1. North Carolina Collaborative Conference On Student Achievement
Character Education Presentation
Find this presentation at:
Building State & National Schools of Character
Get the centers lesson
Get the honors information for Linda
what does character look like in schools‬
sharing the rubric 
what do the characteristics mean
what do successful schools have
sharing the website - process of updating the handbook
contact information for the district coordinators
how many would like to be a part of a advisory group? 
show the legislation
show how to integrate it into the local curriculum and the curriculum documents (how is it infused throughout all areas of school and the community)
Presented March 21, 2012
By The Curriculum & Instruction Division’s
K-12 Social Studies Section

2. Character Education Summer Program in Raleigh
Are You Interested In Receiving Information About the Character Education Summer Student Leadership Program?
Submit your information through the link below
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3. NCDPI K-12 Social Studies Team:
Section Chief
Fay Gore
Elementary Consultant
Vacant
Middle Grades Consultant
High School Consultant
Michelle Mclaughlin
Program Assistant
Bernadette Cole
Add Gail’s info
Jessica – ERD

4. STUDENT CITIZEN ACT OF 2001
In the fall of 2001, the North Carolina State Legislature passed the Student Citizen Act of 2001 (SL ).
This Act requires every local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community.
With the passage of this Act, the state of North Carolina has affirmed that the development of character in our children is the cornerstone of education.
The Character Ed Webpage---
Student Citizen Act of 2001 (SL ) was passed into law by the North Carolina State Legislature. This Act requires every local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. With the passage of this Act, the state of North Carolina has affirmed that the development of character in our children is the cornerstone of education. Additional information (link to legislative act)

5. Visit The North Carolina Character Education Webpage

6. Building Character Activity
A Website to find Helpful Character Building Games and Activities -
This can be a quick, simple and fun way to engage quickly and set a frame of focus for the session.
Time- 5 minutes total.
Here is the link to the web where this activity was found.
Ideas of how to perform activity:
Have cards cut out that have the Character descriptions on them to go with the trait on the picture card.
Have participants match them (about 2-3 minutes). They can work in pairs.
Then go over the answer matches. Give out candy or some small prize to all.

7. Character Education…
…is taught through modeling, climate, and curriculum.
…comes from the HOME, COMMUNITY and the SCHOOLS.
…is learning how to make good decisions and choices.
…is learning about positive relationships and their development.
…is grounded in RELATIONSHIPS and school culture.
…is a PROCESS, not just a program.
…is bringing out the BEST in ALL OF US-students & teachers.

8. Building Good Schools Of Character
Good School USA
Community
Faculty & Staff
Parents
Business
Students
Good School Of
C h a r a c t e r
Community
Faculty & Staff
Parents
Business
The purpose of this slide is to emphasize the need for a firm and clear foundation for beginning standards development.
One of the most important factors that educators feel is important to having a high quality education for all students is having a set of high standards.
Because of this districts are looking at how to develop a high-quality curriculum for their schools and that curriculum is based on standards and for us in SS it is the Essential Standards. An important starting point for our schools to begin to develop high quality curriculum is to have a carefully planned curriculum framework that reflects the standards and goals developed at the state level.
In order for districts to do this, leaders and curriculum developers will need to have an understanding of the Essential Standards and the framework upon which they have been developed.
Students

9. The Six Pillars of Character Education
Note: Presenter should provide participants a sheet with the descriptions for each of the 6 pillars.
Character education helps students know, care about, and act on six core ethical values …
Trustworthiness
Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends, and country
Respect
Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant and accepting of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements
Responsibility
Do what you are supposed to do • Plan ahead • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes • Set a good example for others
Fairness
Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly • Treat all people fairly
Caring
Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need
Citizenship
Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment • Volunteer

10. What Do Successful NC State Schools Of Character Have?
Climate
Curriculum
Community
Commitment
Commitment
Commitment
When you walk into a school where character is a seamless part of the school environment, you know it—and although initiatives may differ in scope and intent, all demonstrate a shared commitment to promoting positive traits, such as respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and honesty.
The character education model developed by the North Carolina Character Education Partnership consists of three major focus areas, community, climate, and curriculum.
Holding or “cementing” these together is Commitment. Community, Climate, Curriculum, and Commitment are the building blocks to prepare a generation of youth for the 21st century.
•Community refers to the process of building consensus and sustaining community involvement in the shared responsibility of developing character and active citizenship in young people.
• Climate incorporates multiple factors that affect the school environment, such as personal relationships, leadership, discipline, sense of community, safety, civic involvement and democratic leadership.
• Curriculum includes strategies and resource materials for integrating elements of character into the entire school curriculum and for strengthening the civics curriculum. Service- learning is suggested as a highly successful strategy for both character and citizenship development.
The Curriculum-
When schools decide to do something about character education, they often look outside the building for solutions. Some buy materials, they put up posters, but may neglect to use readily available resources such as stories of the founding fathers, how civil rights have developed, the lessons we learn from our history, and those who have made a contribution to the society. Students also learn from stories of Benedict Arnold, Enron, and the Great Depression. An intentional approach to include character traits within the high school curriculum may include such things as studying environmental issues, the use of the Internet, and having integrity during experimentation.
Focus on specific traits clearly visible in characters’ lives. Aesop’s Fables are good examples of stories with morals. Do not assume the students understand the moral of the story. Talk about and relate situations to their lives and present day. Character education fits well with social studies and health topics. Accepting individual differences, showing courage, developing citizenship, taking responsibility for oneself, and making positive choices are skills normally taught at the elementary level. Sometimes all that is needed is a reminder to focus on the character aspects of your lessons.
The Climate-
There are many ways in which secondary school students can value and assimilate character development in their daily lives: through mentorship, peer mediation, and service learning.
The Connection-
Link character education with active service and citizenship in the school and community. Give kids the chance to put their values into action on some real issue they care about. Service makes character education socially relevant; kids learn how values work in the world. Service projects also give kids the chance to learn and practice important life skills such as teamwork, communication, and other social skills, and to experience success in a real-world task.
Talk to your students about opportunities and challenge them to find out for themselves what problems their community needs to solve. Take them out for a look-see, even if it’s just for a walk around the local neighborhood, or, for the little ones, maybe just the blocks that face their schoolyard. The idea is to help them see values not in the abstract but as the means to real change. If you are able to do a service project, help the kids develop a plan for something that they can see makes a difference. That makes them stakeholders in the community, people who care about what happens there. This is the essence of good citizenship.

