time to
observe best practices in other classes and
to discuss or implement techniques that
have worked.
working at Beverly Woods Elementary
School:
★ Beverly Woods has met its State of
North Carolina ABC goals and has
been deemed a School of Distinction
because 84.4 percent of its students
met the state’s requirements for yearly
growth or high growth in the 2008–09
school year.
★ The school’s Intervention Team
achieved a 97 percent success rate
in improving student achievement and
correctly identifying students in need
of special education, compared to the
district’s success rate of 64 percent
for its Intervention Teams.
★ Since the anti-bullying curriculum was
introduced, disciplinary referrals have
decreased by approximately 75 percent.
★ The results of a school-wide survey
revealed that 100 percent of staff, 95
percent of parents, and 86 percent of
fifth graders surveyed rated our school
as “a safe environment.”
★ Out-of-school suspensions dropped by
one-third from 2007–08 to 2008–09.
★ A 2008 student survey showed that 85
percent of fifth graders and 93 percent
of fourth graders reported that other
students at school have made them
feel good about themselves.
★ The 2008 School Quality Review of
the Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools by
Cambridge Educators, Inc. rated the
school at the highest level in the areas of
“Learning Environment” and “Involvement
of Parents and the Community.”
★ Each year Beverly Woods has
approximately 1,600 parent and
community volunteers that come to
assist with students’ learning.
Horne, who has been a major force in
the blossoming of the character initiative,
says that diversity training begins in
kindergarten in order for the school
to foster an understanding and
acceptance of others in its
students at an early age. Beverly
Woods makes many efforts to
see that its students do not fail.
Teachers passionately describe the
school’s Save One Student (SOS)
program, modeled after a similar
effort in Virginia that is described
by DuFour et al. in Whatever
It Takes. SOS pairs struggling
students with staff mentors who
provide them with year-long
academic, emotional, and social support.
Fortunately, relationship building seems
to come naturally for staff and students.
Math facilitator Bill Maslin states, “We
take for granted things we do naturally.
It’s never in isolation. You’re teaching the
whole child.”
Shaping Students
to Share the Vision
Richard Avossa, an area superintendent
for Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools, says
that character education is “the vision and
the mission of this school.” Beverly Woods
gives its students many tools to share that
vision and practice that mission. Character
building takes many forms at this school:
direct instruction, class meetings, focus
weeks, curricular connections, and
service projects.
Third-grade teacher Karen Teddy says
that each teacher receives a binder with
character lessons as well as a list of books
that correlate with the traits. Volunteers
from the Parent Connection receive training
to teach lessons too, and the parent and the
teacher often work together to strengthen
a presentation. Teddy says they are alert
to seizing “teachable moments,” because
“life doesn’t go by a binder.” Character
lesson topics include tattling, bullying,
being a good friend, coping with divorce,
and enhancing social skills. Class meetings
serve as a way to air concerns and develop
10 2009 National Schools of Character: Beverly Woods Elementary School
the student voice. For example, students in
Loretta Buck’s third-grade class conclude
their meeting with a reflection on what
went well and what they would like to
see happen differently.
Specially focused weeks such
as Stand Up to Bullies Week
and Inclusion Week reinforce
the school’s commitment to
developing caring and tolerant
citizens. Interviews with students
indicate they have internalized this
message. Miles, a third grader, says
that “students care for each other,”
and Edwin, another third grader,
agrees that “kids are nice” and
“friends stand up for each other.”
When fourth-grade student Luke is asked
what he would do if he saw bullying, he
responds quickly, “I just get the courage and
go up and tell them to stop bullying.”
Character connections are strong,
and teachers tie in values with literature
or motivate students to design projects
that express their concerns. For example,
students in a third-grade class, guided
by talent development teacher Marni
Cartiff, contrast living in Charlotte with
the tropical setting of the book The Great
Kapok Tree, and students in Jay Menkin’s
fourth-grade class make models depicting
global warming. One of Menkin’s students,
Harrison, who is engaged in taking energy
surveys throughout the school, says,
“People are seeing what we are doing in
this school. Imagine what the whole world
can do.”
Changing the World
through Service
Harrison is right: The people of
Charlotte are watching Beverly Woods
closely, and parents and community
are following the school’s lead in its
commitment to serve those in need.
Students have been involved in service
projects that run the gamut from
purchasing livestock for the poor through
Heifer International to sending letters
and supplies to the troops. Service is
indeed learning at Beverly Woods, but
2009 Winners
it is also fun. Students enjoy describing
their favorite projects: Fifth grader Mary
tells how her Girl Scout troop painted
the mural about helping, and third grader
Genna describes the steps in planting shade
trees on Earth Day.
To develop continuity and curricular
connections in its service projects, the
school has chosen to concentrate on two
local charities: the Urban Ministry Center
and A Child’s Place. Liz Clasen-Kelly,
director of the Urban Ministry, which serves
the needy in Charlotte, praises the work
of the students in a year-long project of
making sandwiches for the Ministry’s soup
kitchen. Rose proudly points out that “first
graders managed to make 700 sandwiches
last year.”
“Service is always tied to the
curriculum,” says parent Alicia
Gagnon, who has been an active force
in many projects. Gagnon reports that
representatives from A Child’s Place, which
helps homeless families, visited the school
before the first of three fundraisers. Not
only did the representatives dispel the usual
stereotypes associated with the homeless,
but they also read relevant stories to the
children and answered questions. Parent
Jane Hoagland shares that “the kids are
driving it [the fundraisers]. My kids are
saving their own money.”
Caroline Horne
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: Develop a
long-range plan on how to implement the initiative. Begin with some key players in
the school as well as parents and community members who are committed to and
excited about character education. Their energy and success will be contagious. Don’t
get bogged down by the few that are reluctant to get on board. At some point they
will get on board, willing or not. Set realistic but clear expectations for staff members
on the school’s commitment to character education.
Serving as a Beacon
to Other Schools
In the five years that Beverly Woods has
stepped up its character education initiative,
Horne has seen consistently high academic
success, positive safety and satisfaction
ratings from all school stakeholders, a
significant decrease in disciplinary referrals,
and low teacher-turnover rates. Eager to
spread the word that character education
works, the Character Education Committee
looks forward to its outreach as a National
School of Character. The teachers, whom
the 2008 Quarterly Review of Beverly
Woods praises for showing “a tremendous
commitment to the school and its students,”
want to share some of the strategies that have
made character education the foundation of
all they do.
As for the Beverly Woods students,
they never sit idly by. They have
demonstrated leadership by participating
in the school’s Mini-Society (a 2007
Promising Practice) as peer buddies, student
ambassadors, safety patrols, peer mediators,
and service activists. Now that the passion
to serve is in their blood, they undoubtedly
will convert others to the cause. A visitor to
this school will agree that Horne has chosen
her welcoming words well: “I am honored
to be principal of a school where genuine
love for children, high expectations, and
character building are a priority.” ✪
REFERENCES
Covey, S. 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.
Caroline Horne, Principal
Beverly Woods Elementary School
6001 Quail Hollow Road
Charlotte, NC 28210
Telephone: (980) 343-3627
Web site: pages.cms.k12.nc.us/beverlywoods
Beverly Woods students with disabilities and their peer buddies prepare to perform at Bojangles Arena for the
Special Olympics Opening Ceremony.
2009 National Schools of Character: Beverly Woods Elementary School
11
2009 Winners
The Blake School
Grades PreK–12 ★ Enrollment 1,389 ★ Hopkins, Minnesota ★ Private/Urban
Challenging the Mind,
Engaging the Heart
A private co-educational institution that traces its roots to
the early 20th century, this Minneapolis school prepares
its students to become the leaders that our nation needs
in the 21st century: knowledgeable, compassionate,
committed, and courageous.
“A
fter a child’s immediate family,
school can be the single greatest
influence in helping shape a
young life,” says head of school John Gulla,
who has guided the journey of Minnesota’s
Blake School for the past 11 years. Blake’s
committed faculty makes certain that the
school’s motto, Challenging the Mind,
Engaging the Heart, remains uppermost in
that journey. And its students and graduates
readily agree that their Blake years have
affected the way they view and approach life.
Blake graduate Alex Peterson reflects
on the school’s influence: “Blake gave me
the courage to take risks. I feel I am able
to realize my dreams because it taught me
to work hard and to believe in myself.”
Equally compelling are the words of
another graduate, Captain Ford Peterson,
who is now a Black Hawk pilot in Iraq:
“Blake taught me about courage and love
of learning.” Mary, a 12th grader, tells
how service helped her to “learn about
people who are different from us” and “live
together in harmony.” The observation of
sixth grader Maddie reveals that even a
highly academic school can be a fount of
practical wisdom: “Sometimes, you are just
good at things. Sometimes, you have to
really work at something. It is okay to be
the best; but it is okay not to be the best.”
Being the Best You Can Be
Being the best you can be is another
story, however. Parent Mary Wilkins
Peterson, who has been active in the
Blake community for 11 years, says she
has witnessed the growth of her daughter
“intellectually, socially,
and emotionally” in a
school that has shown
her child “how to
strive to be the best
she can be in a wellbalanced environment.”
Other parents agree,
and marvel at the
way the school fulfills
its avowed goal “to
help children become
good thinkers, good
people, and just global
citizens.”
Blake School has
an unusual history that
is steeped in character
education. Although
its roots go back to the early 1900s, when
12 2009 National Schools of Character: The Blake School
the prestigious Northrop Collegiate School
for girls and The Blake School for boys
were established, the institution as it now
exists did not come into being until 1972,
when the two prestigious schools merged
with the co-educational Highcroft Country
Day School. Gulla mentions that building
character was integral to “the mission”
of all three schools, and Blake’s strong
commitment to diversity today also has a
historical basis. Very early on, the original
Blake school created an endowment so that
need-based financial aid could be given to
students whose families could not otherwise
afford the tuition. The headmaster at the
time wrote that Blake was to be “not only
for the wealthy but the worthy.” The school
carries on that tradition today by annually
awarding $4 million in financial aid to
needy students.
Drawing its student body from 56
Twin Cities communities, the school has
three distinct campuses: Highcroft, in
On Legacy Day, older students build relationships with
younger ones that help bridge campus boundaries.
2009 Winners
Wayzata (PreK–5); Blake, in Hopkins
(PreK–5 and 6–8); and Northrop, in
Minneapolis (9–12). However, the thread
that runs through all three is an adherence
to the four core values of respect, love
of learning, integrity, and courage. Each
campus structures its classes and activities
to promote and support attainment of these
virtues. Age-appropriate codes of conduct,
based on the values, exist at each campus,
with each level honing skills that students
have been taught previously. For example,
in the lower school, many teachers use
the principles and practices of Responsive
Classroom as well as the Second Step
program to teach empathy skills, impulse
control, anger management, and conflict
resolution. Blake’s middle school program
reinforces the work of the lower school with
a wellness curriculum that includes social–
emotional components and assemblies that
accent equity and pluralism. Blake’s upper
school offers a variety of classes—elective
and core—that promote intentional
discussion of moral issues, such as ethics,
gender studies, comparative literature, and
comparative religion.
“At Blake, students are graced with
opportunity and supported by learning to
develop a meaningful place in the world,”
observes parent Libby Hoops. In many
cases, service to the community enhances
class work. For example, students in the
upper level course Read, Write and Do: A
Call for Social Justice make their learning
real by going out into the community and
addressing a social issue discussed in class.
Relying on Relationships
Nan Peterson, director of service
learning, says, “We believe relationships are
the key to excellence in education—adult
to adult, adult to child, and child to child.”
Lower school administrator Ann Bellin
calls Blake “a warm community in which
everyone reaches out to each other” and says
that “kids are at the center of all we do.”
Interviews with students at all levels
and at all campuses show that Blake is
indeed a warm community. Kindergartner
Grace says, “The teachers are smart and nice
and kind and happy. They really like kids.”
Grace also notes, “We think friendship is
important at our school.” Third grader Colin
enlarges on the friendship theme: “The kids
almost always invite you to play at recess.
They are nice and friendly and helpful
if you fall down and get hurt.” Bullying
and teasing are rare at all of the campuses.
Twelfth grader Mary sums up the spirit that
prevails at the school, in her description of
Blake as a “supportive community where it
is cool to be smart and kind.”
Julie Vang, assistant lower school
director, mentions that the buddy
system, used at all levels, forges trusting
relationships. The fifth graders meet often
with their kindergarten buddies, and this
pattern is replicated in the middle and
upper schools. Vang says that this system
of “benevolent support” eases transition
tensions and builds cross-age friendships.
Challenging the Mind,
Engaging the Heart
Curiosity, awe, fascination, the ache to
know, to make sense of the world, to appreciate
its beauties, subtleties, and complexities, to
question, to create, and to connect—these are
the habits of the mind that Blake aspires to
cultivate in students. Gulla’s eloquent words
describe Blake’s approach to learning, which
provides students with challenges at every
level. The school describes its curriculum as
“an integrated program of academic, artistic,
and athletic activities in preparation for
college, lifelong learning, community service,
and lives as responsible world citizens.”
Blake has made service the focal point
of its character program, often allying
service to the curriculum at all levels.
Fifth-grade teacher Kris Westberg says,
“The school creates children who care
for themselves, who care for each other,
and who care for the local and global
communities. We believe even the youngest
child can make a difference.” A visitor
to Blake’s pre-kindergarten class last year
would readily see evidence of the validity of
this belief. When the little ones heard from
Nan Peterson that the students in Light of
Hope School in Kenya needed socks, they
working at The Blake School:
★ Five-year averages (2005–2009) of
grade point averages (GPA) and college
admissions test scores of Blake School
graduates reveal stellar achievement:
GPA, 3.26; SAT, 1290; ACT, 28.
★ 31 students in the class of 2009
received National Merit Recognition:
✓ 9 National Merit Semi-Finalists
✓ 16 National Merit Commended
Students
✓ 3 National Hispanic Scholar
Semi-Finalists
✓ 3 National Achievement Scholars
★ 27 students in the Class of 2009 were
Advanced Placement Scholars:
✓ 16 AP Scholars (grades of 3 or
higher on 3 or more AP exams)
✓ 4 AP Scholars with Honors
(average grade of at least 3.25
on all APs taken and grades of 3
or higher on 4 or more AP exams)
✓ 7 AP Scholars with Distinction
(average grade of at least 3.5 on
all APs taken and grades of 3 or
higher on 5 or more AP exams)
★ The 2008 Independent Schools
Association of the Central States
(ISACS) Accreditation Constituent Survey
revealed high satisfaction of parents and
students with Blake School:
✓ 91 percent of parents rated the
school’s academic program as
excellent/good.
✓ 97 percent of students said the
school is supportive of academic
achievement.
✓ 96 percent of students said that
school spirit is evident.
✓ 96 percent of faculty members
said the school is supportive of
academic achievement.
became activists. Not only did they locate
Kenya on the globe, but they also collected
socks, matched them, and sent them to
their far-away friends, replete with drawings
and words of introduction their teachers
helped them to write.
2009 National Schools of Character: The Blake School
13
2009 Winners
The drive to help others
seems to grow as the students
grow. Fourth graders at the
Blake campus, under the
guidance of librarian Elaine
Hove, created three public
service announcements that
were shown at Monday morning
meetings. Clearly, one of the
most meaningful projects
undertaken by the upper school
students is LearningWorks.
Selected juniors and seniors as
well as college students serve as
tutors and mentors to motivated,
high-potential but under-served
middle school students in the
Minneapolis Public Schools.
Scott Flemming, director of
LearningWorks, praises the
“commitment” of Blake students
“to foster the success of a diverse
group of young people.”
Involving Parents
and the Community
Parents truly have a voice in this
school. Not only are they involved in
decision making, policy making, chairing
of events, and volunteering, but they also
carry out the school’s mission of building
character. An event that shows the passion
of the parents to carry out this mission is
the annual Celebration of Community
that honors the school’s commitment to
diversity. Parents organize and run this
much-awaited spring gala. Held in a large
ice skating rink, the celebration showcases
offerings in the culture and cuisine of
Upper school students wrap holiday gifts for needy
families in transitional housing during homeroom period.
many countries and highlights the work
of diverse community organizations.
Parent and board member Asta Gersovitz
praises events such as this, as well as “the
broad stream of opportunities” that Blake
gives the community “to explore, develop,
strengthen, and share in discussions about
both personal and community character.”
Another tangible example of the
way the entire Blake community bonds
together is Legacy Day, traditionally held
THE HEAD OF SCHOOL’S CORNER:
John C. Gulla
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: There once was
a point in our recent educational past when smart, thoughtful people actually said
that schools could provide “value-free education.” That is stunningly oxymoronic.
One can no more provide a value-free education than one can compose a silent
symphony. “Be courageous and do it for the children” is my advice.
14 2009 National Schools of Character: The Blake School
in the football stadium of the
Blake campus at the beginning
of the school year. The opening
convocation ceremonies connect
students, staff, alumni, and parent
volunteers and strengthen Blake’s
commitment to lifelong learning.
The three service-learning
activities that follow accent
“giving back to the community”
as those present form multiage “legacy groups” to work on
projects such as making fleece
blankets for the needy or making
sandwiches or packaging food for
the hungry. Nan Peterson says
that watching over 2,000 people
working together on service
activities is a heart-warming scene
that makes her “proud to be part
of the Blake family.”
Service is so ingrained in the
fabric of life at Blake that many of
its alumni remain involved in service
long after they have graduated or
enter fields that make it a lifelong
pursuit. Obviously, Blake has managed
to produce graduates who have exhibited
extraordinary academic success while still
keeping their hearts open to care for those in
need. When the head of school is asked for
advice that could help other students develop
these qualities, Gulla offers wise counsel:
“Believe in yourself and care about others.” ✪
REFERENCES
Responsive Classroom. Turners Falls, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children. Web site:
www.responsiveclassroom.org.
Second Step. Seattle, WA: Committee for
Children. Web site: www.cfchildren.org.
Nan Peterson, Director of Service Learning
The Blake School
110 Blake Road South
Hopkins, MN 55343
Telephone: (952) 988-3812
Web site: www.blakeschool.org.
2009 Winners
Col. John Robinson School
Grades K–2 ★ Enrollment 351 ★ Westford, Massachusetts ★ Public/Suburban ★ Westford Public Schools
Spinning the Wheel
for Peaceful Solutions
When the little ones in this Massachusetts elementary
school face a difficult social situation, they immediately
go into action mode. Tears and fears seem to disappear
as the students masterfully use the Solution Wheel and
“I-Care” strategies to cope with problems that might
baffle some adults.
I
f President Obama is looking for skilled
diplomats, ones that keep their cool
in potentially explosive situations, he
would be wise to stop at Colonel John
Robinson Elementary School, located in the
affluent suburb of Westford, just northwest
of Boston. Here he would see students
systematically using a Solution Wheel
to examine the nine options available to
them when faced with a difficult situation.
Although world leaders could learn a lesson
or two from these polished arbitrators, such
mentoring might be found wanting in at
least one respect: The oldest student in this
peace-loving school is just in second grade.
The Solution Wheel, a conflict
resolution strategy adapted by Robinson
teachers and guidance counselors some
12 years ago from the Kelso program,
has given invaluable skills to students for
more than a decade. Parent Liz Berk, also
a psychiatric social worker, is enthusiastic
about its effectiveness, noting that she often
employs “the same problem-solving skills”
with her patients. Karen Henry, a secondgrade teacher, explains the rationale for the
school’s emphasis on getting along with
others: “We are very committed to having
kids be successful
socially and not just
academically.”
Principal Denise
Arvidson states that
the Solution Wheel is part of the Peace-ItTogether program, “a social competency
and character education program that
strives to develop a school community that
is cooperative, caring, and respectful.” Over
the years, the Peace-It-Together Committee,
comprised of grade-level representatives,
administrators, the School Advisory
Council, parents, and specialists, has met
at least monthly to move the character
education program forward and monitor
its progress.
Through using a common language,
“I-Care” Rules, and the Solution Wheel,
students from kindergarten through second
grade systematically learn and practice
strategies that they will use in life. Arvidson
points out that the program is “dynamic and
constantly evolving,” and that her “incredibly
dedicated staff” adds elements each year
to complement the school’s mission to
teach children to “CARE” (community,
acceptance, responsibility, and excellence).
