NATIONAL SCHOOLS OF cHArAcTer

Transcription

2010
NATIONAL SCHOOLS
OF CHARACTER:
Award-Winning Practices
www.character.org
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 (clockwise from top left): Peters Township elementary students
start composting in their classroom, Kehrs Mill fifth graders cheer for first graders,
Seckman graduates, Sarasota students work on coastal cleanup, Mill Pond
students harvest food for local food pantries, Kehrs Mill buddies.
2010
NATIONAL SCHOOLS
OF CHARACTER:
Published and distributed by Character Education Partnership
Copyright ©2010 Character Education Partnership
Printed in the United States of America. Portions of this book may be reproduced for educational purposes.
The contents of this book are also available in PDF format on the Character Education Partnership
website, www.character.org.
FOR INFORMATION, WRITE OR CALL:
Character Education Partnership • 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1011, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-7743 • (800) 988-8081 • [email protected]
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
Board of Directors
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
Michele Borba
Educational Psychologist and Author
Anne L. Bryant
Executive Director
National School Boards Association
Jeffrey K. Cordes
President and CEO
talentRISE LLC
Avis E. Glaze
President and CEO
Edu-quest International Inc.
Charles Haynes
Director, Religious Freedom Education
Project at the Newseum
Maryanne Lavan
Vice President, Internal Audit
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Joseph W. Mazzola
Executive Director
Character Education Partnership
ii
Linda J. McKay
National Advocate for Character
Education in America's Schools
Janice Stoodley
Director of National Schools
of Character
Donald Perlyn
Executive Vice President
Nathan’s Famous, Inc.
Iris Wyatt
Database Manager
Eileen Santiago
Principal
Thomas A. Edison School
Publication Credits
Michael Shreve
Graduate Student
Harvard University
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
John Glover
Director of Resource Development
Farrell Harding
Education, Research,
and Program Fellow
Leif Johnson
Fundraising and Research Fellow
Cameron Lloyd
Education, Research,
and Program Fellow
Barbara Luther
Associate Director of
Professional Development
Lara Maupin
Associate Director of National
Schools of Character
Rebecca Sipos
Director of Communications
Winner articles and feature article
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
Character Education Partnership (CEP)
CEP Education
Advisory Council
CEP National
Leadership Council
Anne L. Bryant, Chairperson
Executive Director
National School Boards Association
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
Charles Elbot
Director, Office of Intentional School Culture
Denver Public Schools
Maurice Elias
Professor, Department of Psychology
Rutgers University
Kristin D. Fink
Executive Director
Utah Coalition for Civic,
Character & Service Learning
Avis E. Glaze
President and CEO
Edu-quest International Inc.
Marisha L. Humphries
Assistant Professor, Department
of Educational Psychology
University of Illinois at Chicago
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
Clifton L. Taulbert
President, The Building Community Institute
President, The Freemount Corporation
Philip Fitch Vincent
Director
Character Development Group
Norman R. Augustine
Chairman and CEO (ret.)
Lockheed Martin Corporation
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
Stephen R. Covey
Co-Founder/Vice Chairman
FranklinCovey
William H. Danforth
Chancellor Emeritus
Washington University
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
The 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
Walter Isaacson
President and CEO
The Aspen Institute
Clifton Wharton, Jr.
Former Chairman and CEO
TIAA–CREF
William S. Kanaga
Former Chairman
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
2010 National Schools of Character
iii
Ways to Use CEP’s
2010 National Schools of Character:
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, the list of
Profiles in Character Winners on pages
41–42, and the list of State Schools of
Character (SSOC) on pages 43–47.
Are any of these schools in your state or
district? Is it possible for you to visit any of
these schools––or to have educators from
any of these schools visit or communicate
with you? If any of the 2010 Winners or
National Finalists are located near you, be
sure to read their stories.
Avail yourself of CEP’s
professional development
offerings to:
✔ Improve academics and increase
student engagement
✔ Build leadership and develop
good citizens
✔ Incorporate respect and
responsibility into school culture
✔ Build on best practices from
exemplary schools
Call CEP at (800) 988-8081
to inquire about professional
development offerings customized
to your school’s individual needs.
iv
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 character-
istics of this school’s character education initiative?
➤ How did this school devise an initia-
tive uniquely suited to its needs and
population?
➤ How does this school’s initiative
exemplify each of the 11 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 SelfAssessment and Promising Practices
Think about your school’s strengths as
well as aspects of your school’s character
education initiative that could benefit
from improvement. What do you have to
teach others? What aspects would you like
to improve or change? If you are unsure,
use the Eleven Principles Scoring Guide
to complete a self-assessment.
Once you identify the areas for
growth and improvement that you would
like to address, turn to the Promising
Practices on pages 48–59. Look under the
pertinent principles 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 website
(www.character.org), where you may also
search the 2006–2010 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.
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................... 2
Seminole Elementary School...................................... 30
Grades K–5 • Seminole, FL
2009 NSOC Outreach:
“Like a Pebble in the Pond”.................................. 4
Sentinel Career Center.............................................. 32
Grades 9–12 • Tiffin, OH
2010 Winners: Doing Whatever It Takes
to Help ALL Students Succeed............................... 5
2010 Winners................................................... 8
Beverly Elementary School.......................................... 8
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, MI
Julian Elementary School............................................ 10
Grades K–6 • Julian, CA
Kehrs Mill Elementary School ................................... 12
Grades K–5 • Chesterfield, MO
Lake Carolina Elementary School............................... 14
Grades K–5 • Blythewood, SC
Lore Elementary School............................................. 16
Grades K–5 • Ewing, NJ
Mill Pond School........................................................ 18
Grades 4–6 • Westborough, MA
Sullivan Primary School............................................. 34
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, MO
Upper Merion Area Middle School.............................. 36
Grades 5–8 • King of Prussia, PA
2010 NATIONAL FINALISTS . ............................. 38
Alan B. Shepard Elementary School............................ 38
Grades K–5 • Old Bridge, NJ
Duffy Elementary School............................................ 39
Grades K–5 • West Hartford, CT
Duncan Elementary School........................................ 39
Grades PreK–5 • Fort Hood, TX
Lynnwood Elementary School..................................... 40
Grades K–6 • Lynnwood, WA
Rocky Heights Middle School . .................................. 40
Grades 6–8 • Littleton, CO
Orrs Elementary School............................................. 20
Grades PreK–5 • Griffin, GA
2010 PROFILES IN CHARACTER ....................... 41
Peters Township School District................................. 22
Grades K–12 • McMurray, PA
2010 State Schools of Character.............. 43
Sarasota Middle School ............................................ 24
Grades 6–8 • Sarasota, FL
2010 Promising Practices........................... 48
School District of Jefferson........................................ 26
Grades K–12 • Jefferson, WI
References.................................................... 60
Seckman High School..................................................... 28
Grades 9–12 • Imperial, MO
1
Introduction
The 2010 National Schools
of Character Awards
A
s the nation’s leading advocate for
quality character education, the
(CEP) has recognized approximately ten K–12
schools and districts as National Schools (or
Districts) of Character (NSOC) for their outstanding achievements in character education
each year since 1998. Because more and more
schools and districts are achieving excellence in
their character education initiatives, CEP decided to change the focus of the NSOC awards
program beginning in 2011, from recognizing
a limited number of models to recognizing all
schools and districts that demonstrate an exemplary level of implementation of CEP’s Eleven
Principles of Effective Character Education.
The expansion of the program is the result of a
year-long study by State Schools of Character
(SSOC) coordinators, CEP consultants, Blue
Ribbon Panel members, and CEP board members. CEP began to move in this new direction
this year by selecting a record-breaking 15
NSOC award winners.
All 15 Winners of the 2010 prestigious
national award have successfully put in place
character education initiatives that develop
in students important, agreed-upon core
IS YOUR SCHOOL OR
DISTRICT READY TO SERVE
AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS?
Consider applying for the NSOC and
SSOC awards. Visit www.character.org
for details, important information about
changes to the application process, and
a variety of resources for applicants.
2
ethical and performance values. All have
programs that are comprehensive in scope
and consistently yield positive results in the
areas of school climate, student behavior, and
academic performance. Teachers at these winning schools embrace their roles as leaders and
models of good character and do whatever
narrative and a portfolio, to either their state
sponsor or CEP. In 2010, 29 states participated in the SSOC awards program. Schools
and districts in those states applied to their
state sponsor as the first step toward reaching
the national level of competition. State and
national evaluators reviewed the applications
they received, using CEP’s Character Education Quality Standards, an assessment tool
derived from the 11 Principles. States then
forwarded their strongest applications to CEP.
Most of the 166 NSOC applications received
for 2010 came through SSOC-participating
“The character education movement in our nation continues to grow. Today,
we see more schools doing amazing things in communities across the
country. We are honored to recognize more exemplar schools, celebrate their
successes, and share their transformative strategies with others.”
—Joe Mazzola, Executive Director
it takes to ensure their students’ success.
Regardless of the student population it serves
or the resources it has available, every National
School of Character is a place where adults
work together to create a caring community
that nurtures young people so that they can
do their best work and become good citizens.
In 2010, CEP has named thirteen public
schools and two public school districts as
NSOC. These 15 Winners have demonstrated
the success of their initiatives through the
demanding and rigorous NSOC application
and screening process, which requires extensive
reporting, documentation, and 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
forms the cornerstone of CEP’s philosophy on
how best to implement high-quality character
education initiatives, guides the evaluation of
applicants and the selection of Winners.
In early December of 2009, applicants
for the 2010 NSOC award submitted a
detailed written application, comprised of a
states (see related article, pages 43–47).
CEP narrowed the pool of 166 state and
national applicants to 20 National Finalists.
Because the number and quality of NSOC
applicants rose again this year, CEP established an additional level of recognition, by
according Profiles in Character awards to 18
non-Finalists based on the quality of their
written applications (see related article, pages
41–42). After announcing the National Finalists and Profiles awards, CEP sent two-person
teams of site visitors to each of the Finalists in
March and April (see list next page). In May,
CEP’s Blue Ribbon Panel of experts in the
field of character education (see box on page
3) considered the written applications and
site-visit reports of the 20 National Finalists
to determine the Winners. After considering
the new direction of the NSOC program and
the overall quality of the National Finalists,
the panel broke with precedent and named 15
Winners—and, for the first time ever, the list
of Winners included more than one district.
This year’s Winners will receive a $3,000
grant in addition to their award, to help
Introduction
them serve as mentors and models for other
schools and districts seeking to improve their
character education efforts. They will provide
staff development sessions to other educators
looking for ways to improve school culture,
student behavior, and academic achievement.
In addition, CEP will tell their stories and
share their strategies—through this publication and others, as well as on the CEP website
(www.character.org) and at the National
Forum on Character Education.
The NSOC for 2010 demonstrate
that school transformation—in the form
of improved school climate and academic
acheivement—is possible through highquality character education. According to
NSOC Director Janice Stoodley, “One of the
outstanding accomplishments of this year’s
winners is that they have all created a caring
school community among students. The nationwide plague of bullying is not an issue at
institutions like these.” To see how they have
done this, read their inspirational stories—
as well as those of the other five National
Finalists—on the pages that follow.
2010 NSOC SITE VISITORS
Ron Axelrod
Consultant
Staff Development Coordinator (ret.)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for
Community of Caring at the University of Utah
Chris Briggs-Hale
Consultant, Waterfall Learning, LLC
Teacher, Columbine Elementary School
Eileen Dachnowicz
Consultant, Character Education Partnership
Consultant, Center for Social and Character
Development at Rutgers University
Barbara Gruener
Counselor and Character Coach, Westwood
Elementary School
Judy Jones
Counselor (ret.), Cross Bayou
Elementary School
Penny Keith
Professional Development Director
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for
Community of Caring at the University of Utah
Lauren Kelly
Vice Principal, Harvest Park Middle School
Barbara Luther
Associate Director of Professional Development, Character Education Partnership
Lara Maupin
Associate Director of National Schools of
Character, Character Education Partnership
Dr. Geoffrey McCarthy-Miller
Principal (ret.), Philip R. Smith Elementary
School
Dr. Linda Morris
Educational Consultant, Lead for Success
Assistant Superintendent (ret.), Charlotte–
Mecklenburg Schools
Judy Owens
Coach/Facilitator, CHARACTERplus
Cindy Puppione
Principal (ret.), St. Michael’s Elementary School
Richard Puppione
Senior Director of Pupil Services (ret.),
Pleasanton Unified School District
Rebecca Sipos
Director of Communications, Character
Education Partnership
Janice Stoodley
Director of National Schools of Character,
Dr. Steven C. Suess
Education Coordinator for Graduate Studies,
Lindenwood University
Coordinator (ret.), Missouri Schools
of Character
Patricia Tibbetts
Coordinator, Michigan Schools of Character
Head of School (ret.), Japhet School
Rima Vesilind
Principal (ret.), West Potomac High School
2010 NSOC BLUE RIBBON PANEL
The NSOC Blue Ribbon Panel is a group of
noted professionals in the field of character
education who are responsible for making
the final selection of the National Schools
of Character award winners each year. They
devote many hours to the task of studying
applications and site-visit reports before
making their final decisions through a
deliberative, consensus process. Members
are unpaid for their services, and they serve
on the panel for three years. For more
information about the Blue Ribbon Panel
members, visit www.character.org.
Dr. Marilyn Watson, Chairperson
Program Director (ret.)
Developmental Studies Center
Former faculty member
School of Education, Mills College
Dr. Ed Dunkelblau
Director, Institute for Emotionally
Intelligent Learning
Michael Galvin
School Leadership Consultant
Focused Leadership Solutions, LLC
Former Principal
Columbine Elementary School
Dr. Peter R. Greer
Headmaster (ret.)
The Montclair Kimberley Academy
Former Superintendent
Portland (ME) Public Schools
Dr. Terry Ross
Director of Leadership and School
Performance, New Leaders for New Schools
Former award-winning urban school
administrator
Dr. David Wangaard
Director, The School for Ethical Education
3
2009 NSOC Outreach
“Like a Pebble in the Pond”
National Schools of Character: A Transformative Process
I
n 2010, the 2009 National Schools of
Character (NSOC) Winners trained
over 4,000 educators representing
approximately 778,500 students. Why did
they do it? How did they do it? Having
earned the title NSOC, all ten 2009
Winners felt a responsibility to reach out;
and that is exactly what they did.
CEP annually recognizes schools and
districts for exemplary implementation
of CEP's Eleven Principles of Effective
Character Education. These models
of excellence serve as ambassadors and
share their expertise with others. In
addition to maintaining open campuses as
demonstration sites for dozens of visitors
from as far away as Taiwan, the 2009 NSOC
presented workshops and conferences, held
open houses, conducted a webinar, and
formed mentoring partnerships with other
schools. Most also conducted a formal
staff development session for a group
of educators on their campuses. Denise
Arvidson, principal of Col. John Robinson
School, expresses what all NSOC report:
“The feedback we have received from our
outreach initiatives indicates we have been
able to influence and in some cases inspire
others to reach their goal.”
Outreach efforts were varied, creative,
and ambitious. For example, Beverly Woods
launched a sister-school relationship with
Fuguitt Elementary, a 2009 Finalist, to
share unique aspects of its program and to
learn about their peer mediation/character
coaches program. Fox C-6 School District
undertook a massive staff development
project offering trainings for district teams
across the state of Missouri on each of the
4
Counselor Barbara Gruener sings her snappy song “Kids
with Character” with Westwood’s open house participants.
11 Principles. The counselor at Greenfield
Elementary School established an informal
outreach connection by sharing strategies
with Bingham Farms Elementary, helping
them integrate character education into
their curriculum. Milwaukee College
Leary Elementary led efforts to train its
entire district. As the former principal, Dr.
Donna Dunar, reports: “Like a pebble in
the pond, our sister schools have begun and
are digging into the process—even the
high school.”
In addition to helping others, NSOC
Winners find that earning the award is a
transformative process that brings about
dramatic changes at their own sites. For
example, teachers and students at Bayless
Junior High School realized that they
had a new standard to uphold. At Fox
C–6 School District, Superintendent Dr.
Dianne Brown pronounced a “Year of
Service Learning.” Administrators and
staff went through extensive training in
service learning, and each school partnered
with a nonprofit community organization
for a year-long service learning project.
The Blake School experienced a year
of reflection and embedded character
“With the honor of receiving this award comes a mandate to reach
out, share, and partner with other schools across the nation….”
—Carolyn Horne, Principal
Beverly Woods Elementary School
Prep’s long history of mentoring others
and entertaining visitors from other
schools continued with its role as NSOC
ambassador. Westwood Elementary’s
webinar on Building a Culture of Respect
reached 32 educators in 28 schools, and
Counselor Barbara Gruener’s “Sing, Dance,
Laugh, and Build Character” presentation
attracted crowds at numerous workshops
and at Westwood’s open house. Alta S.
education more securely into the
curriculum. Principal Brian McKenney
of Long Elementary School also reports
that the integration of character into the
curriculum has been enhanced as teachers
have become more expert at program
design. In reaching out to help others and
continuing to improve from within, the
2009 NSOC Winners served admirably as
models of effective character education.
2010 Winners
Doing Whatever It Takes
to Help ALL Students Succeed
Critics of character education who dismiss it as an unnecessary
frill could learn much from the 2010 NSOC Winners. In the
vanguard of educational reform, their child-centered and data-driven
approaches have built caring, collaborative school cultures in
which ALL children CAN succeed.
T
“
he bottom line is we want
to do whatever it takes to
neutralize the challenges being
faced by students and families and create
pathways to success.” This assertion on the
part of Kevin Ogden, Julian Union School
District superintendent of schools, epitomizes the student-centered and data-driven
collaborative approaches of CEP’s 2010
NSOC Winners. Doing “whatever it takes”
has indeed brought results: The “Proof Is
in the Data” box that accompanies each
Winner’s profile gives strong evidence of
student success.
If any one fact has fueled the current
national frenzy surrounding educational
reform, it is the simple reality that many
children are just not learning in schools
today. Legislation such as No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) and intervention models
such as Response to Intervention (RTI)
have prompted districts to scramble for
strategies that will provide the Open
Sesame to success for all children, including those in traditionally underperforming groups. Leaders in educational reform
have also recognized the need to abandon
certain old-fashioned ideas about teaching
and learning. Ideally, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) should replace
teachers working in isolation, as collegial
partnerships examine data to determine
student needs, address gaps in student
learning, and shape professional practice to
meet identified needs. In place of the “9-to3” model is the community-school concept
in which schools function as hubs of the
community, centers that offer a wide range
of supports and opportunities to children,
families, and communities.
If we look at the journeys of the 15
NSOC Winners, we see that these schools
and districts are very much in the forefront
of educational reform. Though so different geographically and demographically,
they share one common ingredient that has
truly enhanced their success: an intentional, collaborative approach to improving school culture and climate as the basic
framework on which to build academic and
social success for all students.
Different Areas,
Similar Philosophies
On the surface, the School District of Jefferson, in a rural area of Wisconsin with
fewer than 2,000 students, seems strikingly
different from affluent Peters Township
School District with close to 4,500 students in a suburban area of Pennsylvania.
However, both school districts realized
from the outset the enormous role the
Students attending NSOC learn to embrace diversity
and respect differences. During Africa Day in the
School District of Jefferson, students listen to guest
speakers and explore African cultures.
community plays in improving education,
and community members have always
been part of their steering committees and
action plans. Service projects abound in
both districts, where students and community partners work hand-in-hand, and
teachers collaborate in PLCs with the goal
of improving both school climate and
academics. Not surprisingly, results of state
performance assessments show that the
percentage of students scoring proficient or
advanced has increased every year in both
districts and that their dropout rates are
strikingly low.
If this year’s two winning districts seem
dissimilar, so too do the two high schools
that were named National Schools of
Character this year. Surrounded by Ohio
farmland, Sentinel Career Center provides career and technical training to 462
part-time students coming from 12 school
districts. Seckman High School in suburban Imperial, Missouri serves a full-time,
primarily college-bound population nearly
four times as large as Sentinel’s. Interestingly, both schools, realizing the crucial
importance of school climate, have created a
strong sense of belonging for all newcomers
5
2010 Winners
through a structured ninth-grade transition
program, followed by effective mentoring
throughout the school year. Giving back
to the community via service learning
provides an ethos of caring in both schools.
This personalized approach has paid off,
particularly with at-risk students. Since
2004, close to 98 percent of Sentinel’s students have attained a high school diploma,
and over the past decade more than 93
percent of its special needs students have
completed their career and technical certification. Similarly, Seckman’s graduation rate
is at an all-time high, and its dropout rate
is at an all-time low.
The two middle schools in this year’s
lineup, although located in different parts
of our country, share certain key characteristics. Sarasota Middle School in Florida
and Upper Merion Area Middle School in
Pennsylvania, both Community of Caring
national models, foster family-like cultures
that accept all students and accent caring for one another through kindness and
service. Both schools are heavily invested
in PLCs, and their students have performed excellently on their respective state
assessments. Annual surveys of parents,
staff, and students reveal the strong impact
of Community of Caring on academic
performance. Upper Merion also serves as
a hub for its community by offering many
after-school and weekend services.
Providing Pathways
to Success for All
Having an economically disadvantaged or
significant minority population does not
doom a school to academic limbo. Just ask
the staff of Georgia’s Orrs Elementary, California’s Julian Elementary, or New Jersey’s
Lore Elementary, three schools that have
many students in both subgroups. Their
enthusiastic teachers will quickly attest that
ALL children can succeed once they have
been given the pathways to success. One
pathway common to all three schools is a
6
safe and supportive school climate, created
and fostered by a caring faculty who, working in PLCs, look at data that reflect the
development of the whole child, not just at
standardized test data.
All three schools have attained many
honors, and student test performance
belies the usual stereotypes associated with
these groups. Orrs Elementary School, a
school with a 76 percent poverty rate and
a 61 percent minority population, has
Students in NSOC schools learn vital skills as they serve
others. Mill Pond students help with the harvest at a local
farm in order to donate fresh produce.
been recognized as a Title I Distinguished
School for seven years in a row, and students
in grades 1–5 have maintained over 80
percent proficiency in all areas on Georgia’s
state assessments for the past five years.
Julian, whose 50 percent economically
disadvantaged and 40 percent minority
population resides in the mountainous back
country of San Diego, is now experiencing
the highest Academic Performance Index in
school history, with amazing gains recorded
for socioeconomically disadvantaged
students and learning-disabled students.
Julian has embraced the concept of the
community school, illustrated by Julian
Pathways, a student and family resource
center on campus that involves over 100
community partners.
Lore Elementary in suburban New
Jersey has survived two major redistricting moves that have resulted in a school
enrollment that is now 51 percent minority
and 24 percent economically disadvantaged. Students have played a major role in
Lore’s collaborative culture, exemplified by
their contributions to the school’s awardwinning Unity program that has guided
the school for 16 years and has been the
basis for its being honored as a New Jersey
STAR School and a New Jersey School of
Character in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Closing the Achievement Gap
Much has been written about the need
to close the achievement gap experienced
by African-American students and those
on free or reduced-price lunch. What is
interesting is that the 2010 NSOC Winners have been able to close that gap, not
by teaching to the test, but by teaching in a
supportive culture that values children and
challenges them. Lake Carolina Elementary School in South Carolina, with a 35
percent African-American and 15 percent
economically disadvantaged population,
received a Blue Ribbon award for academic
excellence in 2008 and has been honored
by South Carolina for closing the achievement gap for both groups in language arts
and mathematics every year since 2003.
Equally noteworthy is the accomplishment
of Mill Pond School in Westborough, Massachusetts. In March 2010, Mill Pond, with
a 25 percent minority enrollment, was one
of 36 schools in Massachusetts recognized
for closing the achievement gap for students with limited English proficiency. The
performance of fifth and sixth graders in
the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System places the school in the state’s
“top 10 percent” ranking.
We are positive that every child can
learn, achieve, and be successful with character in a safe, caring environment, goes
the vision statement of Missouri’s Sullivan
2010 Winners
Primary School. That vision truly becomes
a reality in this school, where 56 percent of
its little ones receive free or reduced-price
lunch. This economic challenge apparently
does not deter progress: The percentage of
first-grade students reading at grade level
increased from 60 percent at the beginning of the 2009 school year to 81 percent
at the mid-year assessment. Similar gains
have been made at Florida’s Seminole
Elementary School, where 58 percent of the
students are economically disadvantaged.
Seminole has earned an A rating in Florida’s
state grading system for the last seven years,
and 76 percent of its struggling students
made a year’s worth of progress in reading
and math, as demonstrated by scores on the
state’s 2009 assessment.
When questioned about the strategies
used to achieve such progress, the staffs of
all these schools refer to their character initiatives as providing the underlying foundation for success. Moreover, all allude to the
collaborative and caring culture that defines
the school’s identity and provides a safety
zone for all students. Their PLCs do look
at data, but they focus on doing something
about that data by designing differentiation
strategies and support plans so all students
can learn.
Reaching for Excellence
Triumphing over adversity always makes
for an interesting story, but toiling consistently every day to create “smart and good”
students is no mean task. Two NSOC
that do not have a significant percentage
of the so-called at-risk groups are Missouri’s Kehrs Mill Elementary School and
Michigan’s Beverly Elementary School.
Both belong to districts with distinguished
track records in character education, PLCs
in each school devise strategies to enhance
learning and school culture, and students
in both schools demonstrate a relentless
pursuit of excellence in both academics
and character.
“Central to the success of our
students is the constant strengthening of our school climate,” says
Margaret Lucero, principal of Kehrs
Mill, located in the Rockwood
School District (a 2006 NSOC).
Named a Missouri Top Ten School
for eight consecutive years, it is
ranked third out of more than 1,000
elementary schools in Missouri for
academic achievement. The academic achievement of Beverly (Birmingham Public Schools) is equally
impressive. Not only do 99 percent
of first graders read at or above grade
level, but the school’s average scores
on the state assessments consistently surpass
those of the district and the state. Jennifer
Martella, principal of Beverly, also attributes
her school’s academic success to character
development: “We internalize the connection
between academic achievement and character
building, and are proud to use state test scores
as an indicator of our success.”
Fifteen NSOC, fifteen different stories,
and fifteen lessons on the powerful effect
that character education has on the way that
students learn. The term “school culture”
is an elusive one because it embodies so
many different elements, and yet each 2010
NSOC points out that school culture has
been the major influence on its students’
academic, social, and emotional growth.
Schools with a caring, collaborative culture
function as families in which members are
genuinely concerned for one another: They
Students in NSOC schools build community through open
discussions held in forums and class meetings, such as
those held regularly at Upper Merion.
listen to many voices, including that of the
teacher, the parent and the student, and
they know they need to be both challenging
and supportive for all their students, not a
select few. They do examine data, but they
constantly keep “the whole child” in mind
in shaping successful students. They know
they cannot accomplish this serious work
of changing lives on their own, and they
call on parents and the wider community to
help them achieve their vision. Lastly, they
never sit complacently on their laurels, but
they constantly ask themselves and others,
“Just how are we doing?” When schools and
districts take these steps, as the 2010 NSOC
Winners have done, they are indeed creating
pathways to success for all children.
For more information about how character
education can improve school culture, read CEP’s
latest white paper, Developing and Assessing
School Culture: A New Level of Accountability for
Schools. Available at www.character.org.
7
2010 Winners
Beverly Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Enrollment 369 ❯ Beverly Hills, Michigan
Public/Suburban ❯ Birmingham Public Schools
A Neighborhood School
with a Global Vision
In addition to retaining its warm, safe, and nurturing neighborhood feeling,
this friendly Michigan school does an admirable job of developing global
citizens by melding rigorous academic study with character building. Its
impressive state test scores show this to be a winning combination.
I
n the airy foyer of Beverly Elementary
School, located in Beverly Hills, an upscale suburb of Detroit, hang 40 flags to
honor the 40 different cultures represented
in the school. “All of us—teachers, students,
parents—work hard to see that everyone is
included and that no one is left out,” says
newly retired Sherry Davenport, the counselor
affectionately known as the “Character Lady.”
