A Comprehensive Approach to Effective Character Education Marvin W. Berkowitz, Ph.D. S. N. McDonnell Professor of Character Education University of Missouri-St. Louis

Contact Information Address:Marillac Hall 402 College of Education University of Missouri-St. Louis One University Blvd. St. Louis MO Phone: FAX: Webpage: Facebook:

What is character?

H ead H eart & H ands “Good character consists of understanding, caring about, and acting upon core ethical values” Character Education Partnership (

The complex constellation of psychological characteristics that motivate and enable individuals to function as competent moral agents Marvin W. Berkowitz

What is character education?

Dispelling Myths: This is not your mother’s character education!

Myth #1: Not the role of schools It is everyone’s role and is unavoidable: “All adults involved with children either help or thwart children’s growth and development, whether we like it, intend it or not.” Aristotle

Myth #2: Competes with the “true purpose: of schools It is only in the past half century that America’s schools have become monomaniacal about purpose

Sputnik, the separation of church and state, and NCLB Even the founding fathers emphasized the need for schools to produce virtuous citizens

Myth #3: Can’t afford to do academics and character ed It is not a zero sum game Many educators find that the best path to academic achievement is creating caring classrooms and schools Research suggests that high quality character education results in higher academic achievement

Character education is… A way of being, and most notably a way of being with others.

For most educators… It is a NEW way of being.

Character education IS rocket science Effective character education requires understanding character development and the complex comprehensive approach to character education

Eleven Principles (CEP) Core ethical values are the basis of character Character is thinking, feeling and behavior Intentional, proactive, comprehensive promotion of core values in all phases of school life School must be a caring community Students need opportunities for moral action Includes a meaningful and challenging curriculum Strives to develop students’ intrinsic motivation School staff must be a learning community & adhere to core values Requires moral leadership from staff & students Must recruit parents & community as partners Must evaluate character of school and students

“Schools are perfectly designed for the results we are getting. If we don’t like the results, we need to redesign schools.” Paul Houston Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators

PRIME Character Education PP rioritizing character education RR elationships II ntrinsic motivation MM odeling EE mpowerment

P P rioritizing Character Education There are two primary purposes of education: academic and character Schools often overlook character and focus primarily or exclusively on character Character has to be an explicit centerpoint of the school’s mission and of the school leader’s philosophy

“To consistently build excellence for students, families, and for the community, a school must have an intentional culture based on shared values, beliefs and behaviors” Charles Elbot and Dave Fulton Building an Intentional School Culture

Never will wisdom preside in the halls of legislation until Common Schools…shall create a more farseeing intelligence and a pure morality than has ever existed among the communities of men. Horace Mann

“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates the climate. My daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” Haim Ginott

“To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society” President Theodore Roosevelt

Staff Buy-In Relationships –Brentwood Middle School Authentic collaboration You have to feed the teachers…. –Invest in them; e.g. p.d. The Four W’s –Waiting you out –Work with the willing –Win over the doubters –Winnow out the un-redeemables

P Examples of P rioritizing Central to school mission statement Character related “touchstone” School leader is the champion of the initiative Integrated across all school elements

P Resources for P rioritizing Elbot, C.F., & Fulton, D. (2008). Building an intentional school culture: Excellence in academics and character. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Lickona, T., & Davidson, M. (2005). Smart and good high schools: Integrating excellence and ethics for success in school, work and beyond. Washington D.C.: Character Education Partnership. Characterplus (2005). The Characterplus Way: Plan Implement Refine. St. Louis: Characterplus.

R R elationships The 3 R’s of character education are Relationships, Relationships, Relationships Need to consider ways to doing the same work that also build positive relationships Relationships should be targeted within and between all stakeholder groups

What’s done to children, they will do to society Karl A. Menninger

Dear Teacher: I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmans. Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane. Sadker & Sadker, 1977

A Source of Moral Character UNRELATED SIGNIFICANT ADULTS “Invulnerable children” invariably have an adult outside the family who takes an enduring benevolent interest in the child

“Golden Child” and “Tarnished Child”

Adult culture of the school Adults in the school must function as a caring professional learning community They must “walk the talk” and “talk the walk” The must treat each other as they want students to behave…with character!

