Excellent schools strive to develop a comprehensive and integrative improvement process for students and their families that integrate best practices of positive school culture, climate, and social and emotional learning; character development skills, enhanced academic achievement strategies, and positive parent engagement. Character.org's…

This paper reports the results of a ten-year effort to establish ethics as a learning objective for all business students, to assess the effectiveness in achieving that learning objective and to incorporate ethical conduct as a part of the school's organizational culture. First, it addresses the importance of ethics instruction for all business…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify and articulate the practical implications of the teacher's role in implementing a program related to developing moral literacy in students as well as identifying what is necessary for professional development opportunities intended to educate teachers in the realm of moral literacy.…

This article demonstrates that while the more obvious and visible forms of citizenship education (such as introducing it as a new subject on the timetable and a public examination option) are being endorsed and promoted in official discourse, less visible forms (such as attending to ethics and values across the curriculum or the impact of…

All colleges teach ethics across their undergraduate curricula, yet relatively few institutions do so deliberately. That is, few colleges make explicit attempts to coordinate or integrate the various ethical lessons their students might be learning. This does not mean that most colleges are bad for students' ethical development; research shows…

The author critiques John Wilson's view of moral education for being too linear, ignoring the complexity of moral development. He proposes a more generalized moral education, with greater emphasis on affect and social context. For Wilson's article, see "Journal of Moral Education," p3-9, Oct 1979 (EJ220532). (SJL)

Character education's goal is to help young people know, care about, and act on core ethical values such as fairness, honesty, kindness, respect for others, and responsibility. In this interview, a high school principal in Memphis, Tennessee, explains how staff implemented a separate character-education course. (MLH)

This book argues for much greater attention to ethical education and responds to skeptics who doubt its accomplishment in a pluralistic, secular society that is badly fragmented over values. The book seeks themes that unite rather than divide and provides a conceptual foundation for ethical education, broad enough for building consensus among…

This book tells the story of a character-education effort implemented in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. It is asserted that school board members, administrators, faculty, classified staff, parents, and students all have key roles in developing a districtwide ethos that supports the core ethical values at every opportunity. The first chapter offers…

Six value education methodologies for use on the secondary level are described and recommendations for implementing values/moral/civic education are presented. The first and second sections describe Lawrence Kohlberg's six-stage moral development approach to value education. The use of moral dilemma discussions to develop moral reasoning is…

Over a 4-year period, researchers measured several outcomes in 5 school districts initiating or enhancing character education programs. Based on student, teacher, and administrator surveys, there was a noticeable improvement in character-related behavior. In certain districts, suspension and drop-out rates also decreased after the implementation…

Relates how character education can be quickly incorporated into the curriculum when teachers, the school, and the community share mutual goals and work as a team. Outlines some of the techniques used such as devoting each month to a specific character attribute and sending home newsletters to keep parents informed. (MJP)

Describes the focus and activities of the schools involved in California's "Partnerships in Character Education" project. In its third year, the pilot project has developed five separate school programs. Team members assess the environment of the school and design a program incorporating adult modeling and curriculum integration. (MJP)

Emphasizes the role of the school principal in creating a vision, being a role model, and encouraging staff into and through character education. Outlines examples of the staff development and continuing teacher education at a K-6 magnet school. Discusses the school principal's professional philosophy and practices. (MJP)

Posits character education as an integral element in transforming the mission and purpose of schooling. Discusses the grass-roots and collaborative efforts of educators in organizing information and support networks implementing character education. Maintains that character education is necessary to correct the antisocial messages and gratuitous…