Fourth graders collect food donations for a local
food bank.
A visitor to this school can easily spot
many outward signs of that hard work: general
education students walking arm-in-arm with
their special needs friends, students of different
races and ethnicities working collaboratively on
class projects, older students happily mentoring their younger buddies, and teachers taking
the time to work with students individually.
Parent Jeff Boggs describes Beverly as “a tightknit school in every way,” and Rose Dalat, a
8
foreign-born mom, is happy that her children
“have grown to become good persons.” With
a smile, she adds, “I recommend this school to
any foreigner.”
Beverly’s academic achievements are impressive—the percentages of its third-, fourth-,
and fifth-grade students who score proficient
or above on state-mandated tests overwhelmingly surpass those for the state of Michigan as
a whole—but this is not a school that “teaches
to the test.” Principal Jennifer Martella, who
has been at the helm for the past six years,
says that character education “has become
ingrained in the daily workings of the school”
and praises “the connection between academic
achievement and character building.” The
school intentionally focuses on developing
21st-century learning skills and stresses critical
thinking, collaborative problem solving, and
technological know-how. Whether it is fifth
graders researching and defending a position
on an ethical issue or second graders digitally
recording the biographical presentations of
classmates, Beverly makes certain its students
are active learners. Media specialist Kristin
Fontichiaro says, “Students here are involved
in social learning and self-driven learning. We
work together, and we get excited.”
Showing Character Inside and
Outside the Classroom
“At Beverly, we value good character in
principle and in action,” says Davenport,
whose planned lessons teach the core values
of respect, responsibility, cooperation, and
kindness—collectively dubbed “Bobcat Behavior.” Each day students not only recite the
Bobcat Pledge that was created by the Student
Council but also “strive to be the best [they]
can be” in their actions. Those in the lower
grades use the options of Kelso’s Choice and
“I-Care” rules to handle difficult situations,
while the older ones are instructed in peer mediation skills. Morning meetings have proved
to be an excellent way to begin each day with
sharing and caring.
Parents report that their children love
to come to school because the teachers and
students are so caring. For example, parent
Jennifer Cook points out how a classmate’s
words—“C’mon! Come back to school! We
miss you!”—worked like medicine for her
son during a lengthy absence. Some of the
most poignant relationships shown are those
between the general education students and
their special needs friends, supported by the
LINKS program (a 2006 Promising Practice)
that pairs these students for play and class
activities. Fifth grader Brady describes his special needs buddy as having “a big heart” and
reflects, “He is lucky to have a whole school of
friends who care for him.”
Curricular and Service
Connections to Character
“Character is not a program at Beverly,” says
Martella. “It is a way of life.” Not surprisingly,
the core values arise in class discussions on
ethical decisions, in character analyses in the
Battle of the Books, and in reflective conversations on historical events. Moreover, it is not
just what is being learned that is important; it
is also how students learn it.
The school’s belief in the importance of
collaborative learning and technological teamwork in developing global citizens emerges in
Ignite, a special districtwide experiential initiative for third and fourth graders. Students
learn to become responsible digital citizens
as they use the Internet, podcasts, wikis, and
other high-tech media. Rick Maldonado, a
teacher leader, explains that topics covered in
“We will move forward with our planned next steps: painting a conflict
resolution chart on our playground, hanging a flag with our touchstone
design, increasing student involvement in community outreach, moving
away from extrinsic motivation, [and] helping to influence character growth
through technology as we communicate with our sister school in England.
Naturally, we will share our success with other schools in Michigan.”
—Jennifer Martella, Principal
this program include “the ethics of plagiarism,
password etiquette, rules for quoting properly,
functioning on social networks, … cyberbullying, and personal accountability.” In a recent
project, students researched and subsequently
reported on a variety of aspects of a certain
New England city, ranging from history and
geography to fun facts on sports and amusements. After developing a report, students
collaboratively combined their presentations
into a podcast for all to enjoy. In another
innovative venture, Beverly students have become “modern and high-tech pen pals” with
students in a sister school in Birmingham,
England via digital exchange of information
(a 2010 Promising Practice).
As true global citizens, students need
to develop a respect for all human beings—
despite race, creed, or ethnicity—and the
capacity to help them in addressing problems.
The service projects undertaken at Beverly
have demonstrated the students’ ability to
empathize with others. Examples include outreach to the needy in foreign nations (Haitian
earthquake victims and Russian orphans) and
to military personnel, as well as involvement
in environmental causes and various local
charities. Davenport, who has witnessed much
growth during her long career of service, says,
“The spirit of giving grows every year.”
The District and the Parents
Fuel the Initiative
“Our community is very committed to our
cause,” says Martella, who also points out
that Beverly is the third school in its district
to achieve NSOC status (after Birmingham
Covington in 2007, and Greenfield in 2009).
Becky Brady, formerly president of the PTA,
reports, “People always want to be part of the
PTA. If we need help and put out a request,
we get ten responses.” Another mother,
Monica Mercer, notes that the camaraderie
spurs participation: “It’s an inviting environment when you begin to get involved.” It
is not unusual to see five or six parents in a
classroom helping with a science, art, or social
studies project. Mercer goes on to say that
both the principal and the staff play an important role in creating this inviting atmosphere.
For example, when her kindergarten child got
lost going to class on the first day of school,
the mother asked the teacher to put an apple
outside the classroom door to make it easier to
identify. “The next day that apple was hanging there.” Both the mother and child were
relieved, and once again Beverly showed that
each child is special.
Just as parents are visible in the classroom,
they and the larger community play pivotal
roles in the school’s service efforts. For example,
parents spearheaded the recycling effort to
make Beverly one of Michigan’s first Green
Schools in 2007, an honor it continues to
achieve annually. Parents, children, and staff
work together on a host of initiatives, running
the gamut from smaller gatherings sponsored
by groups such as the Proud Dads Club to
larger projects such as the Adopt-a-Family
holiday program. Second-grade teacher Colleen
Thomas, who has been an active member of
the Character Committee, sums up the spirit
that defines this caring school: “At Beverly, we
play, recycle, learn, perform, and make a difference together.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jennifer Martella, Principal
18305 Beverly Road
Beverly Hills, MI 48025
Telephone: (248) 203-3161
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.birmingham.k12.mi.us
The Proof Is in the Data
How we know character education is
working at Beverly Elementary School:
➤Student performance on the 2008–09
MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment
Program) tests showed exceptional
achievement:
✓ 98 percent of third graders scored
proficient or advanced in
mathematics—7 percent higher
than the state average.
✓ 97 percent of fifth graders scored
proficient or advanced in English
language arts—1 percent higher than
the district average and 19 percent
higher than the state average.
➤Houghton Mifflin reading assessments
given at the end of the 2008–09 school
year revealed that 99 percent of first graders were reading at grade level or higher.
➤According to a March 2010 staff survey,
93.5 percent (29 of 31 respondents)
believe high expectations for student
behavior are an ingrained part of the
school culture or have seen strong
growth in this area over the past two
and a half years.
➤According to a March 2010 student
survey, 95.5 percent (254 of 266 respondents) think that Beverly students show
respect to teachers and other adults.
This is up 3.5 percent from last year.
➤ A March 2010 parent survey revealed high
levels of satisfaction and participation:
✓ 97.7 percent (167 of 171 respondents) “agree” or “strongly agree”
that Beverly students are respectful,
responsible, cooperative, and kind.
✓ 100% of respondents “agree” or
“strongly agree” that their kids are
safe at Beverly School.
✓ 84.2 percent (144 of 171 respondents) have volunteered at Beverly so
far this year.
➤During the 2008–09 school year, 97
percent of Beverly parents attended
conferences—4 percent higher than
the district average.
➤Beverly has won five CEP Promising
Practices awards since 2006, was
honored as an NSOC Finalist in 2009,
and has been recognized as a Michigan
Green School for the past four years.
9
2010 Winners
Julian Elementary School
Grades K–6 ❯ Enrollment 281 ❯ Julian, California
Public/Rural ❯ Julian Union School District
Strong Character and Limitless
Academic Achievement
Nestled in the mountainous back country of San Diego County, this
California school is surprising in its cutting-edge approach to education.
Its rich social services and caring staff spur its diverse student body to
dream big, help others, and strive for limitless academic achievement.
J
ulian Elementary School is a far cry
from your traditional neighborhood
school. Located in a district that covers
600 square miles of isolated mountain
and desert regions, including two Indian
reservations, it nonetheless has the intimacy
and friendliness of a close-knit family. “I
believe our school is a big family, a big family that works together,” says Nancy Younce,
teacher and character coordinator.
Kevin Ogden, the superintendent of
the Julian Union School District and the
force behind its focus on character, started
with a vision for success: “strong character
and limitless academic achievement for each
student.” What other schools might perceive
as impediments—57 percent of its students
are on free or reduced-price lunch, and 40
percent are minorities—does not deter Julian
in its mission to demand high academic and
moral performance of all. After all, a district
whose boundaries range from the floor of
a desert to the top of a mountain is used to
conquering obstacles.
Julian’s character program owes its genesis
to a conversation between Ogden and an
Apple Inc. computer executive some six years
ago about the lack of character and initiative
in new hires. When Julian applied for and
received a Federal Character Education Grant
in conjunction with some other rural districts,
the Character Council was established and,
with the input of staff and community members, decided on the five core values of honor;
honesty and respect; responsibility; optimism;
10
Julian students learn they can change the world
through service.
and commitment. With the adoption of
Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits and the 40 Developmental Assets from the Search Institute,
character building took on another dimension:
Its imprint is seen in the school’s daily rituals,
morning meetings, curricular emphasis, gifted
and remedial programs, community connections, and service projects. Younce adds,
“What began as a weekly announcement has
evolved into the core of our experience.”
It’s People, Not Programs,
That Change People
Each teacher in-service workshop begins
with the slogan It’s People, Not Programs, That
Change People. Clearly, one of those people is
Susi Jones, the dynamic executive director of
Julian Pathways, the on-campus family and
support center that works in conjunction with
the school to provide pupils and families with
the emotional and academic help that they
need. Jones, believing strongly that students
cannot learn effectively if their emotional, social, and personal problems are ignored, takes
a personal interest in each student. Honored
with a Golden Bell award by the California
School Boards Association, Julian Pathways
deals with families in crisis and offers a host of
other services through individual and group
counseling, in areas that range from academic
and study issues to social services and career
planning. “We’d be lost without Pathways” are
familiar words at Julian.
With a population that is 24 percent
Hispanic and 15 percent Native American, the school makes certain to listen to
its minority needs. Recently, the school
extended its winter vacation to accommodate the request of its Mexican families for
time to visit their relatives. Native American
speakers, artists, and craftsmen also provide
services to the school. Donna Linton, the
liaison to the Indian community, says that
Native American students have shown
increased confidence from this celebration
of their culture: “Previously, they had been
content to stay in the background, and now
they are assuming leadership roles.”
A parent who was new to Julian last
year comments that, unlike her children’s
former school, parents here are “investing
time and their hearts, not just their checks.”
This investment is readily seen as parents work
with the children in maintaining Julian as a
Green Campus. Students compost, cultivate a
character garden outside each classroom, plant
daffodils around the school and the community, and keep the campus clean by recycling
everything, including food waste. Trish Elisara
is a parent who has brought national attention
to Julian’s efforts by creating a Green Party Kit
of reusable cups and dishes for school parties
that won a $20,000 award from National
Geographic. Ogden notes how the award symbolized a bigger goal: “We want kids to dream
big, and I think this validates for them that
you can have big dreams and you can make
them come true.”
“We are working toward becoming a community school. A grant is being
written to assist us with this goal. A community school is both a place and
a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources.
Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and
community development, and community engagement leads to improved
student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities.”
—Kevin Ogden, Superintendent
We Can Change the World with
Our Own Two Hands
Dreaming big is certainly the message of
the school motto, We Can Change the World
with Our Own Two Hands. Conversations
with students reveal that through the Seven
Habits, they first learn to control themselves,
then move on to change the world. First
grader Evin says, “It is really important to
work hard and be proactive in your work,
so you won’t be lazy.” Fourth grader Laurel
adds, “I have learned to control my anger,
because I used to get really mad, and now I
can control those feelings.”
It is intrinsic motivation, not stickers or
badges, which moves these little ones to empathize with others and become humanitarians. Maya, a second grader, says, “I learned to
help people when they need help.” Nathaniel,
another second grader, reflects, “It makes me
feel better when I treat other people the way
I want to be treated.” Tom Mountain, a bus
driver who daily observes the interactions
of Julian students, says: “I feel that with the
character education offered at our school, the
kids have more of a feeling of oneness.”
This feeling of “oneness” is most apparent at the annual Global Youth Service
Day, when each of the classes showcases
their service learning projects for the year.
Jones points out, “Students learn they can
change the world; it’s up to them.” Projects
cover a number of areas, with many accenting Julian’s role as a Green School. These
are not food drives; students think long and
hard about what they want to do for others,
whether it is first graders planting trees to
adorn the front of the school or fourth graders filling backpacks with necessary materials
for Australian children displaced by wildfires.
Parent Nicky Moniz praises the service connection to character, which “is embedded
in everything they do, from an academic
standpoint to the murals around the school,
as well as our character garden.”
Raising the Bar for Everyone
A member of the No Excuses University
Network, the school consciously works to
raise the bar for its students. Julian provides
a rigorous academic curriculum, backed by
research and supported with tutoring opportunities, academic counseling, problem
solving activities, and goal-setting lessons.
Visits to colleges and universities inspire students every year, and each classroom “adopts”
a different college or university to learn
about, communicate with, and—if distance
permits—visit.
Ogden praises the commitment of
Julian teachers who model the qualities they
want to see in their students and the efforts
of Julian Pathways, which serves as a model
for the “community school” concept. He
calls the Character Council “the driving
force, with character as the umbrella, behind
our united efforts to ensure that every student is thriving and learning in a characterrich, 21st-century environment.” Although
the many academic awards the school has
won have been edifying, Ogden adds that he
is truly “more proud and honored” by the
NSOC award than anything in his 32 years.
He concludes, “Character to me is what really determines who we are.”
working at Julian Elementary School:
➤In 2008–09 the school had an Academic
Performance Index (API) of 819, the
highest in school history. The APIs for
certain subgroups also increased:
✓ The API for socioeconomically disadvantaged students showed a 45-point
increase, from 705 in 2007–08 to
752 in 2008–09.
✓ The API for learning-disabled students
showed a 74-point increase, from 634
in 2007–2008 to 708 in 2008–09.
➤California Business for Education
Excellence selected Julian Elementary
as a 2009 Honor Roll School for 2009,
based on analysis of comprehensive
data on the performance of disadvantaged students.
➤From 2007–08 to 2008–09, disciplinary actions for violence and bullying
declined by 71 percent (from 68 to 20),
bus referrals declined by 100 percent
(from 2 to 0), and disciplinary actions
for dishonesty declined by 24 percent
(from 17 to 13).
➤The total number of disciplinary actions
dropped from 345 in 2007–08 to 191
in 2008–09, a 45 percent reduction.
➤Data indicate a 40 percent increase in
homework compliance from 2008–09
to 2009–10.
➤Attendance increased to 96 percent
in 2009–10, up from 94.3 percent in
2004–05.
➤All classes, plus Yoga Service Learning
and Gifted and Talented (GATE) students,
engaged in service projects and showcased them at Global Youth Service Day
in 2009 and 2010.
➤100 percent of parents responding to
the most recent parent survey agree
that the school provides a positive
climate for learning.
Susi Jones, Executive Director, Julian Pathways
Julian Elementary School
1704 Cape Horn Ave.
P.O. Box 337
Julian, CA 92036
Telephone: (760) 765-2228
Website: www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/districts/julianel
11
2010 Winners
Kehrs Mill Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Enrollment 628 ❯ Chesterfield, Missouri
Public/Suburban ❯ Rockwood School District
Pursuing Excellence
with Empathy
Parents and teachers in this Missouri school have high expectations for
their children. What is amazing is that the children seem to have even
higher expectations for themselves. Add a delightful mix of caring and
compassion, and what results is a school of excellence and empathy.
T
“
hese kids just love to work,”
reflects Margaret Lucero, the
affable principal of Kehrs Mill
Elementary School, which is ranked third
out of 1,052 elementary schools in the state
of Missouri for academic achievement. Assistant Principal Sarah Turpin adds that in
addition to “high academic achievement,”
Kehrs Mill wants its students to show “kind
behavior toward one another.” Spend one day
at this newly refurbished school in a St. Louis
suburb, and you will see just how it shapes
students to be both “smart and good.”
No mindless drill here, student engagement is a priority. And Kehrs Mill students
not only pursue their own learning with gusto
but also show a deep commitment to others.
Whether it is second graders involved in a
brainstorming session on ways to save the rain
forest, or first graders and their fourth-grade
buddies planning strategies to help animals
rescued by the Humane Society, critical thinking and collaborative problem solving join to
strengthen the curriculum. Students are as
ingenious as their teachers in finding ways to
make learning engaging. At the conclusion
of Harcourt reading units, for example, the
cross-grade buddies showcase their reading
and dramatic skills by performing skits from
the texts for one another.
The caring extends beyond the district,
too. Currently, 38 students from inner city
St. Louis attend Kehrs Mill through the
city’s Voluntary Transfer program that brings
inner city students to suburban schools. The
12
Cross-age buddies help create a caring community
at Kehrs Mill.
school works hard to make sure they feel
welcome and included, through the Lighthouse program of adult mentors, the TEAM
program that helps at-risk students, the intergrade-level buddy system, and before-school
tutoring. While many schools in the St. Louis
area have stopped participating, Lucero points
out that “parents here want the diversity,” and
district data demonstrate that these inner city
students do better at Kehrs Mill than at other
schools in the district.
“A Place You Never Feel Left Out”
When asked to describe Kehrs Mill, Haley, a
fifth-grade student leader, replies, “Caring, a
place you never feel left out.” Students, staff,
and students agree with Haley’s description.
Fifth grader Caroline explains the school’s welcoming spirit: “We show new students around
and become friends with them.” Parent Tracy
Tunis reflects, “My children are learning positive student behavior, responsibility, honesty,
perseverance, and respect for others. The staff,
as well as the students, teach and model these
positive student values.”
The Kehrs Mill approach to character is
many layered. First of all, direct teaching and
curricular connections reinforce the district’s nine core values: respect, perseverance,
patience, cooperation, courage, responsibility, self-control, integrity, and caring. The
Rockwood School District (a 2006 NSOC),
which has been in the character business for
a dozen years and formally established these
core values in 2001–02, has supported its
schools ever since, through training in LACE
(Leadership Academy for Character Education), Characterplus, and the Caring School
Community program. Kehrs Mill, which
was involved in the original implementation,
demonstrates the words of Roxanna Mechem,
the district’s director of character education,
who calls character education a “process, not
a program.” Based on surveys and suggestions
for growth from CEP (Kehrs Mill was a 2009
NSOC Finalist), it has refined its “process,”
paying closer attention to curricular connections and service learning.
“In the last few years, character education has really evolved—it has gone beyond
just the words,” says parent Jayme Norman.
The school resource officer, Josh King, says,
“Students participate more at Kehrs Mill;
more students are willing to do role plays and
get involved.” Along with increased student
involvement has come increased community
support. Lucero points out that 67 parents
volunteered for a recent 20th birthday celebration for the school, many of whom showed up
multiple times to help out.
A Commitment to Caring
Artwork and posters throughout the school
show the students’ strong commitment to
helping others through a structured approach
to service leaning. The faculty participated in
several professional development activities to
“Central to the success of our students is the constant strengthening of
our school climate. We will analyze our data such as climate surveys and
[Caring School Community] voice surveys. We will create action plans within
our school plan to further enhance components of our character education
program which will give students the skills needed to be productive citizens.”
—Margaret Lucero, Principal
ensure their growth in this area, including a
CEP workshop on service learning taught by
Cathy Berger Kaye and a training session by
Marvin Berkowitz.
Like their students, the faculty work hard
to refine the process and to make sure service
projects are truly connected to the curriculum.
The staff has created a matrix for each project
that includes four attributes to consider:
engages students in meaningful service to the
school or community; applies academic skills
and curricular objectives to real-world issues
and needs; is student led (ideas came from
students); and applies critical thinking and
problem solving skills in the planning, implementation, and reflection process. Student reflections throughout the building attest to the
positive effect of the renewed focus on service
learning. Chloe, a third grader, writes beneath
her artwork on the Help for Haiti project,
“Even if you help a little bit, it can make a big
difference.” Alli, another third grader, reflects,
“I feel it is important to help other communities when a disaster strikes.”
Although Kehrs Mill has made great
strides in global and community service, it
has not ignored the importance of kindness
at home. Teachers talk about how the caring
starts at the top. Counselor Rhonda Mozingo,
who was honored with the Rockwood Outstanding Service to Education award, notes
that the principal always sends personal notes
to staff, recognizing birthdays and special
occasions. Moreover, former staff members
remain a part of the Kehrs Mill family and
continue to be remembered and invited to
school events. Fourth-grade teacher Lois
Hendrickson says, “We’re family here—an extended family. At Christmas we remembered
a couple of custodians who had to quit for
health reasons. We sent them gift cards.”
Double Doors and
Double Excellence
PTO president Tracy Tunis sums up the effect
of this school on her children: “Open Kehrs
Mill’s double red doors, and you will see academic excellence as well as excellence in character education…. As a parent, it has been
amazing to watch my three children integrate
these ethical values into their everyday life and
watch them develop into responsible citizens
of our community. Kehrs Mill is not just a
school; it defines a caring school community.”
“It’s a joy to work here,” observes
Mozingo as she describes school life from the
How we know character education
is working at Kehrs Mill Elementary
School:
➤High percentages of our students
scored advanced or proficient on the
2009 Missouri Assessment Program
(MAP) tests: 80.3 percent in math and
79.6 percent in communication arts.
➤Kehrs Mill is ranked third out of 1,052
elementary schools in the state of
Missouri for academic achievement.
➤We were named a Missouri Top Ten
School, based on the percentages of
students scoring advanced or proficient
on MAP tests for eight consecutive years.
➤The number of disciplinary referrals has
declined over the past six years, from
230 to 78, and the number of bus
referrals has declined from 100 to 24
over that period.
➤The daily attendance rate of 95.9–97.6
percent has remained consistent for
six years.
➤Staff responses on the 2009 district
climate survey indicated strengths in
the following areas:
✓ students’ sense of community
✓ staff members’ sense of belonging
✓ parent involvement
✓ parents’ sense of school quality—
teaching students to work with and
respect one another.
perspective of a staff member. Perhaps the
strongest testimonial to the culture of happiness that the school engenders is the comment
of Elise, a first grader, who says, “I like it here
even more than my own house.”
Sarah Turpin, Assistant Principal
2650 Kehrs Mill Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Telephone: (636) 537-4359
Website: www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/kehrsmill
Fifth graders cheer on first-grade runners.
13
2010 Winners
Lake Carolina Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Enrollment 935 ❯ Blythewood, South Carolina
Public/Suburban ❯ Richland School District Two
Developing Great Human Beings
Before this South Carolina school opened its doors eight years ago, it
first had to court a reluctant community. The school’s story highlights the
importance of including all—staff, parents, students—both in a vision of
excellence and on the momentous journey to achieve it.
L
“
ake Carolina gives them everything
they need to be great human beings,” says parent Joanne Guyton
in describing the special qualities of this idyllic
school located in scenic Blythewood. Guyton’s
praise resonates in comments from other parents who indicate how Lake Carolina students
show remarkable courtesy and empathy. Mark
Curfman talks about how his third-grade son,
Andrew, made it a point to congratulate a
friend who had done better than he had in an
activity, and another dad, Robb Dabbs, with a
background in coaching Scouts, comments on
the unusual sense of responsibility found in the
student body: “It’s like a whole school of kids
who are working to become Eagle Scouts.”
The irony is that when Lake Carolina
opened eight years ago in response to rezoning
caused by a population spurt, parents were
reluctant to give up their old, familiar school
for this new upstart. Forward-thinking Dr.
James Ann Lynch, who was to be the principal of the new school, realized the importance
of community buy-in and a shared vision.
Starting in February 2002, she visited the elementary school from which the children and
staff would come and listened to the concerns
of staff and parents. From these informal
conversations and other planned presentations emerged TEAM LCE, an acronym for
together everyone achieves more in a loving
and caring environment. That collaboration
continues today, helping the school’s character
education initiative to develop in a “logical,
sequential, and progressive” order, with the
staff, parents, and larger community having
input during each stage of the journey.
14
Developing a Shared Vision
“As a veteran principal, I knew that we
would have to work together as a team to establish high expectations for learning and behavior,” says Lynch as she describes the staff’s
exploratory stage to determine “exactly what
kind of school we wanted to be.” After much
research, the faculty, sharing input with the
parents, decided on the Integrated Thematic
Instruction (ITI) model, whose goal is “to
grow responsible citizens through developing positive relationships between students
and teachers, stimulating and awakening the
brain through instructional strategies, and
developing curriculum that makes learning
come alive.” ITI, which is now known as
the Highly Effective Teaching (HET) model,
accents 19 Lifeskills, or qualities that develop
good citizenship, and five Lifelong Guidelines, or guideposts for success in all phases
of life. Teachers received extensive training
on ways to integrate these concepts into
professional practice, and newsletters and
meetings kept parents informed about what
was happening.
“Having a common language has
enabled everybody to be on board, because
we’re all talking about the same things,” says
Counselor Jessica Skinner. Fourth-grade
teacher Niki Jones agrees that “it makes understanding so much easier.” Students display
unusual maturity in understanding that a
common language aids communication.
Roshini, a third grader, says, “It’s easy to clear
up problems because of Lifeskills,” and fifth
grader Brandon adds, “We all have the same
words to follow. It just makes your life better.”
Infusing Lifeskills
into School Life
“We walk the talk here. Each child in this
school is learning how to be a good person,”
says Allison Capps, a long-term substitute
teacher as well as a mother of a third grader
in the school. A visitor to Lake Carolina
can easily see how they “walk the talk here.”
Granted, all the external trappings are
present—Lifeskills are displayed on the outside marquee, posted on the walls, discussed
on the morning TV show, and explained in
the weekly letter to parents. What is more
important, however, is that the Lifeskills are
seamlessly integrated into schoolwide and
classroom practices, find their way into class
meetings, appear in classroom discussions,
shape student behavior in and outside the
classroom, and even play a role in student
responses to disciplinary actions.
The comment of third grader Ryan, “We
study the Lifeskills over and over so that it
gets in our heads and we remember them,”
may seem like an oversimplification, but it
points to the degree to which the students and
staff have internalized these values, making
Lifeskills an accepted part of school culture. In
fact, when ITI coaches visited the school last
year, they commented, “The culture of mutual
respect that has been established at Lake
Carolina is unprecedented in our experience.”
Students are engaged in hands-on learning through
inquiry lessons in science.
“We have used the data from our SIC [South Carolina School Improvement
Council] surveys as well as input from our ITI coaches regarding the next
steps. We have also surveyed teachers and staff. Our next step is threefold
and includes enhancing our work with students on social/political action,
engaging children as leaders for visiting educators, and creating studentdeveloped immersion areas.”
—Dr. James Ann Lynch, Former Principal
Teachers report that the mutual respect that
permeates staff relationships has had a positive
effect on their instruction and provides for
easy sharing of best practices at teacher-led
faculty meetings. First-year teacher Anna
Weatherford shares, “People went out of their
way to help me be successful; this is a true
community of friends helping friends.”
The life of learning at the Lake is never
humdrum, as students participate in lively
discussions that seek to make connections
between different areas of experience. Each
classroom is made of small learning clubs with
desks set up in groups of four so that the team
can solve problems together. New students are
quickly assimilated because each new student
has a “Navi-gator” (’gators are the school
mascot) who guides the newcomer in school
procedures and expectations. Developing
leadership is a priority: The school trains the
entire fifth-grade class to be school leaders,
through monthly meetings that feature community speakers and provide actual practice in
leadership roles.
