Data-Driven Educational SolutionsBy Philip F. Vincent

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Character Education…is any school-directed program designed to shape directly and systematically the behavior of young people by teaching explicitly the non-relativist values believed to bring about good behavior. Lockwood, 1997.

Is this a good definition?

The Definition of Character“From the English word ‘character’ is

derived from the Greek Charakter, which originally referred to a marked impressed upon a coin. Later and more generally ‘character’ came to mean a distinctive mark by which one thing was distinguished from others, and then primarily to mean the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another.

Homiak 2007

Seeing the Whole PictureKnowledge is Power Program

(KIPP)There are three core principles:

They require more hours of class time than typical public schools.

They treat instruction and lesson planning more like a science than an art and…

They make a conscious effort to guide behavior and even values of their students by teaching what they call character.

www. nytimes.com. (2006)

To Consider…If our classrooms are filled with a higher

percentage of students and teachers who show respect for others, practice responsibility, show resilience, trust their teachers and fellow students, practice kindness, consider ideas of moral excellence and the struggle of humanity as they seek to serve others then we just might offer students a quality education.

How we should see character education

I believe we must see character education as a process not as a program. It must be infused within the “ethos” or life of the school from the time a a child gets on a bus through the athletic and artistic presentations in the evening. Simply put, it is what we do.

Helping Guide Our Efforts

Thomas Lickona and Matt Davidson note that a quest for character requires a quest for excellence as well as a quest for ethics.

Report to the Nations: Smart and Good High Schools (2005)

Performance Character as a Mastery Orientation…

It consists of those qualities such as effort, diligence, perseverance, a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, ingenuity and self discipline.

Lickona and Davidson (2005)

Moral Character…

…consist of relational qualities – such as integrity, justice, caring and respect – needed for successful interpersonal relationships and ethical behavior.

Lickona and Davidson (2005)

Curriculum ExpectationsSchools that are surpassing the norm approach teaching as a science. Studies reveal that they use theory and research based strategies to create, prepare, and deliver a rigorous challenging education. They use technology and enthusiasm to share such knowledge.

To harness the power contained with a curriculum requires…

Relationships with our studentsEnthusiasm and knowledge

about the subject matter and…

Pedagogy that is engaging for all

We consider the curriculum to

…consist of the arts, exercise sciences, humanities, sciences and vocational sciences. The curriculum represents the totality of the material to be learned and hopefully mastered within the educational life of the child.

The curriculum should be delivered with…

1) Educational rigor2) Instructional creativity3) Academic support4) Differentiated effectiveness

Educational Rigor…The application of precise and

exacting standards in the doing of something. In other words, rigor seems to imply a sense of excellence. In order to achieve “rigor” we must develop the steps that will hopefully become habits, that will, if practiced, offer a child a chance of achieving excellent in his/her pursuits.

The development of rigor or excellence…Requires the formation, practice and application of basic knowledge that leads to the development and application of more advanced thinking skills.

Using the work of Grant Wiggins and Jay McTigue, we must…

Look backwards!Define mastery. What would it look

like if a student mastered a particular skill or concept

Determine and define the skills one would need to reach mastery

Teach and have students develop these skills

Instructional creativity and differentiated effectiveness…

There is nothing wrong with fun in schoolsUse multi-media as a teaching and learning toolConsider how students have different

“intelligences”Present the material with the learning styles of

students in mind.Use all mediums as a means of exhibiting masteryRecognize that not all students will master the

curriculum at the same time or through the same medium

Academic Support…

Tutorials before and after schoolTime allocated with individuals or

small groups within the class periodAssigned teachers/support teachers

to assist students and other teachersPeer tutoringGrouping

Ron Berger……the project model in the school where I

teach is predicated on every child succeeding. Not just finishing, but producing work that represents excellence for that child. Though some of the work is done as homework, the classroom is the hub of creation, the project workshop….If any student is failing to succeed or producing work without care, it is a concern for every student….Anything weak reflects on us all.

