1. Salt Lake City School District A Community of Caring

2. What is Community of Caring? Community of Caring is an environment where…….. Caring Respect Trust Family and Responsibility Are lived and taught.

3. What is good character? The Greek Philosopher Aristotle said, “ Good character is a life of right conduct in relation to other people and in relation to oneself.” Good character requires us to be in control of ourselves, our wants, our passions and to do right by others. Good character is- Know the good Desire the good Do the good

4. Eight Strengths of Character Lifelong learner and critical thinker Diligent and capable performer Socially and emotionally skilled person Ethical thinker Respectful and responsible moral agent Self-disciplined person who pursues a healthy lifestyle Contributing community member and democratic citizen A person engaged in crafting a life of noble purpose

5. Community of Caring Schools are Ethical Learning Communities that focus on: ExcellenceEthicsEngagement

6. Excellence/performance character Excellence/performance characterdiligence a strong work ethic a strong work ethic a positive attitude a positive attitude perseverance perseverance The work of excellence is transformational. Once a student sees that he or she is capable of excellence, that student is never quite the same. There is a new self- image, a new notion of possibility. After students have had a taste of excellence, they’re never quite satisfied with less. Ron Berger, An Ethic of Excellence

7.  Ethics/ Moral Character Integrity Respect RespectCooperationJustice Responsibility Responsibility The good-to-great companies place greater weight on character attributes than on specific educational background, practical skills, specialized knowledge, or work experience. Jim Collins, Good to Great

8. Engagement To take part To take part To participate To participate To be committed to one’s own education, school and community. To be committed to one’s own education, school and community.

9. America’s Adolescents: The Good News & the Bad The Good News Excellence/Performance Indicators –Achievement Gap Higher achievement for all ethnic and racial groups. –Graduation Rates Graduation rates rose significantly in the 20 th century. The Bad News Excellence/Performance Indicators –Achievement Gap Despite various reform efforts, gaps in school achievement have been persistent among ethnic and racial groups. –Graduation Rates 30% of freshman never graduate. In many schools it’s as high as 50%..

10. America’s Adolescents: The Good New & the Bad The Good News Ethical / Moral Indicators –Academic Honesty When high schools have an honor code, students are significantly less likely to cheat. –Violence Most violence-related behaviors among high school students decreased from 1991-2003. –Suicide Suicides have begun to decline since tripling between 1960 and 1991. –Drugs, Tobacco & Alcohol Among 8 th, 10 th & 12 th grade students there has been a broad decline in illicit drug use. –Sexual Activity In 2001 students who said they had never had sexual intercourse became a majority (57%) for the first time in 25 years. The Bad News Ethical / Moral Indicators –Academic Honesty Data shows that cheating has steadily increased at every education level in recent decades. –Violence One in three high school students has been involved in a physical fight. –Suicide Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year-olds. –Drugs, Tobacco & Alcohol One quarter of 12 th graders are smokers. 77% have consumed alcohol –Sexual Activity U.S teen birth rate remains one of the highest among developed nations.

11. The Cheating Culture Resume fraud by job-seekers at every level – from CEO’s on down – has soared over the past decade. An estimated half of current resumes contain lies. Tax evasion has gotten worse in recent years, costing the U.S. Treasury at least $250 billion a year. Computer technology has facilitated the large-scale theft of copyrighted materials including music, cable and satellite TV. An unprecedented number of cases of plagiarism. Perpetrators include best-selling authors and star reporters.

12. So, what does that mean for me?

13. Character development must be deliberate: Know the good Desire the good Do the good

14. The Power of One Think about a teacher who had a significant impact on you, the teacher who, in your life, was most memorable. Think about a teacher who had a significant impact on you, the teacher who, in your life, was most memorable. What did he or she do that was so memorable? What did he or she do that was so memorable?

15. If we lived alone, we wouldn’t need the virtues of fairness and compassion. If children could raise themselves, we wouldn’t need the family values of commitment and fidelity. If wealth could simply be found, we wouldn’t need the virtues of initiative and industry to create and sustain wealth. If our society were homogeneous, we wouldn’t need the virtues of tolerance and respect for legitimate differences. If our political institutions were authoritarian and a few of us were fit to direct the lives of the rest of us, we wouldn’t need the virtues of personal responsibility and active citizenry. The facts of our social life give us the broad contours of a conception of good character. It is the character required for a democratic society. - William Galston, University of Maryland, Professor of Public Affairs