Uniting All Through Rituals
and Service
School rituals, such as flying the Peace Flag,
participating in the Literacy at the Lake
program, and whole-school service projects,
reinforce the life lessons. “The Peace Flag
signifies the daily climate of the school, and
the entire school community must work
together to keep it flying,” says Skinner. The
flag flies only when no significant disciplinary infractions occur, but those rare occasions when such a breach takes place become
teachable moments. Another unifying and
enjoyable practice is the Literacy at the Lake
program in which the entire school community discusses a common book. Last year’s
selection, Do unto Otters by Laurie Keller,
provided a delightful romp into the importance of manners.
Service learning projects abound, connecting the entire school community—students, staff, and parents—in a common goal
of doing good for others. In a moving letter
to the principal, the Bedenbaugh family talks
about how “proud and blessed” it feels to be
part of the larger Lake Carolina family and
expresses elation over the community’s phenomenal response to a fundraiser, especially
during these dire economic times. The family
concludes, “Instead of pulling away, our
Lake Carolina family has pulled together and
knocked our goals out of the ball park.”
Dr. Andrea Berry, who was formerly the
school’s assistant principal and now serves as
interim principal, points out that this colorful
description might serve as an indicator of
what Lake Carolina has done in the last eight
years. At the outset, the staff had hoped that
the disgruntled parents would become more
accepting, that the students would thrive academically, and that a school culture based on
respect, working together, and giving back to
the community would evolve. Lake Carolina’s
track record indicates success in all three areas,
and this diverse, multicultural school has become an NSOC and a National Blue Ribbon
School in the process. That, in the words of
the Bedenbaughs, truly constitutes “knocking
the goals out of the ball park.”
Jessica Skinner, School Counselor
Lake Carolina Elementary School
1151 Kelly Mill Road
Blythewood, SC 29016
Telephone: (803) 714-1300, ext. 3003
Website: www2.richland2.org/lce
working at Lake Carolina Elementary School:
➤The school received the National Blue
Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department
of Education in 2008 for being in the
top 10 percent in academic achievement
in South Carolina.
➤The school has maintained a South
Carolina school rating of Excellent since
opening in 2002 and has made Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) every year.
➤The school has been recognized by
the South Carolina Department of
Education for closing the achievement
gap every year since 2003.
➤Spring RIT (Rasch Unit) scores on the
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
assessment have increased each year,
with an average growth of 3.65 in
reading and 5.35 in mathematics for
grades 2 through 5 from 2006 to 2009.
➤From the 2006–07 to the 2008–09
school year, the total number of disciplinary referrals has declined by 48
percent (from 339 to 176), with an even
more significant decline, of 82 percent,
in bus referrals (from 153 to 27).
➤The school received the student attendance award for the district in 2002–03,
2003–04, and 2006–07 (the average
student attendance rate over the past
6 years is 97.2 percent).
➤Grade 5 parent and student surveys for
the 2007–08 school year for the Annual
School Report Card issued by the South
Carolina Department of Education
revealed the following:
✓ Of the 113 parents responding,
93.6 percent were satisfied with
the learning environment, and
school–home relations.
✓ Of the 157 students responding,
the learning environment, and
school–home relations.
➤For each of the 2008–09 and 2009–10
school years, more than 260 parent/
community volunteers were registered,
with more than 6,000 volunteer hours
of service recorded.
15
2010 Winners
Lore Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Enrollment 519 ❯ Ewing, New Jersey
Public/Suburban ❯ Ewing Public Schools
All for One and One for All
Students prepare meals for delivery to Mobile
Meals clients.
work together, you get more done. When you
make people happy, you’re happier.” Vanessa,
another fifth grader, has learned how “to be
responsible, to care for other people, and to be
considerate of others.”
Lore, firmly wedded to the Responsive
Classroom program, begins each day with a
morning meeting. However, the school has
added an original feature, family groups, to
build an even stronger sense of belonging and
caring. Thus, the happy Lore family consists
of 26 multi-age smaller “families,” named after the 26 Unity words. Each summer, physical education teacher Doreen Romanchuk
volunteers to divide the entire student body
into these multi-age groups that meet five
or six times a year and engage in characterbuilding or service activities together. Both
older and younger students look forward to
these times. Fifth grader Louis Delgado says,
“It’s good to meet and be with kids from each
grade …. I think the most memorable thing
is the parties with our kindergarten buddies
when we have little snacks and appreciate
each other’s company.”
makeup began to change 15 years ago, its wise
leaders called on the students to identify some
20 core-value words that would express how
people can live together harmoniously. From
these 20 words came daily lessons and special
school projects that exemplified the words in
action. The program, which has been refined
and restructured, has evolved to its present
framework of 26 meaningful values called Unity words, enhanced by a nonviolence and social
skills curriculum. School secretary Maureen
Wells says, “It is not a canned, fits-all product
but is ever-changing, depending on what objectives need to be addressed in a particular year.”
Although the Unity words appear
throughout the school, in classrooms, hallways, gardens, student performances, bulletin
boards, and printed materials, it is in the
words and actions of the students that they are
the most powerful. Fifth grader Tyler describes
the effect of the Unity program: “When you
Transforming the Concepts
into Action
First-grade teacher Holly Savoy describes ways
even the younger children act according to the
spirit of the Unity words: “I like the way you
added detail to your story” or “I like your idea,
but maybe we should try …” or “When you
are done with that black pencil, can I please use
it?” Mary Brandl Reynolds, school counselor,
points out how the Unity words help dissipate behavior problems: “Lore functions as
smoothly as a very functional family—we are
happy, peaceful, and cooperative most of the
time. And when we are not, we have tools to
use to help us get back on track.”
“Giving back to the community and
teaching kids to be responsible citizens is
another important aspect of our program,”
says Austin. Each grade is involved in an
age-appropriate service project. For example,
second graders collect mittens, socks, and hats
When redistricting caused a demographic shift in this New Jersey school,
its leaders called on the student body to find words that would foster
acceptance and tolerance. Fifteen years later, this homegrown program,
burnished over time, is still shining brightly as a moral guide.
A
ll for One and One for All. Lore Elementary School in Ewing, a suburb
of Trenton in western New Jersey,
could not have chosen a more apt motto to
personify the spirit of unity that envelops this
welcoming school. Just ask anybody on the
Lore campus to describe the school’s special
quality, and you’re bound to hear words such
as all and every again and again. Dania, a
fifth-grade student, says, “All our teachers are
respectful to us, no matter what happens.”
Tony Mack, a parent and board of education
member, notes, “Everyone at Lore is invested
in the kids’ education; everyone has a vested
interest in our kids’ future.” Ernestine Austin,
character education chairperson and basic
skills teacher says, “All of us are like a family,
and everyone cares for each other.”
Patricia Womelsdorf, the school’s creative
principal, often says, “It takes a village to make
our program work.” And that Lore village of
teachers, aides, cafeteria workers, bus drivers,
parents, and community members do work
beautifully together to provide a safe and
nurturing environment for all their children.
With so many role models, it is easy to see why
the students themselves are so caring. Harold
Louth, director of special education and special
programs, notes that the usual “separation and
barriers” found in many schools do not exist at
Lore, and that “all kids at the school embrace
the community atmosphere.”
Beginning the Unity Program
Lore is unusual in another way: Students are
actually at the foundation of the character
initiative. When the school’s ethnic and racial
16
the overarching philosophy of doing good for
good’s sake and ends with the principal saying
“We give you these words for life.”
Linking Ceremony: Students ring the Unity Bell after
being recognized for modeling the Unity words.
for homeless children, while the fifth graders
can be found doing arts and crafts with the
elderly and the infirm at the Care One facility. Womelsdorf points with pride to Lore’s
relationship with Mobile Meals of Trenton and
Ewing: “Each spring, our family unity groups
prepare baskets for clients of Mobile Meals.
As we gather supplies and prepare items for
delivery, every member of our student community and adult community touches the project
directly.” She adds that Mobile Meals thanks
the school for “giving joy,” but all at Lore experience joy from this communal act of giving.
Clearly, a ritual that has defined Lore is
the Linking Ceremony that takes place about
once a month and acknowledges students
for demonstrating the meaning of the Unity
words through example. To be “linked” to
Lore forever provides students with intrinsic
motivation to live the Unity words. This impressive ceremony, which has been modified
over time to honor all students, personifies
Experiencing a Special Feel
of Community
Superintendent Michael Nitti feels that Lore
“has a special feel of community you do not
see in other schools…. They are five to eight
years ahead of other schools in developing and
nurturing this type of relationship.” Parents
and community volunteers also share that
“Lore has a way of becoming part of you.”
Joan Mahon, retired from Verizon and
now volunteering with a first-grade class
through the STAR (Seniors Teaching and
Reinforcing Skills) program, says she wishes
her own children had attended Lore because
it is so nurturing. Equally impressed with
the high level of caring that is seen in both
staff and students are the parents who help
with school projects, outreach missions, field
days, and preparation of food baskets. Much
to the amusement of all, Lore also has a new
volunteer from the canine world: Baxter, an
arthritic retriever who has passed his glory
days, has found a new life as a therapy dog
at Lore, where he delights and calms two
transitional classes. Once again, the school
has shown how acceptance of all brings out
the best in the individual.
A New Jersey State School of Character
in 2008, 2009, and 2010 and an NSOC
Finalist in 2000, 2008, and 2009, the school,
which prides itself on modeling the values it
wants to see in its students, has certainly been
a prime example of perseverance. Womelsdorf
says, “Each year, we took the feedback seriously and collaborated on ways to make our
program better.” The comments of staff show
that the Unity program is indeed getting better and continues to have a long-range effect
on their lives. Second-grade teacher Alison
“We will again host the Summer Institute for Responsive Classroom training
and also train our own new staff in Responsive Classroom ideology. Staff
members will research antibullying lessons to be shared with others. We
will continue our very satisfying work of mentoring Seth Boyden School, [in]
Maplewood, and the Bradford School, [in] Montclair, in character education.”
—Patricia Womelsdorf, Principal
working at Lore Elementary School:
➤The percentage of regular education
students in the Basic Skills program
has decreased from 16 percent to
11 percent.
➤100 percent of the student population
participated in at least two service
learning projects for the community in
the 2009–10 school year.
➤100 percent of the 46 members of the
faculty were involved in five or more
components of the Unity program in the
2009–10 school year.
➤2009 Surveys by the Tripod Project
(Westwood, MA) reveal the following:
✓ 82 percent of 113 fourth-grade
students surveyed say that “they are
proud of how well they do in school.”
✓ 88 percent of the 113 third-grade
students surveyed say that their
“teacher helps them understand
things better” and that “the teachers
make learning feasible.”
✓ 90 percent of the 118 parents who
returned surveys feel that students
treat their classmates with respect.
returned surveys believe that “in this
school you can count on the adults to try
to make sure that students are safe.”
returned surveys feel that “this
school treats parents with respect.”
Roman says, “These Unity words have shaped
the way I act and speak with others in my
professional and personal life.” Her reflection
echoes the words of her principal: “The Unity
words are not just for now; they are for life.”
Patricia Womelsdorf, Principal
Lore Elementary School
13 Westwood Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628
Telephone: (609) 538-9800, ext. 6102
Website: www.ewing.k12.nj.us
17
2010 Winners
Mill Pond School
Grades 4–6 ❯ Enrollment 787 ❯ Westborough, Massachusetts
Public/Suburban ❯ Westborough Public Schools
Opening Many Doors
with the Keys to Success
When a Massachusetts town carved a new school out of the existing
grades four through six, many challenges arose. Teachers seemed to
come from two different worlds, and the students needed to develop a
sense of belonging. What was the key to success? Character education.
I
“
nvigorating, daunting . . . and frightening.” Vivacious Reene Hatherley,
the principal of Mill Pond School,
recalls the task facing the school leaders when
the new Westborough school opened in
2002 to serve the town’s swelling school-age
population. Not only was the school’s 4–6
configuration a major change from the existing grade-level groupings; the staff, drawn
from the elementary and middle schools,
brought different perspectives and instructional approaches as well. To avoid a “collision
of two worlds,” Hatherley, who was assistant
principal at the time, listened carefully to
staff concerns. The administration distributed
copies of Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer
Johnson, held lively discussions on the challenges of change, and invited suggestions on
ways to ease the transition. “It was a give and
take,” says fifth-grade teacher Janet Golden.
“We talked about our philosophies. There
were lots of conversations. In the end, we
made something that was our own.”
What happened at Mill Pond was extraordinary, for the teachers did indeed make
“something that was [their] own.” Those phil-
osophical talks about how the staff envisioned
the new school gave way to the formation of
a volunteer character education committee.
From their research and discussions emerged
Keys to Success, a homegrown and comprehensive character initiative that is based on ten
core values: respect, responsibility, gratitude,
generosity, tolerance, honesty, perseverance,
conservation, caring, and courage. During
Mill Pond’s eight-year character odyssey, the
Keys have served as the framework for the
school’s approach to behavior, relationships,
curriculum, and service.
Making the School
a Comfortable Place
Students demonstrate a consistent knowledge of the Keys and often state how the
values help to make the school a comfortable place. “You feel safe,” says sixth grader
Melissa. “It helps you feel secure and able
to learn.” Assistant Principal Jeff Slomski
attributes the low incidence of misbehavior,
unusual in a school of almost 800 students,
to the power of the Keys. Fourth-grade team
leader April Knights says the Keys have
“We intend to further develop our survey to assess our character education
program. We hope to develop programs to deal with the potential problems
posed by student Internet use and the many new challenges confronting
students with the advances being made in technology. We will continue
to expand the incorporation of service learning projects and activities into
our instruction.”
—Irene Hatherley, Principal
18
provided a common vision for all: “[They
are] imbedded in the curriculum and in class
routines.” Fifth-grade team leader Karen Gowen says, “What’s different here is that collegiality permeates the building.” Because the
administrators and teachers work together, so
do the students.
“We always have an eye out for ways to
invigorate the program, and we try to involve
everybody,” says Counselor Dennis Fenton,
who points out how the Keys are woven into
Mill Pond’s daily life. In addition to morning
meetings and monthly guidance lessons on
topics such as bullying and empathy, students
at each grade level have the chance to share
their views at popular student-led assemblies
(grade-level class meetings) that are held three
times a year and through participation in
meaningful service projects. Sixth-grade team
leader Shannon Barca says that the school
also practices a strong “team philosophy,” and
that team meetings enable teachers to share
insights on particular students as well as strategies that work.
Posted throughout the school and recited
each Monday by the student body is the
school’s new touchstone, which incorporates
the ten Keys and represents the collaborative efforts of students from different grades.
Sixth-grade teacher Caitlin Gardner calls the
touchstone “our moral code,” and describes
the writing process as “amazing” because
“fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students all
had a part in creating this important document for our school culture.”
Learning and Caring—It’s What
We Do Here
A large banner, strategically located at the
school’s central staircase, proclaims Mill
Pond’s overriding theme: Learning and
Caring—It’s What We Do Here. This theme
is evident in the staff’s conscious efforts to
develop knowledgeable, empathetic citizens
through many collaborative research projects.
For example, in a sixth-grade unit on the
African nations, Megan, who chose Djibouti
for her subject, points to a photo of a starving
baby and says, “I never realized a child could
look like that. It’s really shocking that a lack of
water could cause so much suffering.” Equally
saddened is her classmate, Sarah, who says,
“The project has made me grateful and made
me want to help out.”
The Keys to Success program has also
motivated opportunities for service learning, in fundraisers for organizations such as
Heifer International and in food drives for
the local community. Sixth-grade team leader
Students work on a local farm to help donate fresh
produce to local food pantries.
Chris Rogers says, “Service learning and ways
to really make a difference are part of our
curriculum.” A notable example is the Community Harvest project, where all students
actually work on the local farm for a day to
produce food for hunger relief organizations
in Massachusetts. In describing the effect of
these projects, sixth grader Daniel comments,
“I learned that it’s not just about myself, but
about others.”
“The most valuable lesson that I learned
from this program is that I have to believe in
myself,” reflects Nelson, a sixth grader. Mill
Pond aims to develop confident leaders who
can make wise choices in life. Not surprisingly, students with disabilities have also
blossomed at this school. During the school’s
disabilities awareness event, all students can
experience what it would be like to live with a
particular disability. Nancy Taylor, the parent
of a student with dyslexia, says her daughter
was “so excited to hear that other kids would
learn about her disability. In the past, she
would never raise her hand in class. Now she’s
working at almost grade level!” Ilyse LevineKanji, the parent of a fifth-grade student with
autism, reports, “My son loves Mill Pond. He
is so connected.”
Eyewitness Reports
Anyone with experience in dealing with
middle school boys knows they are typically
uncommunicative in talking to parents about
school. Amazingly, such is not the case at
Mill Pond. Taylor tells of how her two boys,
a fourth grader and a fifth grader, learned to
stand up to bullies. “They really talk about
bullying. I feel like we are ahead of the game.”
Checker Ives, a member of the Character
Education Committee and the parent of a
fifth grader, remarks that her son is learning that “generosity is not the same thing as
charity. He’s figuring out that you don’t just
grab the lima beans that you hate out of the
cupboard for the food drive. It’s the chocolate
syrup that you’ll look forward to that you give.
These words have meaning.”
Counselor Karen Hong points out that
another reversal is taking place at Mill Pond:
“Parents are learning from their children how
to cope.” She comments that the students
have really internalized the values, and that
the Keys to Success have become the guide to
rational and caring behavior outside of school
too. No one could be more pleased than
Hatherley, who has been a passionate activist
for character. When Mill Pond first opened,
she said, “Students will not learn well, and
teachers will not teach well, in a negative atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and disrespect.”
Fortunately, Mill Pond found the keys that
closed the door to negativity and opened the
door to an optimistic vision.
working at Mill Pond School:
➤Based on the percentages of students
scoring proficient or advanced on
the Massachusetts Comprehensive
Assessment System tests in 2009,
Mill Pond ranked in the top 10 percent
in the state in grade 5 English and
language arts (ELA), grade 6 ELA, and
grade 6 mathematics.
➤In 2010 the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts recognized Mill Pond
as one of 36 schools that had closed
the achievement gap for students with
limited English proficiency (LEP).
➤Mill Pond received the FY10 Academic
Achievement Grant to Schools and
Districts Demonstrating Progress
in Closing the Achievement Gap for
LEP Students.
➤In the 2010 New England Math
League Contest for Grade 6, Mill Pond
scored third out of 139 schools in
New England.
➤212 Mill Pond parents volunteered
one or more times at school during
2009–10.
➤In a fall 2009 survey of 212 parents,
86 percent responded either “usually”
or “often” when asked if their child is
“learning to be aware of, and sensitive
to, differences in others.”
➤In a fall 2009 survey of 669 students,
81 percent responded either “usually”
or “often” when asked if they are
“becoming a better person because of
the things that I have learned at this
school about values and caring.”
➤In 2010 only seven serious incidents
resulted in a student detention or
suspension, and those incidents
involved less than 1 percent of the
student body.
Irene Hatherley, Principal
Mill Pond School
6 Olde Hickory Path
Westborough, MA 01581
Telephone: (508) 836-7780, ext. 5101
Website: www.westborough.ma.school
webpages.com
19
2010 Winners
Orrs Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 ❯ Enrollment 630 ❯ Griffin, Georgia
Public/Rural ❯ Griffin–Spalding County School System
Extreme Makeover,
Georgia Style
A Georgia town takes pride in a one-day transformation of its school,
accomplished through the efforts of 500 hearty volunteers. Every day another transformation takes place as nurturing teachers help their children
to overcome challenges and become the very best they can be.
F
olks in Griffin, Georgia are
getting used to all the excitement at Orrs Elementary School. They still talk about
that opening day when Principal
Dexter Martin, dressed as Captain
Character, landed on the school
grounds in a helicopter. But that
was nothing compared to the
buzz generated one Monday in
November 2008, when boys and
girls arrived to find their school
had been newly painted and completely transformed. In a Signs of
Life project organized by Pastor
Tom Summers and the Carver
Road Baptist Church, close to 500 volunteers
from various walks of life had banded together
to accomplish an “extreme makeover” of the
school building in one day.
Side by side, the volunteers worked,
some of them meeting for the first time,
painting, cleaning, washing windows, building bookshelves, pulling weeds, landscaping
the grounds as they gave the school a much
needed face-lift. One volunteer commented
that they were just doing what the Orrs
teachers were doing every day—“helping our
kids get a better life.”
Nurturing Teachers Who
Provide a Better Life
Helping kids get a better life is exactly what
100 staff members, guided by a principal
who is an ideal role model, do daily at Orrs.
20
The Orrs community comes together for an “extreme
makeover” of their school.
Fourth-grade teacher Peggy Lobello says,
“Character education is part of our heart
and soul.” The Orrs teachers show this deep
commitment by the caring they give to their
students, 76 percent of whom are on free or
reduced-price lunch. Before school begins in
the fall, the principal takes his teachers by bus
to see the neighborhoods in which students
live, because he wants his staff “to understand
where our children come from.”
Martin says, “Our kids don’t look forward to spring break, summer, and holidays.
This (Orrs) is their safety net.” And the teachers give their time and their love unstintingly
to preserve that safety net. Assistant Principal
Marsha Clark states, “We want to model
character education to students, parents,
stakeholders, and in the community,” and
the teachers do model it in diverse ways. All
teachers eat lunch with their students, foregoing the state requirement of duty-free lunch
periods. Second-grade teacher Kela Jones
explains: “Lunch gives me story time with
the kids. I get to hear their stories.” Likewise,
many teachers stay after school, sometimes as
late as 8 p.m., to tutor their students or teach
parents how to assist their children academically. Staff members often visit students’
homes and frequently attend
their sporting events.
“This is a wonderful,
warm, safe, and caring
community,” says Counselor
Paula Sanders. Clearly, students
emulate the kindness they
see in their teachers. Since
the Orrs population is a very
transient one, each classroom
has a Newcomers Group,
and student leaders welcome
new students, befriend them,
and help them adjust to Orrs’
character initiatives and school
expectations. Students have
internalized the meaning of good
character and freely discuss what it means to
them. Prekindergartner Macey Grace says, “I
learned to do the right thing when nobody
is watching you.” Lawson, a kindergartner,
adds, “Good character means you do good
stuff and treat others the way you want to
be treated.” Gerron, a more philosophical
fifth grader, reflects, “Life isn’t about being
self-centered; it’s about caring for others, just
as you would care for yourself.”
A Makeover Based on Character
When Martin assumed the reins of the
school five years ago, disciplinary infractions
were all too common and student achievement was lower than desired. The new principal saw character education as the pathway
to improving school climate, student behavior, and academic performance. Although
“We will continue with what we’re doing, since it has [proved to be]
successful. We will also revitalize our enthusiasm through consistent
communications among our staff, students, parents, and community.
Moreover, we’ll invite former Orrs students, those who have become
especially productive members of society, to address our students. We
will continue to encourage one another in meaningful ways and to give
our best every day.”
—Dexter Martin, Principal
Superintendent Curtis Jones calls Martin the
“keeper of the character flame,” the principal
is quick to point out that success would not
have occurred without a total team effort,
including buy-in from the parents and the
community. Once all the players agreed on
the six pillars of character—trust, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship—Orrs was on its way to becoming a
better place.
The past five years have seen the desired
improvement in both academics and behavior. Martin and his staff were determined
to break what he calls “educational myths”
connected to subgroups, namely that economically disadvantaged students, minority
populations, and special needs youngsters
cannot perform. Orrs’ student performance
on Georgia’s state assessments dispels those
myths in all three categories. Jackie Maynard,
a prekindergarten teacher who chairs the
Character Education Committee, says, “It’s
a question of the high expectations we hold
for all our students, and our consistency in
helping them achieve success.”
The very active Character Education
Committee has been instrumental in guiding
the character-building process that starts
each morning with an Orrs News Team
show, anchored by students and filled with
kudos for student academic and character
achievement. In describing Orrs’ approach,
Denise Burrell, the district’s deputy superintendent, states, “Character education is very
intentional.” A highly intentional and comprehensive approach emerges in the school’s
daily rituals, its classroom lessons, its instructional methods, its sensitivity to individual
needs, and its many supportive services,
such as mentoring and cross-grade tutoring.
Whether it is an overt connection, such as a
discussion on the work of Mother Teresa and
Martin Luther King, or a demonstration in
action, such as the respect shown by children
to one another in a cooperative group or the
cafeteria, it is clear that a committed staff
is, as Maynard says, “helping its students to
become the very best they can be.”
Learners Today Become Leaders
Tomorrow
The school’s motto, Learners Today Become
Leaders Tomorrow Through Opportunities,
Responsibilities, Respect, and Success, is more
than a catchy slogan containing an acronym for Orrs. Martin says that the school
consciously sets out to develop leaders who
will carry these ideals “when they move
beyond the walls of Georgia.” Involving the
community—parents, faith-based organizations, businesses, and civic groups—is essential for success. Martin adds, “Businesses
and organizations want to be part of our
school,” and from the outset he has courted
the involvement of these “Partners in Education” who help Orrs through volunteer
work, financial support, and participation in
service projects.
Parents enthusiastically support the
school’s effort to inculcate character. Parent
Dana Jett reflects on its lasting effect: “My
children will have a strong moral and ethical
foundation, which will continue to make
a positive impact on [their] futures and
will stay with them throughout their lives.”
Ashley Evans, a parent and school clerk,
says, “I feel like the school has moved to a
new level of success during this process. I am
very excited about what the future holds for
the students as well as the staff.” Perhaps the
future holds yet one more makeover as Orrs
graduates set out to change the world.
working at Orrs Elementary School:
➤Orrs has made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) for seven years in a row.
➤Orrs has been recognized as a Title I
Distinguished School for seven years
in a row.
➤Students have performed well on the
Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.
Grades 1–5 have maintained the
following mean scores for the past five
years: reading, 88 percent; English
language arts, 86 percent; mathematics, 80 percent.
➤The number of disciplinary referrals has
decreased, from approximately 527
in the 2005–06 school year to 122
in 2009–10. The number of disciplinary
incidents requiring in-house suspension
is down 50 percent from five years ago.
➤Student attendance has improved,
from 6.8 percent of students who were
absent on more than 15 days in 2004
to 1.8 percent in 2009.
➤A 2009–10 parent survey showed the
following:
✓ 99.5 percent think that they are
treated with respect and dignity.
✓ 97 percent think that Orrs is preparing their children for success in the
next grade, at college, or on a job.
✓ 99 percent believe that Orrs provides
a safe environment for teaching and
learning.
✓ 98 percent believe that their child
is treated with respect and dignity
at school.
✓ 99 percent believe Orrs provides
positive experiences for students.
Jackie Maynard, Teacher
Orrs Elementary School
1553 Flynt St.
Griffin, GA 30023
Telephone: (770) 229-3743
Website: www.gscs.org/orrs
21
2010 Winners
Peters Township School District
Grades K–12 ❯ Enrollment 4,490
McMurray, Pennsylvania ❯ Public/Suburban
Making Character a Way of Life
If CEP ever decides to institute a National Community of Character award,
many would say this Pennsylvania town should be a frontrunner for the honor.
The story of how a school district and its community joined hands to build
character together shows how teamwork can make character “a way of life.”
W
hen most districts set out to
adopt character education, their
usual goal is to foster a change
in school culture. But Peters Township School
District (PTSD) in picturesque southwestern
Pennsylvania had more ambitious hopes. “We
wanted to move our entire community—its
citizens, its businesses, its teachers, its students—
so that character would become our way of life,”
says Dr. Bob Freado, the man whose impassioned and research-based ideas on character
sparked the first steps in 1999. Freado, who
currently serves as principal of Peters Township
Middle School (PTMS) and also heads the
district’s character team, adds, “It turned out
that character proved to be contagious here.”
The homegrown program called Character
Counts,1 which was the result of the township
and the school district joining hands in a common long-range plan, still thrives today. Now,
11 years later, the results of that partnership
are evident. Diane Ritter, the president of the
PTSD school board, says character education “is
not just a program. It is part of the fabric of the
district.” And PTSD Superintendent Dr. Nina
Zetty points out that “a common community
philosophy united a town and a district” as they
established “the core values of respect, responsibility, and honesty as their foundation.”
