Welcome to Project CHARACTER*

Created by: Jim Carroll Joe Montecalvo

Project CHARACTER Director: Howard Krieger

Project CHARACTER* was established through a grant awarded by the U. S. Department of Education’s Character Education Program on October 1, 2002 to Community School District 3 of New York City. The grant was developed by James J. Carroll, Ph.D.

Jim and Joe also lead… Project LEGAL—since 1976: implemented in 34 states Project CRITICAL—Gifted Ed. project for Region 10 since 1996; new $3M grant: Project TIPS--$7M+ Technology Challenge Grant for Bronx Schools (1999—2004)

Workshop Objectives: Overview of Project CHARACTER Clarify the Role of the Leadership Teams Demonstrate the CHARACTER Education Public Policy Analyst (CEPPA) Develop Initial Plans for School Implementation

1-Minute Ice-Breaker 1.Turn to a neighbor sitting near you and say hello (if possible, introduce yourself to someone you don’t already know or get the chance to talk to very often). 2.Each person should share 1 piece of good news and 1 thing you’re looking forward to in your life.

Overview of Project CHARACTER

CHARACTER C itizenship and H igh A cademic standards, R einforcing the A spen C haracter T raits, and E thical R easoning

C ITIZENSHIP Includes the skills of a Public Policy Analyst: the ability to define social problems & develop new public policy solutions

H igh A cademic standards Effective character ed will promote academic improvement.

R einforcing the A SPEN C haracter T raits respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, caring justice & fairness civic virtue & citizenship

E thical R easoning Using analysis and technology to solve our school’s problems and create a caring environment

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. Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education From: The Character Education Partnership

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 the 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.

Goals of Project CHARACTER Caring Schools and Improved Academic Performance

The four CRITICAL objectives of Project CHARACTER may be summarized as: (1) Curriculum Restructuring to focus on the Six Pillars of Character—respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, caring, justice and fairness, and civic virtue and citizenship—in all content courses and on school- wide social problems,

The four CRITICAL objectives of Project CHARACTER may be summarized as: (2) Implementation and Training among five new target schools each year: summer workshop, 4 release days, Saturday & after school workshops

August Workshop: Technology Center: 425 W. 123 rd August 18: 12:00—3:00 August 19 & 20: 8:30 – 3:00 (per session pay rate)

The four CRITICAL objectives of Project CHARACTER may be summarized as: (3) Integrating Computer Applications—The Character Education Public Policy Analyst (CEPPA) and The Public Policy Analyst (PPA), all of which develops

The four CRITICAL objectives of Project CHARACTER may be summarized as: (4) Learning standards in both character and academic achievement related to the new NY content standards.

The key to our success is… The School Leadership Teams

School Leadership Teams (LT) Building Principal Three Highly Respected Teachers A Concerned Parent

LT Members’ role is described in the CHARACTER Handbook CHARACTER Handbook

LT Members will lead their after school committees in using the CEPPA

The CEPPA addresses these school social problems…CEPPA (a) discipline problems (b) students’ grades (c) participation in extracurricular activities (d) parental and community involvement (e) faculty and administration involvement (f) student and staff morale

Planning Activities

June: Review project goals with principal

June: Select LT Members: Must be able to attend August workshop and lead after school workshops

June: Check for listserv messages

August 18—20: LT members attend workshop

September: Implementation begins with after school committee meetings

Leadership Teams lead after school committees in use of the CEPPA to analyze problems Committees develop and implement new school policies

September: Implementation begins with after school committee meetings

October, January, March, & April Release Day Workshops

If we all work together as a team… …then CHARACTER will achieve its goals and objectives in our five target schools