Site visits (focus groups & observations) at 24 award-winning high schools
Guidance from:
Experts Panel
Student Leaders Panel
The concepts and findings that emerged from the Smart & Good study are now being used by schools K-12.
The concepts and findings that emerged from the Smart & Good study are now being used by schools K-12.
What is character?
What is character?
What is character education?
You must discover what you are made for, and you must work indefatigably to achieve excellence in your field of endeavor.
You must discover what you are made for, and you must work indefatigably to achieve excellence in your field of endeavor.
If you are called to be a street-sweeper, you should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
The goal in life is to make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing—in marriage, at your job, in your community, for your country.
The goal in life is to make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing—in marriage, at your job, in your community, for your country.
Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your abilities. The effort is what counts in everything.
—John Wooden, UCLA Basketball Coach
Performance is the outcome (the grade, the honor or award, the achievement).
Performance is the outcome (the grade, the honor or award, the achievement).
Performance character consists of those qualities needed to pursue ourpersonal best—whether the outcome is realized or not.
We asked high school students:
We asked high school students:
”What persons or experiences in high school have most influenced the development of your performancecharacter?”
The importance of being challenged:
The importance of being challenged:
“The person who has most profoundly affected my performance character is my basketball coach. He had me play power forward, even though I am only 5’4”. When I became frustrated, he never let me give up. I never before had to do anything so far out of my comfort zone.”
—A High School Girl
Moral character consists of the virtues needed for ethical behavior, positive relationships, and responsible citizenship.
Moral character consists of the virtues needed for ethical behavior, positive relationships, and responsible citizenship.
Moral character honors the interests of others, so that we do not violate moral values as we pursue our performance goals.
We asked high school students:
We asked high school students:
”What persons or experiences in high school have most influenced the development of your moral character?”
Only by developing performance character will schools:
Only by developing performance character will schools:
Promote academic achievement for all students
foster an ethic of excellence, not just higher test scores
develop scientific and entrepreneurial talent
produce a competitive, creative workforce.
Only by developing moral character will schools:
Only by developing moral character will schools:
create safe learning environments
prevent peer cruelty
decrease discipline problems
reduce cheating
foster social & emotional skills
develop ethical thinkers
produce public-spirited citizens.
Performance character and
Performance character and
moral character
are defined in terms of 8 Strengths of Character, assets needed for a flourishing life.
What are the
What are the
Strengths of Character
that make up the
“whole person”?
Lifelong learner and critical thinker
Lifelong learner and critical thinker
Diligent and capable performer
Socially and emotionally skilled person
Ethical thinker
Respectful and responsible moral agent
Self-disciplined person who pursues a healthy lifestyle
Contributing community member and democratic citizen
Spiritual person engaged in crafting a life of noble purpose.
Classical philosophy about living a meaningful and fulfilling life
Classical philosophy about living a meaningful and fulfilling life
Cross-cultural wisdom
Positive psychology’s focus on the assets needed for a flourishing life
Our own grounded theory research.
Approaches learning as a lifelong process
Approaches learning as a lifelong process
Shows skills of critical analysis
Takes seriously the perspectives of others
Seeks credible evidence
Integrates knowledge
Generates alternative solutions
Demonstrates intellectual humility (e.g., willingness to admit error).
Core Works in literature, history, and the arts are selected by one independent school’s faculty using four criteria:
Core Works in literature, history, and the arts are selected by one independent school’s faculty using four criteria:
Timelessness
Centrality (involves important themes)
Influence
Originality (offers new vision)
“Our purpose is to teach the best that has been thought and said in the world.”
“Our purpose is to teach the best that has been thought and said in the world.”
How does pornography affect our respect for the dignity of other people?
How does pornography affect our respect for the dignity of other people?
Who are pornography’s victims?
How does it affect our self-respect?
What are some of the possible long-term consequences of viewing pornography on our sexual attitudes and behavior?
How might pornography affect a marriage?
Strives for excellence; gives best effort
Strives for excellence; gives best effort
Demonstrates initiative
Knows standards of quality and creates high-quality products; takes pride in work
Sets personal goals and assesses progress
Perseveres despite difficulty.
A community that supports and challenges
A community that supports and challenges
Self-study (self-assessment and goal-setting)
Other-study (learning from positive and negative examples)
Public performance/presentation
An Ethic of Excellence:
Building a Culture
of Craftsmanship with Students
—Ron Berger
Berger’s work illustrates the use of the 4 KEYS.