Both parents and teachers express how “the
focus on character” has changed their own attitudes and actions. PTMS parent Sarah Lindsay
says, “This has helped not only the students [to]
become better people but their parents as well.”
There is no relationship between the PTSD Character
Counts program and the commercial CHARACTER
COUNTS! program.
1
22
Elementary school students work with a local artist to
create a mosaic to welcome guests that features the
core values.
PTMS guidance counselor Vicky Cunningham
gives the school perspective: “I’ve become a better person working here.” Dr. Mary Monsour,
former PTMS principal and current director of
staff development as well as instructional technology integrator, explains how the faculty has
been helped by reading and discussing Stephen
Covey’s works: “We’re working on ourselves
first. It starts with us. We’ll embrace it, and then
it will spill over to the students.”
Shaping Good Minds
and Good Hearts
“A good mind and a good heart make a great
combination,” reads a mosaic created by the
students of McMurray Elementary School.
PTSD has developed a seamless program
that blends a rigorous academic regimen with
a strong foundation in character. Students
first learn the terminology of character at the
district’s two primary schools, Bower Hill and
Pleasant Valley. Once they graduate to McMurray Elementary School, they take character to
another level, through writing and adopting
their own school constitution. Literary studies
and interdisciplinary projects give the core
values further meaning at the middle school.
Character then becomes fully developed in the
high school (PTHS), where students often initiate and implement community projects. The
district has many structures in place that promote the intentional development of character:
direct instruction, antibullying training, class
meetings, curricular connections, service projects, cross-grade and peer mentoring, assembly
programs, motivational events, and a host of
community-connected school organizations.
“I have good friends that help me, and
teachers that help me learn.” This observation
by Jayson, a third-grade student at Bower Hill,
may provide one secret to the district’s success:
building relationships. PTMS science teacher
Jennifer Palko says that “relationships are key”
to both academic and character development.
Teachers in the lower grades nurture close relationships with their charges, and, according to
Palko, teacher teams at the middle school serve
as “a protective bubble” around students. Each
team of teachers is assigned the same group of
students, and that mutual caring often prevents
“anyone from slipping through the cracks.”
High school students universally praise the individual attention given by their teachers. Twelfth
grader Ben says he “never had a teacher who
wasn’t caring and involved.” And fellow senior
Hardy reports that at his previous school “you
just took classes,” and the teachers’ attitude was
for the students to “move on and get out of our
hair.” At PTHS, by comparison, he notes, “Our
ideas are not just acknowledged with an e-mail,
but are discussed for possible implementation.”
Developing Good Citizenship
Through Studies and Service
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Anthony Merante
explains that another reason for the success of
Character Counts is that “it’s embedded in the
culture.” A rich language arts curriculum that
extends from kindergarten through twelfth
grade makes thoughtful reflection on the core
“We will continue to improve in each of our endeavors dedicated to character
education and continue working together toward excellence in academics,
athletics, artistic endeavors, character, and leadership. We hope to expand
our sphere of influence to positively affect other school districts by telling
working in the Peters Township School
District:
our story and sharing our successes.”
—Nina Zetty, Superintendent
values —as well as on issues such as racial and
religious discrimination, patriotism, and moral
courage— an intrinsic part of class discussion.
Kindergartners may be seen talking about
David Parker’s The Best Me I Can Be (I Show
Respect), while tenth graders may be deep in
discussion of the complex issues of friendship
that arise in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. In
addition, students use wikis, blogs, and other
means to reflect on what they have learned.
Service is not considered an add-on, but a
vital moral action closely related to what is being
studied in class. An excellent model of this is the
Mahatma project, the outgrowth of the tenthgrade World Studies course. Inspired to “be the
change you want to see in the world,” students
select a worthy national or international cause,
research it, and then, working with community
members, devise and carry out a service project
to address it. The Mahatma spirit, moreover, has
spread to the elementary level. “We’re starting
activists early at McMurray,” says its principal,
Blair Stoehr, who explains how students here,
after researching how HydrAid filters could help
underdeveloped nations purify drinking water,
prepared a formal document and raised $5,000
for a cause that will save lives.
At each grade level, abundant service
projects are undertaken, many of which involve
parents as partners. McMurray’s Heroes for
Haiti collected more than 800 pounds of gently
used shoes to send to the needy. Bower Hill
students donated more than 1,100 books to the
Ethiopia Reads program as part of their annual
Reading Olympics. Freado comments that
“promoting character can be a unifying and
inspirational cause through which students,
parents, and the community can work together
for the common good.”
Celebrating a Decade
of Character
Last October, the Peters Township community
came together for a formal celebration of the
tenth anniversary of its Character Counts initiative. The town had much to celebrate, for the
decade had brought national recognition: Two
of its schools had become NSOC Winners
(McMurray Elementary in 2004 with Freado
as principal, and Bower Hill in 2008). Another
school (Pleasant Valley) had been honored as
an NSOC Finalist in 2006, as had the district’s
elementary and middle schools (collectively)
in 2007. In addition, each of its buildings had
earned one or more Promising Practices awards.
At the celebration, Freado accented the
unique history of character education in the
district, since it was the joint efforts of the
larger community and the district that had
launched and sustained it. Once a year the
school board and the township board still meet
in a joint session, and the township makes
a point of including school events and the
monthly character trait in its own calendar.
New programs have been developed through
the combined efforts of individual township
departments and the district. Carol Foley, a
representative of the Chamber of Commerce
and a member of the original 1999 core group,
affirms that the Chamber will continue its
support as well. Matthew Cheran, a veteran
social studies teacher at PTMS, is very grateful
that the township and the district made that
strategic move in 1999, because “the emphasis
on character helps students to have a feeling
of belonging and caring, which ultimately
increases their ability to learn.” Cheran is not
alone in his praise of the way that character has
become “a way of life” in Peters Township.
Dr. Robert Freado, Principal
Peters Township Middle School
625 East McMurray Road
McMurray, PA 15317
Telephone: (724) 941-2688, ext. 4240
Website: www.ptsd.k12.pa.us
➤In 2009 the Pittsburgh Business Times
ranked PTSD fifth among 105 local
public school districts and twelfth
among 501 districts across the state.
➤Peters Township School District has
made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
for six consecutive years, and average
scores on the Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment (PSSA) tests have
exceeded state averages in reading,
math, science, and writing at all grade
levels every year.
➤100 percent of PTSD staff is classified
as highly qualified by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education.
➤Since 2005, the district has had 18
National Merit Finalists, 38 Eagle Scouts,
and 16 Girl Scout Gold Award Winners.
➤198 (13.7 percent) of the high school
students are enrolled in community
service and leadership courses.
➤During the 2009–10 school year, 1,158
of the 1,444 high school students were
enrolled in at least one honors-level
course, and 829 students were enrolled in
at least one Advanced Placement course.
➤Peters Township High School touts a
99% graduation rate, with 91% of the
students going on to a 2- or 4-year
college or trade school.
➤Building-level Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) have an outstanding
level of participation, with a combined
membership of 2,464.
➤CEP character awards:
✓ National Schools of Character: Bower
Hill (2008), McMurray Elementary
(2004).
✓ National Schools of Character
Finalists: Pleasant Valley Elementary
(2006); Peters Township Elementary
and Middle Schools (2007).
✓ Promising Practices awards: Bower
Hill Elementary (2003, 2005, 2009),
McMurray Elementary (2002, 2006),
Peters Township Middle School
(2004, 2005), Peters Township
High School (2005), Pleasant Valley
Elementary (2004).
23
2010 Winners
Sarasota Middle School
Grades 6–8 ❯ Enrollment 1,143 ❯ Sarasota, Florida
Public/Urban ❯ Sarasota County Schools
Building Relationships
in an Age of Discovery
The middle school years, often characterized as the “moody times,” are
amazingly upbeat in this Florida school that uses relationships to nurture
the bottom, grow the middle, and stretch the top. The caring staff makes
certain that every child has a meaningful connection with an adult.
T
hough Florida is the Sunshine State
and some tourists tout Sarasota as an
earthly Paradise, geography alone does
not explain the sunny outlook that permeates
this large middle school located in a residential
section of the city. Parent Kelly Howard, whose
three children attended Sarasota Middle School
(SMS), says, “All three kids never had a day
they didn’t want to go to school.” Lee Davis,
another parent, raves about the “commitment of the staff—from the principal to the
custodian—to the success of the kids. These
teachers make the kids fall in love with them.”
If the students love the teachers, the
teachers return the favor. “Nobody wants to
leave this school,” says Principal Karen Rose,
who comments on the low turnover rate.
says, “Everyone is nice, and there is no bullying.” Newcomers find they are easily assimilated into this warm family. “It’s really different
than where I come from. The kids are really
friendly,” notes Julia, a new student from Brazil.
Emily, who “was at another school before,”
agrees: “Kids are nicer here.”
Making Certain That
“Everybody Likes Each Other”
SMS does not leave those caring relationships
to chance, however. A many-layered plan is
in place so that no child is ever isolated and
each one has a connection with at least one
adult. Counselor Marti Watson notes, “All the
pieces of the puzzle [have been put here] on
purpose,” and the school makes certain that
“As our district moves forward to strategically align with state guidelines,
we are integrating the Community of Caring philosophy into our [district’s]
Positive Behavior Support program, Response to Intervention model, and
Second Step guidance program. We will also recognize our teachers for the
fine work they have done.”
—Karen Rose, Principal
Traci Douberly, an administrative assistant,
adds, “It is all about customer service. Both
Karen Rose and I have an open-door policy.
Everyone here likes each other.”
The school is so welcoming that sixth
graders and other students new to the school
feel an instant sense of safety in their new
home. Sixth grader Jamie says, “Everyone is
really respectful.” Angel, another sixth grader,
24
each “at-risk” student has a mentor. Overtly,
it fosters the Community of Caring values of
caring, respect, responsibility, trust, and family, through weekly lessons, adventure forums,
and curricular integration. Moreover, it’s not
just the counselors or the teachers who teach
these Wednesday morning lessons; trained
student facilitators often lead their classmates
in spirited discussions on topics such as
SMS students engage in service projects such as
coastal cleanup.
bullying, tolerance, and diversity concerns.
This strong student involvement helped SMS
achieve national honors as the top 2009 Community of Caring School.
Despite the school’s large size, teachers
and students are able to develop close bonds
in its smaller academies. Students in the
single-grade (grade 6, 7, or 8) program learn
with the same teachers and students for one
year, and the teachers share a common preparation time that enables them to monitor the
individual development of their students.
One-fourth of Sarasota’s students are enrolled
in the multi-grade Panther Gifted Academy
(PGA), a “school within a school.” PGA
students stay with their team of teachers for
all three years (curriculum is on a three-year
rotation), and older students take younger
ones under their wing. PGA student Jake
says that this sustained relationship develops
a high degree of mutual “trust” between
student and teacher.
The school’s emphasis on building relationships does not overlook the importance
of kinesthetic activities for students in this age
group. Watson and her fellow counselor, Shelley Burke, both trained in adventure-based
counseling, organize Integrated Character Adventure forums. The counselors point out that
these challenging exercises, with their built-in
reflections, are “highly popular” strategies that
develop “trust, team building, and leadership.”
crease from the 2006–07 rate of 96.5 percent.
Nurture the Bottom, Grow the
Middle, and Stretch the Top
Shaping a Time of Discovery
The school’s slogan, Nurture the Bottom, Grow
“Middle school is a time of discovery. We do evthe Middle, and Stretch the Top, connotes a
erything we can to provide the resources so that
philosophical approach that aims to develop
kids can discover who they are, what the world
the potential of each child. Students who
is all about, and how they can help make it a
want help need not look far, for they can find
better place,” says national Community of Carit during an AIM (Accelerated Intervention
ing trainer and former Assistant Principal Mark
Model) period when extra academic support
Grossenbacher. The school’s double focus on
is available in a small-group setting. Also, the
active learning and service learning does indeed
long-standing Renaissance program serves as
make this critical period a time of discovery.
a way to motivate students academically and
Dr. Page Dettmann, a former Sarasota
celebrate their accomplishments.
principal and currently in charge of middle
The staff is highly creative in finding
schools for the district, notes, “Kids need to see
unusual ways to “help all kids connect.” In
that everything is connected to an overarching
a small ESE (Exceptional Student Educagoal.” Always looking for ways to help students
tion) class, therapy dogs brought in by senior
make connections as well as increase their
volunteers help the students gain confidence.
autonomy, the school recently embraced the
Linda Woodbury, a dog owner and a volunteer,
Gradual Release of
says, “These dogs have
Responsibility (GRR)
made a big difference
model of instruction.
with the kids.” In
This model aims to
another vein, when
develop students as
staff noticed that
thinkers and doers
some students who
through a structured
were strong readers
process that begins
appeared isolated, the
with a focus lesson
counselor and the mepresented by the
dia specialist went into
teacher, continues
action and started a
with collaboration
book club. These stuamong students, and
dents not only found
ends with indepenfriends through the
dent student work.
regular club meetings Adventure forums engage students in active learning
and reflection on the core values.
Directly connected
but also gained selfto the Community
assurance by sharing
their insights with the entire school community of Caring values are the many service projects, which run the gamut from a schoolwide
as part of the morning announcements.
horticultural project at a local nursing home to
The school prides itself on looking
smaller class projects such as collecting books
beyond the obvious to find a solution that is
for a needy elementary school. Students univertailored to the needs of the individual. “When
sally describe the positive effects of their work:
you personalize it, it works,” observes Rose. If
“It made me feel just great.”
students are having trouble getting to school,
The principal says, “When you take time
the staff might even offer rewards, breakfast,
to positively interact with students and comor a ride. “The [student resource officer] will
munity members, obstacles rapidly tumble.”
go to the homes of the students and bring
SMS does have its obstacles: many new immithem to school if they have a problem and
grants (14 different languages spoken at home),
don’t want to come to school,” says Watson.
a substantial economically disadvantaged
The record shows that the personalized appopulation (28 percent on free or reduced-price
proach does work: Average daily attendance in
2008–09 rose to 99.5 percent, a significant in- lunch), and a considerable special needs group
working at Sarasota Middle School:
➤SMS ranks in the top 4 percent on Florida
state assessments (23rd out of all 575
schools in the state, including public,
magnet, charter, and private schools).
Only nine public schools rank higher
than SMS, and only four of those have
a population of over 1,000 students.
➤SMS has maintained a State of Florida
rating of A for 12 consecutive years.
➤88 percent of SMS students earned
passing scores on the annual state
reading exam in 2008–09.
➤77 percent of SMS students earned
passing scores on the annual state
math exam in 2008–09.
➤Despite a 10 percent increase in its
economically disadvantaged population,
SMS has made significant gains in
student attendance and stability rates
and has had a significant decrease in
student suspension rates.
➤Student attendance in 2008–09 rose
by 0.3 percent, to 99.5 percent.
➤Student suspension rates dropped by
10 percent in 2008–09, a period in
which the district average showed a
dramatic increase.
➤The total number of disciplinary incidents
has decreased by 27 percent since
2007–08.
(15 percent). And yet its students perform in
the top 4 percent on Florida state tests and have
garnered many awards for character. With a
smile, the principal proudly notes: “Being an
academic scholar and having exemplary citizenship are cool in the SMS culture.”
Karen Rose, Principal
Sarasota Middle School
4826 Ashton Road
Sarasota, FL 34233
Telephone: (941) 361-6464
Website: www.sarasotamiddleschool.com
25
2010 Winners
School District of Jefferson
Grades K–12 ❯ Enrollment 1,909
Jefferson, Wisconsin ❯ Public/Rural
“Take Me, Take
Character Education”
Persuaded by the passion of an enterprising superintendent, a Wisconsin
community joins its students in character building. Based on the values
of hard work and exemplary character, the Jefferson Way has become the
moral compass that guides both the schools and the town.
T
ake me, take character education. This
was the implied message of dynamic
Mike Swartz when he applied for the
job of superintendent of the School District
of Jefferson seven years ago. Swartz actually
suggested that the board not consider his candidacy if it could not support his strong belief
that “good character is as important as good
grades and athletic success.” Fortunately, the
school board immediately recognized that this
was a man who possessed vision—and also
the passion and persuasive power to transform
that vision into a reality.
Fast forward to 2010 to see how that
vision has become a reality: All five Jefferson
schools—a high school, a middle school, and
proudly display, model, and celebrate the
district’s commitment to character.
What the board did not know at the
time of that interview was that Jefferson
was getting two visionaries for the price of
one. Sandy Swartz quit her job for what she
thought would be a six-month volunteer
stint to help her husband launch the character program. Seven years later, this indefatigable “volunteer” serves as coordinator for
both the Character Education Committee
and the District Steering Committee. Like
her husband, she originally undertook this
work “to contribute in a small way to developing people of character.” Pam Chickering Wilson, an educational reporter for the
“We will see that all new employees receive the resources and training that
they need to implement character education, that the parents of kindergarten
students and those new to our district receive information about the initiative,
and that we continue our relationships with the business, industry, and
clergy communities. We will continue to ask ourselves, What can we do to
make the Jefferson School District and community a better place for staff,
students, parents, and community members?”
—Mike Swartz, Superintendent
three elementary schools—have embraced
character education enthusiastically, so a
seamless, intentional process is now in place.
Moreover, the town of Jefferson itself has
become a convert. Business leaders greet the
staff on opening day and join the students
in a host of service and community projects;
more than 150 businesses and organizations
26
Daily Jefferson County Union, points out the
transformational power of this extraordinary
husband-and-wife team: “The Swartzes were
true believers. They never gave up hope.
They led by example, and soon they had
tapped the tremendous positive potential
of Jefferson teachers, parents, students, and
community members.”
University of Wisconsin—Whitewater students model
core values in an annual wheelchair basketball activity
with elementary school students.
Tapping the Positive Potential
Through the Jefferson Way
A steering committee consisting of teachers,
administrators, parents, students, and community leaders began the planning process
with a goal of implementing character education by the beginning of the 2004–05 school
year. From their efforts came the Jefferson Way,
which serves as the foundational touchstone
for building character. The community
agreed on the nine values—responsibility, respect, honesty, caring, perseverance, self-discipline, courage, fairness, and citizenship—and
crafted five belief statements that articulated
those qualities.
“Students have embraced the concepts
of character education, and the traits have become a natural part of their everyday conversation,” observes Bonnie Dimond, a secondgrade teacher at West Elementary School.
The way Jefferson has shaped its approach
helps students to develop good character in a
structured process that extends from kindergarten through high school. At the elementary
level, students in each of the three schools are
organized into multi-age teams that meet the
first Wednesday of each month to work on
a specific character trait. Students remain on
the same team for all six years of elementary
school, allowing for the formation of strong
bonds. Elementary paraprofessional Suzette
Meyers says, “Big kids are getting to know the
little kids that they might never have known
before. It is a joy to watch the big kids helping
the little kids out … the younger children are
thrilled with the help and attention.”
The middle schools and the high school
continue to zero in on relationship building, leadership, and service. Mark Rollefson,
principal of the middle school, points out that
the daily advisory period enables teachers “to
develop and earn a positive and trusting relationship with every single student.” Students
also connect with their peers as they plan class
and community-building activities. Similarly,
the high school has instituted a homeroom
meeting time that includes the option for
students to participate in elective clubs. One
of these clubs, STAR (Students Talking about
Respect), comprised of students who work
to promote the school’s character education
mission, sponsors a STAR week that generates great excitement and wide community
support. Jefferson was justly proud when high
school senior Hannah Erdman received a
standing ovation from a neighboring district
for her presentation on the Jefferson program
and its STAR activities.
From Top-Down to
Shared Leadership
“Originally, I may have been the inspiration,” says Swartz, “but I strongly believe in
shared leadership.” The wide buy-in from
teachers, parents, and community members
attests to the truth of Swartz’s statement.
The district’s Adopt-a-Classroom program
invites representatives from the central office
and people from the larger community to
support and/or work with students. Candy
Heggie, an administrative assistant for the
district, describes the joy she experiences in
“changing from her everyday work life” to
“mingle” with first graders and special needs
students: “You see the energy and excitement
to learn in the faces of these children, and it
makes me feel so good.”
Teachers, parents, and students also play
pivotal roles in proposing and developing the
district’s many character initiatives, including
Unity Day, the Freshman Academy (a 2009
Promising Practice), the Ocho Reading project,
class meetings, and service projects. Jefferson
offers its staff excellent professional training that
is financed by the district’s ingenious hosting of
an annual regional character conference with
nationally recognized speakers; the registration of educators from other districts pays for
the Jefferson participants while spreading the
character message statewide. Proceeds from the
annual conference are also used to purchase
resources for each school and to fund speakers for special student events. Once again, the
talented and selfless Sandy Swartz is on hand to
serve as the coordinator for the conference and
to muster the support of other volunteers.
Looking at Data to Move Ahead
Never slapdash in their approach to building
character, Jefferson’s Character Education and
Steering committees examine data carefully to
plan future steps. Through the use of surveys
from the Search Institute and Cornerstone
Consulting, the district has been able to
identify areas of concern and, according to
Sandy Swartz, “to measure growth toward
becoming more compassionate human beings
and productive citizens.” It is evident that the
community has a high regard for its school
system; despite these austere times, it has just
approved a referendum to build a new, $35
million high school. The energetic superintendent adds, “We are anxiously awaiting the
turn of the shovel.”
Chickering Wilson, who was there at the
start of Jefferson’s character journey, reflects:
“Now, seven years later, the local community
takes a great deal of pride in the initiative and
has taken the Jefferson Way to heart. It really has
made a difference in grades, attendance, disciplinary incidents, and the overall atmosphere
in the district…. Finally, Jefferson’s successes
have inspired me to live up to the Jefferson Way
in my own personal life.”
Michael Swartz, Superintendent
School District of Jefferson
206 South Taft Ave.
Jefferson, WI 53549
Telephone: (920) 675-1013
Website: www.jefferson.k12.wi.us
How we know character education is working in the School District of Jefferson:
➤From 2005–06 to 2008–09 there was
a 54 percent decrease in behavioral
infractions at the middle school.
➤According to 2009 Search Institute
data, there were significant positive differences between Jefferson schools and
other school districts in the same county
in terms of the percentages of students
with the following characteristics:
✓ acting with integrity toward others
(70 percent vs. 63 percent in the
other county districts)
✓ acting with honesty toward others
(65 percent vs. 21 percent)
✓ acting with responsibility toward
others (65 percent vs. 60 percent)
➤The dropout rate for students with
learning disabilities in grades 7–12 at
Jefferson decreased from 2.5 percent
in 2004–05 to 1.6 percent in 2007–08.
The dropout rate for all students in
grades 7–12 at Jefferson decreased
from 2.6 percent in 2004–05 to
0.8 percent in 2007–08. (The overall
dropout rate for students with learning
disabilities in the state of Wisconsin
was 2.59 percent in 2007–08.)
➤In grades PreK–12, the rate of students
suspended or expelled in Jefferson
decreased from 4.7 percent in the
2004–05 school year to 2.9 percent in
the 2007–08 school year.
➤According to Wisconsin Knowledge and
Concepts Examination reports (NCLB
testing), the percentages of students
in grades 3–8 who scored proficient or
advanced in mathematics improved from
2005–06 to 2009–10:
✓ in grade 3, from 77 percent to
80 percent
86 percent
84 percent
85 percent
80 percent
75 percent
27
2010 Winners
Seckman High School
Grades 9–12 ❯ Enrollment 1,786 ❯ Imperial, Missouri
Public/Suburban ❯ Fox C-6 School District
Improving the School,
the Community, and the World
This Missouri high school, with a fourfold stress on pride, achievement,
teamwork, and heart, has shaped leaders who take ownership of their
learning. Strong standards foster academic excellence, and a focus on
service learning engenders empathy and a chance to change the world.
W
“
hen you empower teenagers, the results are limitless,”
says Don Grimshaw, the
principal of Seckman High School (SHS) in
Imperial, Missouri. Grimshaw is in an ideal
position to know this, having witnessed some
incredible results since his school made service
learning the core of its character program.
Last year, student leaders, assuming a stronger
voice in implementing new projects, managed
to unite students, staff, and seven community
organizations in a Partnership with Poverty
program that spurred a schoolwide project
known as Stuff the Bus. The original plan
called for filling just one bus with supplies
for the needy; the spectacle of two busloads
and nine trucks/vans overflowing with the
collected items served as tangible proof of the
Seckman commitment to helping others.
Matt, a twelfth-grade student who spearheaded the project, which included a schoolwide study of poverty, has learned much from
the experience: “Service learning has opened
my eyes to knowing that there are greater
things out there … outside of my bubble ….
Service learning is one of the best things that
have ever happened in my life.” Luke, another
twelfth grader, is grateful for the chance to be
a leader, and he now realizes “the difference
that one person can make in the world.”
If service learning has influenced
character development, it has also reinvigorated instruction. Jeff Krutzsch, the assistant principal, declares, “As a result, we see
teachers planning lessons that are dynamic
28
Industrial arts students work together on a service
learning project.
and engaging, with real-world connections.”
Math teacher Valerie Adkins, who graduated
from SHS 11 years ago, believes that the
service learning has added a new dimension
to the school: “The teachers are finding ways
to make their curriculum more interesting,
which helps the students stay more engaged.”
Following the Jaguar PATH
“Character education at Seckman is more than
banners hanging from the cafeteria ceiling,”
begins a school’s service learning video created
by Krutzsch and the students. Counselor
Marilyn Jackson points out that, although the
high school has embraced character education
since 2001, the year in which it was initiated
by the Fox C-6 District (a 2009 NSOC),
SHS has made sure “to promote a character
focus that addresses its own unique culture.”
She explains that the Jaguar PATH—the latter
word is an acronym for the four qualities of
pride, achievement, teamwork, and heart—
serves as the touchstone, or framework, for the
school’s expectations. This school prides itself
on maintaining high academic standards and
has found service learning to be a comfortable
fit because it reinforces what is taught in the
classroom, creating a bond between the teacher,
the student, and the larger community.
Special education teacher Lisa Buchmeier
explains that service learning has produced “a
philosophical shift in the teachers, creating a
positive change in the culture of the school.”
She relates “the joy” her students feel in
composing poems for the Books of Hope for
impoverished children in Uganda; the business tech students then join the effort and use
computer applications to prepare her class’s
offerings for publication. Becky Jarvis, the
business teacher, says that this project (a 2009
Promising Practice) has really enhanced her
own teaching. No longer does she say “Turn
to page 29 and do Lab B”; instead, she offers
students options and the chance to use their
ingenuity and skills in doing hands-on projects. Other teachers share similar stories about
remarkable student engagement. Science
teacher Josh Krisher talks about the way freshmen become involved in an interdisciplinary
project on Afghanistan, prompted by their
“adoption” of a National Guard platoon sent
there, and advanced woodworking teacher Joe
Stenger tells of the pride and craftsmanship
shown by his students in making display cases
and furniture for the school.
Making Certain All Can Succeed
If there is one universal fear that all high
schools, large and small, have to contend with,
it is the freshman fear of going to the “big”
school and suffering the indignities associated
with being the “low man.” No such fear exists
at SHS, for special transition days, freshman
teaming, and peer mentoring ease the adjustment. Parent Vicki Cummiskey tells how the
seniors in the band took her daughter under
their wing when she arrived as a newcomer:
“Next year we will begin a daily schoolwide advisory program. Through
advisories we will also be developing a schoolwide class meeting approach
(PATH time) to provide a more structured forum for students to continue to
grapple with tough issues. We hope to engage all students through these
structures.”
—Don Grimshaw, Principal
“It’s the communication and caring that
makes this school so special. This is like the
old neighborhood where you can talk over the
fence and everyone cares about each other.”
“It is really cool to see all the different
student groups working together at SHS,” observes eleventh-grade student Karalyn Knelle,
who notes that the school works consciously
to include all students. For example, Annie
Winkeler, a disabled senior student, points with
pride to the districtwide All Abilities Expo, held
each year to increase sensitivity to the concerns
of the disabled. Rachel’s Challenge is also
highly popular on the Seckman campus. The
program, created in honor of a student killed in
the Columbine tragedy, emphasizes kindness,
compassion, and the acceptance of all students.