11. Strategy suggestions on how to begin:
Form a leadership group, including students, parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators.
Read or review North Carolina’s Character Education Handbook.
Develop a knowledge base: Study the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education at
Look at your school’s Mission Statement. Does it indicate the school’s responsibility for promoting character development?
Conduct a survey that gets input from staff, students, and parents. Use the data to discover areas of strength and weakness.
Involve all staff (custodians, cafeteria workers, administrators, bus drivers, etc.) in a planning meeting. Brainstorm ways you currently promote character development and consider an additional approach to expand or enhance your focus.
Identify target virtues for your program.
Obtain feedback on how to focus or enlarge the school’s program.
Develop a knowledge base: Study the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education at
This page focuses on information about strategies to start, evaluate and enhance your school-based character education programs.
Most of this information comes from --
Presenter may want to focus on 1) the NC Handbook and 2) the 11 Principles.
This will lead into the next few slides on the 11 Principles.
Source:

12. The KEY to a successful school Character Education program is to follow the “The 11 Principles of Effective Character Education”
Each principle outlines criteria that should be considered when developing an effective program.
“The 11 Principles of Effective Character Education” offer the primary guidance for successful implementation and outcomes.
This document serves as an excellent outline for program planning and can easily be integrated into staff development and self-evaluation.

13. What is quality character education?
Effective character education:
Principle 1: Promotes core ethical values.
Principle 2: Defines “character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Principle 3: Uses a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive approach.

14. What does a school with quality character education look like?
Principle 4: Creates a caring school community.
Principle 5: Provides opportunities for moral action (service learning).
Principle 6: Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that meets the needs of all learners (performance character).
Principle 7: Fosters students’ self-motivation.

15. Who should be involved in character education?
Principle 8: Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community.
Principle 9: Fosters shared moral leadership and long-range support.
Principle 10: Engages families and community members as partners.

16. How are we doing? Where do we go from here?
Assessment should guide the process!
Principle 11: Evaluates the character education initiative.

17. What Does Character Education Look Like?
Video Clip: What Does Character Education Look Like?
Have participants watch this short (4:53) video clip on what character education looks like.
Here is the link:
Once you click the link then go down to the Modules and click on Module #5.
Michelle’s private download on Youtube -
Virginia Department of Education Character Education Site:

18. How Do You Know If Your Character Education Program Is Working?
Observable Behaviors:
Do students demonstrate that they know right from wrong?
Do students’ actions show a respect for others?
Do students work well cooperatively?
Do students influence others in a positive way
Is the school becoming a more caring community?
Is the entire school staff working on being a positive role model and friend to students?
There are formal means to evaluate the effectiveness of your character education focus and there are also informal methods where you observe your students. Character traits are seen as “soft skills’” therefore, a written evaluation may be difficult to measure actual results. We also acknowledge that many factors influence students each day – some negative and some positive. It is difficult to ensure that all change has come from the influence of character education.
In order to see if your focus is working with your particular students, it is imperative to have certain observable behaviors and/or attitudes that you were hoping to change.

19. How Do You Know If Your Character Education Program Is Working?
Collect Definitive Information:
Attendance data
Suspension data
Data on specific behaviors
i.e., fighting, bullying, cutting class, d-hall participation, etc.
Communication logs
i.e., parent/community involvement, school/community collaboration, school program agendas and bulletins, etc.

20. Who Can Apply ?
Any U.S. public or private K-12 school engaged in character education for at least 3 years
Any district (or Charter School) engaged for 4 years
Begin the application process by completing the online Application Cover Sheet.
Where do I send my application?
If you are in a state that is participating in the State Schools of Character (SSOC) competitions, you send 4 copies of your application to your state sponsor.
All others submit their applications directly to CEP.
NOTE: Not eligible? Consider applying for a Promising Practices award. 20

21. Building Character Activity “Random Act Of Kindness”
What gift is always appreciated, costs nothing, but rewards the giver and receiver with happiness?
The gift of KINDNESS.
“Random Act Of Kindness”
THIS CAN BE AN EXIT ACTIVITY (Provide a website handout of Random Acts of Kindness Quotes)
RANDOM ACT OF KINDESS
No matter what is going on in someone else’s life, a nice note will help them feel that much better.
Notes are the perfect thing to do if they are feeling down or have something big to celebrate.
Jot a few lines down in a card, include a friendship quote, write down a memory, or just tell them how proud you are of them.
RESOURCE LINKS:
Acts of Kindness, Inspiring Quotes: 30 Inspirational Quotations on Kind Acts, Helping Others, Good Deeds | Suite101.com