Work that inspires. (Community That Supports & Challenges)
Work that inspires. (Community That Supports & Challenges)
Models of excellence. (Other-Study)
A culture of critique. (Community That Supports & Challenges)
Multiple revisions. (Self-Study)
Opportunities to present/display one’s work. (Public Performance)
Students regularly present their work to peers and the teacher for feedback, in order to heighten their responsibility for:
Students regularly present their work to peers and the teacher for feedback, in order to heighten their responsibility for:
doing their best work
bringing out the best in each other.
Be kind.
Be specific.
Be helpful.
Presenter: “I would especially like suggestions on . . .”
Presenter: “I would especially like suggestions on . . .”
Positive feedback from the group and teacher.
Constructive critique, often put as questions:
“Would you consider . . . ?”
“Have you thought of . . . ?”
Involve students in meaningful learning experiences that challenge them to meet real-world standards.
Involve students in meaningful learning experiences that challenge them to meet real-world standards.
A HIGH SCHOOL
A HIGH SCHOOL
SCIENCE RESEARCH CLASS
“These kids are doing original
research, not cookbook science. We’re teaching problem-posing, problem-solving, cause-and-effect thinking, and teamwork.”
—Science Teacher
Possesses a healthy self-confidence and positive attitude
Possesses a healthy self-confidence and positive attitude
Demonstrates basic courtesy
Develops positive relationships
Communicates effectively
Works well with others
Resolves conflicts fairly
Has emotional intelligence, including the ability to understand and manage one’s feelings.
Promising Practice:
Develop and regularly renew a positive relationship with every student.
Promising Practice:
Promising Practice:
Foster Positive Peer Relations.
RESPECT SCALE
RESPECT SCALE
At the end of the day, each student gives himself a rating of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (high) on the Respect Scale.
We have a class conversation: “Why did you give yourself that rating?” We do not pass judgment.
I ask, “How are you going to try to get better tomorrow? What strategies will you use?” Other students may suggest strategies.
—Usha Balamore
Possesses moral discernment
Possesses moral discernment
Has a well-formed conscience—including a feeling of obligation to do the right thing.
Has a strong moral identity; moral character is central to “who I am.”
Has the moral skills to translate moral discernment, conscience, and identity into effective moral behavior.
Moral Discernment:
Moral Discernment:
How can we tell right from wrong?
1. Right actions affirm human dignity.
2. They promote the happiness and well-being of the individual.
3. They serve the common good.
4. They meet the test of reversibility. (Would I want this done to me?)
5. They can be universalized. (Would I want all people to act in this way?)
1. What would you want a teacher to say about your character in a letter of reference?
2. How do you gain the trust of another person? How do you destroy it?
3. What are some of the consequences of being dishonest?
4. What are some of the rewards of being honest?
—Hal Urban
Study LIVES OF CHARACTER.
Study LIVES OF CHARACTER.
Challenge students to pursue their own character development.
Draw lives of character from:
Your academic discipline
Psychological research (e.g., Some Do Care)
Current events (virtueinaction.org)
Great films (TeachWithMovies.com)
After presenting a man or woman of exemplary performance character and moral character, ask students:
After presenting a man or woman of exemplary performance character and moral character, ask students:
What can you observe or infer about this person as an ethical thinker? What evidence do you see of moral discernment, conscience, moral identity, and moral competence?
What character strengths does this person possess that you would like to develop to a higher degree?
Great resource for discussing current events:
Great resource for discussing current events:
Virtue in Action
www.virtueinaction.org
Bi-monthly on-line lessons
Latest issue: Cyber-bullying
Respects the rights and dignity of all persons
Respects the rights and dignity of all persons
Understands that respect includes the right of conscience to disagree respectfully
Possesses a strong sense of responsibility to do what’s right
Takes responsibility for mistakes
Shows moral leadership.
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
(PERFORMANCE CHARACTER)
1. BE PREPARED.
2. WORK HARD.
3. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Rules for Treating Others with Respect & Care
(MORAL CHARACTER)
1. TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED.
2. USE GOOD MANNERS.
3. HELP EACH OTHER.
Demonstrates self-control
Demonstrates self-control
Pursues physical, emotional, and mental health
Makes responsible personal choices that contribute to ongoing self-development, a healthy lifestyle, and a positive future.
1. Mark a line across the classroom with 7 points.
1=Not True of Me; 7=Very true of me”
2. “Go and stand at the point on the line that best describes you in terms of the following statement” (5-6 students at a time):
“I take care of my health. I get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise.”
Follow up Q’s:
Why did you put yourself there?
How does this compare to last year?
Where do you want to be in the future?
Sexual Decision-Making
Sexual Decision-Making
We need to give young people a rational way of thinking about sex—one that appeals to their intelligence and that will ground them and make their decisions solid.
10 Emotional Dangers of Premature Sex
10 Emotional Dangers of Premature Sex
Worry about pregnancy and STDs.
Regret.
Guilt.