The Character Team also works to eliminate
cliques and make the student body more inclusive, through smaller, more personal organizations that reach out to students with special
interests or concerns. Advanced students and
struggling students alike can easily find courses
and help to meet their needs: In addition to
15 AP (Advanced Placement) and dual-credit
(high school/college) courses, SHS offers effective remedial programs such as Read 180 (an
individualized reading program incorporating
technology and materials of significant interest
to teens) and Fast Math (a program for English
language learners and others not yet ready for
the rigors of algebra).
Ninth-grade student Caleb says, “Seckman is like the elephant proverb. Walk around
and you’ll see 360 different parts.” He adds,
“We’re like a train engine. We can chug along
ourselves, or we can work hard and pull others
along with us.” Fortunately, Caleb, who seized
the opportunity to express the student voice
by forming a Blue Crew to spur school spirit
at events, quickly opted to “pull others along.”
Jarvis praises the outcomes of increased student autonomy: “We have so many talented
students who are passionate [about] what they
believe in. By using their hearts, they are making a difference every day.”
Earning Academic and
Character Recognition
Although SHS students demonstrate a high
degree of intrinsic motivation, they are also
delighted that their academic and service
accomplishments have merited national and
statewide recognition. The school received the
2009 Missouri ACT Show Me award for improvement in its ACT scores, and it was named
a 2009 Characterplus Champion of Character
and a Missouri Service Learning Leader School
for its service achievements. Jackson notes that
a true change in school culture has occurred in
the last three years: “Walls have come down.
Teachers are working with cross-curricular
teams and in partnerships with students to
develop the community and become a family.”
In setting out to make service learning the
bedrock of its character program, the Character
Team aimed to shape students as leaders and
to imbue them with the dream of changing
the world. The record indicates that Seckman
High students are already fulfilling that goal.
When Chase, an eleventh-grade student who
is involved in many projects, was asked why
character development was so important at this
school, he responded without hesitation: “We
are trying to create a better school, community,
and world. Government can’t be achieved unless
everyone does his or her best to help others.”
Marilyn Jackson, Guidance Counselor
Seckman High School
2800 Seckman Road
Imperial, MO 63052
working at Seckman High School:
➤ACT performance has improved:
✓ The average 2010 ACT score is at
an all-time high of 22.7, which is an
increase of 2.7 points from 2004–05
and above both the state and
national averages.
✓ From 2005 to 2010 the number of
students taking the ACT test has
increased by 55 percent, from 150
to 233.
✓ SHS was named a 2009 ACT Show
Me Award winner.
➤In 2009 SHS was named a Missouri
Top 10 Performing School in Science.
➤Math scores that determine AYP have
risen, from 6.3 percent of students
scoring proficient or above in 2001–02
to 52.7 percent in 2008–09.
➤SHS has experienced significant
reductions in disciplinary infractions:
out-of-school suspensions decreased
by 94 percent, from 472 to 28.
fights/assaults decreased by 65
percent, from 85 to 30.
in-school suspensions decreased by
30 percent, from 1,598 to 1,119.
drug-related incidents decreased by
74 percent, from 34 to 9.
➤From 2004 to 2009 the graduation
rate rose by almost 6 points, from
88 percent to 93.9 percent.
➤The current dropout rate is .06 percent,
an all-time low and down almost 6 points
since 2001.
➤From 2004 to 2009 student attendance
rose from 90.8% to 94%.
➤In 2010 over 27 community partners
have worked on service learning projects
with SHS students, and together their
collaborative projects are valued at
$608,489 to the community at large.
Telephone: (636) 282-1485, ext. 512
Website: www.fox.k12.mo.us/seckmansr
29
2010 Winners
Seminole Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Enrollment 680 ❯ Seminole, Florida
Public/Urban ❯ Pinellas County Schools
Engaging and
Empowering Students
The spirit of discovery, not drills and more drills, has helped students
in this Title I School in Florida to perform so well on state tests. Quality instruction shapes them to become active learners, and a structured
character program empowers them to grow as compassionate citizens.
T
he real magic of education takes
place in the classroom,” says Dr.
Bonnie Cangelosi, the spirited
former principal of Seminole Elementary
School (SES), a Title I School located in
a residential neighborhood outside St.
Petersburg. When asked what accounts for
the school’s recognized success in academic
and character development, she quickly
responds: “A dynamic staff that’s always
willing to learn new things. They make a
difference in the classroom.”
A visit to the classrooms of this
sprawling school, which has consistently
maintained an A in Florida’s state rating
system, shows how a dynamic staff makes
learning come alive by actively engaging and
empowering students. On a typical day, a visitor might see third-grade students collaborating on the best placement of plants as they
plan a class garden, small teams of budding
scientists in a fifth-grade class busily testing
their own original hypotheses, and students
in a self-contained EBD (Emotional and Behavioral Development) class getting excited by
an ethical dilemma in a Cam Jansen mystery,
such as whether stealing dinosaur bones is
the same as stealing something from a shop.
For Seminole students, 58 percent of whom
are on free or reduced-price lunch, it is the
spirit of discovery, not an accent on drill, that
shapes the instructional process. And students
obviously thrive on this approach, because
Seminole Elementary consistently meets or
exceeds district and state assessment results.
30
Turn and talk: Fourth graders demonstrate cooperation
while discussing a writing strategy.
Linking Character
and Academics
“I’m blown away by what they’re instilling in the kids and what they’re teaching
interns. I’m so thankful I got placed here,”
states college intern Breena Bails. Cangelosi
and her staff maintain that academic success
and character development are “intrinsically linked.” Seminole Elementary, located
in the Pinellas County school system (a
2007 NSOC), is no newcomer to character
building. Honored as a Florida School of
Character three times and named an NSOC
Finalist last year, the school has an impressive ten-year record in character education.
In addition to learning and appreciating
the district’s four core values and the Word
of the Month, students practice the values
through the Character Book of the Month
(a 2008 Promising Practice), class meetings,
peer relationships (P2L3), puppet shows,
journal reflections, and service projects. Fifth
grader Maddie explains, “Character is like a
chain. Everything is linked together, whether
it’s math, science, or P2L3. Character is in
everything we do.”
Interviews with students reveal a highly
personal connection with the values. For
example, second grader Sarah discusses
honesty: “When a person loses something,
they will be sad. So if I find something,
I want to turn it in so whoever lost it
won’t be sad anymore.” When asked why
self-control is needed, third grader Ashley
responds that “without it, you might hurt
someone.” Fifth grader Daniel reflects,
“I think of respect as a circle, that it goes
from one person to the next in a continuous cycle.”
A program that has been very effective in building relationships is Seminole’s
P2L3 (Peer Power, Learning Life’s Lessons)
program (a 2010 Promising Practice),
which is essentially a cross-mentoring
program that pairs older students with
younger ones for lessons related to the
core values, relationship building, conflict
resolution, and social–emotional learning.
All classes are matched (kindergarten with
third grade, first with fourth, and second
with fifth), and individual students, paired
by teachers, work together throughout the
year. Kindergartner Abby likes her older
character buddy because “she’s really nice”
and announces proudly, “I have made a new
friend.” First grader Noah wonders, “When
am I going to see my buddy again? I have so
much to talk about!”
Including Parents
in Diverse Ways
In addition to being creative in its approach
to instruction, Seminole has many ingenious
ways to involve parents. Inclusion teacher
Holly Minarik points out that strategies such
“We will continue to share the success of our character program with the
other district schools that we are mentoring. We are starting up a joint
service learning effort with one of our nearby mentee schools to provide a
working at Seminole Elementary School:
service for our local community. In addition, we will continue to evaluate our
character education approach, look at our yearly survey results, and make
improvements as needed.”
—Dr. Bonnie Cangelosi, Former Principal
as the Character Book of the Month and
Dinner Dilemmas, which provide parents
with common ways to discuss character issues
with their children, “have brought a lot of
families closer together.” The Principal’s Shadowing Program (a 2010 Promising Practice)
enables parents to walk with the principal
as she takes them into classrooms in specific
grades, explains instructional approaches, and
answers questions. Parent Cassie Evert writes,
“It was great to see not only what goes on in
my child’s class but also [in] the other firstgrade classes. It’s also comforting to know that
I am sending her to such a wonderful school
each and every day!”
Math circle: Together, students uncover many possible
strategies for solving a math problem.
Seminole has also devised new ways to
improve communication with parents. Last
year, the school hired an active parent, Sara
Rivenburgh, as family/community liaison
to field questions from the community and
pass on their suggestions. The school’s focus
on character affects families in other positive
ways. Parents frequently mention how the
values taught at school have made their way
into the home and actually improved sibling
relationships. Parent Amy Posti explains that
her three-year-old is now able to use words
like respectful and responsible because an older
brother brought the vocabulary home. Posti
reflects on the long-range effect of character
education: “Our parenting style has changed
for the better.”
Extending a Hand to Others
“This world isn’t just for us; we have to be
responsible not only for ourselves but for the
people who come after us,” says fifth grader
Andrew. Seminole has made recycling and
community service important parts of character development. Aiding students in this
role are parent volunteers who help out with
class projects as well as with major ventures
such as the annual Freedom Walk that involves the entire community and is the major
fundraiser for All Children’s Hospital—
Seminole has raised over $160,000 for the
hospital during the past decade. Last year’s
hospital fundraiser took on a new twist when
students interviewed hospital staff about the
effect of Seminole’s donations. These moving
interviews reached the entire school when
they were presented on the school’s morning
news program.
Cangelosi is not satisfied with mere
improvement in school behavior; what she
prizes most is “the kids demonstrating the
character traits,” when they are “making the
right choice, even when they think no one is
watching or listening.” Donna Blackburn, a
fourth-grade teacher, agrees: “It’s just amazing
when I’m teaching reading, and the students
work cooperatively and solve their problems,
without any help from me.” Teacher Cathy
DuPre adds, “I see my students carrying
character skills to other places, like the car
circle, the physical education class, and the
lunch room…. They internalize [character]
and use it in their everyday life.”
➤Seminole has consistently outperformed
state and district averages on the
Florida Comprehensive Assessment
Test (FCAT).
➤76 percent of Seminole’s struggling
students made a year’s worth of progress
in reading and math, as measured by
their performance on the 2008–09 FCAT
relative to that of the previous year.
➤Over the last seven years Seminole has
consistently received a State of Florida
rating of A.
➤The results of the behavior-related
questions on an annual character
survey show that 92 percent of staff,
94 percent of students, and 99 percent
of parents agree that behavior expectations are evident at Seminole and that
students meet these expectations.
➤Disciplinary referrals declined by
22 percent, and out-of-school
suspensions declined by 24 percent,
from the 2007–08 school year to the
➤100 percent of staff is involved in the
implementation of an integrated schoolwide character success plan.
➤Results of a 2009 telephone survey
show that over 95 percent of parents
agree that character is infused
throughout the school day.
➤The number of parent involvement
activities offered throughout 2009–10
has increased 88 percent compared to
those offered in 2008–09.
Randy DeVries, Principal
10950 74th Ave. North
Seminole, FL 33772
Telephone: (727) 547-7668
Website: www.seminole-es.pinellas.k12.fl.us
31
2010 Winners
Sentinel Career Center
Grades 9–12 ❯ Enrollment 462 ❯ Tiffin, Ohio
Public/Rural ❯ Vanguard–Sentinel Career Centers
Creating a Culture
of Character 24-7
Students learn more than technical proficiency in this Ohio career and
technical center. A decade-long emphasis on developing character has
produced students who demonstrate how to be excellent craftspersons,
caring contributors to society, and exceedingly fine human beings.
W
hen students in a traditional
school are asked to create a
project that shows “how they
are connected,” chances are they will gather
some communal reflections or design a jazzy
PowerPoint presentation. Not so at Sentinel
Career Center (SCC) in rural Tiffin, Ohio,
a land of neatly manicured farms. After
brainstorming and much discussion, students
from seven of the school’s career programs
combined their talents in an extraordinary
project that took 2,400 hours to complete
and won a silver medal in the 2010 SkillsUSA
Ohio competition.
The Sentinel Career Center entry, a
seven-foot school bus made of recycled wood,
was clearly a masterpiece. Each detail revealed
a special talent of its multiple creators—an
electrical safety stop sign and taillights, the
whittled figure of a bus driver, inlaid walnut
lettering, 3-D imaging, precision tooling,
scaled drawings, and an LCD screen to provide audio-visual support for presentations.
If SCC students go all the way to
showcase the quality of their craftsmanship
(they have won a total of three gold medals,
five silver medals, and four bronze medals in
the SkillsUSA Ohio competition), they work
equally hard to demonstrate the excellence of
their character. SCC, a career and technical
center that offers 16 different career programs
to students drawn from 12 school districts,
began its character education journey in
1999 upon the revelation by local employers
that they needed workers with “soft skills”
32
in addition to technical competence. SCC
Director Elissa Heal points out that the center
faced an unusual challenge, because students
attend there for just half of each school day
and pursue their academic studies at their
home schools: “Their character lessons had
to sustain them in their home schools and in
the workplace.”
Creating a Lasting Effect
“I wish I could spend my whole day at
SCC,” says Stephen, a twelfth-grade student
in building trades. Stephen’s
comment is echoed in the
responses of countless other
students interviewed, who say
how the school has “changed”
their lives or developed their
“ability to interact with
others.” “A lasting effect
on the students’ character”
was the ambitious hope of
the Character Education
Committee when it chose,
in collaboration with SCC’s
business partners, parents, and staff, the six
Character Counts pillars as the center’s core
values. SCC students and staff have a knack
for being creative, and that creativity shows in
the way they have coined their own acronym,
TRRFCC (“terrific”), to depict these values:
trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Today, the core
values have been totally ingrained in school
culture, and the student-created slogan, Char-
acter Counts 24-7, expresses that the values
must rule at all times. Instructor and Character Education Committee leader Cathy Sorg,
who has seen the initiative grow from its
inception, says, “Character is something that
happens on a daily basis here—it’s more of a
culture than a program.”
“If we want young people to work together, we have to work together,” says Heal,
who notes that “character education could not
have taken off without total faculty buy-in.”
Team building and going the extra mile are
topics that shape professional training at SCC,
whether it is in lively discussions of Mark
Sanborn’s The Fred Factor or a reflective staff
retreat at Camp Glen. As a result, both the
students and the staff experience the school’s
shared commitment to helping all students
succeed. Allison Seisel, an eleventh-grade cosmetology student, says, “The staff at Sentinel
cares about you and is genuinely interested in
your success.” Cindy Chambers, the careers
in education and college tech prep teacher,
agrees: “It’s a great place to work because
Enthusiastic students rotate to their next teambuilding activity.
everyone cares for and helps students—even if
they aren’t necessarily in your classroom.”
Assistant Director Bryan Zimmerman
points out how SCC begins building relationships even before the students pass through its
doors, because teachers of the career programs
conduct home visits during the summer to
welcome the newcomers and find out their
“We will share our story with other schools [that] are attempting to positively
influence the culture of their school and community. Currently, we are
working with several schools throughout the state of Ohio to help them
develop and implement character education programs.”
—Elissa Heal, Director
interests. An orientation and team-building
day for newly enrolled students helps to ease
the anxiety associated with the transition.
Zimmerman notes the importance of character education in the process: “It provides
the soft skills that pull students from different
backgrounds and beliefs together.” The focus
on character continues for the students’ days
at SCC. They receive employability grades
each day that are based on their demonstration of the six core values and their classroom
performance, and a disciplinary infraction
requires the student to write a reflection on
the core value that should have been observed.
Making a Difference
“Sentinel has created a family environment
in the school. Everyone cares about making
a difference in the lives of students and getting everyone involved,” says Brian Zender,
a special education horticulture instructor.
SCC does outstanding work in developing the
skills of its moderate to severe special needs
students, who constitute 27.3 percent of the
school population. Many of these students are
enrolled in the horticulture and food service
career programs and are fully integrated into
the school. One very impressive result of
the supportive, caring environment at SCC
is that in the last ten years, 93.4 percent of
these students have completed their career and
technical certification.
“SCC does not teach ‘me’ to the students; they teach team building,” says parent
Jennifer Clouse. This is clearly in evidence in
the building construction trades, where students, working in teams of four, build garages
and wood-pole barns for local citizens. Team
leaders, who are responsible for setting team
construction goals for the day as well as evaluating the team’s performance, are rotated daily,
thus giving each student an opportunity to
lead. Broc Jacobs, a twelfth-grade student in
this program, sums up his Sentinel experience:
“It taught me a good work ethic and how to
get along with people.”
Making Service
a Lifelong Commitment
The caring climate of SCC extends beyond the school and into the community
as students participate in a host of service
projects, some schoolwide and others related
to their specific technical/career programs.
Sorg points out that “service is a big part of
who we are.” Most of these projects reinforce
what the students study in class. For example,
medical technology students assist at senior
citizen centers as part of their understanding
of geriatric health and have an ongoing pen
pal program with St. Francis Nursing Home.
Horticulture students design and landscape
the grounds in the front of the school and
build and maintain nature trails in the adjoining woods. Students also help out at the
nearby Family Learning Center (FLC), which
serves low-income preschool children from
the surrounding districts.
Heal points out that the character initiative, which started over a decade ago, has
brought about remarkable results in academics and behavior. Not only have more SCC
students gone on to college, earned trade
certifications, and merited awards in national
and state competitions; disciplinary statistics
have also shown a marked improvement.
Zimmerman poetically sums up the ultimate
effect of character education on SCC students: “Whether students remember ten years
from now how to read a caliper, turn a rotor,
triangulate a rafter, design a website, wire a
three-way circuit, or solve a chemical equation
is secondary to their remembering how they
want to be treated and how to treat others.
Character education has prepared students to
enter the work force, college, or the military
with the knowledge of what it means to be
just a good person or citizen.”
working at Sentinel Career Center:
➤The percentage of Sentinel students
who achieved a passing grade on the
Ohio Career–Technical Competency
Assessments increased from
50.6 percent in 2004 to 79.66 percent
in 2009. The state benchmark in
2009 was 62 percent.
➤Over the last ten years, 93.4 percent of
SCC’s special education students have
completed their career and technical
education programs.
➤48 percent of SCC’s 2009 graduates
enrolled in college by August of that
year, a 23.4 point increase from 2007,
when only 24.6 percent did so.
➤97.1 percent of 2009 graduates
obtained positive program placement
within their career field, a 2.2 point
increase from 2001, when only
94.9 percent did so.
➤The number of student truancies
declined by 46.5 percent, from a high
of 43 in 2000–01 to a low of 23 in
2008–09.
➤The number of out-of-school suspensions declined by 67.3 percent, from
a high of 52 in 2000–01 to a low of
17 in 2008–09.
➤The number of SSBE (student success
and behavior enhancement) assignments—character education activities
that replace in-school suspensions (a
2007 Promising Practice)—declined
by 70.1 percent, from a high of 187 in
2000–01 to a low of 56 in 2008–09.
➤In a 2009 exit survey of Sentinel graduates, 98.8 percent reported being very
satisfied with their Sentinel experience.
Cathy Sorg, Instructor
793 E. Township Road 201
Tiffin, OH 44883
Telephone: (419) 448-1212, ext. 243
Website: www.vscc.k12.oh.us/sentinel.html
33
2010 Winners
Sullivan Primary School
Grades PreK–1 ❯ Enrollment 388 ❯ Sullivan, Missouri
Public/Suburban ❯ Sullivan School District
On the Right Road,
Doing the Right Thing
If national leaders need a crash course in getting along with others, they
should visit this peaceful primary school, 60 miles west of St. Louis. Not
only are the little ones showing older students the way to resolve conflicts; they are also training their own parents in the process.
“We learn how to make right choices,”
says Brock.
“We work out our problems by [using]
Work It Out, or we use the Peace Path,”
adds Hayden.
“It is important to be honest so you won’t
hurt someone’s feelings,” reflects Ryan.
A
n observer of this conversation
might conclude that these mature
speakers are preparing to give a
seminar in developing positive relationships
or getting ready to teach techniques for
responsible decision-making. The irony is
that these speakers could probably do just that
if their age didn’t discriminate against them.
The three gurus are actually first graders at
Sullivan Primary School in Missouri, and they
have successfully completed and internalized the school’s basic training in becoming a
person of character.
“We foster the development of good
character the same way we nurture the
development of good readers,” says Cindy
Carey, the principal who has watched Sullivan’s character initiative grow from its
beginnings in 1999. With 56 percent of
the student body on free or reduced-price
lunch, many little ones in this school already
face challenges. To help them “learn and live
character every day,” the school has created
a structured but loving approach that uses
a touchstone, the Eagle Way, as a common
focus and relies on other strategies, such as
34
Sullivan teachers participate in staff development on
the 11 Principles.
morning routines, a common language, the
character pledge, conflict resolution tools,
and service learning projects, to reinforce
the core values of responsibility, respect,
honesty, and cooperation. “We make an
impact from the beginning of our children’s
school days, and we hope that it continues
for the rest of their lives,” says bubbly Tina
Sohn, art teacher and a district Characterplus
leader who has inspired many of the school’s
creative techniques.
Learning the Eagle Way
“We learn the Eagle Way. We use our walking feet [and] bubble beaks, and we put
our eagle wings on,” says first grader Susan.
When seeking a tangible way to explain
character to students so young, the Sullivan
staff seized on the idea of using the school
mascot, the eagle, as the connection. Each
morning, all students gather in the multipurpose room, where they greet their teachers
and each other in song to start their day, and
they pledge to observe the Eagle Way, which
means being On the Right Road, Doing the
Right Thing. Also, students readily demonstrate the explicit training they receive in the
“Talk It Out, Work It Out, Walk It Out”
process that helps them to resolve conflicts.
For example, when talking it out, students
learn to express how they feel. To work
it out, they often find it useful to play
a hand game of “rock, paper, scissors,”
although the process may sometimes be repeated two or three times before a resolution is reached. If a conflict is not resolved,
students use the walk-it-out technique of
traveling on the school’s Peace Path, which
suggests through symbols other techniques
to bring about harmony. With such
consistent practice in conflict resolution,
student incidents involving bullying have
decreased to zero. Showing the wisdom of
a seasoned arbitrator, first grader Amanda
reports, “This is a good school. We show
lots of cooperation.”
The Sullivan staff is relentless in its efforts
to enhance its character-building work. In
addition to being named a 2008 Missouri
School of Character and a 2009 NSOC
Finalist, Sullivan has earned eight Promising
Practices awards from CEP. The school’s character crusade even extends beyond its walls,
the staff having presented at districtwide and
Characterplus conferences. Moreover, strong
curricular connections, particularly through
reading, have strengthened its efforts. For
example, Becky Bailey’s Shubert is a S.T.A.R.
provides “some cool interactive exercises” to
help students calm down, and Lauren Mills’s
The Rag Coat has been the inspiration for
a schoolwide service project. Kindergarten
parent Dana Shetley praises the way that “the
teachers and staff incorporate the character
traits every day. The students have a strong
“The Primary School student character committee, Liberty Leaders, will
focus on leadership and voice and take ownership of schoolwide themes
as well as the planning and implementing of celebrations throughout the
year. It will continue to develop and perform skits for its peers that address
conflict resolution skills and character traits.”
—Cindy Carey, Principal
understanding of the traits and it shows in
their daily interactions.”
The little ones seem to be as good as their
teachers in spreading the character message;
first-grade Liberty Leaders help their peers
understand the values by creating skits and
planning events. A reverse kind of teaching has occurred in a cross-level partnership
with the middle school. Although the middle
school buddies are usually the “knowing
ones,” seventh-grade science teacher Kim
Fitzpatrick points out that the older students
were “pretty impressed” when the primary
students initiated a process of “5-4-3-2-1” to
quiet themselves and the group. Fitzpatrick
adds that the primary students have “a wealth
of knowledge on character” that would be
useful to students of all levels.
Teaching Parents and the
Larger Community
“The school is really preparing students to
be the most responsible citizens they can
be,” says Phil Thomure, a parent and school
board member. Parent Amy Wiegers agrees,
noting that some of Sullivan Primary’s conflict
resolution techniques have even spilled over
to the Girl Scouts and that its service projects
have motivated the entire Sullivan community
to get on board. For example, the Bowls of
Hunger soup supper, driven and initiated by
Sullivan Primary, is now a districtwide project.
Every student makes a clay soup bowl for
soup that is prepared by parent volunteers
and businesses and is to be served at the
community gathering, the proceeds of which
go to fighting both global and local hunger.
Adding a special touch is the performance of
the Mini-Pops, a singing ensemble of Sullivan
Primary students.
The Blankets for the Homeless project is
one that has also drawn in the community. To
make sure all students can participate, regard-
less of family income level, the school asks students to bring in a T-shirt or piece of clothing
that they love but can no longer wear. After
these items are cut into squares, the students
sew them together like a quilt, with adults
adding the backing and binding. Many hands
are responsible for the finished quilts, which
are given to the homeless shelter and the local nursing home. Accompanying the quilts
are booklets containing the children’s stories
explaining why these pieces are meaningful.
Sohn points out that the school works intentionally “to make students reflective in their
outreach projects” by including a personal element such as artwork or a written comment.
“We stress the motto Helpful Hands, Thoughtful Hearts, and Hands of Service.”
“Every time I come to the Sullivan
Primary School, I get inspired…. The staff is
always attentive and nurturing. It is a delightful, happy place to be,” says Marilyn Spears,
a Missouri state childcare specialist. The
children agree that it is a “delightful, happy
place.” Preschool student David says, “Everyone makes you feel welcome.” Christian,
a kindergartner, adds, “I feel safe at school.”
Jaden, another kindergartner, says, “We learn
how to share and make friends.” Clearly,
parent Kim Flyzik epitomizes the feelings of
many parents whose children have passed
through the doors of this nurturing school
when she says “Thanks, Sullivan Primary
School, for giving my daughter a great start to
a productive life.”
working at Sullivan Primary School:
➤Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early
Literacy Skills (DIBELS) scores for
kindergarten increased from an average
of 40 percent at the beginning of the
2008–09 school year to an average of
90 percent at the end of that year.
➤According to scores on the Developmental
Reading Assessment (DRA), the percentage of first-grade students reading at
grade level increased from 60 percent at
the beginning of the 2009–10 school year
to 81 percent in mid-January of that year.
➤In 2009, average Terra Nova test scores
for first graders on free or reduced-price
lunch increased by 1.7 percent in reading and 5.7 percent in math, and those
for IEP (individualized education program)
students increased by 7.5 percent.
➤Disciplinary infractions have decreased:
The percentage of students involved in
bullying decreased from 6 percent in
2007–08 to 0 in 2009–10, and the percentage of students who were issued
bus tickets decreased from 31 percent
to 8 percent during that period.
➤Sullivan Primary was named a Missouri
School of Character in 2008 and an
NSOC Finalist in 2009, and has
received eight Promising Practices
awards (2007–2010).
➤The parent–teacher conference
attendance rate rose from 95 percent
in the fall of 2005 to 98 percent in the
fall of 2009.
➤The number of Student Assistance Team
special education referrals decreased
from 31 in 2007–08 to 7 in 2009–10,
due to our Tier III model and the
Response to Intervention (RTI) program.
➤Sullivan surpassed its attendance goal
of 95.1 percent for the 2008–09 school
year.
Tina Sohn, Art Teacher
1132 Elmont Road
Sullivan, MO 63080
Telephone: (573) 468-5446
Website: www.eagles.k12.mo.us
35
2010 Winners
Upper Merion Area Middle School
Grades 5–8 ❯ Enrollment 1,145 ❯ King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Public/Suburban ❯ Upper Merion Area School District
“It’s not the Building,
It’s the People.”
Although the state-of-the art facilities in this 12-acre middle school campus are impressive, it is caring and compassionate students that make
this school truly extraordinary. The school’s focus on character, scholarship, leadership, and service has brought about amazing results.