Students are taught to use the Solution Wheel to
resolve conflicts.
Playing Well with Others
Robinson is unusual in another
respect: It is the only K–2 school in the
Westford district that has a “unique openspace environment,” so that two to three
classes are taught within a large “suite.”
Arvidson reports that students “learn to
focus better,” and actually “thrive” in this
setting that fosters a strong kinship among
students. Moreover, she says, “The unique
open-space environment gives our students
the opportunity to observe adults working
collaboratively in a caring manner.” Parents,
initially hesitant about this arrangement,
now embrace it since the school has allayed
their fears by welcoming their visits. Parent
Jackie Welham explains, “The school
staff began educating parents even before
their children started school, and I even
began using some of the Peace-It-Together
strategies at home.” She adds, “I swear by
2009 National Schools of Character: Col. John Robinson School
15
2009 Winners
working at Col. John Robinson School:
★ Second graders showed 52 percent
growth on a post-test after Unit 1 of
the Care to Read Program.
★ Robinson’s K–2 students do not
take state-mandated Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System
tests. However, data for 2008 from
sister school Crisafulli Elementary
indicate that when students who had
attended Robinson took those tests in
third grade at Crisafulli, they:
✓ ranked 10th in the state in
English language arts;
✓ ranked ninth in the state in
mathematics;
✓ met AYP goals for 2008,
including all subgroups.
★ Discipline log entries showed a 41
percent reduction (108 infractions in
2006–07, and 63 in 2007–08).
★ 98 percent (127/129) of second
graders surveyed in 2008 reported an
appropriate strategy to use when faced
with a conflict or personal challenge.
★ Teachers recognized students via
1,289 “I-Care” coupons in 2008–09.
★ The 127 parents, teachers, and support
staff who responded to a 2007–08
school climate survey gave 95 percent
of the survey questions (19/20) a
positive average rating of 4.6 out of 5
(with 5 being strongly agree).
the open classroom. I am so proud to say
that my kids go to Robinson.”
A visitor to the school readily sees the
gains from the open structure. Connor,
a pre-first grader, says, “You learn to
work with others.” Annie, a first grader,
comments that what she likes best about
Robinson is that “everyone cares and helps
each other out.”
If students in this sun-filled school
must learn to play well with others, so too
must their teachers. The principal points
out that “a willingness to cooperate” is
of paramount importance in hiring new
teachers, because they must “collaborate
on a daily basis” and “learn to respect
each other’s abilities and personalities.”
Teachers say that this unusual physical
set-up engenders an unusually high degree
of camaraderie among staff. Kindergarten
teacher Jean Haight, a 15-year
veteran of Robinson, observes,
“Everybody at our school is
valued, and we support each
other through good times and
bad.” Second-grade teacher
Bev Welsh, who has taught at
the school for 24 years, says this
collaborative spirit has enabled
teachers to work together on
many creative initiatives, such as
planning for Peace-It-Together
and Care to Read, a homegrown program that ties the core values to
the curriculum.
Inviting Parents and Community
into the Play Group
Parents also form an essential part of
this superbly functioning “play group.”
Second-grade teacher Amanda Siano, who
has chosen to enroll her own children at
Robinson although they reside in another
district, states, “We have really worked hard
to develop a caring community that makes
everyone feel welcome.” Jen Bruskiewitz,
parent of a kindergartner and a secondgrade student, observes that there is a
carry-over of the core values into sports:
“My son is on a hockey team with many
other Robinson kids, and they really care
for each other!” She also likes that “the
values we work on at home are reinforced in
the school.” Julie Erickson, parent of a first
grader and the Parent Teacher Organization
coordinator, echoes Bruskiewitz’s remark:
“I have seen the kids take the learning at
Robinson beyond the classroom.” She adds,
“I would not move out of the school. If I
went to buy another house, I would stay in
this area.”
“A good deal of thought goes into the
parent workshops,” says Judy Culver, a
member of the School Advisory Council
and Robinson’s representative to the
16 2009 National Schools of Character: Col. John Robinson School
district’s School Committee. Held twice
a year, these workshops, planned and
presented by administrators, guidance staff,
and classroom teachers, cover a variety
of topics, such as Keeping the Peace at
Home or Whose Homework Is It Anyway?
A consistent favorite is the Peace-ItTogether workshop, offered every
other year, which provides parents
with hands-on training in using the
conflict resolution techniques that
their children practice in school.
The compassion projects, such as
collecting food or warm clothing for
the needy or helping senior citizens,
also rely on parental and community
support. A very active group of
senior citizens finds enjoyment in
volunteering at the school. Cyril
Pipin, a senior citizen who volunteers
approximately three times per week,
captures the school’s caring spirit: “The staff
is very welcoming and caring, and it [the
feeling] passes along to the children. I also
bring in my ukulele to sing Happy Birthday
for the staff, and everyone joins in.”
Observing Students
Peace-It-Together
A visit to the classroom, the playground,
the cafeteria, or the halls of Robinson proves
that Peace-It-Together is not just a theory; it
is a program of action. Students have gone
beyond learning the language of the Solution
Wheel to pinpointing specifically which
strategies they will use to solve a problem
independently. Conversations with the
children reveal a high degree of familiarity
with the strategies. For example, Connor
says, “I had a boy who was teasing me the
first day of school, and I just ignored him,
and it worked for me.” First grader Zara
comments about an incident at home: “My
10-year-old brother likes to tell me what to
do. I use the Solution Wheel and tell him
to stop.” Isabel, a second grader, shares how
she had to go through quite a few steps:
“My friend Amber was making up a club. I
wanted to do it with her. She was doing it by
herself. I had to use the Solution Wheel in
lots of ways. We had to talk it out. Then she
2009 Winners
students surveyed in 2008 reported an
appropriate strategy to use when faced with
a conflict or personal challenge.
A delegation of students, staff, and parents travels to the State House to receive recognition for their
Massachusetts State School of Character award in 2008.
had to apologize, and then we had to make a
deal. I felt happy we could make a deal.”
But the Peace-It-Together program
goes beyond using the Solution Wheel; it
also involves understanding the core values
in terms of the curriculum. The Peace-ItTogether Committee, in response to a CEP
suggestion after a 2007 site visit (Robinson
was a 2007 NSOC Finalist), has written a
curriculum, Care to Read, which ties the
core values to the literature read in class.
Lively discussions abound as the little ones
wrestle with the different choices that the
characters make—or even posit better
solutions to the problems encountered in
the stories.
An equally innovative practice is
the formation of the Recess Club, which
provides all first-grade students with an
opportunity to understand appropriate
recess behaviors for their Peaceable
Playground time. Students, uncertain about
using some of the strategies on the Solution
Wheel, gain confidence and practice as
teachers listen to their questions and model
appropriate behavior at regularly scheduled
sessions. The strategy evidently works,
because 98 percent of the second-grade
Moving Ahead as a Family
Arvidson says, “Our staff members
often state that they consider the members
of our school community to be their second
family. They have repeatedly shared how they
truly enjoy coming to work because of the
many positive relationships they experience.”
Carrying on the tradition started some 12
years ago, the Peace-It-Together Committee
will continue to watch how the students
are doing and to elicit opinions from many
sources in planning the next steps. Assistant
principal Sharon Kennelly explains the secret
of Robinson’s progress over the years: “Lots
of consensus building.”
As a 2008 Massachusetts State School
of Character, Robinson has already gained
experience in sharing its original character
program by hosting groups of educators
from New Zealand and Taiwan—and is
readying the troops for additional outreach
presentations. As for its student body, the
little ones are still honing their remarkable
problem-solving and conflict resolution
skills. Perhaps they will receive a call from
the White House to be little ambassadors
of peace! ✪
REFERENCES
Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management for Children.
Winchester, OR: Kelso’s Choice. Web site: www.
kelsoschoice.net.
Mades, M. Helping, Not Hurting: Teaching the
I-Care Rules through Literature. Miami, FL: Peace
Education Foundation, 2002.
Denise G. Arvidson
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: Our program
is successful because it is bigger than just one person. It started at the grassroots
level with a few staff members several years ago. Many key members of the original
group have come and gone, but the program lives on. It derives its sustenance from
the synergy of the Social Competency Committee and their shared beliefs about
what is important. As new members join the staff, outreach and training are essential
to ensure the continuation of the program and sustain the common language and
goals. Time for discussion and reflection are important elements in order to recognize
strengths and select focus areas for growth. Celebrating success is key to keeping a
program alive and vital.
Denise G. Arvidson, Principal
Col. John Robinson School
60 Concord Road
Westford, MA 01886
Telephone: (978) 692-5586, ext. 10
Web site: rs.westfordk12.us
2009 National Schools of Character: Col. John Robinson School
17
2009 Winners
Fox C-6 School District
Grades PreK–12 ★ Enrollment 11,916 ★ Arnold, Missouri ★ Public/Suburban
Inspiring Students
to Do Their Best
Uniting close to 12,000 students and 1,000 staff members
into one caring family is no easy task. This district, the
largest in Jefferson County, Missouri, has achieved that
transformation. It also inspires its students to reach great
academic heights in their character journey.
“I
’m just a hometown gal, born and
bred in Arnold, Missouri.” The
effervescent superintendent of
schools for the Fox C-6 district, Dr. Dianne
Brown, who has served in this district for
her entire career in education, cannot hide
her love of her hometown. She continues,
“Arnold is really a special place. We don’t
just have a district of character here; we
have a whole community of character. We
even have a parade for character.”
Brown, known as a passionate
crusader for character, initiated a character
program in 1999, the first year she served
as an elementary school principal. But
Brown’s passion for character education
has a deeper, personal connection that
dates back to her first year of teaching.
Tim, one of her students, a transfer from
the inner city, was shot as he alighted from
the school bus. Tim’s brother, unaware
that the gun he was pointing in jest was
loaded, had killed him. “They never taught
me how to handle this at college,” thought
the young teacher as she prepared to help
her students deal with the trauma. What
awaited her, however, was yet another
lesson. Tim’s classmates experienced shock,
grief, fear—all the expected emotions—but
an overriding emotion that had not been
anticipated was guilt. Students tearfully
shared how they had made fun of Tim’s
lazy eye, and they realized that they could
never take back their cruel words. Tim
had come to his new school in search of a
better life, and he was shunned because he
was different.
The incident made an indelible
impression on Brown, who experienced
regret that such cruelty had occurred
under her watch, and she made a fierce
determination that it would not happen
again. As a teacher, she shared Tim’s story
at the beginning of each school year,
to stress the importance of kindness,
acceptance, and gun safety. As a principal,
she welcomed each grade level of students
and again shared Tim’s story, this time as
a prologue for presenting her vision of an
ideal, caring school. Brown says, “I realized
as a principal how many kids I could touch
with character education. Then, once I
became assistant superintendent, I realized
the impact character education could have
on an entire district … so the personal
journey that started as a tragedy in 1990 has
turned into a wonderful character initiative
for an entire community.”
18 2009 National Schools of Character: Fox C-6 School District
Creating a Wonderful
Character Initiative
Creating that “wonderful character
initiative” was not magical; it required shared
leadership, effective professional development,
and thoughtful implementation. With 19
buildings and close to 12,000 students, Dr.
Brown saw the necessity of listening to many
voices when, as assistant superintendent in
2001, she sought to establish a district-wide
character education program. The first step
was forming a District Character Education
Team, which included staff, parents, and
community members. At an educational
summit in the same year, 150 community
members decided on 12 values deemed
necessary to foster personal growth, good
citizenship, and academic success. The
character program of Fox C-6 School District
was off to a running start.
The past eight years have seen a
blossoming of the initiative. Kristen Pelster,
principal of Ridgewood Middle School (a
2006 NSOC) and a leader on the District
Character Education Team, says that all
schools have their own character committees
which help them to address individual
school concerns, but there is a great deal of
sharing. “The walls have come down between
buildings,” says Pelster. Fox Middle School
principal Laura Gabler agrees that each
school is “no longer an island.”
The district makes certain each school
has the time, the resources, and the training
to succeed in its character mission. Twentyfive administrators have graduated from Dr.
Marvin Berkowitz’s Leadership Academy
for Character Education, which has shaped
capable leaders with the facility to foster
change. All 11 elementary schools have
adapted the Caring School Community
(CSC) model, with training given by
Characterplus in nearby St. Louis, and the
2009 Winners
close relationship with Characterplus has
provided many professional opportunities
for the staff. In addition to focusing on
the monthly character traits, each building
employs strategies that help students to
understand, appreciate, and practice them.
Class meetings and guidance activities in
the elementary grades, social skill/character
classes and student-led character councils
in the middle schools, and school clubs and
service-learning activities in the high schools
are among the diverse strategies that have
advanced character-building in the district.
President Obama holds at a town meeting at Fox High
School on April 29, 2009.
Seeing How Kids Make the School
“What I find special about our
school are the kids. You can build a school
anywhere and put the most expensive stuff
in it, and it doesn’t make it a nice school.
Things can be replaced, but I think it is
the kids that make the school,” observes
Nicole, a ninth grader at Fox High School.
Nicole is not alone in describing the special
caring found in fellow students; the same
sentiment resonates in interviews at every
level in the Fox C-6 district. Shane, a Fox
Middle School eighth grader, says, “The
kids at our school are like brothers and
sisters. We talk to everyone and accept
people for who they are, even if they are
different than us.” And Dylon, a fourth
grader at Fox Elementary, eagerly reels off a
list of adjectives to describe his classmates:
“Nice, friendly, respectful, honest,
trustworthy, helpful, caring, fun, and
cooperative.”
A visit to some of the district’s
schools reveals the student voice is indeed
important. At class meetings in all of the
elementary schools, students get their first
taste of autonomy, and, as Seckman High
School sophomore Jessica points out, “they
have a say in how their school works” at
every level. In the middle school, Character
Councils train students to be leaders, who
in turn present weekly character and teambuilding lessons to their peers. Through
a host of clubs, organizations, and special
drug awareness and conflict resolution
programs, high school students have the
chance to take on mature responsibilities.
Service has also provided the students with
the possibility of assuming the lead in
addressing social, economic, or ecological
issues. For example, Fox Middle teacher Eva
Rudolph tells how a student’s “go green”
recycling initiative in the cafeteria led to the
district’s decision to replace all styrofoam
trays with washable plastic ones.
The official forum for the student voice
is the annual Student Summit, at which
representatives from each school gather to
discuss issues and make plans. In essence,
these students become the leaders in their
individual buildings in implementing these
initiatives. Some of the Summit topics that
have merited district-wide focus are cyber
safety, bullying and harassment, health and
wellness, and school improvement.
Caring Teachers =
High-Performing Students
Principal Liz Anderson, who first taught
at Hamrick Elementary before returning to
serve as principal, has seen “a great change
in teacher attitude” since the introduction of
character education. Gone are those words
Kids can’t learn because…, and in their stead
are Let’s find a way to make it happen for all
children. The district’s data show a strong
correlation between student performance and
character education: Scores in the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) have improved
over the period from 2002 to 2008, and Fox
C-6 has been honored as a Distinction of
working in the Fox C-6 School District:
★ The state of Missouri has named
Fox C-6 a Distinction in Performance
district each year it has given the
award (2001–02 through 2008–09).
Only 29 out of 524 districts in the
state have achieved this rating all
eight years.
★ The graduation rate increased from
81.2 percent in 2002–03 to 90.6
percent in 2007–08.
★ Student scores in the Missouri
Assessment Program (MAP) improved
from 2002 to 2008:
✓ The percentage of students
scoring proficient in
communication arts increased
from 39.8 percent in 2002 to
57 percent in 2008.
✓ The percentage of students
scoring proficient in math
increased from 27.9 percent in
2002 to 58.8 percent in 2008.
★ The district dropout rate decreased
from 4.01 percent in 2001–02 to 1.57
percent in 2007–08.
★ The district attendance rate increased
from 93.9 percent to 94.6 percent over
the last five years.
★ The number of district OSS (out-ofschool suspensions) decreased from
1240 in 2004 to 237 in 2008, an 80.9
percent decrease in four years.
Performance district in each of those years as
well as in 2009.
Students readily attest to the role
that teachers play in motivating students.
Rachel, a freshman at Seckman High
School, says, “The entire faculty really cares
about the students. We have a chance to
be successful because the school gives us
so many opportunities.” Sidney, an eighth
grader at Fox Middle School, notes, “The
teachers try to exemplify character in the
school and be positive role models in each
and every student’s life.” Courtney, an eighth
grader at Ridgewood Middle School, gives
2009 National Schools of Character: Fox C-6 School District
19
2009 Winners
valuable insight into the sense of family
experienced in the district: “The teachers
aren’t just teachers, they are friends;
your friends aren’t just friends, they are
family. It is where you want to do your
best because you know you can.”
Strengthening
the Family Bond
The Arnold community
strengthens the bond that makes the
district a family. In fact, the district’s
Web site states: Our greatest resource is
the people in the communities that Fox
C-6 School District serves. Displaying
that community support is the annual
character education parade, in which
colorful floats and marchers, representing
all schools, along with the business and
faith communities, celebrate a character
theme. Arnold is a city that is justly proud
of its school district and shows its support
in many ways: The Fox C-6 Foundation
funds teacher-proposed initiatives, the
Community of Character Banner Project
showcases the support of character by 150
businesses, and the Jim Chellew Service
Awards Banquet honors outstanding service
to the Fox School District.
As eighth grader Heather from
Ridgewood Middle School observes, “There
All Fox elementary schools use the Caring School
Community model, which includes regular buddy
activities.
is this bond between everyone here. It’s
unbelievable.” Parents, welcomed to the
schools as volunteers, tutors, speakers, and
service helpers, feel that they are an integral
part of their child’s school life. Parent
Darrell Missey contrasts how different Fox
is from his own experience, in which “only
the good students were encouraged to excel
while the marginal students were expected
only to stay out of trouble.” Missey adds, “I
sense that all of the students are encouraged
to do their best and to be a meaningful part
of a larger community.”
THE SUPERINTENDENT’S CORNER:
Dr. Dianne Brown
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: The research and
data prove that the overall school climate for learning increases greatly in schools
that are totally immersed in character education. The data further show that there
is a sharp decline in disruptive behaviors. Hence, learning can take place with fewer
obstacles. In addition, the staff needs to realize that this is not just another program
that is being added to their plate. It is part of the curriculum, not an addition. It should
be embedded in all aspects of the day. Lastly, character education has allowed the Fox
C-6 School District to meet the students’ needs for academic success. Our data prove
that our achievement is impressive in Missouri. Of the 524 Missouri school districts,
the Fox C-6 School District is one of only 29 districts that have received Missouri’s
Distinction in Performance award for all eight years that it has been awarded. A
fact worth noting is that of these 29 school districts, we have the lowest per-pupil
expenditure. This proves that great teachers, coupled with students ready to learn—
and guided by supportive parents—mean success for our students. This equation
would not exist without character education.
20 2009 National Schools of Character: Fox C-6 School District
A school’s failure to welcome
and support a new student prompted
Brown to embark on a mission to bring
character to her district. Interviews
with parents and students show the
results of that mission. Parent Bob
Caldwell, whose children had attended
schools in three districts, remarks
how the Fox teachers had a “unique
ability” to give each of his four children
“the security and self-respect” needed
during the transition. “Perhaps the
greatest experience that Joy and I had
was at the end of each school day,
when our children came home excited
about their new school, their teachers,
administrators, and friends.” Sydney, an
eighth grader at Fox Middle School, gives the
student viewpoint: “My school helped me
realize how welcoming and heartwarming
people can be when I moved here from
Alabama. It taught me how to achieve great
goals and work through hardships. I have
never met better people.”
The next time Brown relates Tim’s
story, she might want to add a corollary—
Sydney’s story. After all, it is clear proof of
the power of character education. ✪
REFERENCES
Caring School Community. Oakland, CA:
Developmental Studies Center. Web site: www.
devstu.org/csc.
Kristen Pelster, Principal
Ridgewood Middle School
1401 Ridgewood School Road
Arnold, MO 63010
Telephone: (636) 282-1459, ext. 1703
Web site: www.fox.k12.mo.us
2009 Winners
Greenfield Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 ★ Enrollment 343 ★ Beverly Hills, Michigan ★ Public/Suburban ★ Birmingham Public Schools
Working and Playing
the Greenfield Way
Ask any kindergartner in this sunny Michigan school what the Greenfield
Way is, and the little one will quickly respond, “Respect, responsibility,
and kindness.” Created collaboratively by teachers, parents, and
students, the Greenfield Way has become the foundation for the way
adults and children work and play together every day.