Ron Berger. Building a Culture of Craftsmanship with Students (2003)

To Develop Excellence in One’s WorkProjects have assessment rubrics,

checklists, which make it clear just what is expected of each student. These rubrics spell out exactly what components are required in the project, what the time-line for completion is and on what qualities and dimensions the project will be judged.

Building Climate

A positive climate creates a sense of connectedness with others throughout the school environment.

Building a positive school climate… Climate is a term used to describe how

people feel about their school. It is a combination of beliefs, values, and attitudes shared by students, teachers, administrators, parents, bus drivers, office personnel, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other who play an important role in the life of the school.

Jim Sweeney, Tips for Improving School Climate (1988)

Building a Supportive School Climate… will not happen by accident. It must be intentional and reflect a clear focus as an essential mission of the school.

Ernest Boyer. The Basic School (1995)

Research on School Climate has found…

That if a child attended a high school with good order and discipline, there was only a 9% chance of becoming a juvenile delinquent whereas if the child went to a school with poor discipline, the probability of becoming a juvenile delinquent increased to 48%.

Rutter and colleagues

A Civil School Climate has… a focus on the development of courtesy and manners in our treatment of all within the building. This is modeled, taught and practiced by the adults and students within the total school environment.

Questions to consider in building a good climate

1. What do the adults model and subsequently stand for in your building?

2. What do the students see and hear from the adults in the building?

3. Is bullying tolerated in the presence of the adult?

4. Do the adults practice what they preach and preach what they practice?

5. Are the adults the moral compass in the classroom and in the school?

A Good Climate is forged by…1. Determining the habits we wish people to

develop and practice.2. Establishing rules as guidelines and

practices that if practiced over and over will develop habits of civility

3. Developing consistency of expectations throughout the school

4. Insisting that all stakeholders work hard to develop habits of excellence that promote a positive school climate for all in the school

Community and Student SuccessStudies looking at the relationship between the

participation of families in their children’s education… typically divide types of family involvement activities into the following four components:

Parental academic aspirations and expectations for children

Participation in school activities and programs Home structure that supports learning Communication with children about school

(Singh, et al., 1995)

Importance of Families on Student Learning

there are strong indications that the most effective forms of parent involvement are those which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities in the home. Programs that involve parents in reading with their children, supporting their work on homework assignments, or tutoring them using materials and instructions provided by teachers, show particularly impressive results.

Cotton and Wikelund (1989, p. 3)

What Does the Search Institute Teach Us?

1. Family support—Family life provides high levels of love and support.

2. Positive family communication—Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young

person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.

3. Other adult relationships—Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.

4. Caring neighborhood—Young person experiences caring neighbors.

5. Caring school climate—School provides a caring, encouraging environment.

6. Parent involvement in schooling—Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.

Search Institute Continued7. Community values youth—Young person perceives that

adults in the community value youth.8. Youth as resources—Young people are given useful roles in

the community.9. Service to others—Young person serves in the community one

hour or more per week.10. Safety—Young person feels safe at home, school, and in the

neighborhood.11. Family boundaries—Family has clear rules and

consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.12. School Boundaries—School provides clear rules and

consequences.13. Neighborhood boundaries—Neighbors take responsibility

for monitoring young people’s behavior.14. Adult role models—Parent(s) and other adults model

positive, responsible behavior.15. Positive peer influence—Young person’s best friends model

responsible behavior.

Search Institute Continued…16. High expectations—Both parent(s) and teachers

encourage the young person to do well.17. Creative activities—Young person spends three or

more hours per week in lessons or practice in music,theater, or other arts.18. Youth programs—Young person spends three or

more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizationsat school and/or in the community.19. Religious community—Young person spends one or

more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.20. Time at home—Young person is out with friends

“with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.

It does take a village to raise the child…of course what matters is how

seriously all members of the village take their responsibilities in modeling and teaching the child, using each of their gifts, to help children “know, love and do the good.” It really is not about the children. It is about the adults and the path we choose.

Thank You!

Have fun the rest of the conference and above all, be the person your

dog thinks you are!