I
“
t’s not just how big the school is or
how beautiful. It’s not the building;
it’s the people. Here we do not have
many races. We have only one—the human
race.” Zeinab, an eighth-grade student and
student council president, beautifully captures
the unusual bonding that occurs at Upper
Merion Area Middle School, located in King
of Prussia, a suburb of Philadelphia.
A visitor to this magnificent campus,
replete with three gymnasiums, a capacious
auditorium, an open courtyard, abundant
playing fields, and 21st-century technological
facilities, might think this is a school for the
well-to-do. The irony is that the building is
Happiness is the pervading feeling, and
sunshine, both literal and figurative, seems
to radiate from everywhere. Flags proclaiming the Community of Caring values hang
atop the towering walls of the foyer, and large
glass cases line the main corridor, providing
tangible evidence of the students’ work in
academics, the arts, leadership, and service.
A Home away from Home
Making the school “a home away from home”
for such a large student body is no easy
task, particularly when they come from four
elementary schools with different socioeconomic levels. The administration and staff
“We will continue to increase community involvement and partnerships,
strive to grow all components of Community of Caring, and work to attain
excellence in character, scholarship, leadership, and service. We would like to
share our character education best practices through CEP across the nation.”
—John Adiletto, Principal
not a reflection of the affluence of the community but rather proof of its deep commitment to education. When the school moved
from an aging building to its brand new
quarters four years ago, Principal John Adiletto, the staff, and the students wisely brought
along their well-honed Community of Caring
values (caring, respect, responsibility, trust,
and family). The result: More than 1,000
students in a community that has focused on
character for more than a decade now blend
together as one happy family.
36
serve as a strong, unified, caring presence; and
Adiletto, who has been at the school for 30
years, starting as a teacher, commands both
respect and devotion.
Jabari Whitehead, assistant principal of
the upper school (grades 7–8), points out,
“We do everything to help kids adjust, and
our team approach divides grade levels into
teams that help them meld together.” Although the school is large in size and student
population, students and teachers are part of
smaller learning communities. Grade levels
are broken into teams that serve as professional learning communities for teachers as
a result of daily common planning time and
as families for students who bond with one
another. With 21 percent of its students on
free or reduced-price lunch and an increasing number of students from diverse backgrounds, Upper Merion is not a homogeneous
community, but it is a harmonious one.
“It’s okay to be different here,” comments
instrumental music teacher Donna Jackson.
“Our school provides our students with lots of
different ways to look at the world.” Rachel,
an eighth grader and member of CREATE
(an acronym for culture, respect, empathy,
appreciation, tolerance, and education), a club
founded by students to foster an appreciation of diversity, agrees: “We respect everyone
here.” The school’s accent on family and
inclusion has provided an umbrella of acceptance that makes the school a physically and
emotionally safe place for all students. Its five
core values form the very fabric of the school,
strengthening its daily life, its curriculum, its
service projects, and its relationship to the
community. Dr. Karen Geller, assistant principal of the lower school (grades 5–6), wryly
observes that students are so happy to come
to school here that parents “complain the kids
want to come even when they’re sick.”
Positive Beginnings and
a Positive Journey for All
Fifth graders develop positive feelings for
their new school family because of a carefully
thought-out transition process that starts with
a pen pal program between fifth graders at
Upper Merion and incoming fourth graders, so each newcomer already has a friendly
guide. During the year, those who are still
experiencing some difficulty with the transition get help from eighth-grade peer mentors.
Students regard the three-day team-building
camping trip at the end of fifth grade as a
fitting climax to having weathered the first
year of middle school life. Strongly ingrained
programs on antibullying and peer mediation
help to make the entire middle school experience a positive one.
“No one is alone here,” observes seventhgrade English teacher (now retired) Bob Bates,
and the teachers consciously work to see that
no one feels marginalized. Parent Minshall
Painter remarks that teachers “treat all kids as
individuals”; PTC member and parent Sue
Kirkpatrick says that teachers have been able
to bring out the best in students “on both
sides of the spectrum.” Students who might be
outsiders in other schools are welcomed into
the family here. For example, eighth grader
Christopher, who transferred from Puerto
Rico, and seventh grader Jackie, who came
from Mexico, readily relate how their initial
confusion and apprehension gave way to
comfort and happiness because of the caring
attention of teachers and acceptance on the
part of peers.
Students Who Are Good
Scholars and Good Citizens
The strong emphasis on scholarship and
service has invigorated the curriculum and
made it particularly meaningful. A typical
day may find an English class “walking in
the shoes of another” in Harper Lee’s To Kill
a Mockingbird, a social studies class doing research on Africa in preparation for a
relief project, and a science class engrossed
in presentations on environmental issues.
Service learning projects demand formidable
research, stir critical thinking, and prompt
group problem solving. For example, all students participate in the Viking Relief project.
This entails more than just fundraising for a
worthy cause, which is but one aspect of the
program; students also research various charities, examine how they allocate resources,
develop brochures, decide which charities
should receive the Viking Relief funds, and
write reflections on what they have gained
from the experience.
Opportunities abound for students to develop leadership skills and to engage in service,
both in school and in the community. Students serve as leaders in organizations such as
Junior Optimists, Community of Caring, and
Student Council. They also serve as tutors (to
peer and cross-age tutees), mentors, reading
buddies, peer mediators, and recycling leaders.
Many attest to the “life-changing experiences”
of helping others directly. Upper school librarian Beth Uckele describes how students congregate early in the morning for their visit to a
soup kitchen in Norristown, where they meet
and feed those in need. Reading teacher Amy
Paciotti relates how student reflections after
a visit to a Salvation Army shelter show that
the experience has made them vow to “make a
lifelong commitment to helping others.”
In addition to developing ties with 30
community organizations, the school offers
many after-school programs and has “opened
itself up as a hub for the community.” Adiletto
is proud that the character initiative “has
continued to grow each year since 2000,” and
that his staff of dedicated professionals have
shaped students into “persons of character
and productive citizens.” It is easy to see
why Rotary Club President David Rebman,
who has partnered with the school in several
projects, says that these are students who truly
exemplify the Rotary motto of
Service above Self.
Dr. Karen Geller, Assistant
Principal
450 Keebler Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
working at Upper Merion Area Middle
School:
➤UMMS ranks 146 out of 830 middle
schools in the state, based on Pennsylvania System of School Assessment
(PSSA) data.
➤UMMS has made Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) for the past three years
and in 2008–09 attained AYP in all 29
target areas. This represents enormous
progress, because in 2005–06 the
state had issued a warning in regard to
the special education subgroup.
➤Students show a significant improvement
in performance on the PSSA over their
four years in this school. For example,
students entering grade 5 in 2005–06
had average scores of 71.37 percent in
mathematics and 68.35 percent in language arts. At the completion of grade
8 in 2008–09, their average scores had
risen to 81.25 percent in mathematics
and 86.72 percent in language arts.
➤Suspensions have continued to
decrease yearly, from a high of 315 in
2001–02 to a low of 50 in 2009–10.
➤Incidents of bullying declined by 20
percent in 2007 and by an additional
5 percent in 2008. Bus incidents declined from 62 in 2005–06 to 6 in the
➤Over 300 parents and community members provide volunteer services directly
and indirectly to students. In 2009–10,
parents, students, and community
members contributed over 2,100 hours
of service.
➤850 out of 1,145 students participated
in extracurricular activities in 2009–10.
➤100 percent of surveyed parents
strongly agree that Community of Caring has had a positive impact on their
children, enriching the curriculum and
academics.
Telephone: (610) 205-8808
Website: www.umasd.org
Students raise money for victims
of earthquakes in Haiti.
37
2010 Finalists
2010 National Finalists
National Finalists are schools and districts selected
by CEP evaluators on the basis of their strong written
applications. In 2010, CEP chose 20 National Finalists
from 166 NSOC applicants and dispatched two-person
teams for site visits to those 20 schools and districts.
After considering the written applications and sitevisit reports, a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts selected
a record-breaking 15 Winners from the outstanding
pool of National Finalists. (See the Introduction for
more information about this year’s selection process.) All 20 Finalists have clear strengths and
inspiring stories of the impact of character education on their school cultures. Read more about the
remaining five National Finalists on the pages that follow.
Alan B. Shepard Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ Old Bridge, New Jersey ❯ Public/Suburban ❯ Old Bridge Township Public Schools
S
hepard Elementary School’s 50-yearold brick building is nestled in a
middle-class neighborhood in Northern New Jersey within commuter distance of
New York City. The school’s caring climate
is immediately obvious each morning as all
teachers greet students at their classroom
doors. In addition, visitors are likely to hear
many heart-warming stories regarding students with disabilities that confirm the caring
culture of the school. Through the practice of
peer mediation, students exhibit the ability
to settle disagreements amicably, using polite
words and engaging in civil conversation to
state how they feel instead of using angry
terms or being cruel. Professional learning
communities (PLCs) have provided a vehicle
for creating a caring community, making
“The team atmosphere that is exhibited and the willingness to collaborate,
share, and support one another have positively impacted the success of
our students. There is improved communication between staff members,
administration, and parents.”
38
—Kathleen Hoeker, Principal
it possible for teachers from different grade
levels and paraprofessionals to work together.
Shepard’s PLCs also enable teachers to identify students’ learning and emotional needs.
Teachers target at-risk students, brainstorm
strategies to help them succeed, and then
track their progress via an electronic student
information form. Shepard’s character team
has assisted the other 11 elementary schools
in their district with establishing teams and
developing action plans.
Kathleen Hoeker, Principal
33 Bushnell Road
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
Telephone: (732) 360-4499
Website: www.oldbridgeadmin.org/Shepard.cfm
2010 Finalists
Duffy Elementary School
Grades K–5 ❯ West Hartford, Connecticut ❯ Public/Suburban ❯ West Hartford Public Schools
C
ivic pride abounds in West Hartford,
Connecticut, an affluent suburb of
Hartford that was named by Money
magazine as one of the nation’s “best places to
live.” Home to three colleges, the town is justly
proud of its public schools that Connecticut
Magazine ranked #1 in the state. The largest of
the town’s 11 elementary schools is Duffy Elementary. Louise Duffy believed that education
should teach “the art of living together,” and
the school named in her honor has aimed to
fulfill that vision through character education.
After a year-long study by the school’s Action
Team on Character Education, the Site-Based
Planning Committee decided in May 1998
to implement character education. The school
did so by adopting Character Counts and Responsive Classroom, developing a Community
Character Handbook, and establishing a Character Education Center for character resources.
A few years later, a new principal added Love
and Logic to the mix and helped train staff,
parents, and other schools in its philosophy.
With the addition of Second Step, Duffy has
put the finishing touches on a program that
places strong reliance on making wise choices
and accountability. Using its unique blend of
character education programs as a foundation,
“I am proud of the fact that our teachers are invested in the character
education program and make it a priority. The teachers are most proud of how
kind students are to each other in classrooms. Duffy students are inclusive and
choose to do good things even when they are not asked or no one is looking.”
—Kathleen Tracy, Principal
the school’s dedicated faculty consistently develops confident, responsible, respectful students
who are academically well prepared.
Kathleen Tracy, Principal
Duffy Elementary School
95 Westminster Drive
West Hartford, CT 06107
Telephone: (860) 521-0110
Website: www.whps.org/school/duffy/index.htm
Duncan Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 ❯ Fort Hood, Texas ❯ Public/Suburban ❯ Killeen Independent School District
D
uncan Elementary School is one
of four elementary schools on the
Fort Hood military base, the largest
military installation in the world. The base is
a city unto itself, and the school provides a safe
haven for children experiencing the challenges
of military life. Duncan staff are united in
their recognition that military children have
specific needs that can and must be addressed
through a rigorous academic curriculum and a
caring environment. As a result, Duncan is a
model caring school community. Staff members
routinely treat students with genuine respect
and love. Through Deployment Groups (a 2009
Promising Practice) students receive support as
they share their feelings about their parents being
sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. Since almost every
student has had the experience of being the new
kid at school, staff members work extra hard to
make new students Duncan Dragons as quickly
as possible (a 2010 Promising Practice). In addition, professional learning communities assess
new students’ gaps in skills and content and ensure that students are quickly given appropriate
remediation. The caring of staff members was
never more apparent then during their response
to recent shootings on the base. The school went
into lockdown, with staff and students huddled
in darkened classrooms for hours. “We came
together as a family to make sure that everyone
was taken care of,” noted one school counselor.
Cindy Benton, Professional School Counselor
52400 Muskogee Road
Fort Hood, TX 76544
Telephone: (254) 336-1639
Website: www.killeenisd.org
“What comes from the heart is shared in the heart of another. You must find
your school’s “heart.” Then let everyone determine their special niche within
the community. Each individual at your school has a talent and gift to share.”
—Marie Davis, Principal
39
2010 Finalists
Lynnwood Elementary School
Grades K–6 ❯ Lynnwood, Washington ❯ Public/Suburban ❯ Edmonds School District
F
or 10 years, the Lynnwood faculty has
tackled the challenges of working with a
truly diverse, Title I population. Because
their students represent numerous countries
“Compared with 10 years ago, we are now able to focus on improving
instructional practices and increasing student learning. From the first years
of implementing our character education initiative until now, we have seen
regular gains in our students’ achievement on the state tests.”
—Chris Lindblom, Principal
from around the world, the Lynnwood staff has
intentionally created a school culture steeped
in universal core ethical values. Students at
Lynnwood understand that they are part of a
world community; within the school the sense
of family and belonging is clear as students from
differing cultural backgrounds socialize, play, and
learn together. English Language Learners blend
seamlessly into their classes, supported not only
by their teachers but by their peers as well. New
students cannot be distinguished from those
who have attended for years. Lynnwood’s faculty
monitors their school culture with an annual
review of their character education efforts. Their
willingness to be reflective and student centered
has helped the character education initiative to
grow and to incorporate service learning and
student leadership. For example, all students in
grades 4–6 must take their turn in a leadership
role in the Kids Character Committee (a 2007
Promising Practice) by teaching character lessons
to younger students. Staff and students at Lynnwood track their annual success by attempting to
accumulate 90 or more Peace Days in which no
acts of physical or verbal violence are reported to
the office. Lynnwood continues to meet its annual AYP goals as well as their Peace Day goals.
Chris Lindblom, Principal
Lynnwood Elementary School
18638 44th Ave. West
Lynnwood, WA 98037
Telephone: (425) 431-7616
Website: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/lwe
Rocky Heights Middle School
Grades 6–8 ❯ Littleton, Colorado ❯ Public/Suburban ❯ Douglas County School District
A
t Rocky Heights, banners displaying the words Respect, Own it, and
Be Kind, along with their acronym,
R.O.K., are proudly displayed. This clever acronym brings together much of the character education language Rocky Heights students commonly use. Students clearly enjoy the playfulness
of the acronym, particularly the way it lends itself
to use in phrases such as “you R.O.K.” to affirm
positive behavior. A beloved mascot, Nighthawk
Man, adds another playful dimension to the
school’s character initiative. The school’s own
superhero is featured in many of the video public
service announcements streamed to classroom
TV sets. RHMS’s video editing and production classes write and produce these videos,
which feature skits that highlight situations in
which the school’s core beliefs are humorously
enacted. At the end of each skit, Nighthawk
“We felt the need to provide staff and students with a framework, common
language, and expectations to guide our character education efforts. With
continued persistence, our view of an integrated approach allowed us to
pursue a comprehensive model and redefine what our values are at RHMS.”
—Patricia Dierberger, Principal
40
Man enters to remind students to Respect, Own
It, and Be Kind. Nighthawk Man also stars in
the daily Nighthawk News, a video magazine
of the day’s important announcements, one of
many ways in which the school infuses their core
beliefs into the fabric of daily life. Recent data
suggest that character education programming at
RHMS is having an impact on disciplinary referrals. The school reports reductions in incidents
of aggression, fighting, disrespect, harassment,
inappropriate language, and lying.
Clark Wilhelm, Guidance Counselor
Rocky Heights Middle School
11033 Monarch Blvd.
Highlands Ranch, CO 80124
Telephone: (303) 387-3358
Website: http://schools.dcsdk12.org
2010 Profiles in Character
Profiles in Character Awards
This year, CEP is recognizing 18 National Schools of Character (NSOC) applicants for their exemplary implementation of one or more of the 11 Principles.
Each of these schools is a model in their particular area of strength.
Antonia Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Imperial, Missouri
Fox C-6 School District
Shared leadership with stakeholders
(Principles 8, 9, 10)
By involving all stakeholders in decision-making,
Antonia has agreed upon their core values, made
them visible throughout the school community, and
developed a character program where students
have a strong foundation for moral development
and a voice in the school’s character initiatives.
Through strong leadership and careful planning,
Antonia has built a caring community that finds
creative ways to involve parents. Quality staff development involves all staff members and has led to
all teachers embracing their roles as character models. For more information, contact Mark Rudanovich,
Principal, [email protected].
Bayless Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 • St. Louis, Missouri
Bayless School District
Creation of a caring community (Principle 4)
Bayless has successfully implemented a comprehensive character initiative, but the school really
shines in the area of caring. Service learning, strategies to meet the individual needs of students,
positive behavior management, professional development that involves all staff, and an intentional
effort to draw parents and community members
into the life of the school all serve to foster caring
relationships between members of the school community. The result is a caring community where all
students thrive. For more information, contact Gina
Siebe, Principal, [email protected].
Berkeley Elementary School
Grades PreK–2 • Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Berkeley County School District
Conflict resolution and peace (Principle 4)
Through the use of a “Peaceful School” model,
Berkeley has built a comprehensive character
initiative with a special emphasis on the peaceful
resolution of conflict. Peace corners, class meet-
ings, professional learning communities, peer
tutoring, and the common language of making
“amazing choices” all serve to teach students
effective ways to build peace in their diverse
school community. Through these and numerous
other conflict resolution strategies, Berkeley has
created a caring community where students gain
essential foundational skills. For more
information, contact Tracy Gaskins, Principal,
[email protected].
Bingham Farms Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
Birmingham Public Schools
Student leadership (Principles 4, 9)
Bingham Farms has developed a shared responsibility for success and a caring community for
all through its character initiative. A special focus
of the program is fostering student leadership.
Opportunities for students to lead and engage
in service include the creation of classroom
constitutions, peer mediation, multi-age buddies,
service learning, and class meetings. Bingham
Farms is giving students the skills they need
today to be the caring leaders of tomorrow. For
more information, contact Russ Facione,
Principal, [email protected].
Brockman Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Columbia, South Carolina
Richland County School District One
Developing personal strengths (Principles 4, 6)
As a public Montessori school, Brockman naturally
emphasizes respect for self and others and nurtures the growing independence of its students. At
Brockman, students learn the importance of their
work as well as how they learn best through meaningful, self-directed activities. They also develop selfawareness and an awareness of others through
numerous and carefully crafted opportunities for
discussion, working with others, and decisionmaking. For more information, contact Lynn
Robertson, Principal, [email protected].
Eldridge Park Elementary School
Grades PreK–3 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrence Township Public Schools
Building relationships (Principles 2, 4)
Through a “homegrown” initiative that includes
research-based programs such as Second Step
and Responsive Classroom, the Eldridge Park staff
has seen an improvement in student behavior and
motivation. The result is a caring community where
students feel connected to one another and their
teachers. Morning meetings, social skills training,
use of conflict resolution strategies, buddy programs, and service learning all help students build
caring relationships. For more information, contact
Kathryn Robbins, Principal, [email protected].
Bowles Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Fenton, Missouri
Rockwood School District
Assessment and action (Principle 11)
At Bowles, assessment is the key to effective
action. Students, parents, and staff are surveyed
annually in order to measure school climate. When
challenges are noted as a result of looking at
data, action is swift. Staff development, teaching strategies, and character programs are put in
place as needed to address any issues that arise.
Change is embraced at Bowles, and the result is a
school that demonstrates caring and a commitment to continuous improvement through action.
For more information, contact Dave Cobb, Principal,
[email protected].
Fox Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Arnold, Missouri
Staff development (Principle 8)
Fox Elementary has developed an effective, comprehensive character program with many strengths. A
key to their success is certainly staff training, modeling, and reflection in the area of character education. All staff members at Fox are committed to and
included in the character initiative. School leaders
have attended character development leadership
training workshops, teachers are given time to plan
41
2010 Profiles in Character
buddy activities, and classified staff help implement
the program at Fox.For more information, contact
Lisa Sell, Principal, [email protected].
Fox Middle School
Grades 7–8 • Arnold, Missouri
Student leadership and autonomy
(Principles 4, 5, 6, 9)
Through a series of well-planned initiatives, students at Fox Middle are learning to be caring and
responsible citizens. Student autonomy and “voice
and choice” are nurtured through student-driven
character-related courses, advisory activities, service
learning projects, leadership roles, and opportunities
to create classroom and schoolwide standards. By
giving students more input, the Fox staff has transformed their school. For more information, contact
Aaron Wilken, Principal, [email protected].
Fuguitt Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Largo, Florida
Pinellas County Schools
Student leadership (Principles 4, 5, 9)
The Fuguitt Way involves all stakeholders working together in an ethical learning community. Students at
Fuguitt assume leadership roles through the many
opportunities their school provides. Among these
are the “Bully Free” Club, Character Coaches, Student Council, Peer Mediators, Safety Patrols, class
meetings, student-led conferences, and service
learning projects. Students now run most characterbuilding activities at Fuguitt. For more information,
contact: Michael Moss, Principal, [email protected].
Hoàla School
Grades K–12 • Wahiawa, Hawaii
Inspiring self-motivation (Principle 7)
This small private school’s strong philosophical
underpinnings focus on developing in students “a
sense of significance and a sense of belonging.”
Hoàla fosters self-motivation in students by emphasizing personal responsibility, lifelong learning,
and giving back to the community. Hoàla students
learn to take charge of their own lives as they are
listened to and shown that they are needed. For
more information, contact Linda Turnbull, Head of
School, [email protected].
Lake Riviera Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Brick, New Jersey
Brick Township Public Schools
Integrating service into the curriculum (Principle 5)
In a school committed to excellence, Lake Riviera
42
students learn that service is a way to show
character in action. Students have numerous opportunities to plan, lead, and reflect upon service
projects. An interactive curriculum ties service projects to the content and skills being learned in the
classroom. Lake Riviera has become a leader in the
area of service learning, expecting all students to
participate in service projects, which include helping
younger students and caring for the environment.
For more information, contact E. Janet Czarnecki,
Assistant Principal, [email protected].
the sportsmanship program, recycling initiatives,
service learning activities, reflective discipline strategies, conflict resolution, class meetings, student
choice for class projects, and leadership roles. For
more information, contact Karen Smith, Principal,
[email protected].
Lakes International Language Academy
Oakhurst intentionally involves all stakeholders in
character education activities and planning, resulting in a well-designed initiative. Strategic planning,
an emphasis on shared leadership, and regular
assessment of school climate all contribute to the
success of the school’s character program. High
expectations and a philosophy of working together
have resulted in academic success for Oakhurst
students. For more information, contact Nanci
Wilson, Principal, [email protected].
Grades K–6 • Forest Lake, Minnesota
Intentional integration and planning
In this Spanish-immersion, International Baccalaureate public charter school, teachers have always
been proactive and intentional when it comes to the
integration of character and academics. At Lakes International, character education is woven throughout
the school day and implemented daily through lesson plans, year-long expectations, and chances for
reflection. Teachers work together to write lessons
that integrate the school’s “attributes and attitudes”
into each unit. For more information, contact Cam
Hedlund, Director, [email protected].
Lancaster Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Orlando, Florida
Orange County Public Schools
Building a caring community through service
learning (Principles 4, 5)
School climate at Lancaster has improved dramatically since the staff decided to teach caring and
responsibility through service learning. In this
bilingual public school with a largely economically
disadvantaged population, students who have
little to give, give much. Expectations for service
projects are outlined during class meetings, where
students identify community needs and plan their
projects. Projects conclude with reflection and
celebration, building confidence and community in
the process. For more information, contact
Belinda Reyes, Principal, [email protected].
Mark Twain Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Brentwood, Missouri
Brentwood School District
Inspiring self-motivation (Principle 7)
Through an intentional approach that fosters intrinsic motivation, Mark Twain aims to develop healthy,
caring students who will become good citizens.
Students have numerous opportunities to build
self-confidence and autonomy. Examples include
Oakhurst Elementary School
Shared leadership with stakeholders
Odyssey School, The
Grades K–8 • Stevenson, Maryland
Meeting individual student needs and helping
them succeed (Principle 6)
In a private school that serves children with language-based disorders such as dyslexia, meeting
students’ individual needs is obviously a priority.
Odyssey teachers believe that, with the proper support and hard work, their students can meet the
challenges of dyslexia and succeed. All instruction
at Odyssey rests on the foundation of the school’s
core values as well as a pledge and honor code
developed by student leaders and the faculty. For
more information, contact Martha Nesbitt, Director
of Admissions, [email protected].
Peak to Peak Charter School
Grades K–12 • Lafayette, Colorado
Boulder Valley School District
Teacher evaluation (Principles 8, 11)
At this public charter school, teacher planning and
the use of rubrics to assess learning and progress
have contributed not only to student success
but also to the development of a comprehensive
character initiative. Staff review data gathered
each year in order to set goals and take the time
needed to reflect on any issues, such as equity,
that arise. A teacher evaluation rubric clearly
defines expectations of teachers and includes the
modeling of good character. For more information,
contact Carolyn Jannsen, Advancement Director,
[email protected].
2010 State Schools of Character
State Schools of Character:
A Road to National Recognition
When a family moves to a different area and wants to know if any State
or National Schools of Character are located there, this indicates that the
State Schools of Character (SSOC) program is working. As parent Jerisha
Rutlin said when her family left St. Louis for Maryland, “Spoede Elementary earned the Missouri School of Character award, and I know firsthand
the authentic community of caring and character they have. I want this for
my children in their next school.”
S
tate sponsors give State Schools of
Character (SSOC) awards to schools
and districts that have developed
long-term character education initiatives
that demonstrate successful implementation
of CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective
Character Education. Once designated
an SSOC, schools and districts serve as
models within their states, where they share
best practices and develop a state-level
mentoring network by hosting visitors at
their sites and presenting at workshops and
conferences. For schools or districts from
participating states, becoming an SSOC is a
prerequisite to becoming a National School
(or District) of Character. Beginning in
2011, SSOC Winners will hold their SSOC
designation for three years.
Since its inception in 2006, the
SSOC awards program has enhanced the
quality of character education programs,
especially in very active states. “SSOC
awards provide a roadmap to help schools
know what a school of character is and
how to achieve it,” says Missouri SSOC
coordinator Suzy Ward. Missouri has had
a total of 15 National Schools of Character
(NSOC) thus far, largely because of the
strong networking and mentoring of its 26
SSOC. In addition, Ward says, “Strong data
[support] increased academic achievement
linked to schools with strong character
education implementation.”
Kansas SSOC coordinator Sue
Kidd states, “Participants in the SSOC
program become our ‘model’ schools and
programs for quality character education
programming in Kansas.” The same is true
in New Jersey, the state that first piloted
the SSOC program. Winners become
part of a statewide professional network
of committed educators. The 11 SSOC in
2010 served as resources to other schools
at the celebration conference. Each SSOC
was assigned one of the 11 Principles in
which they scored above average. They
then shared their experience and practices
with colleagues throughout the state. “They
had grown professionally, deepening their
commitment to this work and emerging
as leaders in the field,” says Rebecca
Sapora-Day, manager for program services
at the Center for Social and Character
Development at Rutgers University.
Mardele Early (right), the CEO/Principal of Lake Forest
Charter Elementary School in New Orleans, proudly
receives Louisiana's first State Schools of Character
award from Kimberly Jones, SSOC Coordinator.
State Sponsors Honored 78 State
Schools of Character in 2010
The State Schools of Character (SSOC)
awards program continued to grow in 2010.
State sponsors named a total of 78 state
winners—up from 55 last year. All but one
of the 2010 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. Missouri and New Jersey
received applications in the double digits
in 2010. These states continue to serve as
models to guide the way for others.