A
lthough Greenfield Elementary
School is nestled in lovely, treelined Beverly Hills, an affluent
suburb almost 15 miles from Detroit, it
has a diverse population that represents
40 different cultural heritages. Wisely,
the school has chosen to accent the
individuality of each student in order to
foster school unity, but it has also created
a standard of accountability for all: the
Greenfield Way.
Third-grade teacher Denise Roberts
comments on the way the school has
built such a caring climate: “We embrace
diversity; everyone is made to feel special.”
Jazmyn, a fifth-grade student, adds a
philosophical touch: “When you think
about it, the Greenfield Way is really just life
rules to always follow, no matter where you
go.” Parent Eric Goldstein observes, “It’s a
way of living. . . . Students learn to stand
up respectfully to help others.”
The school consistently applies the
Greenfield Way with more than a sprinkle
of ingenuity when it is faced with a new
problem. For example, when a concern
arose last year over the conduct of some
“at-risk” boys, dynamic counselor Claudia
St. Amour and reading specialist Shelly
Potter took a proactive approach, using the
Greenfield Way as a magnet to improve the
behavior of these students. Their
plan: Invite the upper elementary
boys to launch a service group,
the League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen, and guide them
in modeling exemplary moral
behavior and civility. The plan,
which enlisted the help of dads
to serve as role models, worked.
Fourth-grade student Charles,
an active member of the group
that met during lunch, declares
that he “learned a lot” from
the discussions on 50 Things
Every Young Gentleman Should Know,
and reports that everyone was “amazed” at
the change in his behavior. Fellow League
member Brandon, a fifth grader, adds, “It’s
fun to learn skills to be a better person.”
Learning Skills
to Be a Better Person
Indeed, having fun while learning skills
to be a better person is at the heart of the
Greenfield Way. When the Birmingham
School District adopted character education
as part of its strategic plan in 2001,
Greenfield recognized it already had many
elements in place. However, the Character
Education Committee, then led by St.
Amour and Lydia Moore, the preschool
teacher for students with autism, began
to explore how the school could unify its
efforts. Using CEP’s Quality Standards as
an assessment tool, the team decided it
needed a rallying motto as a reminder of
the school’s values of respect, responsibility,
and kindness. After much discussion and
consensus, the team agreed to use the
Greenfield Way as the school’s benchmark.
Six social skills—listening, greeting,
joining in, giving compliments, sharing,
and apologizing—would also be taught,
reinforced, and assessed.
“Our association with the
is credited with making our
school a very special place for
children, staff, and parents,” says
the principal, Don Tobe. Never
content with the status quo,
Greenfield is constantly refining
its program and has learned much
from CEP feedback. For example,
in response to suggestions made
by CEP after a site visit in 2008,
when Greenfield was named an
NSOC Finalist, the school has enlarged
its character education team to include
four sub-committees: Morning Meetings,
Discipline Policy, Service Learning, and
Character Integration. While Tobe is,
without a doubt, the instructional leader
at Greenfield, his style of shared and
participatory management has created
significant leadership roles for many staff
members on these committees. Lindsay
Stone, who currently co-chairs the character
committee with St. Amour, sees shared
leadership as the key to success: “It’s not a
2009 National Schools of Character: Greenfield Elementary School
21
2009 Winners
How we know character education
is working at Greenfield Elementary
School:
★ Student scores for grades 3–5 in
the 2008–09 Michigan Educational
Assessment Program (MEAP) exceeded
state averages by 10 percent or higher
in reading, writing, and language
arts, and for grade 5 by 12 percent in
mathematics.
★ Greenfield received a composite score
of “A” on the Michigan School Report
Card in each of the school years
2004–05 through 2007–08 and met
AYP goals in each of those years.
★ The number of students receiving tickets
(for after-school detention) dropped
from 65 in the entire 2007–08 school
year to 6 in the period from September
2008 through February 2009, while
suspensions dropped from 6 to 2.
In March 2009, a revised discipline
program that fosters student intrinsic
motivation replaced the ticket system.
★ In 2008–09, all students in grades
K–5 participated in year-long servicelearning projects that were student led,
engaged parents and the community
as partners, and provided every
student with opportunities to reflect.
★ Sponsorship of 12 major school- and
community-wide events engaged over
160 parent volunteers and involved
over 1,200 students, staff, family, and
community members.
★ The results of a 2009 survey of parents,
staff, and students prepared by the
Character Education Committee show:
✓ 100 percent of parental
respondents feel that students,
staff, and parents follow the
Greenfield Way frequently or
almost always.
✓ 100 percent of staff feel that the
Greenfield Way is ingrained in our
school culture.
✓ 100 percent of exiting fifth graders
believe that fellow students
frequently or almost always treat
others with respect; forgive others;
try to comfort those who are sad;
and try to go beyond an apology
and make amends.
one-man show.” Teachers are empowered to
make decisions, and, they in turn empower
their students to do the same.
Fifth grader Imani says, “The best
part of Greenfield is the people inside
it.” Students learn to get along with one
another through morning meetings,
grade-level meetings, and peer mediation.
Instructional strategies of role-playing
skits, problem solving, storytelling, and
discussion reinforce the values. To counter
bullying, teasing, and put-downs, the
school teaches the appropriate language
and provides tools to deal with unpleasant
situations. Leo, another fifth grader, sums
up the Greenfield approach: “There’s not
really any bullying here. The teachers and
Mr. Tobe teach us how to be nice. They
don’t just tell us; they show us.”
Appreciating Diversity and
Practicing Differentiation
With a school population that is 58
percent Caucasian, 33 percent AfricanAmerican, 3 percent Asian, 3 percent multiracial, and 1 percent Hispanic, Greenfield
takes great pride in making certain no one
is marginalized. Flags in the multi-purpose
room pay tribute to the heritage of every
student and staff member in the school.
“This school opens its eyes and hearts
to all types of children and disabilities. It
is a school where children want to learn,”
observes parent Ann Leslie. Empathy
extends to everyone—fifth-grade buddies
even give up their noon recess to work with
the students with autism. Students readily
accept those who are different from them
and extend a helping hand to those with
disabilities. Likewise, the staff and students
welcome new students and make them part
of the family. Justin, a fifth grader, recalls
his experience as a transfer student: “I
was nervous about coming to this school,
but when I got here, I learned about the
Greenfield Way, and everyone really does live
that way.”
It is not just students who benefit
from the school’s emphasis on diversity
and differentiation. Through the use of the
professional learning community model
22 2009 National Schools of Character: Greenfield Elementary School
Greenfield students express joy when given
opportunities to help others.
and on-going training in differentiated
instruction, teachers learn and share best
practices in education, always with an
emphasis on listening to the student voice.
Ingrid McIntyre, a Greenfield parent and
professional social worker, notes, “Character
education is alive here! Kids feel heard and
listened to.”
Calling All Students, Parents,
Staff, and Community to Service
“Every student in this school now
knows the meaning of service learning,”
says Tobe as he describes Greenfield’s year
of service (in 2008–09) in which each grade
chose and completed a project related to
the curriculum. For example, third graders,
electing to help students with special needs,
interviewed children with disabilities,
became pen pals, and organized fundraisers
for a local charity that serves them. Parents
were also enlisted for the cause, and every
Greenfield family performed at least one
act of service. A red-carpet gala in late
April showcased the year of service as
families, community members, teachers,
and students gathered together to share,
celebrate, and honor what they had done.
A highlight of the event was the presence of
2009 Winners
Donald E. Tobe
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: Follow and trust
the Character Education Partnership process. The defining moments of our growth
centered on our self-assessment and our embracing the Eleven Principles. I would
highly recommend that any school that truly wants to implement a comprehensive
character education program adhere to the Eleven Principles. This will guide a staff
more significantly than any packaged program and will result in more effective
changes in their building.
on its laurels. St. Amour, who has taught
at Greenfield for 22 years, says, “I have
seen a shift in the hearts of our students.”
The school will continue its outstanding
work in opening the hearts and minds of its
students as students and staff work and play
together the Greenfield Way. ✪
REFERENCES
Bridges, J., and B. Curtis. 50 Things Every Young
Gentleman Should Know. Nashville, TN: Thomas
Nelson, Inc., 2006.
Character Education Partnership. Character
Education Quality Standards: A Self-Assessment
Tool for Schools and Districts. Washington, DC:
CEP, 2008.
very attentive but well-behaved paparazzi, a
role assumed by members of the League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Parents heartily endorse Greenfield’s
emphasis on giving back to the community.
Parent Curtis Willis points out the longrange gain in life: “Our children know
they can make a difference.” Other parents,
such as Cheryl Rivera and Laura Mahle,
appreciate that the school is reinforcing
“what we are teaching at home.” Another
parent, Lisa Reeve, calls Greenfield “a
parent’s dream,” because “the school and
home are exactly on the same page,” and it
shapes children “just the way we want them
to grow up.”
replacing negative discipline with positive
reinforcement helps students to internalize
the Greenfield Way.
Now that Greenfield has joined the
Winners’ circle, the Character Education
Committee has decided its first outreach
will be “sharing our growth with the other
elementary schools in Birmingham,” in
the hope that the Birmingham district will
one day become a National District of
Character. Extending its sphere of influence
across the state, Greenfield is also busy with
plans to participate in Michigan’s first statewide conference on character education.
As for the home front, the track record
shows that this is one school that never rests
Facing Challenges
and Planning Ahead
Last year, in response to another
CEP suggestion, Greenfield improved its
character education program by revamping
the discipline system and eliminating all
extrinsic motivation. St. Amour admits it
was a challenge: “We were doing things
pretty well, but CEP suggested a better
way to best practices.” Much research and
many meetings took place before the old
“ticket system” for discipline was eliminated
and replaced with teams of staff members
who meet with students and parents to
discuss and solve problems and construct
developmentally appropriate natural and
logical consequences for inappropriate
behavior. Such consequences include
student reflection, retribution, apology, and
service to the school. Although the faculty
was initially skeptical, the results show that
Greenfield fifth graders use the “Solve-It-Spot” to resolve conflicts.
Claudia St. Amour, Elementary Counselor
Greenfield Elementary School
31200 Fairfax
Beverly Hills, MI 48025
Telephone: (248) 203-3217
Web site: www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Schools/
Elementary/Greenfield
2009 National Schools of Character: Greenfield Elementary School
23
2009 Winners
Long Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Enrollment 366 ★ Crestwood, Missouri ★ Public/Suburban ★ Lindbergh School District
Service Makes Us Shine
In a character-building journey that has spanned two decades, this
caring Missouri school has traveled on many paths. None, however,
has brought as much satisfaction to its students as selflessly being
of service to others. They truly practice their slogan: Service makes
us shine.
W
hen Dr. Jim Simpson,
superintendent of
Lindbergh Public Schools
(a 2008 National District of Character),
was asked to describe Long Elementary
School, his immediate response was, “A
happy school.” A visitor to Long can
quickly sense that Simpson was right on
target, for students in this school, located
in southern St. Louis County, just seem
to radiate happiness. And a visitor cannot
be in their presence for long before
experiencing what seems like a rush of
serotonin. Rosemary Quanti, the school’s
lunchroom monitor, describes Long’s
special appeal: “This school is like a piece
of heaven.”
Long did not become “like
a piece of heaven” overnight; it is the
result of a structured, dynamic, and everevolving character education program
that first took root some 20 years ago,
when Sandy McDonnell introduced the
vision of character education into the
community. Long, fortunate to be part
of the Lindbergh School District, which
has so enthusiastically supported teaching
for character, embarked on a character
journey that cultivated the district’s 12
character traits. The year 2003, however,
became a turning point as the school
embraced the Caring School Community
Long fifth graders volunteer at their local Ronald
McDonald House.
(CSC) protocol. A character leadership
team, which consisted of the principal, the
guidance counselor, teachers, and parents,
enrolled in rigorous CSC training, provided
by Characterplus.
The new emphasis on class meetings,
cross-age buddies, home-side activities, and
school-wide activities was just the tonic
Long needed. Principal Brian McKenney,
who assumed the reins in 2004, found
himself very busy “catching up” in his first
year and made certain that all professional
24 2009 National Schools of Character: Long Elementary School
development focused on character
education. McKenney says, “Looking back
now, it is evident that our time was well
spent. It gave us the direction we needed to
become a truly caring school.”
Showing Caring through
“I-Care” Language
“Students have a right to feel good
about themselves when they come to
school,” says Kim Maddock, counselor and
co-chair of the Character Education
Committee. In the classrooms, in the
cafeteria, on the playground, and on
the buses, Long students show that they
indeed do “feel good about themselves”
and strive to make others feel the same
way. Teasing and bullying find no home
here. Joe, a fifth grader, calls Long “a
special place” in which “everybody
knows everybody.” He adds, “We know
how to show respect to everybody.”
Stevie, another fifth grader, joins in:
“The kids are very nice. They work hard
to take care of the school and keep it a
nice place to be.”
Long has provided students with
many tools that they use daily to make
caring the very culture of the school.
Friendship Circles help to ease tensions,
and consistent practice of “I-Care” language
serves to resolve conflicts. McKenney points
out, “When a child doesn’t use the script,
these are teachable moments for us. We
ask the child, ‘What could you have done
differently?’ or ‘How could you have said it
differently?’”
Parents are happy to report that
“I-Care” expressions regularly find their way
into the home too. Parent Mike Tsichlis,
who chose Long after researching many
private and parochial schools in the area,
praises the school’s caring culture: “There
2009 Winners
is mutual student-to-student respect. My
child expresses more empathy toward
others, and he uses ‘I-Care’ language.”
Parents also purposely use “I-Care”
language at meetings when they choose to
present a dissenting view. “It works,” says
parent Jackie Natsch.
Caring through Class Meetings
and Buddy Classes
Second-grade teacher Peggy Robb
says, “Five years ago, we took it [character
education] to a different level, utilizing class
meetings, buddies, home-side activities,
the parents, student reflection, and student
autonomy.” Class meetings, the staple of the
Caring School Community approach, have
served as the venue to discuss core values,
bring up concerns, air potential problems,
give compliments, and plan service projects.
For example, a class meeting of thirdgrade students in Elizabeth Burns’s
class centers on possible advice
they will give to incoming third
graders. Dominic says, “A third
grader is truthful and honest,”
and his peers nod maturely in
agreement.
Although discussion plays
a pivotal role in class meetings,
writing is important too. Students
record daily in their PRIDE
journals, reflecting on the topic
of the day or on a particular
character trait. By using self-assessment
sheets for both academics and behavior,
students also monitor their progress in
understanding specific core values. Thirdgrade student Maria shares, “Goal setting
is one of the big ones. We have so many
goals.”
Younger students are not afraid of
older ones, because buddy classes serve
to eliminate the fear factor and nurture
strong relationships. “My sons look up to
their buddies as if they’re rock stars,” says
Christina Moss, PTA president-elect and
mother of two sons who attend Long.
“When they spot an older buddy in the
supermarket or on the playing field, my
sons get excited and wave proudly, ‘That’s
my buddy.’” Third graders partner with
kindergarten, fourth graders with first
grade, and fifth graders with second grade.
The cross-age buddy program not only
matches Long students of different grade
levels but also pairs Long students with
those in the high school for working on
curricular or service projects.
Tying Character to the
Curriculum
“I am the biggest proponent of public
school education,” says Moss, who, like
fellow parent Tsichlis, was initially hesitant
about sending her children to Long. In
fact, her older son was already enrolled in
a parochial school when she chose to make
the switch. Intellectually precocious, he
had been advanced to a first-grade class
there, but the placement was emotionally
disastrous for the boy, who was much
younger and smaller than his
classmates. Just a phone call to
Long, and the situation was
rectified. Both the principal
and the counselor greeted Moss
warmly and took her and her
son on a tour of the school. He
was placed in kindergarten, the
appropriate spot for him, and,
through the Balanced Literacy
program and differentiated
instruction, he was challenged to
perform on a higher level. “The
teachers here really understand the students
and treat [them] as individuals,” adds
Moss. Fifth-grade student Joe agrees: “The
teachers are awesome! They truly care for
you, and they understand your strengths
and help you with your weaknesses.”
The curriculum enhances the
student commitment to the core values,
in both subject matter and instructional
approach. For example, third-grade
students, in studying individuals who
have demonstrated moral courage, discuss
the ordeal of Ruby Bridges, the AfricanAmerican girl who was the first to integrate
a school in New Orleans. Students write
letters to Ruby, reflecting on her actions.
Anais writes, “Dear Ruby, I think you were
working at Long Elementary School:
★ The Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
recognized Long as a Top Ten school in
two recent years (2006, 2007), based
on high student achievement on the
Missouri Assessment Program
(MAP) tests.
★ Attendance increased from 95.8 percent
in 2003 to 96.85 percent in 2007.
★ Surveys show an increase in positive
student responses in areas of altruistic
behavior, from 63 percent in 2004 to
74 percent in 2007, and in trust of and
respect for teachers, from 75 percent
to 85 percent during the same period.
★ The 2008–09 guidance survey of
third graders indicates that 100
percent feel they have the tools and
strategies necessary to solve problems
peacefully.
★ Disciplinary incidents, including
fighting, decreased from 10 in 2004
to none in 2007, and incidents of
disrespect decreased from 9 to 6.
★ The number of students qualifying
for the President’s Volunteer Service
Award increased from 36 in 2004–05
to 80 in 2007–08.
★ For four school years in a row (2004–
05 through 2007–08), 100 percent of
parents participated in parent–teacher
conferences.
★ CHARACTERplus certified Long’s
Character Education Leadership
Team in the Ten Essentials of the
CHARACTERplus Process.
courageous because you prayed for the
people that hated you. That I think took
a lot of courage.” In another vein, fourthgrade teacher Rhonda Garrison guides her
students, who are working collaboratively,
in researching famous Missourians and in
creating PowerPoint presentations on their
findings that they will later present.
Kathy Bade, professional development
director for the district, points out how
Long teachers have frequently showcased
2009 National Schools of Character: Long Elementary School
25
2009 Winners
their practices not just to Lindbergh staff
but also to those of other districts. For
example, Garrison presented a workshop
on her work in integrating technology with
character education to enhance student
“voice and choice.” Suzanne Christopher,
former Caring School Community coach,
adds that Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, co-director
of the Center for Character and Citizenship
at the University of Missouri—St. Louis,
chose Long as a model school to host
representatives from schools in Germany
because of its outstanding implementation
of character education.
Giving Service with a Smile
“My mom works in the children’s
hospital, so I thought it would be good
to make angels for the sick children,” says
fifth-grade student Bradley, who explains
how he started the Wings of Hope service
project. Bradley is not alone in initiating
a service project to help others. In fact,
service projects at Long reveal a high degree
of creativity, empathy, and commitment.
First-grade student Marcos, upon learning
that wolves were an endangered species,
collected towels for the Wolf Sanctuary
“so when the wolves had babies, they
could put them on the towels.” When first
grader Erin observed that trees had to be
cut down for new construction, her gift of
persuasion resulted in a school-wide project
to sell seeds and to plant new shade trees
with the profits.
Long’s annual action plan uses moral
development as a goal, with students
participating in acts of peace and servicelearning projects. This goal dovetails
with the district’s mantra—A Heart to
Serve, Hands to Help—that was launched
on September 11, 2007, calling for
community-wide involvement in service.
Through classroom discussions, class
meetings, curriculum connections, and
even in-home discussions, students and
Brian McKenney
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: It is important to
realize that character education is not something to be added to an already crowded
curriculum. Character education is not a program but a way of operating. A quality
initiative transforms how we view ourselves, how we envision education generally,
and how we approach our practice. There are numerous resources available to help
schools begin the journey. I would advise educators to seek out these resources and
to seek out success stories from other schools to share with colleagues. Such stories
have inspired many to commit to improving schools and communities by building
caring learning communities.
