Character Education Makes a Difference: Reinvigorating the Work of Schools

A Forum — December 4, 1998

Schools and communities that embrace the concept of character education are seeing signs of increased positive behavior and academic achievement by students of all ages.  Character education teaches strategies that help develop positive character traits in children and youth.  Through observation of role models, discussion, reflection and  practical experiences, students learn what is right or good, and act accordingly.  Character education holds that core ethical values, such as respect, responsibility, honesty and caring, are an essential foundation for creating environments that promote learning, and most importantly, nurturing.  Character education is intended to reinforce what parents teach.  But many children are not being taught values at home, so schools are one of the few places where they can learn these positive character traits.

The Character Education Partnership (CEP), a coalition of organizations and individuals, was founded to foster the teaching and modeling of positive character traits within the nation’s schools. Esther F. Schaeffer, Executive Director and CEO of the CEP, cited various studies in recent years that indicate that our nation is concerned about the character of our citizens.  She stated that a 1998 Gallup Poll found that Americans consider crime and violence; decline in ethics, morals and family values; education and drugs to be the four issues of most concern in society today.  Another current poll found that a growing number of Americans want Congress to focus on “restoring moral values” more than any other issue.

Despite the public’s interest in morals, values and character, current statistics show that children are not getting the nurturing experienced by earlier generations and that, instead,  they are bombarded with negative influences through the media and other external sources prevalent in today’s culture.  The American Family Research Council conducted research in 1993 showing that the average child spent 38.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with his or her parents (33.4 hours a year), but the average child spends 900 hours a year in school and 1500 hours a year watching television.  National statistics show that nearly 1 million students in grades 6-12 took a gun to school last year and 6,093 students were expelled for taking a firearm to school last year.  Sixty-six percent of teachers polled by the American Federation of Teachers indicated they had been verbally abused by a student, and 32 percent said they had been threatened or assaulted.  “Clearly”, Ms. Schaeffer said, “character education is needed.”

The CEP provides advocacy, networking, information and resources to help schools and communities provide character education.  CEP has also developed Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education (listed at the end of this report) and has worked closely with the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (CAEC) at Boston University to promote these principles.  The Character Education Partnership, along with the CAEC and Business Week, recently recognized ten “Schools of Character” that live up to the principles and that have implemented character education throughout the school, as a means of raising awareness about character education.

Karen Bohlin, Assistant Director, CAEC, indicated that the Schools of Character are selected according to the following guidelines: school practices are adaptable and adoptable; there is improved behavior among students (such as increased attendance); school work is integrated with community service; there are strong relationships between students and teachers; there is improved student academic performance; and there is a climate of responsibility and respect.  Schools were successful in implementing these practices through strong, visionary leadership and commitment; thoughtful, systemic planning that focuses on curriculum as well as the climate of the school; strong parental involvement; community support; professional development, and the involvement and commitment of the entire school -- from the principal to librarians and cafeteria staff.

Two principals representing Schools of Character described their experiences with character education.  Lynn Lisy-Macan, Principal of  Brookside Elementary School, a 500-student suburban school, said that there must be an intentional, organized and systemic effort to infuse character education into the school.  It must be literature-based and language-rich and must be integrated with the existing curriculum.  Character education must be visible, and parents must be involved so that students know character matters at home and at school.   The school has found some unique ways to raise awareness of character education both for students and the community, and it focuses on an “Attribute of the Month”, e.g. respect, honesty, kindness and then measures itself against that attribute.  The school has also worked with one of the local television stations to air a “Character Minute” segment once a week.  Brookside Elementary School has used violence prevention, drug-free schools, and Title I dollars to develop the character education program.

Mound Fort Middle High School has approximately 650 students, with a transient student population of approximately 50 percent, as well as the challenge of 6 major gangs, said Principal Tim Smith.  Character education has helped the school to create a Community of Caring, by focusing on respect, family, responsibility, caring and trust.  Service learning is a major activity and students read to residents of nursing homes and to pre-school and elementary students.  Smith said that there was a direct correlation between character education and academic performance.  SAT test scores for students increased in reading comprehension from 35 in 1995 to 63 in 1998; in reading vocabulary they increased from 34 to 45; and in a combined math score, they increased from 31 to 45.  Smith said, “the students score higher in math and reading not because we are doing more academics, but because we are making them feel better about themselves.”

11 Principles of Character Education

1. Character education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.
2. “Character” must be comprehensively defined to include thinking, feeling and behavior.
3. Effective character education requires an intentional, proactive and comprehensive approach that promotes the core values in all phases of school life.
4. The school must be a caring community.
5. To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action.
6. Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed.
7. Character education should strive to develop students’ intrinsic motivation.
8. The school staff must become a learning and moral community in which all share responsibility for character education and attempt to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students.
9. Character education requires moral leadership from both staff and students.
10. The school must recruit parents and community members as full partners in the character-building effort.
11. Evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school, the school staff’s functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character

American Youth Policy Forum   1836 Jefferson Place NW,  Washington DC 20036
Telephone 202-775-9731      |      Fax 202-775-9733      |     Email aypf@aypf.org