43
CALIFORNIA
State Sponsor:
Center for Youth Citizenship
Brentwood School
Los Angeles, CA
Julian Elementary School1
Julian, CA
Julian Union School District
Wells Middle School
Dublin, CA
Dublin Unified School District
COLORADO
State Sponsor:
Foundation for Character Development
Charles M. Russell Middle School
of Performing Arts and Sciences
Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs School District 11
Eagle Rock School and
Professional Development Center
Estes Park, CO
KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy
Denver, CO
Denver Public Schools
Peak to Peak Charter School
Lafayette, CO
Boulder Valley School District
Lancaster Elementary School
Lewis and Clark Elementary School
Orlando, FL
Orange County Public Schools
Wood River, IL
Wood River–Hartford School District 15
Oakhurst Elementary School
Rondout School
Largo, FL
Lake Forest, IL
Rondout School District 72
Sarasota Middle School1
West Junior High School
Sarasota, FL
Sarasota County Schools
Belleville, IL
Belleville District #118
Seminole Elementary School1
Seminole, FL
INDIANA
State Sponsor:
Indiana Department of Education
GEORGIA
State Sponsor:
Kennesaw State University
Carmel Elementary School
Woodstock, GA
Cherokee County School District
Orrs Elementary School1
Griffin, GA
Griffin–Spalding County School System
IOWA
State Sponsor:
Institute for Character Development
at Drake University
Dallas Center–Grimes Middle School
Dallas Center, IA
Dallas Center–Grimes Community School District
KANSAS
ILLINOIS
State Sponsor:
University of Illinois Extension
State Sponsor:
Kansas Department of Education
Hesston Unified School District 460
Hesston, KS
Rocky Heights Middle School2
Littleton, CO
Douglas County School District
FLORIDA
State Sponsor:
The Golden Rule Foundation
Largo, FL
Imagine Schools at South Lake
Clermont, FL
Lake County Schools
2010 National Schools of Character Winner
2010 National Schools of Character Finalist
1
2
44
Noelle Roni, Elementary School Principal; Jim Olmstead, SSOC Coordinator; April Wilkin, Elementary
School Assistant Principal; and Dwight Jones, Colorado State Commissioner of Education, happily
display Peak to Peak Charter School's SSOC banner.
Bingham Farms, MI
Chatfield School, The
Lapeer, MI
Derby Middle School
Birmingham, MI
MINNESOTA
State Sponsor:
Center for Academic Excellence and the
Minnesota Department of Education
North Oldham Middle School in Goshen, KY, receives its SSOC banner at a Cincinnati Reds
pregame ceremony. Steve Saunders, Chairman of the Character Council; Mary Russell, SSOC
Chairman; Robb Smith, Principal; Lisa Bowman, Counselor; and Bonnie and Kim Nuxhall join
Rosie Red in the celebration.
KENTUCKY
State Sponsor:
Character Council of Greater
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
North Oldham Middle School
Goshen, KY
Oldham County Schools
Eva Turner Elementary School
Waldorf, MD
Charles County Public Schools
Odyssey School, The
Stevenson, MD
Piney Ridge Elementary School
Sykesville, MD
Carroll County Public Schools
LOUISIANA
State Sponsor:
LSU AgCenter 4-H Youth Development
Lake Forest Charter Elementary School
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans Public Schools
MARYLAND
State Sponsor:
Maryland Center for Character Education
Arundel High School
Gambrills, MD
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Carney Elementary School
Parkville, MD
Baltimore County Public Schools
1
2
MASSACHUSETTS
State Sponsor:
Hudson Public School District,
the Center for the Advancement
of Ethics and Character at Boston
University, and the Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education
Mill Pond School1
Westborough, MA
Westborough Public Schools
MICHIGAN
State Sponsor:
Michigan Department of Education
Beverly Elementary School1
Beverly Hills, MI
Horace May Elementary School
Bemidji, MN
Bemidji Area Schools
Forest Lake, MN
Phalen Lake Hmong Studies Magnet School
St. Paul, MN
St. Paul Public Schools
MISSOURI
State Sponsor:
CHARACTERplus
Antonia Elementary School
Imperial, MO
Babler Elementary School
Wildwood, MO
Branson Elementary West
Branson, MO
Branson R-IV School District
Arnold, MO
Lindbergh High School
St. Louis, MO
Lindbergh School District
Perry County Middle School
Perryville, MO
Perry County School District No. 32
45
Seckman High School1
Eldridge Park Elementary School
Imperial, MO
Lawrenceville, NJ
Spoede Elementary School
James H. Johnson Elementary School
St. Louis, MO
Ladue School District
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cherry Hill Public Schools
St. Louis Charter School
John A. Carusi Middle School
St. Louis, MO
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cherry Hill Public Schools
NEW YORK
State Sponsor:
Academy for Character Education
at The Sage Colleges
Chatham Middle School
Chatham, NY
Chatham Central School District
NORTH CAROLINA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Joseph J. Catena Elementary School
State Sponsor:
State Sponsor:
Freehold, NJ
Freehold Borough School District
North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction
Ethics Institute at Dartmouth College
Brick, NJ
Brick Township Public Schools
NEW JERSEY
State Sponsor:
Center for Social and Character
Development at Rutgers University
and the New Jersey Department
of Education
2
Old Bridge, NJ
Old Bridge Township Public Schools
Brigantine Elementary School
Brigantine, NJ
Brigantine Public Schools
Lawrence Intermediate School
Lawrenceville, NJ
Lawrenceville Elementary School
Lawrenceville, NJ
Lore Elementary School1
Ewing, NJ
Ewing Public Schools
Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School
2
1
Bernardsville, NJ
Somerset Hills School District
OHIO
State Sponsor:
Ohio Partners in Character Education,
Ohio Department of Education,
and Ohio Better Business Bureaus
Hamilton City School District
Hamilton, OH
Sentinel Career Center1
Tiffin, OH
Vanguard–Sentinel Career Centers
PENNSYLVANIA
State Sponsor:
Center for Leadership and Ethics
Aston Elementary School
Aston, PA
Penn–Delco School District
Fell Charter Elementary School
Simpson, PA
Peters Township School District1
McMurray, PA
Upper Merion Area Middle School1
King of Prussia, PA
Upper Merion Area School District
Wilson Southern Middle School
Sinking Spring, PA
Wilson School District
Janet Waugh, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education; Stephanie Litton, Jillian Toews, and
Donna Schadler, Hesston counselors; and Dr. Diane DeBacker, interim Department of Education
commissioner, celebrate Hesston Unified School District's Kansas District of Character award.
46
WASHINGTON
State Sponsor:
Leadership Innovations Team,
Whitworth University, and Washington
State Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
Lynnwood Elementary School2
Lynnwood, WA
Edmonds School District
WEST VIRGINIA
State Sponsor:
College of Education and Human
Services, Marshall University
Students are active participants in celebrating Fox Elementary School's SSOC banner presentation
in Arnold, Missouri. The school is also a CEP Profiles in Character award winner.
SOUTH CAROLINA
TEXAS
State Sponsor:
State Sponsor:
South Carolina Department of Education
Houston, Dallas, and Klein
Independent School Districts
Brockman Elementary School
Columbia, SC
Richland County School District One
Indian Land Middle School
Indian Land, SC
Lancaster County School District
Lake Carolina Elementary School1
Blythewood, SC
Richland School District Two
Taylors Elementary School
Taylors, SC
Greenville County Schools
SOUTH DAKOTA
State Sponsor:
Sponsor in Transition
WISCONSIN
State Sponsor:
Wisconsin Character Education
Partnership
Houston, TX
Houston Independent School District
School District of Jefferson1
UTAH
Stormonth Elementary School
Berkeley Elementary School
Moncks Corner, SC
Berkeley County School District
Buckhannon, WV
Upshur County Schools
T. H. Rogers School
B. D. Lee Elementary School
Gaffney, SC
Cherokee County School District
Union Elementary School
State Sponsor:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Center for Community of Caring
at the University of Utah
Alpine Elementary School
Alpine, UT
Alpine School District
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Sandy, UT
VIRGINIA
State Sponsor:
School of Education,
Regent University
Dreamkeepers Academy
at J. J. Roberts Elementary School
Norfolk, VA
Norfolk Public Schools
Jefferson, WI
Fox Point, WI
Fox Point–Bayside School District
New State Sponsor
Beginning in 2011
Sponsors in participating states receive a
grant of $6,000 to set up and execute the
process of 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. The Character Council
of Central Oklahoma is a new sponsor in
2011, bringing the total number of states
with state sponsors to 30.
For more information, contact:
Janice Stoodley, Director
National Schools of Character
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2010 Promising Practices
The 2010 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.
I
n 2010, CEP is giving 228 awards to 196
schools and districts, including a few from
Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Singapore.
These practices were selected from a record
474 applications received. Each winning practice addresses one or more of CEP’s Eleven
Principles of Effective Character Education.
Winning practices include new and effective
ways to help students solve conflicts, decrease
bullying, and take action in their schools and
communities, as well as programs to increase
parent and community involvement.
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 item within each Principle.
(For more information about the revised
Eleven Principles document, visit CEP’s web-
site, www.character.org.) 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 website, where practitioners may search
the 2006–2010 Promising Practices for ideas.
Principle 1
Columbus Elementary School
Wells Middle School
Promising Practices That
Promote Core Values
Grades K–3 • Columbus, Wisconsin
Grades 6–8 • Dublin, California
Responsive Classroom:
The Heart of Student Success
Character Culture Immersion (CCI)
COMMUNITY SELECTS CORE VALUES
(Principle 1.1)
Oxford Central School
Grades PreK–8 • Oxford, New Jersey
“Root Man” Buy-in Exercise
A reflective exercise enables a school community
to select their core values together.
Grades PreK–12 • Eureka, Missouri
Capturing the Values for Rockwood School District
A district adopts four core-value statements based
on CEP’s 11 Principles.
CORE VALUES GUIDE EVERYTHING
(Principle 1.2)
Caddo Parish Public Schools
Grades K–12 • Shreveport, Louisiana
Character Education Kick-off
A district’s annual kick-off celebration recognizes
one school each year that actively implements
character education.
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A 10-minute gathering at the start of each day is
used to emphasize the social curriculum and help
to set the tone for a positive day of learning.
Imagine Indiana Life Sciences
Academy East
Grades K–6 • Indianapolis, Indiana
Morning Assembly
A morning gathering serves as an interactive way
to examine, interpret, and understand a school’s
shared values.
A school makes a focused effort to engage
all students in the study of each month’s
character trait.
VISIBLE STATEMENTS OF CORE VALUES
(Principle 1.3)
Character Carl
A fictitious character made out of a window cling
represents a student performing acts of character.
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Grades PreK–8 • Sandy, Utah
Linking Virtue, Action, Saint
Visual displays serve as reminders of the “virtues,
actions, and saints” focused on throughout the year.
Branson High School
Grades 9–12 • Branson, Missouri
The Character Wall
High school students create expressions of their
school’s character traits that are then displayed on
a wall of the school.
Endeavour Elementary Magnet School
West Potomac High School
Bells Elementary School
Grades PreK–6 • Cocoa, Florida
Grades 9–12 • Alexandria, Virginia
Grades 1–5 • Turnersville, New Jersey
Earth Quilt
Cosby and Character
A Tea Party Amongst Friends
A year-long project documents the environmental activities a school conducted each month
throughout the year.
A theater program uses episodes of The Cosby
Show to teach character and promote the school’s
core values.
Fifth graders practice manners and etiquette as
they attend a traditional tea party.
Kellison Elementary School
Portraits of Character
Ceiling tiles showcase students with
outstanding character.
Matthew Jago School #28
Grades PreK–5 • Sewaren, New Jersey
Lighting the Way to Good Character
A school decorates its hallways with “lamp posts
to light the way to good character.”
McGalliard Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Hamilton, New Jersey
Peace Begins with Me and Ends with Us
Students and staff create a mural to serve as a
reminder of their commitment to peace to both
the school and the larger community.
Millard Hawk Primary School
Grades K–2 • Central Square, New York
Banners of Community
HELPING STUDENTS COMMIT TO CORE
VALUES (Principle 2.2)
Dickinson Intermediate
Fine Arts Academy
A sophisticated, grandmotherly “Miss Manners”
offers a humorous approach to teaching elementary school students the core values.
All students respond to a motivational writing
prompt as part of a schoolwide character-related
writing activity.
Lakeside Junior High School
Grades 7–8 • Orange Park, Florida
Gentlemen Gators
Through mentors and weekly discussions,
young men are given a positive vision of what
it is to be a man in modern society.
Long Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Crestwood, Missouri
Cultivating a Community of Heroes
Seeds of Health Elementary School
Montessori School of Bowling Green
Students build a wall of nearly 300 paper bricks
inscribed with promises to themselves or others in
the community.
Miss Manners
All-School Character Write
One school teaches students that they have
daily opportunities to be like their heroes by
practicing good character.
Bricks of Success
Grades 5–8 • South Bend, Indiana
A project creates unity and celebrates differences
in a large school community.
Grades PreK–8 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Grades PreK–6 • Bowling Green, Ohio
The Labyrinth
Students learn to appreciate peace
through a rock-and-brick labyrinth on the
school grounds.
Peninsula Heritage School
Principle 2
Grades K–5 •Rolling Hills Estates, California
Define “Character” to Include
Thinking, Feeling, and Doing
For homework, students research heroes
that match each of the school’s six character
qualities.
Secundaria Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Campus Thomas Alva Edison
Grades 7–9 • Hermosillo, Sonora, México
Learning Values through Managing a
Cooperative Store
Students develop and practice ethical and
performance values through managing a school’s
cooperative cafeteria.
Truman High School
Grades 9–12 • Independence, Missouri
Links of Compassion
Students, faculty, and staff reflect on compassion
during the holiday season.
Heroes of Character
Principle 3
Promising Practices That Use
a Comprehensive Approach
HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND
CORE VALUES (Principle 2.1)
HELPING STUDENTS PRACTICE CORE
VALUES (Principle 2.3)
Individualized Learning Center
ADDRESSING CHARACTER PROACTIVELY
AT ALL GRADE LEVES (Principle 3.1)
Grades 9–12 • Eureka, Missouri
Python Pride
Character Cruise
Pembroke Elementary School
A school highlights the positive actions of
students in an effort to encourage and teach
core values.
All students and staff take an afternoon-long
“cruise” to common areas of the building, where
they learn about the schoolwide expectations in
these areas in interactive ways.
Grades PreK–5 • Troy, Michigan
Pembroke Pride Initiative
A school’s comprehensive approach to teaching character includes giving teachers binders of materials to
help them integrate the core values into their lessons.
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Indian Land Middle School
St. Clair Junior High School
Grades K–5 • Seminole, Florida
Grades 6–8 • Indian Land, South Carolina
Grades 6–8 • St. Clair, Missouri
Peer Power, Learning Life’s Lessons (P2L3)
One Book, One School
Athlete of Character Award
A comprehensive weekly routine to teach
character lessons includes a morning TV puppet
show, class meetings, buddy lessons, and
student reflections.
An entire school community explores the
character-related lessons in a single novel in
a myriad of creative ways.
A school gives a character award after each sports
activity to a player from the opposing team.
Trautwein Accelerated Elementary School
Grades 10–12 • Troy, Missouri
Grades K–5 • St. Louis, Missouri
Evaluating Character in the Character
Character Education Days
Students explore the ethical choices made by
the protagonist in the novels they read and then
analyze the outcomes of these choices.
School climate is improved by devoting one entire
day each month to character-related activities,
including class meetings and buddy activities.
INTEGRATION INTO ACADEMICS AND
INSTRUCTION (Principle 3.2)
Apollo Beach Elementary School
Troy Buchanan High School
Walls Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Kent, Ohio
Breaking Boundaries
A cross-curricular unit promotes compassion and
understanding while breaking cultural boundaries.
Grades K–5 • Apollo Beach, Florida
Morning Show Academics Promotes
Character Development
A school’s morning show combines academic
learning and character development as
content-area teachers take responsibility for
weekly lessons.
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
Character Report Card
Students in all grades use a Character Report
Card to analyze and reflect upon the character of
a person in literature, history, research, presentations, or current events.
Blades Elementary School
INFUSING CHARACTER EDUCATION
THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DAY
(Principle 3.4)
Grades PreK–5 • Fort Hood, Texas
Traits of a Duncan Athlete
A school’s core values are used as the framework for
teaching students ways to demonstrate cooperation,
teamwork, fairness, caring, and good sportsmanship.
Oakville High School
Grades 9–12 • St. Louis, Missouri
Pinning Down Breast Cancer
High school wrestlers compete in a dual meet, with
proceeds from ticket sales and donations collected
to benefit cancer research.
Principle 4
Promising Practices That Help
Create a Caring Community
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
STUDENTS AND STAFF (Principle 4.1)
Castro Valley Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Castro Valley, California
Ready, Eager and Caring Help (REACH)
Students in need receive daily individual
attention from a staff member.
East Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Jefferson, Wisconsin
Birthday Club
Teachers celebrate their students’
birthdays by joining them at a special table
for lunch.
Imagine MASTer Academy
Grades K–8 • Fort Wayne, Indiana
Academic Coaching
Academic coaching periods enable students
to find success through increased measures
of accountability.
Mary B. Neal Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Waldorf, Maryland
Rolls with Role Models
Town Meetings
Students honor the positive role models
in their lives through a schoolwide art and
writing project.
Students meet with administrators,
teachers, and a school counselor to discuss
issues.
Branson Elementary West
Northwest Valley Middle School
Grades 2–4 • Branson, Missouri
Grades 6–8 • House Springs, Missouri
Connecting Character across the Curriculum
Lunch Bunch
A school collects character-related lesson planning resources and organizes them into a webbased curriculum grid to help teachers integrate
the character traits into daily activities.
Small groups of students eat lunch with teachers
in their classrooms on a regular basis, fostering
positive relationships.
First Philadelphia Charter School and
Tacony Academy Charter School
Grades K–8 • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Dream Flag Project
Each spring, students study poetry and then
express their own hopes and dreams on flags
they create.
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Robert R. Lazar Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Montville, New Jersey
Ridgewood Avenue School
Grades 3–6 • Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Character Education Field Day
A character-themed field day serves as a culminating event to a year-long effort.
Bus Drivers Breakfast
Students show respect and appreciation for their
bus drivers and acknowledge the difficult job they
have each day.
Stanton Elementary School
Crestwood Elementary School
Rawlins County Junior/Senior High School
Grades 7–12 • Atwood, Kansas
“Bus Drivers Rock” Campaign
Buddies . . . You’ve Got Mail!
High School/Elementary Core Values Lunch Day
Student leaders devise creative ways to teach their
fellow students the names of support staff and help
them establish relationships with their school’s bus
drivers, cooks, custodians, and secretaries.
Buddies send letters to each other as part of an
ongoing effort to enhance each student’s comfort
level at school.
High school leaders attend special lunches at
the local elementary school to mentor elementary
school students on the importance of the
core values.
Sullivan Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Fort Hood, Texas
Selvidge Middle School
Grades 2–5 • Sullivan, Missouri
Welcome New Dragons!
Grades 6–8 • Ballwin, Missouri
Hall of Fame
Students interview staff and create a bulletin board
display featuring those staff members in an effort
to create connections between students and staff.
New students receive a folder of helpful
information and are assigned a buddy, and
their pictures are posted in order to make
them feel welcome.
SiMPLE (Stallion Mentoring Program and
Leadership Experience)
Walnut Street School
Hesston Unified School District 460
Spartanburg County School District 6
Grades K–5 • Uniondale, New York
Grades K–12 • Hesston, Kansas
Grades K–12 • Roebuck, South Carolina
Mentoring Partnerships Program
Making the Move: Transitioning Students
Smoothly
Amigos Positivos
Mentoring programs pair third-, fourth-, and fifthgrade students with a lawyer, teacher, or school
support staff member in order to promote the
development of good character.
In a districtwide effort, older students mentor and
welcome younger ones.
High school students return to their middle school
to mentor seventh and eighth graders.
Academically successful high school students
provide peer mentoring for at-risk sixth-grade
Hispanic students.
Hiawatha Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Toledo, Ohio
“Mix It Up at Lunch” Day
On multiple days during a school year, elementary school students and staff participate in
cooperative games and other character-related
activities at lunch.
Imagine Klepinger Community School
Grades K–7 • Dayton, Ohio
Kind Heart Flowers
Students pass kind messages to others one day
and then reflect on the results.
Waterloo Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Waterloo, New York
Lincoln Elementary School
Pride Post
Grades K–5 • Troy, Missouri
A school provides a creative vehicle for students
and staff to express their feelings, sincere compliments, and feedback to each other.
A school celebrates its caring community with
a day of fun buddy activities.
HELPING STUDENTS CARE ABOUT
EACH OTHER (Principle 4.2)
Bamber Valley Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Rochester, Minnesota
Student-to-Student Mentoring
Students mentor other students in order to foster
academic and social–emotional growth.
Central Junior High School
Grades 6–8 • Belleville, Illinois
Homework Heroes
Honor roll students help struggling students on
Fridays after school to complete homework, clean
lockers, and improve study habits.
Schoolwide Buddy Day
A Warm Welcome
Student leaders host a party in the principal’s
office to welcome new students.
Providence Spring Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Charlotte, North Carolina
Creating a Caring Community through
Class Meetings
A schoolwide initiative to hold regular class
meetings and morning meetings helps build a
caring school community.
Springhead Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Plant City, Florida
Character Buddies
Students provide other students with
behavioral, emotional, and academic support,
fostering meaningful relationships across the
school community.
Sullivan Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Sullivan, Missouri
Freedom Pillow Talk
Middle school and primary school students work
together on a project to express their caring for
troops serving abroad.
Wolcott Street School
Grades PreK–6 • Le Roy, New York
Welcome Committee
A welcoming committee works to make all new students feel connected and safe in their new school.
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PREVENTING PEER CRUELTY
(Principle 4.3)
Ballwin Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Ballwin, Missouri
Ability Awareness Puppets
Fifth graders present a puppet show to the primary
grades in order to build awareness of differences
and tolerance.
Emma L. Arleth Elementary School
Grades K–3 • Parlin, New Jersey
Sayreville Steps Up
A program to integrate a school’s character traits
helps students become aware of what their peers
with special needs experience while getting the
community involved in fundraising.
Fox Middle School
Bullying and Cyberbullying Elementary
Prevention Program
Middle school students teach antibullying lessons to
students in their school’s feeder elementary schools.
Hamilton High School West
Grades 9–12 • Hamilton, New Jersey
North Boulevard School
Grades K–5 • Pompton Plains, New Jersey
The Peacemaker's Bridge
Thanking FRED
Students use conflict resolution to solve problems
using the visual aid of a painted bridge.
Staff members thank their fellow staff members
for kind acts performed, using a special form
developed for that purpose.
Reynolds Middle School
Braddock Elementary School
“Bully Free” Pledge
Grades PreK–5 • Annandale, Virginia
A middle school community joins together to sign
a pledge to create a bully-free school.
Braddock’s Boutique
Sappington Elementary School
Staff and parents establish an in-school thrift store
in order to provide the school’s neediest families
with necessary clothing at little cost.
Cool Down Around Sappingtontown
Ellisville Elementary School
Staff and students create a conflict resolution
program that allows students to positively handle
peer conflicts themselves.
Grades K–5 • Ellisville, Missouri
Woodson Adult High School
Grades 9–12 • Fairfax, Virginia
City Tour
Teachers and administrators ride the bus home
with transfer students from the inner city in order
to meet their families.
Harvest of Cultures
Hoàla School
An annual celebration provides a forum for students to engage in dialogue about their heritage
and to communicate, collaborate, and build a
common community.
“Exploring and Building Healthy Relationships”
Symposium
Parent Teacher Study Group (PTSG)
Parents and teachers learn to recognize children’s
needs and behaviors and ways to move children
toward cooperation.
Lincoln Elementary School
A symposium focuses on the theme of healthy
relationships, teen dating, and domestic violence.
Just Poppin’ In to Welcome You
A fun event uses an element of surprise to
connect staff members and families.
House Springs Intermediate School
School Safety Reports
A school develops a way for students to report
bullying they may observe or experience.
Principle 5
Provide Opportunities for
Moral Action
Imagine Rosefield Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Surprise, Arizona
Peer Mediation
A student-driven peer mediation program promotes
problem solving, accountability, and responsibility.
Worthington Elementary School
Joseph H. Brensinger Public School 17
Pink Shoe Club
Grades PreK–8 • Jersey City, New Jersey
Project BRAVE (Bullying Reduction and AntiViolence Education)
Grades K–5 • Chillicothe, Ohio
An after-school program empowers girls to successfully deal with the challenges of relational aggression.
SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR
SERVICE (Principle 5.1)
Grades K–5 • Wildwood, Missouri
Give Me Five
Fifth graders learn appropriate techniques to
prevent and respond to bullying in a safe and
nonviolent manner.
HELPING ADULTS CARE FOR EACH
OTHER (Principle 4.4)
Students are expected to find five ways to help
others and then reflect on their experiences.
Grades K–6 • Forest Lake, Minnesota
Staff Morale
Creating Districtwide Service Learning
Soup Supper Night (Noche de Sopas)
A school provides monthly activities for staff
members in order to create community and
foster relationships.
A district creates a service learning program in
order to impact both students and community.
First-grade classes hold a unique celebration of
what they have learned in a unit about diversity.
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Hunt Club Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Oswego, Illinois
Principal’s Book of the Month
A school unites through discussion of a shared
literary experience and participation in a schoolwide service project.
Imagine Bella Academy of Excellence
Grades K–5 • Cleveland, Ohio
Super Bowl of Caring
Every class in one school takes on a service
project, and then the entire school celebrates their
accomplishments with a pep rally.
Imagine Groveport Community School
Grades K–8 • Groveport, Ohio
“My Wish” Campaign
All students in one school have the opportunity
to explore their wishes for the community and
create service projects to turn those wishes
into reality.
Janssen Elementary School
HELPING STUDENTS SERVE THEIR
SCHOOL (Principle 5.2)
Chesterfield Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Chesterfield, Missouri
Green Influence
A service learning project encourages all members of
the community to actively participate in composting.
Endeavour Elementary Magnet School
Grades PreK–6 • Cocoa, Florida
KITTENS (Kindergartners Inventing Teaching
Tools Encouraging Numerous Students)
Kindergartners practice newly acquired skills while
making flashcards and other learning games for
preschoolers to help them prepare for kindergarten.
Fox High School
The Peter Pan Project
A high school theater troupe serves their community by collaborating on and producing a play with
two high school special needs classes.
Grades PreK–4 • Combined Locks, Wisconsin
Playfair
Abram Lansing Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Cohoes, New York
Community Connections
Throughout the year, students visit and build positive
relationships with senior members of the community.
Alma Schrader Elementary School
Grades PreK–4 • Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Celebrating Our Constitution and Our Heroes
Past and Present
A program strengthens connections between the Constitution, heroes of the past, and heroes of the present as it honors local veterans and first responders.
Bayless Intermediate School
A school introduces service learning projects
through themed children’s literature in order to
explore complex social problems.
Pennies for Peace
Students learn about the world as they raise money
for building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
New Cumberland Middle School
Grades 6–8 • New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Beasley Elementary School
Fox River Country Day School
Grades PreK–8 • Elgin, Illinois
Stew Crew (Student Stewardship Program)
Students learn to care for their campus while
building character, confidence, and teamwork.
Service with Pride
Hawk Point Elementary School
A service program enables students to apply
positive values through community service while
working in a multi-grade group.
Grades K–5 • Hawk Point, Missouri
Sperreng Middle School
HELPING STUDENTS SERVE THEIR
COMMUNITY (Principle 5.3)
High school students volunteer weekly to read and
interact with 25 kindergarten students.
Leaping into Service Learning with Literature
Grades K–8 • Rubicon, Wisconsin
Students and staff concerned about the environment start a program so that students can collect
recyclables each day.
The Reading Connection
Grades PreK–3 • Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Saylesville School
Student Recycling Initiative
Lawrenceville Elementary School
A school initiative builds students’ commitment
to self, school, and community as well as
social responsibility.
Grades 5–8 • King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Bayless High School
Low-competition, organized recess games teach
values and help build school community.