26 2009 National Schools of Character: Long Elementary School
staff have discovered needs, brainstormed
ideas, and developed projects to meet
those needs, whether at school or at
home, in the neighborhood or the larger
community, or on a global level. Teachers
are role models with their participation
in service; it is not unusual to see them
preparing and serving meals at the Ronald
McDonald House or tutoring students at
Angels’ Arms, a non-profit organization for
foster children.
McKenney points out that the number
of students earning the President’s Volunteer
Service Award has risen significantly—and,
judging by the contagious enthusiasm for
service, it will continue to increase. Long
faculty members, ever ready to answer any
call for duty, are poised to take their show
on the road and share their best practices
on the national, state, and local levels.
Interestingly, when the staff was polled
to decide on two words to describe their
school, the words caring and community
were chosen. Like the district leader, Dr.
Simpson, the Long faculty seems to be right
on target in choosing words to personify
this happy school. ✪
REFERENCES
Developmental Studies Center. Web site: www.
devstu.org/csc.
Brian McKenney, Principal
Long Elementary School
9021 Sappington Road
Crestwood, MO 63126
Telephone: (314) 729-2400, ext. 5400
Web site: www.lindbergh.k12.mo.us
2009 Winners
Milwaukee College Prep School
Grades PreK–8 ★ Enrollment 485 ★ Milwaukee, Wisconsin ★ Public Charter/Urban
Going Above and Beyond
An unrelenting focus on academic achievement and character
development is the driving force of this inner-city Milwaukee public charter
school. Its African-American student body has transcended the racial
achievement gap; their scores on Wisconsin’s state tests are on a par
with or exceed the state-wide averages.
F
ind a random sampling of students,
staff, and parents at Milwaukee
College Prep School, an inner-city
public charter school, and ask them to
describe what makes their school so special.
Odds are that you will hear the words above
and beyond many times.
Ronisha, a seventh grader, says,
“Our school is special because it’s a home
away from home. It’s a place where you
can be yourself and not worry about
gangs, violence, and other problems.
Our academics are so much better than
other schools. We always go above and
beyond.” Linnaea Thomas, the elementary
dean of students, notes, “The teachers
here have a passion for their work, a real
commitment. They always are willing to
go above and beyond, to give 110 percent
for the children.” Grandparent and school
volunteer Andrea Reed says, “My grandson
has taken his good character outside the
school. This school focuses on caring, so the
children go above and beyond.”
The school’s philosophy of love and
hard work, coupled with a college-bound
curriculum, has helped its African-American
student body erase—and, in some cases,
even reverse—the racial achievement gap.
Principal Robert Rauh, who has been at the
helm since the school’s founding 12 years
ago, emphasizes its mission: In partnership
with parents, we provide a nurturing
environment of high expectations and
accountability that equips all students with the
choice to determine their success in life. And
the many awards that Milwaukee College
Prep has won show that the students have
indeed made the right choice. Selected
as a Schools That Can model (2007) for
its best practices, it has been named the
Best Charter School in Wisconsin (2008)
and the first Wisconsin State School of
Character (2009). Rauh points out, “It is
important to keep in perspective the setting
in which Milwaukee College Prep’s success
takes place. Statistically, our children (99
percent African-American, 66 percent from
single-parent homes, and 75 percent low
income) have a very slim chance of success.”
Paving the Road to Success
Milwaukee College Prep clearly does
not leave its students’ “chance of success”
to chance. Development director Maggie
Broeren calls the framework upon which
the school is built “a triangle of students,
staff, and parents,” with each sharing
responsibilities and nurturing. Broeren,
like the rest of the staff, expresses a deep
affection for this school, which she describes
as “a unique experience in an urban
Students walk to Milwaukee College Prep, their “home
away from home.”
environment.” She adds, “When students
come here, they enter a different world, a
world of peace, safety, high expectations,
and goodness.”
From the outset, Milwaukee College
Prep, whose original founders, Ron and
Micky Sadoff, still serve as officers on
its Board of Directors, made character
education a key to the different world they
had envisioned for inner-city children.
Originally, the character traits were based
on character education books or Kwanzaa
principles, but by consensus of staff and
parents the school eventually adopted
five consistent core values: trust, respect,
2009 National Schools of Character: Milwaukee College Prep School
27
2009 Winners
excellence, courage, and knowledge. Known
by the acronym TRECK, these values shape
student ideals and behavior.
Elementary students start off their day
with an assembly, and middle schoolers
begin with circle time. At both of these
gatherings, designed to celebrate students
working at Milwaukee College Prep
School:
★ Scores of Milwaukee College Prep
(MCP) students on the November 2008
Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts
Examinations (WKCE) are on a par
with or exceed the state-wide averages
(for comparison, WKCE 2007 scores
for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
are given below in parentheses; 2008
scores were not yet available):
✓ In reading, 81 percent of MCP
students scored proficient or
above; the state-wide rate was
82 percent (MPS 59 percent).
✓ In language, 63 percent of MCP
✓ In mathematics, 80 percent of
MCP students scored proficient
or above; the state-wide rate was
✓ In science, 67 percent of MCP
✓ In social studies, 89 percent of
MCP students scored proficient
or above; the state-wide rate was
★ 88 percent of 2003 and 2004 MCP
graduates finished high school, and 66
percent have gone on to higher education.
By comparison, less than 38 percent
of their peers in the city of Milwaukee
graduated from high school, and only
5 percent of African-American adults in
Milwaukee have a college degree.
★ A fall 2008 parent survey reveals
that 96 percent of parents rate
the performance of their children’s
teachers as good or excellent.
and their scholarly work, all students
recite the memorized Declaration
of Excellence. Poetry, proverbs, and
quotations capture the meaning of the
TRECK values, and students receive
practice in making them a way of life
through direct instruction and role
playing. In the middle school, advisory
classes develop the values in novel ways
through proactivity lessons, which are
teacher-designed and often student-led
activities that teach character traits.
Making a Positive Change
in the World
“The people I work with have common
values, missions, and work ethic. They
love children and want to make a positive
change in the world,” says Jillian Omdahl,
a middle school resource teacher and a
leader in the Proactivity Design Team. The
children follow their teachers in striving
to be positive role models. Elementary
students try to become Shining Scholars,
who present either a character trait or
a personal narrative about character at
the morning assemblies. As North Star
Navigators, students in grades 3–8 have the
opportunity to develop leadership skills by
serving as peer mediators or school tour
guides. Students are also involved in
O Ambassadors, a project of Oprah’s Angel
Network that empowers young people to
dream big and make a difference in
the world.
William Davis, the middle school dean
and mathematics teacher, says, “I teach
respect for self and for others. I try to
lead them [the students] to believe that
they are leaders, they will succeed, they
will not fail.” Students receive inspiration
from reading the stories in The Freedom
Writers Diary of students who did make
a difference by keeping their own diaries.
The strong emphasis is on doing one’s
best as a way of helping others to be their
best. Third grader Trinity understands
the message: “The teachers encourage me
to do what I want to do, to be the best I
can be.”
28 2009 National Schools of Character: Milwaukee College Prep School
One School, One Mission: Middle schoolers are
matched with elementary students for monthly
learning activities.
The words “College Prep” are not just
adornments to add glitz to the name; they
are intrinsic to the mission of this school,
which opens admission to all Milwaukee
children (preference, however, is given
to siblings of Milwaukee College Prep
students). The curriculum is academically
rigorous, designed to prepare students
for the most prestigious high schools.
The Modern Curriculum Press reading
series and phonics program and the Saxon
Math program are complemented by the
Accelerated Math and Accelerated Reader
programs from Renaissance Learning.
The staff consistently connects learning to
life. Elementary curriculum director Kari
Whalen says, “Because our students are so
engaged in learning, this heads off many
problems. There is a spirit in this school
that we are all connected. Our teachers are
passionate and committed.”
Student successes are celebrated daily in assemblies
and “shout-outs.”
2009 Winners
Caring Teachers,
Caring Children
Principal Rauh notes, “We have a very
strong school culture with a great deal of
focused and on-task learning taking place,
yet there is seldom a voice ever raised in our
school building.” Students enthusiastically
praise their teachers, for both their personal
caring and their teaching abilities. Shaquille,
an eighth grader, says, “The teachers are
very helpful, and they will always stay
late and help me understand school work
whenever I need it. The teachers
even help me with problems from
home.” Sierra, a sixth grader,
says, “The teachers are excited
when they need to be, and strict
when they need to be.” Cydney, a
fourth grader, adds, “The teachers
are nice, and they go the extra mile
to make sure you know what you’re
supposed to know.”
Support by staff members
does not end at the school
door. Poignant stories abound
about teachers who have
driven students to and from events or
taken students for haircuts—and, in
one situation, even paid for a student’s
orthodontic work. The school also
provides the staff with professional growth
opportunities and time for sharing and
team building through book studies,
refresher courses, seminars in differentiated
instruction, and weekend retreats for
veteran staff. Parents join their children
in praise of the way the staff raises the
aspirations of the students. Parent John
Thomas says, “There is a synergy about
this school because the school constantly
reinforces that every student is a scholar.”
Partnering with Parents
and the Community
Broeren says, “Parents are crucial
to our students’ success. Before a child
is admitted, we give parents a tour and
explain their responsibilities, which are
quite rigorous.” Parents must sign a pledge
to get students to school on time, to
strictly honor the uniform policy, to sign
off on their homework, and to participate
in mandatory conferences. In addition,
parents help with goal setting, assemblies,
classroom activities, and lunchroom
duties. Tomeica Broske, a parent on the
Parent Leadership Council, praises the
school’s character building: “We eat,
drink, and sleep character every day. We
have a commitment to the kids; they are
the priority.” Another parent, Arkerkshia
Randall, has found personal growth
through her work with the school. She
says, “Milwaukee College Prep helps
me build my character—makes me
realize what my responsibilities
are. This school has made me
the parent that I am.”
The Milwaukee community
has also embraced the school,
with many foundations and
corporations providing funds
and time. Through a $6 million
capital campaign, the school
was able to build additional
classrooms as well as a new
playground, computer lab,
and science lab. Last year more than 70
community volunteers extended their
help, working in classrooms and aiding
in events. Barbara Rawling, a retired
Milwaukee Public Schools teacher and
volunteer, says that her experience at
Milwaukee College Prep has taught her
much about the relationship between
high expectations and achievement: “It
is so exciting being here. Students know
exactly what the expectations are; they are
motivated by intrinsic rewards.”
Milwaukee College Prep plans a busy
year in outreach as a National School of
Character. Broeren says, “It [outreach] is
built into our mission.” Since the school has
served as a model of best practices, usually
two or three dozen interns (including
administrators) visit the school annually
in search of effective strategies. Milwaukee
College Prep showcased its program at the
annual Wisconsin State School of Character
Conference, in June, and is finalizing plans
to mentor other schools, possibly in Illinois
as well as Wisconsin.
Both students and parents are confident
that this amazing charter school has
provided the blueprint for success. Shaquille
announces confidently, “Years from now, I’ll
tell my kids Milwaukee College Prep is the
reason I’m a successful man.” ✪
REFERENCES
Gruwell, E. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a
Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change
Themselves and the World Around Them. New
York, NY: Broadway Books, 1999.
Modern Curriculum Press. Lebanon, IN: Pearson
Learning Group. Web site: www.pearsonschool.com.
Renaissance Learning. Wisconsin Rapids, WI:
Renaissance Learning, Inc. Web site:
www.renlearn.com.
Saxon Math. Austin, TX: Saxon Publishers.
Web site: saxonpublishers.hmhco.com.
Maggie Broeren, Development Director
Milwaukee College Prep School
2449 North 36th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210
Telephone: (414) 445-8020, ext. 292
Web site: www.milwcollegeprep.com
Robert Rauh
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: One of the keys
to having a great character education program is having staff members who really
embrace and model a values-based lifestyle. Character education is not something
that can be taught; it has to be lived. The key is getting full buy-in from the staff.
2009 National Schools of Character: Milwaukee College Prep School
29
2009 Winners
Westwood Elementary School
Grades PreK–3 ★ Enrollment 735 ★ Friendswood, Texas ★ Public/Suburban ★ Friendswood Independent School District
Dynamically Shaping Hearts
and Minds for the Future
The students in this friendly Texan school may be small in stature, but
they are big in vision. Not only have they influenced the community of
Friendswood to become crusaders for character, but they have also
earned a reputation on Capitol Hill as a force for change.
F
riendswood, Texas, a peaceful city
just south of Houston, is a perfect
match for Westwood Elementary
School. The community fondly recalls
that back in 1987 it was a group of
its concerned citizens who urged the
Friendswood Independent School District
to try a character initiative. Little did they
know that this elementary school, whose
oldest students are just in third grade,
would become such a dynamic leader in
the movement that it would inspire the
community, the other district schools,
and now the nation in its passionate
commitment to caring for others.
Barbara Gruener, a certified Character
In a nurturing school environment, first graders give their mothers “Mommy Makeover” spa treatments
for Mother’s Day.
30 2009 National Schools of Character: Westwood Elementary School
Counts trainer and a leader in Westwood’s
program since its inception, describes the
extraordinary bond that has been created
through projects that focus on caring: “It’s
like a wave. It has rippled out, and now it
connects us to each other.” The community
has joined the little ones in countless
humanitarian projects that run the gamut
from knitting caps for newborn babies in
developing countries to collecting diapers
and baby supplies for a local pregnancy
shelter. Parent Nancy Glaze, who has
participated in many of these projects,
says, “We have done several of these
community-based drives with such great
success that the residents of Friendswood
seem to look at us as a service organization.”
Principal Lynn Hobratschk observes that
the six Character Counts pillars—respect,
responsibility, citizenship, caring, fairness,
and trustworthiness—have become “the
core belief system in this community.”
Superintendent of Schools Trish
Hanks also points out the extraordinary
influence of Westwood on the intermediate
(grades 4–6), junior high (7–8), and high
school (9–12) levels in affecting student
behavior and school culture. Hanks adds,
“The high school students know the pillars,
the Rotary and Chamber [of Commerce]
know the pillars, and they extend into
the community. [Disciplinary] referrals
have declined, and academics have grown
stronger, and it all started at Westwood.”
Looking at Ways to Go Deeper
Keeping the character program “alive,
fresh and appealing” remains a focus of
the Character Crew, the school’s character
education team. Although character
building has been an integral part of school
life for two decades, Westwood, a threetime NSOC Finalist (in 2007, 2008, and
2009 Winners
their winning year, 2009), is always alert to
strategies that will enhance its program and
consistently implements CEP’s suggestions
for growth. “We are constantly looking
at ways to go deeper,” says Laura Rachita,
a music teacher and current chair of
Character Crew.
The “rough” period that the school
encountered from 1998 through 2003, a
time of escalating discipline problems and
declining standardized test scores, served
as a catalyst for change. Following a retreat
at the beginning of the 2003–04 school
year, the faculty renewed its efforts
to educate the whole child and
to interweave character into all
aspects of school life. Revitalizing
the way the school practiced
the Character Counts pillars
was just the first step; recent years
have also seen the introduction of
two research-based programs that
provide students with additional
problem-solving tools: Capturing
Kids’ Hearts and Kelso’s Choice.
The faculty receives training in
these programs, and the principal
makes certain that all new hires are aware of
Westwood’s philosophy of “capturing kids’
hearts before you work on their minds.”
Assistant principal Lee Whitlock recalls how
the principal stressed “character education
as the cornerstone of Westwood life” in his
job interview five years ago, and says he
is “amazed” at the ways in which the staff
serves as “excellent role models for children,
both in school and through service projects.”
The results clearly show that Westwood’s
commitment to building character has
reaped a fine harvest. Disciplinary referrals
have dropped 65 percent from the 2003–04
level, and in each of the past eight years
(since 2001–02), the school received an
Exemplary rating from the Texas Education
Agency, based on performance on the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
Students describe the Westwood climate in
more personal terms: Second grader Skylar
says, “If someone gets hurt, somebody else
would help them up.” Christian, another
second grader, agrees: “We play, and we work
things out at the Kelso Board when there’s a
problem.” Mary, a third grader, depicts her
classmates: “They care about one another,
and they don’t bully each other. They follow
the rules, and they listen to their teachers—
and they respect everyone.”
Valuing Westwood’s Students
The mission statement of the school
sets forth its philosophical framework:
Westwood’s students are valued and valuable.
Guided by core character principles, they
are well-mannered, respectful citizens who
possess a strong academic foundation
which fuels a continual passion for
learning. In addition to guidance
lessons given by Gruener,
students gain practice in living
the pillars through diverse
practices: curricular connections,
morning meetings, employing
common language, role playing,
assuming leadership roles, and
participating in a host of servicelearning projects.
“Academic success is not
a by-product of our character
building; it is integral to the process,” says
Whitlock. Hobratschk, a proponent of
inclusion, says that mainstreaming students
with special needs has spurred academic
improvement and social development.
Monthly Round Table meetings provide
help to teachers with struggling students,
and cross-age Book Buddies aid in
enriching reading skills and fine-tuning
social skills. Westwood uses many resources
to help students who are experiencing
academic difficulties. For example, the
Principal’s Partners are adult volunteers
who tutor students one-on-one, and the
Peer Assistance and Leadership Program
enlists the aid of Friendswood High School
students, who build friendships and success
through mentoring of Westwood children.
Students are enthusiastic about the
Westwood approach to learning. Second
grader Thomas says, “They [teachers] want
your best work, and they want you to learn
a lot, but they’re really very kind.” Bailey,
a third-grade transfer student, reflects,
working at Westwood Elementary School:
★ Westwood received an Exemplary rating
from the Texas Education Agency, the
highest recognition level for schools
based on their performance on the
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and
Skills (TAKS):
✓ The percentage of students with
Commended Performance scores
in math grew from 33 percent in
2002 to 56 percent in 2009; 96
percent of third graders passed
the 2009 TAKS math test.
✓ The percentage of students with
Commended Performance scores
in reading grew from 46 percent
in 2003 to 72 percent in 2009;
for the sixth year in a row, 100
percent of students passed the
TAKS reading test.
★ Attendance has improved, from 95.6
percent (2004) to 97.2 percent (2007),
for which Westwood has achieved Gold
Level recognition from the state of Texas.
★ Westwood received Gold Level recognition
in reading and math achievement as
well, thereby achieving gold performance
in the only three areas for which K–3
elementary schools are eligible.
★ Disciplinary referrals dropped by
65 percent, from 417 referrals in
2003–04 to 145 in 2007–08, which
is especially remarkable in view of
the fact that Westwood serves as the
district’s elementary PASS program
school to serve students who suffer
from an emotional disturbance.
★ The community participates actively at
Westwood. On average, volunteers clock
a total of 46.9 hours per day assisting
on campus.
★ Spring 2008 school climate surveys of
staff, parents, and students indicate
a high rate of satisfaction with the
school, its safety, and its positive
impact on students’ lives.
“The teachers are really nice…. At my old
school math was hard for me, but this year
I learned multiplication because my teacher
was so caring.” It is easy to see why 99
percent of the students surveyed last year
2009 National Schools of Character: Westwood Elementary School
31
2009 Winners
elderly people, which probably made them
feel good inside.”
The unusual bond between school and
community emerged last year when third
graders in Deanna Ellisor’s class decided to
create a book about their school through
the In Our Global Village service-learning
project, a collaborative international
exchange between schools. As the students
brainstormed items they wanted to include,
they realized they could not tell the
Westwood story without including its special
relationship to the Friendswood community,
so the young authors showcased that special
connection in the presentation.
Second graders conclude a book-writing unit by
inviting their families in for a book signing.
agreed with the statement The teachers here
really care about me.
Westwood Students
Valuing Others
“We do good deeds not for the rewards
but to have a better life,” says third grader
Julia in describing the school’s emphasis
on developing a lifelong habit of giving
back to the community. Students have
visited nursing homes, knitted afghans for
the needy, organized food drives, written
letters to soldiers, performed at holiday
concerts, and aided hurricane victims—and
that’s only a partial list of the many caring
projects in which these little ones have been
involved. What is equally remarkable is that
the parents and community have followed
their lead and joined in the projects.