Loss of self-respect.
Corruption of character.
Difficulty trusting.
Depression and suicide.
Damaged or ruined relationships.
Stunted personal development.
Negative effects on marriage.
“I lost my virginity when I was 15. My boyfriend and I thought we loved each other. But once we began having sex, it completely destroyed any love we had. I felt he was no longer interested in spending time with me—he was interested in spending time with my body.”
—Amanda, a college student
Article with stories from the lives of teens:
Article with stories from the lives of teens:
“10 Emotional Dangers of Premature Sexual Involvement”
2. Why does sexual intimacy have emotional consequences?
3. Are these consequences often different for males and females? If so, why?
4. What is required in a relationship to maximize the likelihood that sexual intimacy will be emotionally safe and fulfilling?
Contributes to family, classroom, school, and community
Contributes to family, classroom, school, and community
Demonstrates civic virtues needed for participation in democratic processes
Demonstrates awareness of interdependence and a sense of responsibility to all humanity.
A HURTING WORLD
A HURTING WORLD
Nearly half the world’s population are poor.
One in 6 lives in “extreme poverty”—the poverty that kills. They are chronically hungry, lack safe drinking water, cannot get health care or afford education.
—Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty
Engage students in service learning.
Engage students in service learning.
Involve students in first-hand experiences of democracy.
Resolve school conflicts democratically, with respect for differences of conscience.
Teens who are involved in service learning:
Teens who are involved in service learning:
Do better in school
Are more likely to treat each other kindly and respond positively to cultural diversity.
Service learning every Wednesday morning
Service learning every Wednesday morning
Quality control (supervision of field sites)
Senior year global issues course
Senior Project.
Considers existential questions (e.g., “What is happiness?”, “What is the meaning of life?”)
Considers existential questions (e.g., “What is happiness?”, “What is the meaning of life?”)
1. Are you generally satisfied with what you have done so far in your life? Explain.
1. Are you generally satisfied with what you have done so far in your life? Explain.
2. What obstacles, if any, have interfered with your personal growth? What can you do to overcome them?
3. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in your life thus far?
4. What goals have you planned for your future? What are you presently doing to pursue them?
—John Perricone, Zen and the Art of Public School Teaching
Faculty and staff
Faculty and staff
Students
Parents
The wider community
Develop shared purpose and identity.
Develop shared purpose and identity.
Align practices with desired outcomes and relevant research.
Have a voice; take a stand.
Take personal responsibility for continuous self-development.
Practice collective responsibility.
Grapple with the tough issues.
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose and identity.
Promising Practice 1:
Build a unified school culture around excellence and ethics through consistent high expectations for learning and behavior.
Most schools suffer from “loose coupling”—high levels of inconsistency in expectations and values.
A Smart & Good School is characterized by tight coupling.
One way to achieve
tight coupling:
A School Touchstone—
a “way” of doing our work and treating others.
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose (cont.)
Develop an honor code.
(see Smart & Good report, “The Ethical Learning Community, p.46)
I will be honest in all my actions.
I will be honest in all my actions.
I will treat others the way I want to be treated.
I will extend courtesy and kindness to all people.
I will respect our school building and every individual’s personal property.
I will take pride in our school programs.
I will have the courage to report bullying, drugs, and weapons in our school.
I will uphold this Honor Code and exhibit these behaviors when I represent our school off campus.
Develop shared purpose and identity (cont.):
Develop shared purpose and identity (cont.):
Promising Practice:
Create defining school traditions that express and strengthen the school’s commitment to excellence and ethics.
(“The Ethical Learning Community,” p. 38)
(“The Ethical Learning Community,” p. 38)
ELC PRINCIPLE 1 (cont.):
ELC PRINCIPLE 1 (cont.):
Develop shared purpose and identity.
Promising Practice:
Make a character compact with parents.
A school’s sense of purpose must be shared by families.
A school’s sense of purpose must be shared by families.
If it is not, its impact on students is significantly weakened.
What is missing in many schools is an explicit compact—an agreement between the school and parents to support each other in upholding shared character expectations.
A CHARACTER COMPACT WITH PARENTS
AROUND THE HONOR CODE (p. 39)
Dear Parents,
Lincoln High School, as you know, takes pride in its commitment to fostering both intellectual and moral excellence . . .
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I have read the Honor Code and discussed it with my child. I support the school’s effort to promote academic integrity and to hold students accountable to that standard.
Signed: _______________________
Promising Practice:
Promising Practice:
Challenge parents to align parenting practices with relevant research.
When teens are allowed to drink at home, they are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs outside the home AND are at risk to develop serious behavioral and health problems related to substance abuse.
