Character Counts Education

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Character Counts Education

• Terri Wilson

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FoundationWhat is Character Counts?

• Most widely implemented character education
  program
• Coalition of diverse, nonpartisan human-service
  and educational organizations seeking to develop
  core ethical values transcending political,
  religious, class and ethical divisions.
• Incorporating the Six Pillars of Character
• Cost effective
• Research Based

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Who Organized Character Counts Education

• The Joseph Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics
  in 1992 hosted a 3 day, invite only conference
• Coalition included 30 of the nations leading
  educational and youth-serving leaders
• YMCA
• 4-H
• Little League
• Boys and Girls Clubs
• NEW
• NASSP
• Development of the 6 Pillars

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What are the Core Beliefs-Mission?

• Universal moral truths (principals of thought and
  conduct) distinguish between right and wrong and
  define good character
• Who you are makes a difference in personal
  relationships, school, at the workplace and in
  life
• Character is not hereditary and does not develop
  automatically. It is developed through example
  and demand.
• Although Parents have the primary responsibility
  to teach character, anyone interacting with young
  people plays a supporting role.

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Six Pillars of Character

• Trustworthiness-living with integrity, is honest,
  reliable, and loyal
• Respect-value all persons, living by the Golden
  Rule, incorporates dignity, privacy, and freedom
  of others, courteous and polite to all, and is
  tolerant and accepting of differences
• Responsibility-meeting the demands of duty, is
  accountable, pursues excellence, and exercises
  self-control
• Fairness-fair, impartial, and just, incorporates
  listening and is open to differing viewpoints
• Caring-compassionate, kind, loving, considerate,
  and charitable, showing concern for others
  (empathy)
• Citizenship-good citizen, does his or her own
  share, helps the community, plays by the rules,
  and respects laws and authority

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State Standards

• K-2 Standard 3 Citizenship Development
• K-2.3.1 Identify ways in which people are
  similar and different.
• K-2.3.8 Explain the benefits of good
  listening.
• K-2.4.15 Describe the benefits of being honest.
• 3-5 Standard 3 Citizenship Development
• 3-5.3.6 Relate a situation at school in which
  someone has been kind to others
• 3-5.3.30 Describe the importance of persistence
  in doing ones best.
• 3-5.3.31 Identify ways in which students can
  provide service in the community.

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Delivery System

• Curriculum
• Kick off Ceremony
• Morning Announcements with Pledge
• Character Hallways
• TRRFCC cards and Store
• Character Counts T-Shirts
• Athletes of Character
• Character Awards
• Character Counts Block Party
• Character-Conduct Grades

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• Everyone who effects student learning is
  involved in the instruction of Character Counts

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Bibliography

• Allman, B. (1999) Developing Character When It
  Counts. Frank Schaffer Publications Torrance,
  CA.
• Berkowitz, M.W., and Bier, M.C. (2005).
  Character education Parents as partners.
• Educational Leadership, 63, 64-69.
• Bulach, C. R. (2002). Implementing a character
  education curriculum and assessing its
• impact on student behavior. The Clearing House,
  76, 79-83.
• Character Counts. (2002). Curriculum Review,
  Curriculum Review, 6-8.
• Daniel-White, B. (2004). Daily Character
  Education Activities. Carson-Dellosa Publishing
  Company, Inc. Greensboro, NC
• Garnett, P.D. (1988). Investigating Moral and
  Values. Good Apple Inc. Cartage, IL.
• House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth
  Congress, Second Session (2000). The
• Leber, N. (2002). Easy Activities for Building
  Social Skills. Scholastic Inc. Broadway, NY.
• Role of Character Education in Americas Schools.
  Hearing before the subcommittee on Early
  Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on
  Education and the Workforce. US Government
  Printing Office Washington, D.C.
• Miller, T.W. Kraus, R.F. and Veltcamp, L.J.
  (2005). Character education as a
• prevention strategy in school-related violence.
  Journal of Primary Prevention, 26(5), 455-466.
• Romanowski, M. (2003). Lessons for life.
  American School Board Journal, 190, 32-35.
• Singh, G.R. (2001). How character education
  helps students grow. Educational
• Leadership, 59, 46-49.
• The Josephson Institute of Ethics. (2004).
  Character Counts. Retrieved March 31, 2004
• Vess, K.A. and Halbur, D. A. (2003). Character
  education What counselor educators
• need to know. ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling
  and Student Services, Greensboro, NC.