The students are well aware of the
double benefit of giving: to both the giver
and the recipient. Third grader Kylie muses:
“Instead of just knitting for yourself, we
have a Knitting Club where you knit for
other people, and that makes me feel good
inside. In choir, we sing together as a group
and learn responsibility, and we sang for the
Dynamically Shaping Hearts
and Minds for the Future
Westwood’s big heart has garnered
national attention, and the school received
an invitation to the White House for its
service to others. In 2007, the school’s thirdgrade knitters were honored because, in
partnership with Save the Children, they had
rallied the community to knit over 300 caps
for newborns in developing countries. The
children received praise for working so hard to
help “babies they will never meet.” In 2009,
Capitol Hill lauded their efforts as well, but
this time, in addition to sending 650 caps, the
Westwood honorees also became advocates,
requesting an increased budgetary allotment
for newborn health.
By molding the little ones to be
tolerant, caring citizens with an ingrained
commitment to society, Westwood is
making an investment in our nation’s
future. A visitor to this friendly Texan
school last December would have seen
very tangible proof of the success of its
mission: High-minded students in Carolyn
Poole’s second-grade class had voted to
forego their holiday party in order to stuff
Christmas stockings for the needy. Their
demonstration of selfless caring is proof that
Westwood’s vision, Dynamically Shaping
Hearts and Minds for the Future, is not just
a catchy slogan. Moreover, as principal
Hobratschk points out, it is “the best
description of the school.” ✪
REFERENCES
Capturing Kids’ Hearts. College Station,
TX: The Flippen Group. Web site: www.
capturingkidshearts.com/education/ckh.html.
In Our Global Village. Providence, RI: What
Kids Can Do, Inc. Web site: www.inourvillage.
whatkidscando.org/global_village_project.html.
Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management for Children.
Winchester, OR: Kelso’s Choice. Web site: www.
kelsoschoice.net.
Barbara S. Gruener, Guidance Counselor
Westwood Elementary School
506 West Edgewood
Friendswood, TX 77546
Telephone: (281) 482-3341
Web site: www.fisdk12.net/ww/ww.html
Lynn Hobratschk
WORDS OF WISDOM TO A NEWCOMER IN CHARACTER EDUCATION: First, develop a
committee of “believers” who will help drive the initiative and become the first-step
explorers, able to then testify to the value of making positive changes that will benefit
the students and campus alike. Name the core values and create a unified theme and
mission. Next, ensure training for all staff, and provide the necessary resources to be
successful. Remember that it takes time to build a program. Hire purposefully. Heap
encouragement on those who are stepping out, and establish expectations for all.
Celebrate success!
32 2009 National Schools of Character: Westwood Elementary School
2009 Finalists
2009 National Finalists
National Finalists are schools and districts selected by CEP evaluators
on the basis of their strong written applications. In 2009, CEP chose 27
National Finalists for site visits by two-person teams. After considering
the written applications and site-visit reports, a Blue Ribbon Panel of
experts selected this year’s 10 Winners from the outstanding pool of
National Finalists. As all 27 of them have clear strengths and inspiring
stories of the impact of character education on their school communities,
this selection was no easy task. Read more about the remaining 17
National Finalists on the pages that follow.
Honorable Mention
The following 28 schools were accorded
National Honorable Mention in 2009
based on the quality of their written
NSOC applications.
Alpine Elementary School, Alpine, UT
Amelia County Elementary School,
Amelia Court House, VA
Arundel High School, Gambrills, MD
Barth Elementary School, Romulus, MI
Berkeley Elementary School, Moncks Corner, SC
Blythewood Middle School, Blythewood, SC
Bowles Elementary School, Fenton, MO
Ashland High School
Grades 9–12 ★ Ashland, Ohio ★ Public/Rural ★ Ashland City School District
Cimino Elementary School, Valrico, FL
Endeavour Elementary Magnet School of
Technology, Cocoa, FL
Fox Middle School, Arnold, MO
Franklin Elementary School, Belleville, IL
C
haracterized by a warm, welcoming
atmosphere, Ashland High School
has created a caring community
where students do the right thing and care
about one another and their community.
Through a commitment to the “Three R’s”—
respect, responsibility, and readiness—and
the implementation of the Ohio Integrated
Systems Model, a precursor to Response
to Intervention (RTI) promoted by the
Ohio Department of Education through a
Many times academics are secondary
to other factors affecting our students.
If these can be addressed, then
students can be freed to concentrate
more of their attention on the
academic piece of their school day.
—Robert Lake, Principal
federal grant, the school has fostered caring
relationships among students and staff,
resulting in improved student behavior. From
1995 to 2008, for example, out-of-school
suspensions dropped from over 150 per year
to around 20 per year. Effective programs
such as Lunch Bunch, Breakfast Club, and
Freshmen Orientation help build these caring
relationships, as does the school’s signature
homeroom program. Students stay with
the same homeroom teacher throughout
Lawrence Intermediate School, Lawrenceville, NJ
Lawrenceville Elementary School, Lawrenceville, NJ
Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Wood River, IL
Liberty Corner School, Liberty Corner, NJ
Mark Twain Elementary School, Brentwood, MO
Mountainside Middle School, Colbert, WA
Nike Elementary School, Catawissa, MO
Northfield Middle School, Northfield, NJ
Ocean City Elementary School, Ocean City, MD
Pierce Elementary School, Birmingham, MI
At Ashland, teens openly share their talents and passions.
Prairie Elementary School, Sacramento, CA
Sarasota Middle School, Sarasota, FL
their four years at Ashland, building strong
relationships through carefully planned
lessons and open discussions of relevant
ethical issues. Students in Ashland’s media
class create videos that target issues such
as bullying, offering opportunities for
students—and sometimes even parents and
community members—to consider current
moral issues from a student perspective. ✪
Somerset Elementary School, Bellevue, WA
Tinicum Elementary School, Pipersville, PA
Uthoff Valley Elementary School, Fenton, MO
West Maple Elementary School, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Winter Park Elementary School, Wilmington, NC
Carol Oberholtzer, Math Department Chair
Ashland High School
1440 King Road
Ashland, OH 44805
Telephone: (419) 289-7968
Web site: www.ashlandcityschools.org
33
2009 Finalists
Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES)
Grades K–8 ★ Aventura, Florida ★ Public Municipal Charter/Suburban ★ Miami–Dade County Public Schools
A
ventura City of Excellence School
(ACES) opened in 2003 as the
first municipally sponsored charter
school in Miami–Dade County. The City of
Aventura, Florida, founded the school with
a vision of combining a rigorous academic
curriculum with a “whole child” approach
to character education. As a foundation
ACES middle school students create “green” projects
for display on Arbor Day.
for linking the school’s vision with the
curriculum, ACES emphasizes the 12
core values of the Living Values Education
Program. Evidence that the school has been
successful in implementing its vision is the
consistent “A” rating it receives from the
Florida Department of Education and its
recognition at both the state and national
levels for character education. Academically,
ACES repeatedly outperforms schools with
similar demographics in both its state and
district. Success is also recognized by the many
Aventura parents who put their children on
the long waiting list for enrollment. Since the
school’s inception, parent and community
involvement has been seen as fundamental,
and thus all parents are asked to volunteer
20 hours per year. The school helps link both
parents and students to service opportunities.
The ACES Community Care Outreach
Program involves the entire student body
in student-directed service-learning projects
within the community. ✪
REFERENCE
Living Values Education Program. Haines
Falls, NY: LVEP, Inc. Web site: www.
livingvalueseducation.org.
Leslie Loewenthal, Special Projects/
Events Coordinator
Aventura City of Excellence School
3333 NE 188th Street
Aventura, FL 33180
Telephone: (305) 466-1499
Web site: www.aventuracharter.org
Bayless Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 ★ St. Louis, Missouri Public/Suburban ★ Bayless School District
B
ayless Elementary is a school filled
with high-energy teachers committed
to meeting the needs of their diverse
population. The staff is eager to share their
passion for the school’s mission, and their
intense focus on character education has
yielded impressive results. An obvious
commitment on the part of the staff to the
outward appearance of the older school
building turns out to be reflective of a deeper
commitment to programmatic quality at
Bayless, which is especially notable given that
the school has one of the lowest per-pupil
“Character education is school reform.
It is a great investment. Create time
for staff development and professional
learning communities. Allow staff to
create initiatives and take small steps.
This will create buy-in.”
—Gina Siebe, Principal
Students make Thanksgiving table centerpieces and
deliver them to a local nursing home.
funding levels in St. Louis County. Despite
this, Bayless students have made dramatic
gains in reading that the principal attributes
to the school’s character education efforts.
The number of students reading at or above
grade level has steadily increased, from 81
percent in 2005–06 to 93 percent in 2008–
09. These data are even more impressive
when one considers that the Bayless
population includes 41.5 percent language
minorities. There are over 17 different
languages spoken at Bayless Elementary.
This diversity is seen by teachers and
students as a positive resource. Indeed,
one is unlikely to hear the word “tolerate”
used. Rather, teachers and students readily
describe ways in which they “celebrate” the
cultural diversity within their ranks. ✪
Gina Siebe, Principal
4531 Weber Road
St. Louis, MO 63123
Telephone: (314) 256-8620
Web site: www.baylessk12.org
2009 Finalists
Beverly Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Beverly Hills, Michigan ★ Public/Suburban ★ Birmingham Public Schools
B
everly Elementary is described by
many in its community as their
home away from home—a caring
community where a sense of family prevails.
Students at Beverly know their teachers care
about them. They learn through the example
set by their teachers as well as a multitude of
programs on how to care for one another.
Beverly Bobcat Bully Busters
One notable example is the Beverly LINKS
program, a peer-to-peer support program in
which general education students interact
with students with special needs (including
autism until recently, when the program was
moved) to help model appropriate social skills.
Students at Beverly learn conflict resolution
and peer mediation as well, in order to prevent
bullying and solve student conflicts. Older
students view themselves as role models for the
younger ones and take their responsibilities as
playground “Bully Busters,” reading buddies,
safety patrols, student council members, and
classroom aides seriously. Beverly students,
staff, and parents also demonstrate caring
outside of their school in many ways. Since
2003, they have worked to reduce their
negative impact on the environment. As a
result, Beverly is the first school in Michigan
Look for what you already do, and pay
attention to the difference it has made
in your school. You will be energized
to do even more! Start small and build
up, but get EVERYONE on board.
—Jennifer Martella, Principal
to become a “Green School.” Supportive
Beverly parents help coordinate the activities
for this effort, including taking turns walking
children to school on the “walking school bus”
rather than driving them. ✪
Sheryl Davenport, Counselor
18305 Beverly Road
Beverly Hills, MI 48025
Telephone: (248) 203-3150
Web site: www.birmingham.k12.mi.us/Schools/
Elementary/Beverly
Brigantine Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 ★ Brigantine, New Jersey ★ Public/Suburban ★ Brigantine Public Schools
L
ocated just north of and “over the
bridge” from Atlantic City, Brigantine
Elementary School has garnered
numerous county, state, and national awards
over the past 17 years. During this same
period, the school has experienced declining
enrollment due to rising housing prices as
well as dramatic demographic changes that
have had a significant impact. The school’s
population is now quite diverse economically
and ethnically, with 16 percent of the
students having a first language which is
not English, 40 percent from economically
Character and academics are
inseparable. Collegiality, the relationship
of staff with each other, has more to
do with the quality and character of a
school and with student achievement
than any other factor.
—Donald A. Marrandino, Principal
disadvantaged homes, and a mobility rate
close to 17 percent. In response to low
staff morale, student behavioral problems,
and poor test scores, 200 members of
the community came together to create a
strategic plan that placed a heavy emphasis
on developing a kinder community and
character development through valuescentered classrooms, the school’s signature
Kindness is Contagious program, a
multicultural approach to arts education,
a revamped physical fitness program, and
the addition of a student council. The result
was the creation of a tolerant, respectful,
academically successful, and caring school
community—selected four times as The
Kindest School in New Jersey and recipient
of the 2006 Boyer Center Award for the
Best Practice in Character Education in
the nation. ✪
Brigantine Student Council
Donald A. Marrandino, Principal
Brigantine Elementary School
301 East Evans Boulevard
Brigantine, NJ 08203
Telephone: (609) 264-9501
Web site: www.brigantine.atlnet.org
35
2009 Finalists
First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy
Grades PreK–8 ★ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ★ Public Charter/Urban
I
n an urban neighborhood in northeastern
Philadelphia stands the gleaming modern
building that houses First Philadelphia
Charter School for Literacy, known as “First
Philly.” School founders transformed an
empty warehouse into a state-of-the-art
facility for over 750 students that serves as
a safe and caring home where an energetic
staff nurtures and inspires children from 31
different Philadelphia neighborhoods each
day. Making good choices, caring for others,
and taking responsibility for one’s learning
Investigate various character
education programs. Encourage
teachers to contribute to this effort.
Select a character education program
that matches the focus, mission, and
goals of your school.
—Stacey Cruise, Executive Director
Buddy classes hold regular class meetings at First Philly.
are the mainstays of the school’s successful
program. Clear proof of success in promoting
literacy is the remarkable performance of the
seventh graders on the 2008 Pennsylvania
standardized assessments: 79 percent of the
white students, 81 percent of the AfricanAmerican students, and 58 percent of the
Latino students scored proficient or above,
surpassing the state averages of 70, 48, and 48
percent, respectively. The school uses Bloom’s
Taxonomy to spur higher-order thinking
and even evaluates students in each of the
categories on their report cards. When asked
what it is that teachers do to ensure that the
school meets AYP goals each year, the students
are quick to respond, “They make learning
fun in class” and “They’ll stay after school to
help you personally.” ✪
Stacey Cruise, Executive Director,
First Philadelphia Paradigm
4300 Tacony Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Telephone: (215) 743-3100
Web site: www.firstphiladelphiacharter.org
Fuguitt Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 ★ Largo, Florida ★ Public/Urban ★ Pinellas County Schools
O
nce called the “best kept secret” in
Pinellas County (a 2007 National
District of Character), Fuguitt
Elementary later experienced a period when
the school’s reputation declined. However,
Fuguitt is known once again for outstanding
academic results coupled with a warm, inviting
culture. The administrative team believes
Patriotism and pride are central at Fuguitt.
As educators, we model what we teach
to our students. Before we can expect
our students to display the core values
that we promote, the school staff
must practice and model these values
with one another daily.
—Michael Moss, Principal
that character education is an important
ingredient to the success the school has
achieved and places special emphasis on
positive relationship-building. The 86 student
“character coaches” of Fuguitt’s Bully Free
Club, for example, mentor fellow students
and promote character education across the
school. Each month the guidance counselor
transforms herself into Miss Manners,
holding tea parties with classes while teaching
etiquette, discussing the book of the month,
and reinforcing the school’s core values.
Another key aspect of the school’s success is
CHAMPS, a positive, proactive behavioral
approach to discipline that creates uniform
school-wide expectations in all aspects of the
school. Implemented gradually with input
from all, including students and support staff,
the program teaches students the skills and
behaviors necessary for success and creates a
common language. Today a rich variety of
family events bring parents to the school, and
30 business partners contribute services and
time to a school whose success can no longer
be called a secret. ✪
Michael Moss, Principal
Fuguitt Elementary School
13010 101st Street
Largo, FL 33773
Telephone: (727) 588-3576
Web site: www.fuguitt-es.pinellas.k12.fl.us
2009 Finalists
Hamilton Township School District
Grades PreK–12 ★ Hamilton, New Jersey ★ Public/Suburban
L
ocated midway between New York City
and Philadelphia, Hamilton Township
School District is comprised of 24
schools (3 high schools, 3 middle schools, 17
elementary schools, and 1 school for special
education students) and an alternative high
school program. The largest employer in New
Jersey’s Mercer County, Hamilton has been
educating the community’s children for over
100 years. The district’s character initiative
began in 1990, when one of its elementary
schools, Kuser, adopted the goal of achieving
harmonious respectful relationships among all
groups within the school community in response
to a rise in minor disciplinary referrals. From
one school’s focus on respect grew a systemwide focus, not only on respect but also
on profound caring among all members of
the school community, and ultimately the
adoption of all six Character Counts pillars as
the district’s core values. Twenty years later, this
initiative has spread throughout the district
and is now impacting the greater community
through business and government replication
of components such as the Fish Philosophy,
which stresses the importance of a positive
attitude. Recognized as a New Jersey District of
Character in 2007, 2008, and 2009, Hamilton
Township was also selected as a National
District of Character Finalist in 2008. ✪
Students help prepare meals at the Ronald McDonald House.
Dr. Lois Braender, Assistant Superintendent of
Instructional Services
90 Park Avenue
Hamilton, NJ 08690
The FISH! Philosophy. Burnsville, MN:
ChartHouse Learning. Web site: www.
charthouse.com.
Telephone: (609) 631-4100
Web site: www.hamilton.k12.nj.us
REFERENCES
Kehrs Mill Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Chesterfield, Missouri ★ Public/Suburban ★ Rockwood School District
A
t Kehrs Mill, collaboration is a key
element modeled by all, as teachers,
parents, and administrators share
responsibility in the learning process. The
result is a caring school community known
for high test scores and high parental
involvement. Yet the school continuously
examines data and encourages reflection in
order to find ways to improve. Not only
does the school meet any challenges head
on; it also reaches out to the community
and models leadership by participating in
Use data to make good decisions,
and then focus on only one or two
goals for implementation during the
initial years. Share your results with
the entire school community, and
celebrate your successes.
—Margaret Lucero, Principal
daily class meetings and buddy activities into
their lessons and activities. They also connect
service projects to the curriculum and model
the school’s core values in their interactions
with students and with one another.
Students report having a say in their lessons
and are enthusiastic about learning. ✪
REFERENCE
Kindergartners care for school grounds by tending
class gardens.
the Volunteer Transfer Student program,
accepting 35–40 students from the inner-city
area of St. Louis. These students are heartily
welcomed into the school community. Kehrs
Mill teachers have embraced the Caring
School Community model by incorporating
Developmental Studies Center. Web site:
www.devstu.org/csc.
Sarah Turpin, Assistant Principal
2650 Kehrs Mill Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Telephone: (636) 537-4359
Web site: www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/kehrsmill
37
2009 Finalists
Lake Riviera Middle School
Grades 6–8 ★ Brick, New Jersey ★ Public/Urban ★ Brick Township School District
L
ake Riviera Middle School has made
character education the keystone of
its mission: Aiming for Excellence.
Focus on the Character Counts six pillars
as the school’s core values has resulted in
the creation of a harmonious, respectful
school family committed to service. To
infuse the core values into their daily
lessons, teachers use the “6 E’s”: example,
explanation, exhortation, ethos, experience,
and expectations of excellence. Surrounded
by acres of woodland trails, wetlands, and
a small lake, the school provides students
with numerous opportunities for service and
learning in a natural environment. Service
learning, which is at the very heart of the
school’s curriculum and character initiative,
helps teachers develop an awareness of
school, community, and global needs in
to develop a rain garden in order to study
sustainability and the use of plants and
herbs in cafeteria meals. Academic data
and climate surveys show that character
education and service learning are having a
positive impact. ✪
REFERENCE
Students regularly clean and restore a pond on
school grounds.
their students through their participation
in more than 30 service projects each year.
Through science and math classes and use
of the natural areas surrounding the school,
for example, students, staff, and a parent
who is a landscape architect work together
Janet Czarnecki, Assistant Principal
171 Beaverson Boulevard
Brick, NJ 08723
Telephone: (732) 262-2600
Web site: www.brickschools.org/lakerivierams
Lore Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Ewing, New Jersey ★ Public/Suburban ★ Ewing Township Public Schools
R
edistricting, driven by the desire to
achieve ethnic and socio-economic
balance in the Ewing schools, has
doubled the size of Lore in recent years. The
school population now reflects the diversity
of Ewing Township. What unites the school
Lore’s Giving Tree: Second graders collect items for
needy children.
community and gives it a common purpose
is the school’s UNITY program. This
home-grown initiative had its beginnings
in 1995–96, when the students developed
26 core value words that make up the heart
of UNITY. All Lore staff and students are
grouped into multi-age “families” that meet
regularly. During Family Unity meetings,
activities that are planned by Lore staff center
on service learning and foster themes that
educate children on how to live together in
a global community. Responsive Classroom
strategies are infused extensively at Lore
as it strives to be a totally “responsive”
school. Morning Meetings, rules and logical
consequences, Constitutional Convention,
academic choice, and guided discovery are
all key components of Lore’s social and
academic curriculum. Lore’s program remains
dynamic and changes in response to student
needs as identified by the school’s Character
Committee. Community involvement
abounds at Lore through the STARS (Seniors
Teaching and Reinforcing Skills) Volunteer
Program, and parents help through Parents as
Partners and Parent University. ✪
REFERENCE
Responsive Classroom. Turners Falls, MA:
Northeast Foundation for Children. Web site:
www.responsiveclassroom.org.
