Schoolwide Character

Education Proposal
Hugo Guillen-Grand Canyon University
EAD-520: Strengthening Curricular Programs to Promote Continuous
School Improvement
July 18, 2022
Week 5
 “
“Within the character of the citizen
lies the welfare of the nation.”
”
-Marcus Tullius Cicero

Throughout time, societies have recognized the need to educate the coming
generation of adults to pass on knowledge and skills. Recorded history from
long before the present era emphasizes that education must also develop
character. (DOE, 2005)
 What is “Character
Education”?
• Character education is a learning process
that enables students and adults in a
school community to understand, care
about and act on core ethical values such
as respect, justice, civic virtue and
citizenship, and responsibility for self
and others. Upon such core values, we
form the attitudes and actions that are the
hallmark of safe, healthy and informed
communities that serve as the foundation
of our society. (DOE, 2005)
 Schools that teach character
education report:

higher improved
academic fewer reduction in less
attendance,
performanc disciplinary substance vandalism 
reduced
e issues abuse
violence

(Lahey, 2013)
 Sky Ranch School Vision
Research shows that
In analyzing the students in schools with
“Sky Ranch Middle
school vision, how character education
School builds
does it align with programs become more
Fearless young
character education? attentive, more motivated
Leaders who
to learn, and more caring
demonstrate Integrity, • “young Leaders”
and respectful towards
Grit, Honesty, and • “demonstrate friends.  When schools
Tolerance through Integrity, Grit, provide a safe and
their academic Honesty, and supportive environment
excellence and Tolerance” thanks to character
citizenship.” • “citizenship” education, students learn
better!
(Character Education, 2022)
 Trustworthiness

Citizenship Respect

Caring Responsibility

Fairness
6 Pillars of Character Education
 Explanation of Program Rigor

6 Grade
th • Focus on transition from being child to becoming an
adolescent regarding the 6 pillars.

7 Grade
• Focus will be on how to manage the complexities of being
th a teenager in our school setting and at home using the 6
pillars.

8 Grade
th • Help to prepare students to young adult life and the
expectations for them to become responsible citizens.
 Goals of the program
• Every year our students, parents and
staff complete a School Climate
Survey.
• We should see a marked
improvement in the climate survey
results across all spectrums of areas
we have focused on as a school in
our character education program.
Our goal is to use the climate
data to guide school
improvement planning, spark
discussion about climate
during staff meetings, and
help identify areas of
professional development and
programming that might be
needed.
 Area of Focus
#1
The self management of emotion is a critical
component to effective character. Looking at
our most recent student climate survey data we
see that we received a score of 53%! In looking
at the responses we see that students have
trouble when they are frustrated. The ability for
them to stay calm when they are feeling
stressed is a clear area of improvement for us
that we know leads directly to discipline issues.
We can do better!

(Sky Ranch Middle School Student Climate Survey,

2020)
 Area of Focus
#2
Area #2 focuses on victimization. It is
incredibly alarming for us to see that 50% of
our students have been physically assaulted in
some way and nearly 2/3 of them have been
verbally assaulted in some way! As teachers
and parents, we recognize that that is a major
challenge for this age group but knowing that
we are having this big of an issue really puts
the onus on us to teach our students what it
means to show respect! We need to do better!

(Sky Ranch Middle School Student Climate Survey,

2020)
 Area of Focus
#3
The third area of focus once again recognizes a
critical component in the development stage of
middle school age students , self management
of goals. Here we see that in most categories
nearly 50% of our students have challenges
meeting goals setting goals. Question four
focuses on their inability to think through the
steps it would take to reach a goal. We as
teachers have the ability and the power and
experience to guide our students not only for
our immediate benefit but for their lifelong
benefit and success. We can do better for them!
(Sky Ranch Middle School Student Climate Survey,
2020)
 “
“...nothing is of more importance for
the public weal, than to form and train
up youth in wisdom and virtue. ” — Benjamin Franklin

Throughout history, character education has been the shared responsibility

of parents, teachers and members of the community, who come together to
support positive character development. (DOE, 2005)
 Evaluation and Stakeholder Support
• To have success we will need to allow the data
to speak to us!
• School climate will break down the questions
ask by stakeholders.
• This will allow us to see how each stakeholder
group feels it is going and identify areas of
improvement and collaboration.
• Support from parents will be critical in
helping students with their character
development.
 Comparison to Other Programs
After the Round Rocks
School District in Austin,
Texas, instituted character
education as part of the
curriculum, Jollyville School,
an elementary school in the
district with 576 students,
reported a 40% percent drop
in discipline referrals.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, at
gang-plagued Garfield Middle
School, Character Counts, a character
education program that highlights six
facets of character through a
prescribed curriculum, was
introduced with great success. In the
first year, the number of recorded
incidents of school violence declined
from 91 to 26, according to Principal
Louis Martinez.
(Character education: As important as academics?, 2016)
 Argument for Character Education
Program
• In the example of the Round Rocks School
District, we see a drop in referrals of 40%.
• Teachers at Sky Ranch have also lamented the
high referral rates and the burden they place
timewise and emotionally on teachers.
• The data points to the efficacy of a successful
character education program having on
bringing these referral rates down significantly.
 Steps to Take as Principal
1. Provide professional development opportunities to teachers
2. Development of a Character Education Committee
3. Parent Nights for communication and support of parents
We understand that
you need support to 4. Provide tailored guidance lessons for the students
make this a
success! 5. Modification of PBIS program to better support teachers and reward
students for demonstrating the character pillars
 Goals for the Program
• This is an exciting new chapter in Sky Ranch history that we all have
an important part to play!
• It will take time to fully see the fruits of our labors!
We understand that
•
you need support to Let us be positive and be committed stay the course, even when we are
make this a unsure of how it is going!
success!
• Do not get discouraged if change appears to be slower than expected.
• Vision is to build a school culture that values good character as much
as it does academics!
 References
• Character education. Santa Clara University. (2022). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from
https://www.scu.edu/character/
• Character education: Our shared responsibility. US Department of Education . (2005, May 31). Retrieved July
20, 2022, from https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/character/brochure.html
• Lahey, J. (2013, May 6). The benefits of character education. The Atlantic. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/the-benefits-of-character-education/275585/
• Print article. (2016, November 11). Character education: As important as academics? Great Schools. Retrieved July
20, 2022, from https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/the-value-of-character-education/
• Sky Ranch Middle School Student Climate Survey. Washoe County School District . (2020, January 24).
Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.washoeschools.net/cms/lib/NV01912265/Centricity/domain/
231/2020%20Climate%20Survey/ MS%20Student-2020/Sky%20Ranch_StudentClimate.pdf
• The six pillars of character. Character Counts. (2021, November 18). Retrieved July 20, 2022, from
https://charactercounts.org/character-counts-overview/six- pillars/#:~:text=The%20Six%20Pillars%20of
%20Character%20are%20trustworthiness%2C%20respect% 2C%20responsibility%2C,
%E2%80%9CT.R.R.F.C.C.%E2%80%9D%20(terrific).