When teens are allowed to drink at home, they are more likely to use alcohol and other drugs outside the home AND are at risk to develop serious behavioral and health problems related to substance abuse.
—A Parent’s Guide for the Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use www.thecommunityofconcern.org/book
ELC PRINCIPLE 3:
ELC PRINCIPLE 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.
Next to prisons, high schools are the least democratic institutions in our society. They are cursed by a tradition of hypocrisy—teaching and espousing democratic doctrine within the classroom, while the actual practice of democratic principles is largely nonexistent anywhere in the school.
Next to prisons, high schools are the least democratic institutions in our society. They are cursed by a tradition of hypocrisy—teaching and espousing democratic doctrine within the classroom, while the actual practice of democratic principles is largely nonexistent anywhere in the school.
—Peggy Silva & Robert A. Mackin,
Standards of Mind and Heart
“For students, it is very important that their voice be heard. This would show students that administrators and teachers respect them, and then students would be more likely to show respect in return.”
—High School Girl
“Teens have to realize that they must stand up for what they believe in. Developing character means being an individual and upholding your convictions with honesty, confidence, and courage. Apathy is perhaps the greatest problem facing teens.”
“Teens have to realize that they must stand up for what they believe in. Developing character means being an individual and upholding your convictions with honesty, confidence, and courage. Apathy is perhaps the greatest problem facing teens.”
—High School Boy
Promising practices:
Promising practices:
Develop student voice.
Develop faculty and staff voice.
Develop parent voice.
Develop community voice.
Develop student voice in the classroom (e.g., call on students randomly; conduct class meetings).
Annual Student Engagement Survey
Schoolwide small-group discussions (“What can we do to improve our school?”)
Democratic schoolwide governance (representative or direct).
ELC PRINCIPLE 4
ELC PRINCIPLE 4
Take personal responsibility for continuous self-development.
Promising practice:
Promote ongoing self-reflection on the quest for excellence and ethics.
Example: Journal:
What can you do to improve in each of your academic subjects?
What keeps you from doing better?
ELC PRINCIPLE 5
ELC PRINCIPLE 5
Practice collective responsibility for excellence and ethics.
Promising practice:
Promising practice:
Create a school norm of collective responsibility and structures that institutionalize it.
“Care-frontation”
“Care-frontation”
When they called the concern meeting, I was mad they were confronting me. One of them said, “You do have an attitude. You give teachers lip. They’re just trying to teach you.” Afterwards I had time to think: “If all these people are saying this about me, maybe it’s true.”
When they called the concern meeting, I was mad they were confronting me. One of them said, “You do have an attitude. You give teachers lip. They’re just trying to teach you.” Afterwards I had time to think: “If all these people are saying this about me, maybe it’s true.”
I had to write a letter to my concern group about what I learned from the whole situation. In this school, if you don’t change, you’re going to get constantly confronted. This school is concerned.
—High School Girl
ELC PRINCIPLE 6
ELC PRINCIPLE 6
Grapple with the tough issues—the elephants in your living room.
If I were head of my school, I would do more to try to eliminate cliques. Although our school was named a National School of Character, we suffer from this problem. Cliques segregate students and promote elitism.
If I were head of my school, I would do more to try to eliminate cliques. Although our school was named a National School of Character, we suffer from this problem. Cliques segregate students and promote elitism.
I would increase group projects that expose students to people outside their own circle of friends.
—A High School Boy
“People here really care about and support each other. An experienced teacher will coach a new teacher, but it goes the other way as well.
“People here really care about and support each other. An experienced teacher will coach a new teacher, but it goes the other way as well.
“As a new teacher, you feel immediately appreciated because people find out what you’re good at and want to learn from you.”
—High School Math Teacher
Research shows that as faculty collegiality increases, student achievement increases.
Research shows that as faculty collegiality increases, student achievement increases.
At your table, choose a facilitator and a recorder.
At your table, choose a facilitator and a recorder.
Develop a Professional Compact for Excellence—behavioral and participation guidelines for our adult Ethical Learning Community here today.
3. Each team member make a copy.
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
1. (e.g.) EVERYONE CONTRIBUTE.
2.
3.
Rules for Treating Others with Respect & Care
1. (e.g.) BUILD ON OTHERS’ IDEAS.
2.
3.
Give faculty a voice in setting the agenda for faculty meetings.
Maximize participation in meetings (conduct meeting in a circle; do small-group sharing of a successful practice or current problem).
Give faculty a voice in program and policy decisions, including character education.
What classroom strategies will we use to develop our target virtues?
What schoolwide strategies will we use?
What structures (e.g., multiple committees) will we use to share leadership of the practices we decide to implement?
How will we measure our success and use data to guide program improvements?
How will we seek the involvement of other ELC stakeholders (students and parents)?