Patricia Womelsdorf, Principal
Lore Elementary School
13 Westwood Drive North
Ewing, NJ 08628
Telephone: (609) 538-9800
Web site: www.ewing.k12.nj.us/ewingweb/
Schools/Lore/lore/index.html
2009 Finalists
Lyles–Crouch Traditional Academy
Grades K–5 ★ Alexandria, Virginia ★ Public/Urban ★ Alexandria City Public Schools
L
yles–Crouch, the elementary school for
the African-American children of the
city of Alexandria during the segregation
era, is seen today as the jewel of its Old Town
Alexandria community. Residents of Alexandria
did not always have such high regard for the
school. In the decades after desegregation,
the school entered a period of decline and the
Students help with a community-building Family Fun Night.
building fell into disrepair. In an effort to halt
this decline and bring neighborhood children
attending private schools back to public school,
Lyles–Crouch adopted a “traditional” model
in 2000, instituting a lottery enrollment
system, a longer school day, school uniforms,
behavior contracts, small class sizes, and a
focus on the core academic areas. With the
city-wide adoption of the Character Counts
six pillars and a new principal who put
more emphasis on character education and
community involvement, the Lyles–Crouch
transformation was under way. Parental and
community investment and involvement are
now a vibrant force here. Parents, for example,
recently turned the glass-strewn playground
into a beautiful outdoor education garden. The
behavior and achievement of students is now
a point of pride for the community, and the
beautifully maintained and upgraded building is
respected as a flagship with important historical
significance. City leaders give credit for the
turnaround to character education, and so
many neighborhood families now send their
children to Lyles–Crouch that the lottery system
has been abandoned. ✪
REFERENCE
Dr. Patricia Zissios, Principal
Lyles–Crouch Traditional Academy
530 South Saint Asaph Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: (703) 706-4430
Web site: www.acps.k12.va.us/crouch
Parkside Primary Center
Grades K–3 ★ Bethalto, Illinois ★ Public/Urban ★ Bethalto Community Unit School District #8
P
arkside’s character education
initiative began as soon as the doors
opened in 1999.
The staff believed from the start that
developing character in students was
needed to promote a safe, caring school
community. The school holds students to
high academic expectations in a warm,
supportive environment where students
learn and achieve while demonstrating
positive character traits. The school’s
initiative is based on nine character traits.
Monthly character meetings that focus
on the selected character theme of the
month are hosted by the principal and
the social worker. Parkside has created
a very nurturing school culture as it has
worked to build strong relationships among
community members. Student, parent, and
staff surveys reveal that all stakeholders view
Parkside as a caring school community.
Students are treated with respect and
warmth by the staff, and programs such
as Classroom Buddies, Second Step, Steps
to Respect, and Friendship Circles teach
students to care for one another and resolve
conflicts peacefully. Students are further
encouraged to demonstrate caring in the
larger community as they participate in
community-service projects hosted by the
school to benefit selected causes. ✪
REFERENCE
Second Step and Steps to Respect. Seattle,
WA: Committee for Children. Web site:
www.cfchildren.org.
Kimberly Heinz, Principal
600 East Central Street
Bethalto, IL 62010
Telephone: (618) 377-4100
Web site: www.bethalto.org
Secret Santa Delivery Persons at Parkside Primary
39
2009 Finalists
Peak to Peak Charter School
Grades K–12 ★ Lafayette, Colorado ★ Public Charter/Suburban ★ Boulder Valley School District
E
ach day, cars from 35 communities
within the Denver and Boulder
suburbs drop off and pick up
students at Peak to Peak. Because the school
draws students from a wide area, the school
intentionally works to build community.
Student mentoring programs, for example,
match older students with younger ones, and
regular assemblies are designed to unite and
motivate the community around common
Peak to Peak students present books they created to
students in Guatemala.
language and values. Teachers at this highperforming school work hard to highlight
character traits in the curriculum, and students
mention the frequent in-class discussions
of current events, historical characters, and
difficult moral dilemmas. Students are
required not only to perform academically but
also to give back to the community. Indeed,
to graduate from Peak to Peak, students
must demonstrate evidence of 100 hours of
community service. Peak to Peak’s lunch and
recess programming is a noteworthy example
of student-led moral action: Students facilitate
the starting and sustaining of recess games to
ensure that all are included and all have fun.
Tray Helpers offer guidance to other students
as they finish their lunches and prepare to
exit the lunchroom. Peer Mediators walk in
pairs throughout the playground scanning
for conflicts and stepping in to help resolve
them when needed—or referring students to
Character education is an incredible
opportunity for your school and a
powerful force when graduating
compassionate, kind, respectful, and
responsible students. Make sure
each child is known and valued
in the school.
—Anthony Fontana, Executive Principal
Peace Circles where they may resolve conflicts
themselves. Alumni report back to the school
about how much the character education they
received helped them be successful in college—
both academically and in their daily lives. ✪
Anthony Fontana, Executive Principal
800 Merlin Drive
Lafayette, CO 80026
Telephone: (303) 453-4601
Web site: www.peaktopeak.org
Seminole Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Seminole, Florida ★ Public/Urban ★ Pinellas County Schools
S
miling seems almost mandatory at
Seminole Elementary, where all adults
respond to students as well as other
adults with warmth, respect, and kindness,
consistently modeling the behaviors that
are expected and often praising students
for demonstrating one of the school’s core
values. Students in turn learn to care for
one another, their school, and members
of the community. It is not uncommon to
see younger students hugging older ones or
student patrols helping younger students
to and from their buses, forging positive
relationships. Through Seminole’s homegrown Peer Power Learning Life’s Lessons
program, older students are paired with
younger ones by their teachers to work
together throughout the year, giving the older
by students. Gardens bordering almost every
pathway not only beautify the campus but
also allow students to have responsibility for
school maintenance and provide vehicles
for hands-on science instruction. Seminole
students’ care and concern extends beyond the
school boundaries as well: They have donated
over $140,000 in the past 10 years to a local
children’s hospital. ✪
Character Peer Partners help each other learn
life skills.
child in the pair a leadership role to direct
the conversation and serve as a role model
for the younger student. Another source of
pride and unity are the many gardens planted
Dr. Bonnie Cangelosi, Principal
Seminole Elementary School
10950 74th Avenue North
Seminole, FL 33772
Telephone: (727) 547-7668
Web site: www.seminole-es.pinellas.k12.fl.us
2009 Finalists
Sullivan Primary School
Grades PreK–1 ★ Sullivan, Missouri ★ Public/Urban ★ Sullivan School District
T
he character education “light bulb”
went on among Sullivan Primary
staff members when some of their
peers led a training workshop on CEP’s
Eleven Principles of Effective Character
Education. From that training, the staff
developed the school’s touchstone: The Eagle
Way: On the Right Road, Doing the Right
Thing. The Eagle Way, which became a
concrete means for students to understand
what was expected of them and for staff
to reinforce the Eleven Principles, now
pervades the culture of Sullivan Primary. In
order to ensure consistency throughout the
school, staff members have developed a Flip
for Character flip chart (a 2009 Promising
Practice) for all new and existing staff that
outlines the mission and vision of the school,
character programs, the Eagle Way morning
routine, classroom strategies, class meetings,
stress management strategies, and the bus
techniques to manage their own behavior.
Students reflect on their behavior using
“Sorry Sheets.” Class meetings in all classes
provide students “voice and choice” in
creating classroom norms, discussing service
projects, setting goals, giving feedback
and evaluation, and planning and making
decisions about their learning. ✪
REFERENCE
Lickona, T., E. Schaps, and C. Lewis. Eleven
Principles of Effective Character Education.
Washington, DC: CEP, 2007.
“The Eagle Way” is demonstrated daily at Sullivan.
routine. Students consistently use “Talk it
Out, Work it Out, Walk it Out” (a 2007
Promising Practice known as Peace Pals),
the Peace Path, and stress management
Tina Sohn, Art Teacher
1132 Elmont Road
Sullivan, MO 63080
Telephone: (573) 468-5446
Web site: www.eagles.k12.mo.us
Walnut Street Elementary School
Grades K–5 ★ Uniondale, New York ★ Public/Suburban ★ Uniondale Union Free School District
T
he town of Uniondale, New York,
is in many ways like many other
Long Island communities that have
seen an influx of immigrants in recent years.
But this school with 99 percent minority
students, nearly half of whom qualify for
free or reduced-price lunch, stands out
among other communities because of
its students’ strong work ethic and high
academic achievement. The district mantra,
Expectations + Effort = Excellence, has clearly
shaped the character-building efforts and
academic progress of this school. Walnut
Street has defied the odds and been named
a New York State (NYS) High Performing/
Gap Closing School for 2008–09, achieved
AYP annually, and maintained increasingly
high scores on NYS assessments. The
principal credits this success to students’
feeling safe, loved, and cared for. Walnut
Street has fashioned a multi-layered approach
that provides a nurturing environment for
its students, furnishes strong mentoring
services, and calls on parents and the larger
community as partners. Indeed, teachers,
support staff, and parents repeatedly express
their positive feelings about being part of
this school, which enjoys an outstanding
reputation in the community. ✪
Michael Bruno, Teacher
Walnut Street Elementary School
1270 Walnut Street
Uniondale, NY 11553
Telephone: (516) 918-2200
Web site: wss.uniondaleschools.org
Students and their mentors celebrate successful
relationships.
41
2008 NSOC Outreach
Outreach of 2008 Winners:
National Schools of Character Reach, Teach, and Inspire
T
he large grant awarded to the 2008
National Schools of Character
(NSOC) ignited them to reach
out to other educators and guide them in
implementing CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective
Character Education. The 2008 Winners
held day-long trainings for fellow educators
where the NSOC staffs focused on the Eleven
Principles and shared their successful strategies.
Most sessions included a time for participants
to complete self-assessment surveys and create
action plans. After the trainings, NSOC staffs
provided opportunities for follow-up coaching.
During the 2008–09 school year, NSOC
trained over 1,600 educators representing
approximately 250,000 students. As an adjunct
to helping others, the NSOC report that their
outreach projects provided insight for their
own staffs. Jill Ramsey, principal of Chesterfield
Elementary School in Chesterfield, Missouri,
describes her school’s experience: “Involving
our Caring School Community leadership
team in providing outreach training for
educators has given teachers the opportunity
to reflect upon how character education is
embedded at [our] school.”
in workshops. Over 400 educators visited
those schools, whose staffs not only became
ambassadors for character education but
helped themselves in the process. Mike
Reaching Out while
Growing from Within
In addition to the formal one-day
training, the NSOC campuses became
demonstration sites where visitors observed
classes, met with staff, and participated
Sample Highlights of
Outreach Events
The outreach efforts reflected the unique
school culture at each NSOC. For example,
teams from 14 high schools participated in
Hinsdale Central High School’s outreach
event in Hinsdale, Illinois, where the school
emphasized its iconic service-learning
program and its successful convergence of
character education and social–emotional
learning. The school activated student voice
by having students introduce speakers and
facilitate discussions. Bower Hill Elementary
School in Venetia, Pennsylvania, with almost
800 students in grades K–3, presented two
“tea party” workshops for 11 area preschools,
where Bower Hill staff provided a foundation
in moral education to educators who teach
their future students. Francis Howell Middle
Principal Ed Canzanese invites students to enliven
Rosa International Middle School’s outreach training.
School in St. Charles, Missouri, trained 75
educators from 13 schools within its district
and then hosted monthly follow-up meetings.
Observing a Character Connection class
After attending this program [at Hinsdale Central High School],
I realized that what we have been doing are random
acts of character education.
—Jodie Davidson, Associate Principal
Lafayette High School, Rockwood, Missouri
Ferrara, principal of Waterloo Middle
School in Waterloo, New York, says: “We
have engaged and enlightened over 500
people in providing them with best practices
and suggestions for a successful character
education program. The experience of
working together to enhance character
education has been truly remarkable!” Eric
Freidman, principal of Babylon Memorial
Grade School in Babylon, New York,
concurs: “A real bonus has been our own
continuing growth. We have learned more
about focusing on the ‘performance’ side of
character education and are excited about
creating strategies for self-reflection.”
energized participants and allowed them to
experience Howell’s signature program in
action. Rosa International Middle School
in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, partnered with
three education organizations to offer a day-
Babylon Memorial Grade School teachers Shannon
Romanchuk and Cheryl Murphy demonstrate a Morning
Meeting “greeting” at their outreach training.
long conference for 155 educators from 87
schools in which other NSOC as well as State
Schools of Character (SSOC) also presented
workshops. Rosa’s theme was creating a school
culture from a shared vision. Wilton Manors
Elementary School in Wilton Manors,
Florida, brought together 34 area counselors
to share its successful Passport to Peace
program. Participants learned that a school
can teach, practice, and demonstrate attitudes
that lead to peace. Having NSOC model and
teach winning strategies has proven to be a
highly successful method of spreading the
character education message. ✪
2009 SSOC
2009 State Schools of Character
Over half the states in the U.S. now hold a State Schools of Character
(SSOC) awards competition as an extension of the National Schools of
Character (NSOC) program. The purpose of both the state and national
awards is to identify and honor schools and districts that can serve
as models of comprehensive, transformative character education.
Sponsoring organizations hold an awards ceremony for their SSOC
Winners and forward the strongest applications from schools and
districts in their state (including those of their SSOC Winners) to the
NSOC competition. State sponsors and CEP evaluators use the same
criteria—CEP’s Character Education Quality Standards—to judge the state
and national competitions, respectively.
State Senator Vicki Schmidt cheerily presides at the
Kansas SSOC awards ceremony at the Brown vs. Board
of Education historic site in Topeka.
State Sponsors Honored 55 State
Schools of Character in 2009
The State Schools of Character (SSOC)
awards program experienced a surge in
2009, with 20 of the 26 state sponsors
naming a total of 55 state-level Winners.
Many sponsors gave additional
awards, such as Finalist, Honorable
Mention, and Promising Practices.
All but one of the 2009 NSOC
Winners and Finalists are from SSOC
states, reflecting the level of activity,
resources, and leadership in character
education in these states. The states
with organizations offering strong
support experience the highest levels
of participation in the program. States
such as Florida, Maryland, Missouri,
New Jersey, New York, and Texas
received applications in the double
digits in 2009. Like the NSOC/SSOC
awards program itself, these states
serve as models to guide the way for others.
SSOC coordinators network to learn from
one another’s experiences and support the
same goal: to have every school in our nation
become a school of character.
The NSOC expansion to state-level
programs has raised awareness of character
education and facilitated development of
in-state capacity to help schools get started
energizes school staffs for continued
improvement and real growth.”
Although the scoring process for
selecting SSOC and NSOC is the same, each
state sponsor has flexibility in deciding how
they recognize their SSOC Winners. Many
states present awards at the school site
with staff and students participating.
Other presentations are more public
and occur at conferences or luncheons.
Some are held at state capitals or
universities with governors or state
legislators presenting. Commissioners
of education, presidents of state
education associations, and members of
state boards of education often preside
at the ceremonies. In Missouri, the St.
Louis Rams fund the SSOC project
and a Rams vice president participated
in the awards ceremony. Several states
received TV coverage of their event
in 2009—in Florida, ABC’s network
affiliate actually sponsored the luncheon in
its studios.
With the expansion of the NSOC
program to the state level, CEP has realized
two goals: to increase the number of
schools recognized for developing effective
character education initiatives, and to
identify exemplary sites to serve as models
and share their best practices. ✪
or strengthen their programs. Many state
sponsors offer workshops or consultation
to schools seeking guidance, and state-level
winners provide leadership in mentoring
fellow educators in their character
education journeys. According to Dr.
Rocky Heights Middle School’s mascot, Nighthawk Man,
receives an SSOC Promising Practices award from
Colorado State Commissioner of Education Dwight Jones.
Phil Brown, SSOC coordinator for New
Jersey and director of the Center for Social
and Character Development at Rutgers
University, “The State Schools of Character
process enables schools to measure the
progress of their programs against national
standards and then provides a focus that
43
2009 SSOC
2009 State Schools of Character
Sponsors and Winners
CALIFORNIA
ILLINOIS
KENTUCKY
State Sponsor:
State Sponsor:
University of Illinois Extension
Character Council of Greater
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Franklin Elementary School
State Sponsor:
Center for Youth Citizenship
Prairie Elementary School
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville Public School District #118
Lewis and Clark Elementary School
Sacramento, California
Elk Grove Unified School District
Wood River, Illinois
Wood River–Hartford School District 15
COLORADO
Parkside Primary Center1
State Sponsor:
Bethalto, Illinois
Bethalto Community Unit
School District #8
Foundation for Character
Development
1
Lafayette, Colorado
Boulder Valley School District
INDIANA
State Sponsor:
MARYLAND
State Sponsor:
Maryland Center for Character
Education
Arundel High School
Gambrills, Maryland
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Ocean City Elementary School
Ocean City, Maryland
Worcester County Public Schools
River Hill High School
Indiana Department of Education
Clarksville, Maryland
Howard County Public School System
FLORIDA
IOWA
Westminster East Middle School
State Sponsor:
State Sponsor:
Westminster, Maryland
Carroll County Public Schools
The Golden Rule Foundation
Aventura City of Excellence School
(ACES)1
Institute for Character
Development at Drake
University
State Sponsor:
Aventura, Florida
Cimino Elementary School
Valrico, Florida
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Endeavour Elementary Magnet
School of Technology
Cocoa, Florida
Brevard Public Schools
MASSACHUSETTS
Kansas State Department
of Education
Hudson Public School District, Center
for the Advancement of Ethics and
Character at Boston University,
and Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
Hesston Unified School District 460
Col. John Robinson School2
KANSAS
State Sponsor:
Hesston, Kansas
Westford, Massachusetts
Westford Public Schools
Fuguitt Elementary School1
Largo, Florida
Pinellas County Schools
Sarasota Middle School
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota County Schools
Seminole Elementary School1
Seminole, Florida
GEORGIA
State Sponsor:
Kennesaw State University
West Hall Middle School
Oakwood, Georgia
Hall County Schools
1
2009 National Schools of Character Finalist
2
2009 National Schools of Character Winner
Students at Long Elementary School “get into the act” as the school receives its Missouri SSOC award.
2009 SSOC
MICHIGAN
State Sponsor:
Michigan Department of Education
Barth Elementary School
Romulus, Michigan
Romulus Community Schools
Beverly Elementary School1
Beverly Hills, Michigan
Birmingham Public Schools
Greenfield Elementary School2
Beverly Hills, Michigan
West Maple Elementary School
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
MINNESOTA
State Sponsor:
Center for Academic Excellence
Blake School, The2
Hopkins, Minnesota
Schumann Elementary School
Long Lake, Minnesota
Orono Public Schools
MISSOURI
State Representative Dean Urdahl presides at Minnesota’s SSOC awards ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda
along with the State Commissioner of Education.
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
State Sponsor:
State Sponsor:
Center for Social and Character
Development at Rutgers University
and New Jersey Department
of Education
Academy for Character Education
at The Sage Colleges
State Sponsor:
Brigantine Elementary School1
CHARACTERplus
Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine Public Schools
Bayless Elementary School1
St. Louis, Missouri
Bayless School District
Fox C-6 School District2
Lake Riviera Middle School1
Arnold, Missouri
Brick, New Jersey
Brick Township School District
Fox Middle School
Lore Elementary School1
Arnold, Missouri
1
Chesterfield, Missouri
Rockwood School District
Long Elementary School2
Crestwood, Missouri
Lindbergh School District
Nike Elementary School
Catawissa, Missouri
Meramec Valley R-III School District
Uthoff Valley Elementary School
Fenton, Missouri
Rockwood School District
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale Union Free School District
NORTH CAROLINA
1
Hamilton, New Jersey
Walnut Street Elementary School1
State Sponsor:
North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction
Beverly Woods Elementary School2
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte–Mecklenburg Schools
Ewing, New Jersey
Ewing Township Public Schools
OHIO
Lawrence Intermediate School
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrence Township Public Schools
Ohio Partners in Character Education,
Ohio Department of Education, and
Ohio Better Business Bureaus
Lawrenceville Elementary School
Ashland High School1
State Sponsor:
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrence Township Public Schools
Ashland, Ohio
Ashland City School District
Liberty Corner School
Sentinel Career Center
Liberty Corner, New Jersey
Bernards Township Public Schools
Tiffin, Ohio
Vanguard–Sentinel Career Centers
Northfield Middle School
Northfield, New Jersey
Northfield School District
1
2
45
2009 SSOC
PENNSYLVANIA
State Sponsor:
Center for Leadership and Ethics
Alta S. Leary Elementary School2
The State Schools of Character process enables schools to measure
the progress of their programs against national standards and then
provides a focus that energizes school staffs for continued
improvement and real growth.