Unbridled Random Acts of Kindness
Compassion: Cancer
In keeping with the core value of compassion, students reach out to a classmate with brain cancer.
Grades 6–8 • St Louis, Missouri
Pleasant Valley Elementary School
Navigators Club
Grades K–3 • McMurray, Pennsylvania
Students of differing abilities are united through
participation in service learning and interaction
with role models from the community.
The Giving Day
Ongoing service projects organized by staff, parents, and students teach students they can make
a difference in the lives of others.
Veterans Parade
Elementary school students dress up in Halloween costumes and parade to a local veterans medical center.
Chesterfield Elementary School
Honoring Our Veterans through Service Learning
Elementary school students host a Veterans Day
celebration.
Concordia Academy
Grades 9–12 • Roseville, Minnesota
Vision4Life
In a two-day character seminar and community service experience, students hear speakers, respond
in facilitated small-group discussions, and provide
service in the community.
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Don Earl Early Childhood Learning Center
Lalor Elementary School
PreK • Arnold, Missouri
Grades K–8 • Clermont, Florida
Grades K–5 • Hamilton, New Jersey
PACK (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids) Service
Learning Project
Service Learning without Borders
EarlyAct Club
Preschool students partner with a community food
pantry while learning about nutrition, colors, and
other basic concepts.
Students and staff participate in local, national,
and international service learning projects in
order to help communities in need, regardless of
geographic location.
A club encourages students to take a leadership
role and participate in service learning in the
school, community, and world.
duPont Manual High School
Jefferson County Public Schools
Grades 9–12 • Louisville, Kentucky
Grades PreK–12 • Louisville, Kentucky
Growing with Hope
Service Learning Mania
“CARE”ing for Critters
Students identify community needs and design
projects to help.
Early childhood students collect items for the
Humane Society to help homeless animals and
learn about helping others in their community.
Students develop a long-term partnership
with neonatal intensive care units at two local
hospitals to help families experiencing medical
hardships.
Grades 1–2 • Floresville, Texas
Jefferson High School
Murphy Elementary School
Every Child Lends a Helping Hand
Grades 9–12 • Festus, Missouri
Grades K–4 • High Ridge, Missouri
Students select service projects based on their
own interests and academic abilities.
CARE
PAWS for a Cause
One ninth grader starts a program to enable freshmen to give back to their community.
A student-led service learning project benefits a
local no-kill animal shelter.
Northwest High School
Veterans Day Parade
Grades 9–12 • Cedar Hill, Missouri
For 10 years, one school has celebrated Veterans
Day with a breakfast and parade through the
school hallways.
Spirit of Caring and Giving
Team One’s Cause
Students, staff, parents, and community members come together in a schoolwide project to
provide holiday gifts for needy students in the
school community.
A ninth-grade team learns about a local
charity and becomes involved in its
fundraising activities throughout their
school career.
With LOVE (Letting Others Value Empathy)
Kennerly Elementary School
Oak Brook Elementary School
Students fill bags with books, bookmarks, snacks,
and other items for children entering foster care.
Kennerly Students Raise a Village
Hearts for Haiti
An entire student body focuses on a service
project working with a local humanitarian
organization.
Students create heart pins and offer them for
sale within the community in order to raise funds
for an orphanage in Haiti.
Pierce Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Birmingham, Michigan
Book Buddies
Pierce Ecology Club
Middle school students prepare and present
entertaining programs that promote reading to
children in the primary grades.
Students learn about endangered species and
take action to protect them.
Floresville Primary School
George Guffey Elementary School
Hamilton High School West
Gobble Up for Cancer
Students raise over $1000 for cancer research.
Hoàla School
Camp Kokua: Learning by Serving
A two-week summer day camp provides a dynamic
combination of voluntarism and curriculum based
on social concerns.
Hoboken Charter School
Grades K–12 • Hoboken, New Jersey
Peace Pillows
In an integrated, thematic unit, third graders learn
about culture, geography, and the importance of
helping others.
House Springs Elementary School
Grades K–4 • House Springs, Missouri
Working Together to Conquer Kids’ Cancer
Students at one school join the fight against
cancer in children.
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Point Elementary School
Afghanistan Project
First graders initiate a project to send care
packages to soldiers.
Portage Central Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Portage, Michigan
The CIA (Citizens in Action)
A teacher provides a series of school, local, and
global community volunteer opportunities for
students and parents.
Rougher Alternative Academy
Character Club’s “Serve to Learn” Project
Students and parents conduct an awareness
campaign in shopping centers on the correct use
of handicapped parking.
A project offers students an opportunity to serve
others in an ongoing capacity.
Saint Joseph School
Bridging the Generation Gap
Grades PreK–6 • Columbia, South Carolina
A technical school’s medical program and a local
retirement home work together to bridge the
generation gap through visits, crafts, games, and
written correspondence.
Grades 7–12 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
The Green Team: We Can Have a
Direct Impact on the Earth
A school helps children to become stewards
of the Earth as it educates them about
environmental issues.
Grades 9–12 • Tiffin, Ohio
Starside Elementary School
Grades K–5 • De Soto, Kansas
Sayreville War Memorial High School
Character Education Goes Green
Grades 9–12 • Parlin, New Jersey
Wall of Honor
Students initiate numerous environmental projects
as a result of their character education program.
A display recognizes graduates who are serving
or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Woerther Elementary School
Project Linus
Students make blankets to comfort children who
are seriously ill, traumatized, or in need.
B. D. Lee Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Gaffney, South Carolina
Creative Bees of Character
Drawing from everyday experiences, elementary
school students in every classroom illustrate and
author a bound, hardcover class book centered
on character traits.
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
Character and School Culture on a Wiki
Fifth graders share the impact of good character
on their school culture with students of the same
age in England.
Carmel Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Woodstock, Georgia
First-Grade Students Build International
Friendships with Children in Egypt
First graders post writing projects and video
presentations on their teachers’ websites to
share with pen pals in Egypt.
Chatfield School, The
Grades K–8 • Lapeer, Michigan
Principle 6
Fourth-Grade Underground
Railroad Unit
Promising Practices That Offer
a Meaningful Curriculum That
Respects All Learners
Fourth graders role play the experiences of
runaway slaves in order to better understand
the struggles a child trying to escape to
freedom may have had.
CHALLENGING ALL STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY (Principle 6.1)
Colegio Radians
Grades K–6 • Imperial, Missouri
Aventura City of Excellence School (ACES)
Fostering Character through the Food Pantry
Grades K–8 • Aventura, Florida
Experimental Research Center for
Sustainable Agriculture (ERCSA)
Students learn about the unique needs of their
community by working one day a week at the local
food pantry and hosting food collection activities.
ACES Science Program Fosters Commitment
to Eco-Stewardship
Seckman Elementary School
Seckman High School
Grades 9–12 • Imperial, Missouri
All Aboard
An entire student body and staff strive to fight
poverty in their community.
Secundaria Bilingüe Carlos Darwin
Grades 7–9 • Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
Cadena de Amor
A science program fosters environmental awareness in order to help students become active and
responsible stewards of the natural world.
Grades PreK–12 • Cayey, Puerto Rico
A student-run agricultural project explores
conventional, non-conventional, and hydroponic
growing systems.
Colonia High School
Grades 9–12 • Colonia, New Jersey
Using Student Voice to Assist Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs)
AP Psychology students use structured
focus groups to investigate student motivation
and learning and report their findings to
the faculty.
Students help the community and learn by observing the needs of others.
Cypress Woods Elementary School
Campus Zacatecas
One school uses their available resources to
provide challenging and enjoyable learning
experiences for all students.
Grades 7–9 • Guadalupe, Zacatecas, México
Grades PreK–5 • Palm Harbor, Florida
Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM)
Do you really want to take my place?
(En serio, ¿quieras mi lugar?)
55
Eagle Rock School and Professional
Development Center
Jefferson County R-VII School District
Ross Elementary School
Grades K–12 • Festus, Missouri
Grades 9–12 • Estes Park, Colorado
Honoring Our Veterans
Boys of Character
New Student Orientation
A school places students in a wilderness setting
where they must cooperate to solve problems.
A Veterans Day program offers a special opportunity to teach respect, responsibility, and integrity to
students with special needs.
One school designs a student leadership opportunity to develop character, involve students in goal
setting, and increase student self-motivation.
Mill Pond School
Grades 4–6 • Westborough, Massachusetts
Kettle Creek Crusaders
World Religion Symposium
A school’s environmental studies curriculum is
expanded to include the study, analysis, and conservation of local watershed management.
An annual event teaches sixth graders about
cultures and religions around the world through
representatives of various world religions.
Northwest High School
Grades 9–12 • Cedar Hill, Missouri
School Enviromental Improvement Crew
Students struggling with emotional or
behavioral concerns learn not only academics
but also how they can make an impact in
their community.
Grades 5–8 • King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
“Soaring to Success” Motivational Activities
MEETING DIVERSE STUDENT NEEDS
(Principle 6.2)
Teachers and students work together to
create an engaging and motivational project
with techniques to encourage students to take
responsibility for their test preparation.
Grades 6–8 • Valley Park, Missouri
Grades K–4 • Alcoa, Tennessee
Truancy and Academic Assist Group
(TAAG)
A school uses hip hop and rap lyrics in an effort to
teach good moral character traits through music
that appeals to students.
Bayless High School
Recycling Rocks!
Special needs students lead their school by setting an
example regarding the importance of recycling paper.
Esther D. Burney Elementary School
Foster Self-Motivation
FOSTERING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
(Principle 7.1)
House Springs Intermediate School
Getting Motivated
One school develops a comprehensive approach
to helping students understand and utilize
intrinsic motivation.
Pierce Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Birmingham, Michigan
Daily Reflection Card
Students reflect on their behaviors and character
at the end of each day.
Valley Park Middle School
Alcoa Elementary School
wRAPping Character around the HeARTS
Principle 7
Struggling students learn about self-motivation,
study ethical values, take moral action, and
acquire a sense of belonging as they work
with a community leader.
DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE
CHARACTER (Principle 6.3)
Blades Elementary School
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
(Principle 7.2)
Student Goal-Setting Conferences
Grades PreK–5 • Bingham Farms, Michigan
A school pairs at-risk children with site-based mentors who monitor their progress.
Third, fourth, and fifth graders participate
in goal-setting conferences twice per
year and review their progress with
administrators monthly.
Franklin Avenue Middle School
North Ogden Junior High School
Grades K–5 • Plant City, Florida
Winning Team Bronco
Grades 6–8 • Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Beads ’n Me
One school offers an original, integrated, real-world
learning experience for middle school students
with moderate to severe disabilities.
56
Swimming with Good Character
One teacher changes her behavior plan
from negative to positive consequences, with
positive results.
Grades 7–9 • North Ogden, Utah
Harlan Elementary School
Mindfulness in Character Education
Grades K–5 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Students discover and practice how to be more
mindful of their learning, relationships, attitude,
responsibilities, and the environment.
Looking Back on Learning
Fourth graders reflect on their learning and behavior at the end of each day.
Northview High School
Northview High School
Colegio Radians
Grades 9–12 • Florissant, Missouri
Grades 9–12 • Florissant, Missouri
Grades PreK–12 • Cayey, Puerto Rico
Northview Students Work to Develop
Good Character
Northview’s Work as a Professional Learning
Community
Brothers and Sisters: Character Connection
Students use a character report card to reflect on
their practice of the school’s core values each day.
Staff members attend five professional development sessions on the topic of bullying.
Principle 8
Promising Practices that
Help the Staff to Become an
Ethical Learning Community
STAFF MODELS CORE VALUES
(Principle 8.1)
Bayless Intermediate School
Role Model Ruler
Staff select fellow staff members to be highlighted
on a bulletin board each month.
Dixie M. Hollins High School
Grades 9–12 • St. Petersburg, Florida
McTeacher Night
Teachers work at the local McDonald’s once
a month to earn money to support the schoolwide behavior program.
Northwest R-I School District
Grades PreK–12 • High Ridge, Missouri
The Northwest Way
A school’s staff supports organizations that help
friends and neighbors within the community.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT (Principle 8.2)
Urban Development: A Teacher Book Study
After hearing Dr. Hal Urban speak, a staff continues its studies by reading three of Urban’s books.
Cranford High School
Grades 9–12 • Cranford, New Jersey
Grades K–12 • Largo, Florida
Pathways to Inclusion
Character Camp
A student-generated program develops social opportunities for the disabled children in the community.
One district holds a character-related professional
development “camp” for its teachers each summer as a forum for sharing best practices.
Campus Ciudad Juárez
Grades 7–9 • Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
The Importance of Reinforcing Positive
Messages during Times of Crisis
One principal shares with teachers how to remember
and apply the value of love during times of crisis.
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, Missouri
Empowering Character
Primary school staff share lessons and create a
curriculum resource to be used by all teachers.
Cuivre Park Elementary School
Principal’s Advisory Committee
STAFF REFLECTS ON CHARACTER
EDUCATON (Principle 8.3)
Imagine Charter School at Weston
A group of fourth and fifth graders meet with the
principal on a monthly basis to provide student
voice on current school issues.
Grades K–5 • Weston, Florida
Cypress Woods Elementary School
Character Ed Tea Parties
Grades PreK–5 • Palm Harbor, Florida
One school staff finds a unique opportunity
to share best practices and new ideas for
character development.
Student-Led 10-Minute Character Talk
Fifth-grade students take ownership of the climate
at recess through a proactive leadership program.
Fox High School
Hamilton Township School District
High school seniors go through leadership training
in order to mentor primary school students.
Principle 9
Foster Shared Leadership
YAP (Young Athletes Program) Service
Learning Project
A student council attempts to help special needs
students by addressing their needs holistically.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP (Principle 9.3)
Beasley Elementary School
Character Coaches
One program helps fifth graders develop leadership and service.
Students lead their peers in spirited discussions
of the “hot topic” (character trait) of the month
during monthly workshops.
Clint Small, Jr. Middle School
Harry S Truman Elementary School
Junior Counselors
Grades 6–8 • Austin, Texas
WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Leaders
Student leaders support new students with the
transition to middle school.
Grades K–3 • Parlin, New Jersey
“Truman Talks” TV Show
Third graders assume leadership positions while
producing a morning news show.
57
Hebron–Harman Elementary School
Orono Middle School
Cross Bayou Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Hanover, Maryland
Grades 6–8 • Long Lake, Minnesota
Grades PreK–5 • Pinellas Park, Florida
Bus Buddies
Character and Leadership Workshop
Biscuits for Bobcat Dads
Fifth graders serve as bus helpers and mentors to
students in the primary grades, helping to create a
safe and orderly dismissal.
A school develops a character development workshop for all its sixth-grade students.
A school provides a special breakfast as a way
for fathers (as well as grandfathers, brothers, and
uncles) and their kids to connect at school.
Salam School
Character Council: Fostering Shared Leadership!
One leadership initiative empowers students to take
ownership of their behavior and build character.
Warren Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Cottleville, Missouri
DENS
A schoolwide initiative develops, educates, and nurtures
students through leadership and service learning.
West Maple Elementary School
Grades K–5 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Paws for Peace
Grades K–8 • Clermont, Florida
Dramatic Mentoring
An eighth-grade drama team travels to
elementary school classes each month to
present their versions of popular fables in
order to teach moral lessons and foster
positive relationships.
Iola High School
Grades 9–12 • Iola, Kansas
Taking the LEAD
Juniors and seniors provide activities,
character education lessons, and service
project opportunities for their peers.
Lindbergh Early Childhood Education
Age 2–PreK • St. Louis, Missouri
Flying with Character
Fourth and fifth graders develop positive
leadership skills as they serve as role models
for preschoolers.
A student committee works with the school counselor to create, promote, and implement a schoolwide
practice that focuses on the school’s core values.
Woerther Elementary School
Buddy Character Lessons
Student representatives teach lessons about the
core values to their own class and a buddy class.
Wohlwend Elementary School
Student-Led Character Lessons
Students teach their peers about core values
every month.
Jessup Elementary School
Grades PreK–5 • Jessup, Maryland
Character Education Night
A school hosts over 250 parents at an
evening event as a way to engage them in
their character efforts.
Learning Express Academy
Grades K–5 • Newark, Delaware
“Winter Family Fun” Night
Students and families join the staff and administration for an evening of winter-themed activities
that promote core values and character building.
Liberty Corner School
Grades K–5 • Liberty Corner, New Jersey
Principle 10
Engage Families and the
Community
Character Rocks
One character education committee develops an
initiative intended to strengthen partnerships with
the families they serve.
Lopatcong Township Middle School
ENGAGING FAMILIES (Principle 10.1)
Grades 5–8 • Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Grades 4–6 • Westborough, Massachusetts
Student Council
Grades K–5 • Beverly Hills, Michigan
Student leaders coordinate community service events.
Character on Display
A school community raises money and donates it
to the fire department or emergency squad during
an annual event.
Muskogee High School
A wall display illustrates how adults in the community demonstrate good character.
Neosho R-V School District
Mill Pond School
Grades 9–12 • Muskogee, Oklahoma
RAID (Roughers Alliance for Intelligent
Decisions)
Carroll Springs School
An alliance of all high school student groups,
organizations, and clubs promotes increased
civic-mindedness and community service.
PASS Night (Pride After-School Social)
58
Grades K–5 • Westminster, Maryland
A family information night promotes good character
through parenting workshops and fun kids’ activities.
Almost Anything Goes
Grades PreK–12 • Neosho, Missouri
Wildcat Character Carnival
One district invites all students, parents, school
personnel, and community members to participate
in a carnival-like event of fun and games that
celebrates their character traits.
Margaret Buerkle Middle School
Osborn Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Osborn, Missouri
Heart to Heart
Student-Led Conferences
Basketball Buddies
An annual event held near Valentine’s Day promotes
the teaching and learning of core ethical values at
school, home, and in the community at large.
Sixth and seventh graders engage in
student-led conferences as a way to increase
family involvement.
High school basketball players work with K–1
students.
Snow Creek Elementary School
Yardville Elementary School
Grades K–6 • Hickory, North Carolina
Cadet Mentoring Program
“Cooking Up” Good Character
High school ROTC cadets serve as mentors and
tutors to elementary school students.
Students and their families create “recipes” to
describe how their families can exhibit good
character at home.
Grades PreK–1 • Sullivan, Missouri
Scholarship for Character
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
(Principle 10.2)
K–1 students work with their local Rotary Club
to provide a scholarship for graduating high
school students.
Capitol West Academy
Troy R-III School District
Passport to Success
A unique tool promotes frequent communication
between parents and teachers while promoting
core values.
Derby Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Birmingham, Michigan
Principal’s Breakfast
A principal hosts a monthly breakfast as a way to
invite the community into the school.
Rockwood Early Childhood Education
PreK • Chesterfield, Missouri
Parent Orientation DVD Project
A district department replaces their parent
orientation night with a parent orientation DVD.
Grades K–5 • Seminole, Florida
Principal’s Shadowing Program
One principal offers parents an opportunity to
spend two hours of a typical day with her,
learning about grade-level expectations and
observing classes.
RECRUITING HELP FROM THE
COMMUNITY (Principle 10.3)
Character Building Institute
Grades PreK–K • Singapore, Singapore
Real Impact
Each school in one district adopts a non-profit
organization in the community to feature at a
districtwide outdoor tent event.
Waterloo Middle School
Grades 6–8 • Waterloo, New York
Projects for a Purpose
A school works with local businesses to provide
needy families with food and gifts during the
holiday season.
West Muskingum High School and West
Muskingum Middle School
Grades 6–12 • Zanesville, Ohio
Care Team
School and community resources are pooled in
meetings held twice a week to help students
overcome nonacademic barriers.
Family Day Initiative
Small business owners and government
organizations engage parents and childcare
providers by offering character-building activities.
Principle 11
Assess School Climate
Forder Elementary School
Fifth Avenue School
Grades K–2 • Bay Shore, New York
Multicultural Night for ELL Families
Partners to Potential
Teachers host an informational meeting for the
families of ELL (English language learners) to help
prepare for the upcoming school year.
Community volunteers mentor students once a
week after school.
Imagine Rosefield Elementary School
Grades PreK–6 • Leola, Pennsylvania
Grades K–6 • Surprise, Arizona
“It’s a Girl Thing” Club
“How are we doing?”: Middle School Data
Collection and Goal Setting
Character Fair
High school mentors work with girls in
grades 4–6.
One school gathers character-related data and
shares it with students to use in setting goals.
One school holds a fair as a way to inform parents
about their character education initiatives.
Leola Elementary School
SETTING GOALS AND ASSESSING
CLIMATE (Principle 11.1)
59
References
11 Principles of Effective Character Education. Washington, DC:
Character Education Partnership, 2010.
Highly Effective Teaching. Federal Way, WA: The Center for
Effective Learning. Website: www.thecenter4learning.com.
Adventure Based Counseling. Beverly, MA: Project Adventure.
Website: www.pa.org.
Johnson, S. Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with
Change in Your Work and in Your Life. New York, NY: G. P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1998.
Bailey, B. A. Shubert is a S.T.A.R. Oviedo, FL: Loving Guidance, 2003.
Boyer, E. L. The Basic School: A Community for Learning.
Princeton, NJ: Jossey–Bass, 1995.
Caring School Community. Oakland, CA: Developmental Studies
Center. Website: www.devstu.org/csc.
Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management for Children. Winchester, OR:
Kelso’s Choice. Website: www.kelsoschoice.net.
Keller, L. Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners. NY: Henry Holt
and Company, Inc., 2007.
CHARACTER COUNTS! Los Angeles, CA: Josephson Institute
of Ethics. Website: www.charactercounts.org.
Lickona, T., E. Schaps, and C. Lewis. Eleven Principles of Effective
Character Education. Washington, DC: Character Education
Partnership, 2007.
Character Education Quality Standards: A Self-Assessment Tool for
Schools and Districts. Washington, DC: Character Education
Partnership, 2008.
LIFESKILLS. Black Diamond, WA: Books for Educators, Inc.
Website: www.books4educ.com.
CHARACTERplus. St. Louis, MO: Cooperating School Districts.
Website: www.characterplus.org.
Community of Caring. Salt Lake City, UT: Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Center for Community of Caring at the University
of Utah. Website: www.communityofcaring.org.
Cornerstone Consulting. Seattle, WA: Cornerstone Consulting.
Website: www.cornerstoneconsulting.info/services.
Covey, S. R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons
in Personal Change. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1989.
Covey, S. R. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New
York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2004.
Covey, S. R. The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the
World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. New York,
NY: Simon and Schuster, 2008.
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.
Empty Bowls. Burnsville, NC: Empty Bowls. Website:
www.emptybowls.net.
Mades, M. Helping, Not Hurting: Teaching the I-Care Rules through
Literature. Miami, FL: Peace Education Foundation, 2002.
Mills, L. A. The Rag Coat. New York, NY: Little, Brown and
Company Books for Young Readers, 1991.
No Excuses University Network, The. Ramona, CA: TurnAround
Schools. Website: www.turnaroundschools.com.
OCHO Reading Project: Read for a Need (Opportunities for Children to
Help Others). Delray Beach, FL: Maridon Consulting Group, Inc.
Website: www.biggestandbrightestlight.com/ochoproject.
Parker, D. I Show Respect (The Best Me I Can Be). New York, NY:
Scholastic Press, 2004.
Potok, C. The Chosen. New York, NY: Random House Publishing, 1987.
Rachel’s Challenge. Littleton, CO: Rachel’s Challenge.
Website: www.rachelschallenge.org.
Renaissance Learning. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Renaissance Learning,
Inc. Website: www.renlearn.com.
Responsive Classroom. Turners Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for
Children. Website: www.responsiveclassroom.org.
Fay, J., and D. Funk. Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of
the Classroom. Golden, CO: Love and Logic Press, Inc., 1995.
Sanborn, M. The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life
Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary. New York, NY:
Crown Business, 2004.
Fisher, D. and N. Frey. Better Learning Through Structured
Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2008.
Sanford N. McDonnell Leadership Academy in Character
Education. CHARACTERplus. St. Louis, MO: Cooperating
School Districts. Website: www.characterplus.org.
Forty Developmental Assets. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Website: www.search-institute.org.
Second Step. Seattle, WA: Committee for Children. Website:
www.cfchildren.org.
60
Nêw
The National Schools
of Character Awards Program:
An Achievable Path to Excellence for All
A Transformative Process
Applying to become a State and National School (or District)
of Character entails major planning and organization. Many
schools and districts apply more than once before achieving
their goal. The application process is less a destination than
a journey—involving validation on the part of faculty, staff,
parents, students, and community members and reflection on
the school’s strengths and weaknesses in striving to develop
young people of good character.
Important Changes to the
NSOC Awards Program in 2011
No More Limits on the Number of Winners
Because more and more schools and districts are achieving
excellence in their character education initiatives each
year, CEP will now recognize all schools and districts that
demonstrate an exemplary level of implementation of CEP's
Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. With the
expansion in the number of NSOC awards, CEP hopes to
inspire all schools and districts to pursue a path to excellence
in character education. Achieving NSOC status is now an
achievable goal for all schools and districts.
From Competition to Meeting a Standard
Applicants will no longer be in competition with other schools or
districts. Those applicants that are not named a National School
(or District) of Character will receive professional feedback
from either CEP or (for those in participating states) their state
sponsor to help them develop an action plan for attaining the
award in the future. State sponsors will be available to offer
technical assistance or guide the applicant to helpful resources.
Expectation of Outreach
NSOC winners will continue to serve as models and
ambassadors of effective character education, and CEP
will award them a small grant to help with outreach to
other educators.
Past NSOC Winners Can Now Apply Again
The NSOC designation is now renewable after five years.
CEP encourages former NSOC winners to apply again if
they received their award in 2006 or earlier, in order to stay
connected to CEP’s network of NSOC winners and continue
to share their best practices.
SSOC awards are renewable after three years to schools
and districts that have not yet achieved NSOC status.
Changes to the NSOC/SSOC Application
Applicants will now be asked to submit a 25-page narrative
with supporting artifacts inserted directly into the document.
(Districts may submit up to 30 pages.) This format replaces
the 7-page narrative and 15-page portfolio required in 2010,
allowing applicants more space to explain and document
how their programs exemplify the 11 Principles. Applicants
may also now choose to submit their entire application
electronically as a PDF file sent by e-mail. In 2011, applicants
will be evaluated according to the Eleven Principles Scoring
Guide based on the 2010 revision of the 11 Principles. Visit
www.character.org for more information about the new
application guidelines and the revised 11 Principles.
CEP’s Eleven Principles
of Effective Character Education
A Framework for School Success
Newly updated in 2010
Based on the practices of effective schools, the 11 Principles form the
cornerstone of CEP’s philosophy on how best to develop and implement
high-quality character education initiatives. As broad principles that
define excellence in character education, the 11 Principles serve
as guideposts that schools can use to plan and evaluate
their character education programs.
PRINCIPLE 1
PRINCIPLE 7
The school community promotes core ethical and
performance values as the foundation of good character.
The school fosters students’ self-motivation.
PRINCIPLE 2
The school staff is an ethical learning community
that shares responsibility for character education
and adheres to the same core values that guide
the students.
The school defines “character” comprehensively
to include thinking, feeling, and doing.
PRINCIPLE 3
The school uses a comprehensive, intentional, and
proactive approach to character development.
PRINCIPLE 4
PRINCIPLE 8
PRINCIPLE 9
The school fosters shared leadership and longrange support of the character education initiative.
The school creates a caring community.
PRINCIPLE 10
PRINCIPLE 5
The school engages families and community
members as partners in the character-building
effort.
The school provides students with opportunities for
moral action.
PRINCIPLE 6
The school offers a meaningful and challenging
academic curriculum that respects all learners,
develops their character, and helps them to succeed.
PRINCIPLE 11
The school regularly assesses its culture and
climate, the functioning of its staff as character
educators, and the extent to which its students
manifest good character.
To read more about the 11 Principles and learn how to evaluate your character education
initiative using the Eleven Principles Scoring Guide, visit
www.character.org

NATIONAL SCHOOLS OF cHArAcTer

Transcription

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