R Examples of R elationships Cross-age initiatives Cooperative learning Service that builds sustained relationships Professional Learning Communities Authentic partnerships Looping

R Resources for R elationships Urban, H. (2009). Lessons from the classroom: 20 thing good teachers do. Redwood City, CA: Great Lessons Press. Watson, M. (2003). Learning to trust: Transforming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Developmental Discipline. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Denton, P., & Kriete, R. (2000). The first six weeks fo school. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

I I ntrinsic Motivation Educators often rush to using extrinsic motivation to promote character The true goal of character education is for students to internalize moral values Different pedagogical strategies are needed to foster intrinsic motivation

Basic Needs of Students Deci and Ryan (Self-Determination Theory) –Autonomy (sense of empowerment) –Belonging (social connectedness) –Competence (ability to achieve/succeed) Eccles –Mattering (make a meaningful difference) –Responsibility (contributing group member) –Engagement (challenge and enjoyment) –Identity (knowing one’s place in a social context)

I Examples of I ntrinsic Motivation Developmental discipline Community service Studying role models Guided reflection on character

I Resources for I ntrinsic Motivation Kohn, A. (1993). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A’s, praise and other bribes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Dalton, J., & Watson, M. (1997). Among friends: Classrooms where caring and learning prevail. Oakland CA: Developmental Studies Center. Streight, D. (2013). Breaking into the heart of character: Self-determined moral action and academic motivation. Portland OR: Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education.

M M odeling Cannot demand from students what you will not do yourself Lickona: The single most powerful tool you have for influencing a child’s character is your character Students learn more from what you do than from what you say Ghandi: “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

M Examples of M odeling Peer tutoring Multi-stakeholder working groups Teacher (and other staff) behavior School leader behavior (re: staff) Open staff discussion of staff behavior

M Resources for M odeling Lickona, T., & Davidson, M. (2005). Smart and good high schools: Integrating excellence and ethics for success in school, work and beyond. Washington D.C.: Character Education Partnership.

E E mpowerment Character develops in part through as sense of one’s autonomy Character education should focus on the empowerment of all stakeholders: teachers, administrators, support staff, students, parents, community members, etc. A philosophy of empowerment should be at the heart of the school

“The first service that one owes to others in community consists in listening to them. “ Dietrich Bonhoeffer Life Together

E E mpowerment Character develops in part through as sense of one’s autonomy Character education should focus on the empowerment of all stakeholders: teachers, administrators, support staff, students, parents, community members, etc. A philosophy of empowerment should be at the heart of the school

E Examples of E mpowerment Democratic student government Class meetings Peer mediation Student guided curricula (e.g., project based learning) Student run honor system Student advisory committee Culture of staff collaborative decision-making

E Resources for E mpowerment Power, F.C., Higgins, A., & Kohlberg, L. (1989). Lawrence Kohlberg's approach to moral education. New York: Columbia University Press. Developmental Studies Center. Ways we want our class to be: Class meetings that build commitment to kindness and learning. Oakland CA: Developmental Studies Center.

Evidence-Based Strategies The implementation strategies selected should be theoretically justified. They should also be chosen because research has demonstrated their effectiveness.

Best Practices: What works? Berkowitz, M.W. & Bier, M.C. (2005). What works in character education. Washington D.C.: Character Education Partnership. [Download from either or

Effective Programs Across Ages All Stars Building Decision Skills Child Development Project Facing History & Ourselves Great Body Shop I Can Problem Solve Just Community Schools Learning for Life Life-skills Training LIFT Lions-Quest Michigan Model Moral Dilemma Discussion Open Circle PATHE PATHS Peacebuilders Peaceful Schools Peacemakers Positive Action Positive Youth Development Project Essential Raising Healthy Children Resolving Conflict Creatively RIPP Roots of Empathy Roots of Empathy SDM/PS Seattle Social Development Second Step Social Competence Teaching Students/Peacemakers Teen Outreach Program

Most commonly found outcomes Socio-moral cognition (77 out of 106) Pro-social behaviors and attitudes (71/167) Problem-solving skills (57/86) Violence/aggression (46/100) Drug use (45/97) Emotional competency (32/50) Risk attitudes (31/70) School behavior (28/69) Academic achievement (21/33) Attachment to school (20/33)

Research supported methods Peer interactive strategies Service to others Developmental discipline Role-modeling and mentoring Nurturance Trust and trustworthiness High expectations School wide focus Family/community involvement Pedagogy of empowerment Teaching about character Teaching social- emotional competencies Induction Professional development

When in doubt… Go back to your bases: –P –P rioritize character education –R –R elationships are the building blocks –I –I ntrinsic motivation must be nurtured –M –M odel good character –E –E mpower all stakeholders