—Dr. Phil Brown, New Jersey SSOC Coordinator and Director of the Center
for Social and Character Development at Rutgers University
Warminster, Pennsylvania
Centennial School District
Aston Elementary School
Aston, Pennsylvania
Penn–Delco School District
Fell Charter Elementary School
Simpson, Pennsylvania
First Philadelphia Charter School
for Literacy1
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UTAH
State Sponsor:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
at the University of Utah
Alpine Elementary School
Alpine, Utah
Alpine School District
Tinicum Elementary School
Pipersville, Pennsylvania
Palisades School District
VIRGINIA
Wilson Southern Junior High School
Greater Roanoke Valley
Character Coalition
Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
Wilson School District
SOUTH CAROLINA
State Sponsor:
South Carolina Department
of Education
State Sponsor:
WEST VIRGINIA
State Sponsor:
College of Education and Human
Services, Marshall University
Berkeley Elementary School
WISCONSIN
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Berkeley County School District
State Sponsor:
Blythewood Middle School
Blythewood, South Carolina
Richland School District Two
Wisconsin Character Education
Partnership
Milwaukee College Prep School2
New State Sponsors
Beginning in 2010
Sponsors in participating states receive
a grant of $6,000 to set up and execute
the process for soliciting and screening
applications for SSOC awards. CEP provides
that funding for initiation of the project,
and the sponsor agrees to support the SSOC
program in future years. Two new state
sponsors will begin the project in 2010.
Virginia had a change in sponsorship.
Louisiana—LSU AgCenter 4-H
Youth Development
Virginia—School of Education,
Regent University
Washington—Leadership Innovations
Team
For more information, contact
Janice Stoodley, Director,
National Schools of Character.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Pineview Elementary School
West Columbia, South Carolina
Lexington School District Two
SOUTH DAKOTA
State Sponsor:
Technology and Innovation
in Education (TIE)
TEXAS
State Sponsor:
Houston, Dallas, and Klein
Independent School Districts
Duncan Elementary School
Ft. Hood, Texas
Killeen Independent School District
1
2
PTA Representative Jenn Payne, Character Education Chairperson Holly Robinson, Principal David Stephenson,
and Professional Development Director for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of
Caring, Penny Keith, proudly hold Alpine Elementary School’s SSOC banner.
2009 Promising Practices
The 2009 Promising
Practices Awards
Each year, CEP gives Promising Practices awards for unique and specific
exemplary practices that encourage the ethical, social–emotional, and
academic growth of K–12 students through character education. In 2009,
CEP is giving 200 awards to 170 schools and districts from across the
United States as well as one each from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.
These practices were selected from a record 368 applications received.
Each winning practice addresses one or more of CEP’s Eleven Principles of
Effective Character Education. Winning practices include creative ways to
help students give back to their schools and communities, raise academic
expectations and achievement, cut down on bullying, and increase tolerance.
By publicizing these awards, CEP hopes to recognize educators for their
efforts and to encourage others to learn from and even replicate these
successful programs. In order to help schools and districts find practices
that may help them meet their specific challenges or enhance their character
initiatives, CEP has once again organized these practices according to the
Principle they best exemplify, and categorized them by topic within each
Principle. In the pages that follow, this year’s winning practices are listed and
briefly described. A more detailed description of each Promising Practice,
along with school or district contact information, is posted on CEP’s Web
site, www.character.org, where practitioners may search the 2006–2009
Promising Practices for ideas.
Promising Practices That
Promote Core Ethical and
Performance Values (Principles 1, 2, 3)
ASSEMBLIES
Berkeley Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 • Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Grades 6–8 • Parlin, New Jersey
Breast Cancer Awareness Project
Teachers connect breast cancer awareness to
language arts, health, and the P.E. curriculum.
Springview Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Miami Springs, Florida
“Wisdom with Character” Bee
Teachers use a bee puppet to help them make
character connections in their classes.
TEACHING/LEARNING/DEFINING/
REFLECTION/PRACTICE
American School of Brasilia
Grades PreK–12 • Brasilia, Brazil
Character Animal Hats
Babler Elementary School
Peninsula Heritage School
Grades K–5 • Rolling Hills Estates, California
Words of Wisdom
Quotations on character traits assigned for
homework are shared during assemblies.
Stanton Elementary School
A weekly school-wide morning meeting helps cut
down on inappropriate behavior.
Grades K–5 • Fenton, Missouri
Grades 2–5 • Islip, New York
Sayreville Middle School
Primary students learn character traits through
animal friends that represent special values.
Peaceful Monday Morning Meeting
Commack Road Elementary School
Commack Road Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Glencoe, Missouri
Student-Created Expectation Videos
A school uses videos and other media to teach
school-wide expectations.
Team Rally
All-school celebrations incorporate skits
and multimedia presentations that recognize
quarterly accomplishments.
A Celebration of Patriotism
Monthly town meetings address character traits and
community events, uniting a school and its community.
Lawrence Intermediate School
Grades 4–6 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Monday Morning Meeting
The entire fourth grade meets weekly
to address character-related issues, celebrate
accomplishments, and build community.
INTEGRATION INTO CURRICULUM
Grades K–5 • Warminster, Pennsylvania
Character by Design:
Systematic Curriculum Development
Teachers create a curriculum resource that
enables their colleagues to infuse character
education into their lessons.
American School of Brasilia
47
WORKSHOPS/CLASSES/
DISCUSSION GROUPS
Grades K–3 • Bethalto, Illinois
Character Camp Days
Students engage in special character
education activities with a buddy from
another class on early-dismissal days.
Valley Park Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Valley Park, Missouri
“Hawk Time” Advisory
A school further integrates character education
into its advisory periods with specific goals for
each weekday.
Vilonia Primary School
Grades K–4 • Conway, Arkansas
Branson Junior High School
“Mapping the Future” Career Day
Branson Junior High School
Through career awareness activities, students
learn about the connection between good
character traits and future career choices.
Grades 7–8 • Branson, Missouri
Character Camp/Character Champs
Students lead character-related activities
during a special day outside the classroom.
Harmony Hill School
Grades K–5 • Cohoes, New York
Character Counts Week
Parents, teachers, staff and community
members plan a week-long program filled
with special character-related events
and activities.
Grades K–5 • Liberty Corner, New Jersey
The Principal’s Journal
The principal posts character-themed messages
at main school entrances, prompting students
to reflect.
Medina Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Medina, Washington
The Virtue Game
A parent volunteer creates a game to
teach virtues.
Oakhurst Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Largo, Florida
Character Book of the Month
The principal delivers a character-related book to
every classroom each month to encourage reading
and discussion.
St. Veronica School
Grades K–8 • Cincinnati, Ohio
Kindness Journals
Journals are used as a way to assess
the knowledge and practice of good
character values.
VISUAL DISPLAY
Grades PreK–12 • Hamilton, New Jersey
Character Bank
A district finds a creative way to gather and
display information on character education
efforts in its schools.
Miami Lakes Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Miami Lakes, Florida
The Promise Garden
Students build a garden which stands for a “drugfree” future.
Pontiac Junior High School
Grades 7–8 • Fairview Heights, Illinois
Code of Ethics
Staff and students create a code of ethics
that is then displayed as a visual reminder of
core values.
Portage Central Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Portage, Michigan
Sporting the Colors
Staff wear t-shirts that correspond to the
Character Counts six pillars.
Salam School
Grades K–10 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Honoring the Salam Way Honor Code
Stakeholders pledge daily to work together to
create an ethical learning community.
Grades 6–8 • Oakwood, Georgia
Character Tree
A decorated “character tree” displays character
quotes and celebrates random acts of kindness.
Help Create a Caring School
Community (Principle 4)
BULLYING/PEER CRUELTY PREVENTION
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
Beverly Bobcat Bully Busters
Fourth- and fifth-grade students act as playground
role models and helpers for younger students.
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
Fifth-Grade Community Building
Students engage in reflection and simulation
activities to create caring classroom communities
and cut down on bullying.
Kingston Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Lunch and Learn
Students engage in structured activities during
their lunch recess in order to cut down on bullying.
Pinellas Central Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Pinellas Park, Florida
Mikey and Me
Students learn character traits through a school-wide
news program that aims to cut down on bullying.
Ridge Meadows Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Ellisville, Missouri
School-Wide Expectations
Staff work together to create behavioral
expectations for all aspects of school in order to
prevent bullying.
Harlan Elementary School
Wylie E. Groves High School
Grades K–5 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Grades 9–12 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
STOP (Start Telling Other People)
Student Infomercials
“Links” Peer Program
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program
Students and their peer buddies on the autistic
spectrum participate in activities that form bonds
and build understanding.
Upper-class students mentor incoming students.
House Springs Elementary School
LINKS Program
Grades K–4 • House Springs, Missouri
Students collaborate on common goals with
peers who have disabilities, building friendships
in the process.
Teachers and students create video infomercials
that inform students of specific strategies to use
when they see others being bullied.
CLASS MEETINGS/COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Boone Elementary School and Lincoln
Elementary School
Grades K–4 • Troy, Missouri
Boone and Lincoln Elementaries Focus on Peace
Two schools sharing one campus work together
to implement a student’s idea for a shared
cooperative event.
Building Pride at HSE
Students meet once a month in cross-gradelevel groups to participate in character-building
activities and service projects.
Wylie E. Groves High School
Grades 9–12 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
ORIENTATIONS/WELCOMING
Kuser Elementary School
Blythewood Middle School
Grades K–5 • Hamilton, New Jersey
Grades 6–8 • Blythewood, South Carolina
Elementors
Peer Ambassadors
Fourth graders model caring and responsibility for
kindergarten students through personal contacts.
Peer ambassadors help orient new students to
school expectations and procedures.
Grades PreK–8 • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Northern Highlands Regional High School
Class Meetings: Opportunities to Build
Community and Support Student Achievement
Grades 9–12 • Allendale, New Jersey
Students build classroom unity, solve problems,
and explore issues through class meetings.
Transition Project: Outside the Fishbowl
CONFLICT RESOLUTION/PEER MEDIATION
Ramapo–Indian Hills High School District
Crestwood Elementary School
Grades 9–12 • Oakland, New Jersey
Student ambassadors prepare freshmen for the
high school experience.
Freshmen Transition Program
Grades K–5 • St. Louis, Missouri
A school uses unstructured playtime as an
opportunity to teach good character and cooperation.
Student ambassadors lead activities designed
to assist new students in making a successful
transition to high school.
St. Louis Charter School
Crestwood Character at Play
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, Missouri
Color Our Character
Middle School Challenge Days
Students learn to value and respect one another
through Challenge Day class meetings.
MENTORING/BUDDIES/CROSS-AGE GROUPS
Babler Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Ocean City, Maryland
Grades K–5 • Glencoe, Missouri
Buddy Readers
“Flashlight Reading” Buddy-Day Activity
Fourth graders pair up with first graders once a
week for reading and encouragement.
Monthly buddy-day activities incorporate service
components.
Endeavour Elementary Magnet
School of Technology
Grades PreK–6 • Cocoa, Florida
Garden Mentors
Third graders become science mentors as well
as models of good character through gardening
with kindergartners.
Floresville Primary School
Grades 1–2 • Floresville, Texas
Classroom Buddies
Second graders serve as role models for their
first-grade buddies as they participate in regular
character-related activities.
Ross Elementary School
Multi-Age Families
Students use art and technology during an
after-school program to create guidebooks
for new students.
Susquehannock High School
Grades 9–12 • Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
“Link Crew” Freshman Transition Program
Positive upper-class mentors are “linked” to
incoming freshmen.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
Cross-age groups of students are paired
with a teacher in monthly meetings to
complete service projects and develop
character skills.
Grades K–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Willow Brook Elementary School
Arundel High School
Grades PreK–5 • St. Louis, Missouri
TEAMS (To Encourage Appreciation
of Myself and School)
Multi-age groups meet monthly to address ethical
issues such as bullying awareness.
All-Star Breakfast
Students participate in a biweekly morning
breakfast hosted by faculty.
Grades 9–12 • Gambrills, Maryland
Connecting Arundel Teachers and Students
A daily advisory helps nurture caring attachments
between faculty and students.
49
Ashland High School
Jefferson High School
Reservoir High School
Grades 9–12 • Ashland, Ohio
Grades 9–12 • Jefferson, Wisconsin
Grades 9–12 • Fulton, Maryland
Lunch Bunch
Freshman Academy
Project CommUNITY
Teachers facilitate lunch games and activities that
allow high school students to interact positively
and share their interests.
Selected teachers help freshmen get more
involved in campus activities.
A retreat promotes open dialogue in order to
build a more supportive school community.
Robinson Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Chesterfield, Missouri
Bus Drivers’ Breakfast
PEACE IN/PEACE OUT Program
Bus drivers, teachers, and students collaborate
to promote positive student behavior.
Third- and fourth-grade girls take part in
mini-workshops on bullying, peace, and
unintentional aggression.
Neosho High School
Grades 9–12 • Neosho, Missouri
West Junior High School
“I Pick You” Apples
Grades 7–8 • Belleville, Illinois
A school-wide effort links every student with a
teacher to ensure that all feel connected to at
least one adult in the school.
Diversity Awareness Lunch Bunch
New Horizons High School
Grades 9–12 • Troy, Missouri
Ashland High School
Duncan Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Fort Hood, Texas
Deployment Support Group
A weekly support group enables students with a
deployed parent to understand and express their
feelings while lessening their sense of anxiety
and helplessness.
Floresville High School
“Boomerang” Advisory–Tutorial
A daily advisory period offers students
opportunities to make connections outside their
normal peer groups.
Fontana Joint 8 School District
Grades PreK–8 • Fontana, Wisconsin
Character Community Groups
All staff and students participate in monthly
cross-age “community group” discussions led
by eighth graders.
Green Pines Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
Starfish Program: Making a Difference
Students and adult mentors work together
on students’ journals, developing supportive
relationships.
James H. Johnson Elementary School
Lunch Bunch
Students on the autistic spectrum and their
peers eat lunch and talk in a quiet, controlled
environment to practice social skills.
Monday Morning Mentor Group
Each child in an alternative school is
paired with a staff mentor to foster a sense
of community.
Northwest Valley 7th and 8th Grade Center
Student groups meet twice a month to share
their understanding of diversity.
Promising Practices That Provide
Students with Opportunities for
Moral Action (Principle 5)
SERVICE TO COMMUNITY/
SERVICE LEARNING
Grades 7–8 • House Springs, Missouri
Alpine Elementary School
Student Mixers
Grades PreK–6 • Alpine, Utah
Quarterly mixers promote a sense of belonging,
build community, and raise funds for charity.
Meals for Miles: A Practice in Caring,
Responsibility, and Citizenship
SOCIAL ISSUES/DIVERSITY/TOLERANCE
Students walk instead of ride to school in
order to protect the environment, foster a
healthful lifestyle, and raise donations for
students in Africa.
We Are Family
A school-wide activity fosters belonging,
understanding, and empathy.
Character Coins Building Moral Equity
Bayless High School
Grades 9–12 • St. Louis, Missouri
Grades K–5 • Warminster, Pennsylvania
Students help the poor in Haiti by saving
play money.
Diversity Club
Bayless High School
A club enables students to learn tolerance through
understanding of diverse cultures and religions.
Roll Back Malaria
Hialeah Senior High School
Grades 9–12 • Hialeah, Florida
Students lead a service project to help
prevent malaria.
Humane School Initiative
Blake School, The
A student-oriented Humane Alternative Club
organizes activities that raise awareness of
ethical consumerism.
Six Billion Paths to Peace
Linwood Middle School
Grades 6–8 • North Brunswick, New Jersey
READS Together (Recognizing Eminent
African-American Day Story Time)
African-American eighth graders return to their
elementary school to read and discuss stories
about famous African-Americans.
Grades PreK–12 • Hopkins, Minnesota
All members of the school are inspired to
consider how they can make a difference in
the world.
Bowles Elementary School
Three of Hearts
Students create their own businesses
and donate profits to charity.
Cherry Hill High School East
Grades 9–12 • Cherry Hill, New Jersey
It All Began with a Pop Tab
A district-wide collection of soda tabs for the
Ronald McDonald House inspires a school
community to cook meals at the local branch.
East Hanover Middle School
Grades 6–8 • East Hanover, New Jersey
Kids Care Club
Students are trained in leadership techniques
and participate in a variety of service activities
throughout the school year.
Ellis Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Austin, Minnesota
Art Connections to Austin through Character
Counts
Art teachers encourage character building through
service-related art projects that are donated to aid
community groups.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary School
Joseph H. Brensinger School (P.S. #17)
Oakville Elementary School
Grades PreK–8 • Jersey City, New Jersey
We Can “Change” the World
Art for Habitat for Humanity
Students collect money to purchase solarpowered cookers for women in Darfur.
Students refurbish chairs in art class for
donation to Habitat for Humanity.
Pembroke Elementary School
Grades 6–8 • Brick, New Jersey
Grades PreK–5 • Troy, Michigan
Lil’ Scientists
Harvest Hike
Eighth graders develop positive relationships with
kindergartners by planning science lessons and
activities for them.
Students collect money and canned goods
for charitable organizations by hiking through
the school neighborhood.
Students identify the needs of a school
devastated by a hurricane and take action.
Lalor Elementary School
Transportation Department
Hoboken Charter School
Meeting the Needs of Animals through
Service Learning
Grades K–12 • Largo, Florida
While learning science, kindergarten students
collect items to help homeless animals.
Bus drivers encourage students to help
those impacted by the economic recession
by collecting canned goods.
Forder Elementary School
“Giving from the Heart” Carnival
Fifth-grade classes host an annual carnival, raising
donations for a neighborhood food pantry.
Harry S Truman Elementary School
“Truman Odyssey” School-Wide ServiceLearning Project
Grades K–12 • Hoboken, New Jersey
Healing Choir
Students go to local homeless shelters and
hospitals to sing songs.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Elementary School
Driving Away Hunger
Renfro Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Miami, Florida
Grades PreK–4 • Collinsville, Illinois
Caps for Chemo
Build-a-Bear Service-Learning Project
In partnership with a university sorority,
students collect bottle caps to help provide free
chemotherapy treatments to children with cancer.
Students make teddy bears and donate
them to a local children’s hospital.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Elementary School
Grades 7–8 • Arnold, Missouri
Grades PreK–5 • Miami, Florida
Students plan a celebration to
honor veterans while teachers make
curricular connections.
Rice to the Occasion
Students collect over 5,000 pounds of rice
to be distributed to Haitians in need while teaching
younger students about the needs of others.
Northwest High School
Grades 9–12 • Cedar Hill, Missouri
Turn the Lights Out on Cancer
Basketball players sell t-shirts to raise money
for cancer research.
Ridgewood Middle School
Veterans Celebration
Robert R. Lazar Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Montville, New Jersey
Senior Moments: Connections with
Senior Citizens
Students and staff find numerous creative ways
to connect with senior citizens.
East Hanover Middle School
51
Wohlwend Elementary School
Kids Who Care
Student leaders plan service projects that are
integrated into lessons.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Lindbergh School District
Sports with Character
Coaches and athletes adhere to a district code of
character as they reflect on sportsmanship and
recognize it in opposing teams.
Seckman High School
Grades 9–12 • Imperial, Missouri
“Sportsmanship with Dr. Seuss” Day
Renfro Elementary School
High school student-athletes promote
sportsmanship among elementary students.
Samsel Upper Elementary School
Woodcrest Elementary School
Hugs from Home
Thanksgiving Baskets of Care
A school community honors its principal as
well as soldiers serving in Iraq by making quilts
to send to them.
Fifth graders give up an annual treat to help
needy families at Thanksgiving.
Challenge and Respect All
Learners (Principle 6)
SERVICE TO SCHOOL/
SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION
DIFFERENTIATION/
PERFORMANCE CHARACTER
Kids Helping Kids
Colegio Radians
An entire school gets involved in making items
for local children’s hospitals.
Ellis Middle School
Grades PreK–12 • Cayey, Puerto Rico
Grades 6–8 • Austin, Minnesota
Building Character by Promoting Service
Mind Mapping
By requiring participation in service projects,
a school is able to encourage its students to
maintain the desire and the will to serve.
Character “mind maps” created by students are
displayed to encourage and celebrate good character.
Schumann Elementary School
Grades K–2 • Long Lake, Minnesota
Seckman High School
“Books of Hope” Service-Learning Project
Students write and illustrate books for children
in Uganda.
Seckman Middle School
Paw Pals Project
Students connect across grade levels to find
homes for animals in need.
St. Veronica School
Grades K–8 • Cincinnati, Ohio
Adopted Grandparent Program
Students visit two local senior citizen facilities
every month.
Sullivan Elementary School
Grades 2–5 • Sullivan, Missouri
SES Kids Care
Students reflect on what families in need might
require and then plan and assemble care packages.
Woerther Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Ballwin, Missouri
Kosovo Service-Learning Project
Kindergarten students collect school supplies for
children in Kosovo and reflect on their service.
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education Center
Horseshoe Trails Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Cave Creek, Arizona
Age 2–PreK • St. Louis, Missouri
Equine-Facilitated Cognitive-Therapy Program
Helping Others: Memorable Character Lessons
A therapy program uses horses to teach character
traits to students who need extra help.
Service projects are closely tied to core values as
young children learn to help others.
Pond Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
“4As” Club
Caring School Community Buddy Days
Various activities help improve academic
performance and cut down on inappropriate
behavior among at-risk inner-city students.
Monthly buddy projects aligned with character
words provide students opportunities for service
and reflection.
Grades 6–8 • Brick, New Jersey
Grades 6–8 • Oakwood, Georgia
The Laker Delivery System
Patriot Pride Eco-Pond
Students learn to be good environmental stewards
by caring for the pond at their school.
Special needs students distribute classroom
supplies to staff, building confidence and
relationships.
Wilbur Trimpe Middle School
Lawrenceville Elementary School
Grades 6–8 • Bethalto, Illinois
Grades PreK–3 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
“Creating a Community” Service-Learning
Project
Bridging the Achievement Gap:
An After-School Program That Works
Students participate in a community clean-up
service day.
An after-school program based in an
economically disadvantaged neighborhood
helps close the achievement gap.
McMullen–Booth Elementary School
Jefferson County R–VII School District
Orono Middle School
Grades PreK–5 • Clearwater, Florida
Grades K–9 • Festus, Missouri
Grades 6–8 • Long Lake, Minnesota
Cooperative School Store
Students’ Constitutional Convention
Pledge for Change
Fifth graders and their autistic peers practice
their social skills and learn responsibility by
working together in a school store.
Eighth graders write a constitution for a new high
school about to open.
Students reflect on ways in which they can
make a positive impact.
Paul M. Dorman High School
Grades 10–12 • Roebuck, South Carolina
Paws of Supplies
Operation Fairytale
Fourth-grade classes learn about how to run a
charitable community business.
Prom dresses and other needed items are
given to female seniors in need in return for
community service and good attendance.
Kingston Elementary School
Mill Pond School
Grades 4–6 • Westborough, Massachusetts
Promising Practices
That Develop Students’
Self-Motivation (Principle 7)
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT/
POSITIVE DISCIPLINE
Pineview Elementary School
United Nations Summit
Cypress Woods Elementary School
Grades K–5 • West Columbia, South Carolina
Student learning culminates in a special day of
role playing that inspires service.
Grades K–5 • Palm Harbor, Florida
Summer Reading Caravan
“The Clipboard” and “The List”
Physical education teachers teach caring,
cooperation, and conflict resolution through recess.
A school supports summer reading through a
“Reading Caravan” staffed and promoted by
school staff.
Sayreville Middle School
Business Project
Floresville Middle School
ENGAGING/INTERACTIVE CURRICULUM
Sixth graders conduct research, create their own
businesses, and donate the profits to charity.
Grades K–8 • Aventura, Florida
“ART” of Building Character Program
STUDENT AUTONOMY/EMPOWERMENT
CHIL (Character Helps Influence Learning)
A 15-day intensive after-school program helps
students learn about good character and demonstrate
what they learn through community service.
Students enjoy character-building cultural
learning experiences.
Blades Elementary School
Goal-Setting Conferences
Grades 7–8 • Orange Park, Florida
Individual conferences celebrate the
accomplishments of each student and enable
students to set new goals.
Lakeside Ladies
Weekly meetings help a group of female students
discuss and develop positive character traits.
Students benefit socially by forming
caring attachments as they participate in
math-related activities.
Gerstell Academy
Grades PreK–9 • Finksburg, Maryland
Leonard A. Gereau Center for Applied
Technology and Career Exploration
Upper-School Life-Path Portfolio:
Freshman Year
Choices
Cedar Hill Intermediate School
Students discover their passion and path in life
with the help of a goal-setting portfolio.
Grades K–8 • Aventura, Florida
Engaging, Interactive Middle-Math Program:
Mentoring of Elementary Students
Grades 5–6 • Cedar Hill, Missouri
Lakeside Junior High School
Grades 8–12 • Rocky Mount, Virginia
The Choices program provides faculty and students
with an alternative to traditional disciplinary action.
“Claymation with Character” Project
Students work together to define character traits
and use technology to demonstrate those traits
in real-life situations.
Cranford High School
Grades 9–12 • Cranford, New Jersey
A Differentiated Journey: Connecting
Character with the Classroom
Selected students take part in a four-year
program that promotes academic excellence
and the sharing of one’s talents with others.
Hoboken Charter School
Grades K–12 • Hoboken, New Jersey
Blank Slates: Creating an Understanding
of Civil Rights
Students develop and produce a community
mural after participating in interdisciplinary,
differentiated civil-rights lessons.
Cranford High School
53
Learning Express Academy
Rensselaer Middle School
Grades K–5 • Newark, Delaware
Grades 6–8 • Rensselaer, New York
Pay It Forward
Living a Healthy Lifestyle:
College for Every Student
Students commended for good deeds
recognize other do-gooders in turn by
passing wristlets along to them.
Sperreng Middle School
O.K. Commendation
Students reinforce positive character
traits by writing commendations of their
peers and submitting them to the school
resource officer.
Marlboro County High School
A school partners with the College for Every
Student program to enable students to take
steps toward college.
Promising Practices That Engage
the Staff as a Learning and Moral
Community (Principle 8)
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Grades PreK–12 • Arnold, Missouri
Together We Make a Difference
Welcome to Our Traveling Classroom…Our
“WHEELS” Roll with Character
Students and teachers recognize positive
character traits in others.
Westridge Elementary School
School-bus drivers attend trainings on
character traits.
Fox High School
Grades 9–12 • Bennettsville, South Carolina
Celebrate “Me”
Youth Court: Character Education
through the Judicial Process
Students are given the option of how to celebrate
their birthday, in an effort to move away from the
extrinsic reward of food treats.
“The List” Video Presentation
Marlboro County High School
A school and its community partners use the
judicial process as a tool to help students learn
to become better citizens.
New Underwood Elementary School
TEEN PROGRAMS/PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Grades K–6 • New Underwood, South Dakota
“Golden Trash Can” Award
Teachers and custodians develop an award that
motivates students to find ways to keep their
classrooms clean.
Susquehannock High School
Grades 9–12 • Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
Dental Health Plan: Tooth Character
Students create and follow a dental health
contract with their parents to promote health
and foster a connection between parents
and students.
Replacing In-school Suspension with
Community Service
Crockett Middle School
Students select community service in place
of in-school suspension, creating an opportunity
for reflection and growth.
Walk the Talk
Union Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Belleville, Illinois
Student Success Team
Staff and parents work together to help
students accomplish their goals.
SOCIAL RECOGNITION
Grades 6–8 • Hamilton, New Jersey
A six-day leadership training program
provides valuable lessons in etiquette
and respect.
Lincoln High School
Grades 9–12 • Jersey City, New Jersey
Teachers reflect on their behaviors and create
an anti-bullying video testimonial.
Grades PreK–12 • Hamilton, New Jersey
The Last-ing Lecture
Staff are unified through participation in a
voluntary district forum to discuss a powerful
best-selling book.
Portage Central Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Portage, Michigan
“Teachers Visiting Teachers” School-Wide
Community Sharing Project
Teachers visit each other’s classrooms during
the school day to learn from one another.
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, Missouri
Flip for Character
Teachers create a unique tool to help those new
to the building become familiar with their school’s
character education strategies.
“Journey to Manhood” Symposium
A school offers a symposium targeted to young
men entering high school.
Lindbergh High School
Promising Practices That Foster
Shared Moral Leadership (Principle 9)
ADMINISTRATORS
“Triple A” Award
LITE (Learning Individuality Through
Experiences)
A quarterly award fosters self-motivation
by recognizing individual academic growth,
positive attitude, and good attendance.
Students and staff reflect and unite while
learning to enhance positive character traits
in themselves and others.
Cedar Springs Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • House Springs, Missouri
Reynolds Middle School
“Summer to Make a Difference” Program
Students engage in service projects over the
summer and report on their efforts to the principal.
Star Valley Middle School
Trautwein Elementary School
Brennan Woods Elementary School
Grades 7–8 • Afton, Wyoming
Grades K–4 • High Ridge, Missouri
Making Someone’s Day a Little Brighter
“State of the School” Address
Veterans Day Breakfast and Celebration
Students earn citizenship points by visiting
senior citizens in a program supervised directly
by the principal.
Students give speeches, share their ideas,
and impact school culture.
Students, staff, and local community members
get together to celebrate Veterans Day.
West Junior High School
Fannie E. Proctor Elementary School
Grades 7–8 • Belleville, Illinois
Grades K–5 • Northborough, Massachusetts
Young Ladies of Distinction
Intergenerational Connections and
Relationship Building
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Student Expectations
Students generate behavioral expectations in
response to data that indicated a need to focus
on student autonomy.
Bethalto West Intermediate School
Grades 4–5 • Bethalto, Illinois
Character Council
A program empowers young women with
leadership potential by teaching them leadership
skills and building self-esteem.
Students interview senior citizens to gain their
perspectives on character traits.
West Maple Elementary School
Kellison Elementary School
Service with a Smile
Veterans Day Celebration
A local eighth grader inspires first and second
graders to start their own service projects by
sharing a book she wrote about service.
Students celebrate Veterans Day and make
gifts for the veterans in their community.
Student volunteers take the lead in organizing
service-learning projects.
Mehlville School District
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Students write essays about their
non-parent role models, culminating in a
community celebration.
Grades PreK–12 • St Louis, Missouri
Community Kindness Award
Grades PreK–5 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
Bingham’s Best: Leaders for Tomorrow
A weekly afternoon program teaches fourth- and
fifth-grade boys the virtues of gentlemanly behavior
and promotes leadership.
Grades K–5 • Catawissa, Missouri
Putting Character and Education into the
Community
Chesterfield Elementary School
Local business leaders support a school’s
character efforts.
Celebrating Good Character
Students create character education videos in
order to teach core values to their peers.
Churchill Junior High School
Grades 7–9 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Student Service Board
Student leaders design service projects that
allow all students to serve the community.
Woerther Elementary School
Character Congress
Students teach their peers about character
traits and have a voice in the selection of
character activities.
“PRIDE” Club
The PRIDE Club offers opportunities for students
to become involved in school-wide character
education efforts.
Rawlins County Junior/Senior High School
Grades 7–12 • Atwood, Kansas
Fostering Shared Leadership
Students help develop school policies as they
revise the rules regarding cell-phone use on campus.
Ross Elementary School
Ambassador Leadership Program
Staff supervisors work closely with students
to help them develop leadership skills and
build character.
My Friend the Veteran
Third graders develop positive relationships
with veterans with spinal cord injuries.
Sentinel Career Center
Grades 9–12 • Tiffin, Ohio
Alumni Hall of Fame
Grades K–5 • Liberty Corner, New Jersey
Point Elementary School
Promising Practices That Engage
Families and Community Members
as Partners (Principle 10)
Graduates who have demonstrated
performance character are recognized at a
community assembly.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
OLDER STUDENTS
Alpha: School of Excellence
Greenwood Elementary School
Grades 7–8 • Youngstown, Ohio
Community Character Speakers
Caring to Love Reading
Community guest speakers talk to students during
morning meetings.
Middle school students serve as reading
buddies for elementary school students.
Apollo Beach Elementary School
Hamilton High School East (Steinert)
Grades K–5 • Apollo Beach, Florida
Community Connections with Character
A school works with its local business partners to
build strong character in the community.
Steinert Tutoring Program
High school students volunteer their time to
tutor younger students within the district.
55
Fox Middle School
St. Paul Catholic School
Grades PreK–8 • New Bern, North Carolina
Valentines Project
Student Community Service
Parents are asked to write love letters to their
middle school children on Valentine’s Day and mail
them to school.
Families are required to volunteer 30 hours to the
school community during the school year.
Grant Elementary School and Elementary
School for the Arts and Academics
Grades PreK–K • Belleville, Illinois
Grades K–5 • Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Parents and their young children work together on
projects that are displayed in the school.
Grant School Family “Character Connection”
Family Homework
Blessed Sacrament School
Washington School
“School and Home Connection” Projects
Monthly meetings and homework assignments
connect character education with families at home.
Wildwood School
Harlan Elementary School
Students celebrate Veterans Day with a parade
and breakfast for parent veterans.
Ages 3–21 • Schenectady, New York
Veterans Day Celebration
Haynesville Junior/Senior High School
Grades 5–12 • Haynesville, Louisiana
Lunch with Dads
Teaching Good Character
Students share a special moment with their
fathers at lunch.
Zitzman Elementary School
Lewis and Clark Elementary School
Students work with their parents on characterrelated projects and bring them back to school
to be displayed.
Students in grades 8–12 present lessons about
character traits to younger students.
Roosevelt Primary School
Grades K–5 • Wood River, Illinois
Grades K–3 • Ferndale, Michigan
Spring Fling
“Big Brother” Mentor Program
An end-of-the-year celebration brings a school
community together to showcase the year’s
character-related activities.
High school football players and primary school
boys maintain a personal, ongoing relationship
that supports emotional and academic learning.
PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS
Arts and Technology Academy
Public Charter School, The
Grades PreK–6 • Washington, D.C.
Family Scavenger Hunt
A family scavenger hunt encourages students
to explore their city and neighborhood and the
Internet during spring break.
Blessed Sacrament School
Grades PreK–8 • Sandy, Utah
Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Bernardsville, New Jersey
Lego Awards
Parents recognize their children for displaying
character traits by participating in a school-wide
display of character.
Ollie E. Culbreth, Jr. School (PS #14)
Grades PreK–5 • Jersey City, New Jersey
Parent’s SAIL (Seminars and Instructional Links)
A school offers a year-long program of learning and
dialogue for parents.
“New Family” Mentoring Program
Sappington Elementary School
Parents volunteer to mentor families new to the
school community.
A Family Night of Shared Fun
Bower Hill Elementary School
Grades K–3 • Venetia, Pennsylvania
Family Game Night
An annual event brings over 100 families together
to play board games, strengthening family and
community bonds.
An evening event promotes a sense of
caring by building relationships among
community members.
Secundaria Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Campus Zacatecas
Grades 7–9 • Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico
Family Time
Grades K–5 • Vineland, New Jersey
Students plan special activities with their families
that strengthen family relations.
First Day Celebration: Parent and Community
Involvement from Day One
Somerset Elementary School
Dr. William Mennies School
A school encourages parental involvement
by bringing parents, teachers, students, and
community members together in a celebration on
the first day of school.
Grades K–5 • Bellevue, Washington
“PhD” (Parenthood Development) Program
Parents are given learning opportunities in the
form of speakers and discussions.
Grades K–5 • Pacific, Missouri
Home Character Connection
Assess the Character of the
School (Principle 11)
ASSESSMENT AND ACTION
Grades K–5 • Catawissa, Missouri
Data Wall
A “Data Wall” displays a school’s commitment
to the Eleven Principles.
Salam School
Grades K–10 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Character under Construction:
Where Are We Now?
Staff use a review and assessment workshop
to analyze the impact of the character
education initiative.
Does your school
or district have a
Promising Practice to
share with others?
Visit CEP’s Web site for more
information and application
guidelines: www.character.org.
All 2010 applications are to be
completed online by March 15, 2010.
Ways to Use CEP’s
2009 National Schools of Character: Award-Winning Practices
in Your School or District
Making Connections with Fellow Practitioners
It is CEP’s hope that educators engaged in character
education will work together and learn from one another.
The National Schools of Character (NSOC) are expected to
serve as models for other schools. Look at the lists of NSOC
Winners and National Finalists on page 1 and the list of State
Schools of Character (SSOC) on pages 44–46. 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
2009 Winners or National Finalists are located near you, be
sure to read their stories.
Enhancing Staff Development at Your School:
Use of Winner Articles
The articles about the NSOC Winners tell the inspiring
stories of their character education journeys. Form a group of
staff members (and perhaps parents, community members,
and even students) and select one of the Winners most like
your school or district. Read the article about this Winner,
and discuss issues such as the following:
★★ How is this school or district like your school or
district? How is it different?
★★ What and who motivated or initiated character
education at this school?
★★ What are the distinguishing characteristics of this
school’s character education initiative?
★★ How did this school devise an initiative uniquely
suited to its needs and population?
★★ How does this school’s initiative exemplify each of
the Eleven Principles? Be specific.
★★ What impact has character education had on this
school community? Look at the data given in the
article. How do you explain the changes in school
culture and academic performance?
★★ What specific strategies, programs, resources, or ideas
will you take away from the story of this school or
district? Could you implement any of these at your
school? What would you like to try after exploring
this article? What was most interesting or inspiring
to you?
Addressing Your School’s Strengths and Areas for Growth:
Use of Self-Assessment 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, take the Quality Standards self-assessment.
Once you identify the areas for growth and improvement
that you would like to address, turn to the Promising Practices
on pages 47–56. Look under the pertinent Principles or topics,
and read the descriptions of practices given there. Do any of
these practices sound like something that might work at your
school? If so, read more about them online at CEP’s Web site
(www.character.org), where you may also search the 2006–2009
Promising Practices for ideas. 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.
Visit CEP’s Web site for the latest
character education resources!
www.character.org
➤
➤
➤
➤
➤
➤
➤
character education news
award application materials
best practices and lesson plans
professional development opportunities
announcements of conferences
publications
… and more!
CEP’s Eleven Principles
of Effective Character Education
By Tom Lickona, Eric Schaps, and Catherine Lewis
Effective Character Education:
PRINCIPLE 1
PRINCIPLE 7
Promotes core ethical and performance values
as the foundation of good character.
Strives to foster students’ self-motivation.
PRINCIPLE 8
PRINCIPLE 2
PRINCIPLE 3
Engages the school staff as a learning and
moral community that shares responsibility
for character education and attempts to
adhere to the same core values that guide
the education of students.
Use a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive
approach to character development.
PRINCIPLE 9
PRINCIPLE 4
Fosters shared moral leadership and long-range
support of the character education initiative.
Defines “character” comprehensively to
include thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Creates a caring school community.
PRINCIPLE 5
Provides students with opportunities for
moral action.
PRINCIPLE 6
Includes a meaningful and challenging academic
curriculum that respects all learners, develops
their character, and helps them to succeed.
PRINCIPLE 10
Engages families and community members
as partners in the character-building effort.
PRINCIPLE 11
Assesses the character of the school,
the school staff’s functioning as character
educators, and the extent to which students
manifest good character.
www.character.org
1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1011 • Washington, DC 20036

2009 Winners - Character.org

Transcription

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