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January 2012
Kansas PCEP High Schools win Governor’s Award
Five high schools in Kansas that are participating in the Partnership in Character Education Program grant sponsored by United States Department of Education and the Kansas Department of Education have been recognized by the governor of the state as part of the fifth annual Governor’s Achievement awards honoring top performing schools in the state. Read more
Clifton-Clyde Senior High School, Lakin High School, Northern Heights High School, Silver Lake Junior/Senior High School, and Weskan High School are among 18 high schools to receive this prestigious award. Each of these five schools sent teams to an 11 Principles of Effective Character Education Foundational training and did ongoing work on the development of positive culture and climate with strategies and tools learned. To receive this prestigious award, schools must have achieved the Standard of Excellence in both reading and mathematics for 2011. Additionally, the school must have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in both reading and mathematics and one additional measure in 2011. The additional AYP measure for high schools is their graduation rate. Further, the schools must have been among the top 5 percent of schools in both reading and mathematics on the 2011 state assessments. “The Governor’s Achievement Award is a significant recognition for Kansas schools,” said Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker. “The accomplishment recognizes a school’s high expectations and the ability of the school staff to assist students in achieving to those expectations.”
November 2011
How Do You Turn Service Into Service Learning?
by Lara Maupin, Dir., NSOC
Most schools do some form of community service. In schools of character, community service has been transformed into service learning. While both forms of service result in benefits to the school and larger community, only service learning helps students learn why service matters and develops in them important leadership skills, empathy, and the desire to give back. What’s the difference?
September 2011
Leading with Integrity
By David Wangaard
The cheating scandals reported in the news this summer highlight the need for our country to educate an ethical citizenry. Public education was founded with this purpose in mind. The goal then and now is to resist the practices of corruption, which can lead to anarchy and the call to re-establish a monarchy. When our teachers and administrators are cheating to improve standardized test scores, we undermine our moral authority to lead with integrity.
Caring School Communities Create Ideal Conditions for Learning
By Lara Maupin
When kids feel safe and respected, they can more easily focus on learning. Creating safe, caring school cultures is therefore central to the mission of schools. This is something schools of character know well. This is the secret to success they have to share with others.
2011 Promising Practices
CEP Announces 2011 Promising Practices (Press Release)
May 2011
Comprehensive Character Education Supports Teachers, Too!
Barbara Luther, CEP’s Associate Director of Professional Development, examines the benefits one school found from their comprehensive character education initiative—providing support, collaboration, and nurturing of common goals among teachers and administrators.
Senate Briefing on Social, Emotional, Character Development
To garner support for the inclusion of social, emotional and character development in the reauthorization of ESEA, Linda McKay, a member of CEP’s Board of Directors, led a U.S. Senate Briefing on May 12. This collaborative effort by CEP, Committee for Children, the National School Climate Center, and the National Association of School Psychologists was a great success.
2011 National Schools of Character (Press Release)
West Virginia National School of Character Finalist Receives State Attention
CEP’s site visit evaluation to an elementary school in West Virginia garnered special attention this year. West Virginia’s First Lady, Joanne Tomblin, was at the school, along with the head of the State Board of Education and original Rocket Boy, Roy Lee Cooke, and other dignitaries.
April 2011
Georgetown University Hosts Character Development Student Achievement Forum
The achievement gap is the biggest social issue facing our nation today, according to Paul Tough, keynote speaker at Georgetown University’s forum “Character Development and Student Achievement.” Summary provided by Lara Maupin, CEP’s NSOC Director.
March 2011
2011 National Schools of Character Finalists (Press Release)
February 2011
Bullying and Violence in Schools
CEP’s President & CEO, Joseph W. Mazzola, provides a look into the bullying epidemic and offers some solutions and case studies of schools that have solved the problem. In addition to the article, this page now provides a number of resources for bully prevention.
CEP Receives Grant to Develop Web Resources. You can also view the Executive Summary of the grant. (Press Release)
January 2011
The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools and CEP joined forces to issue this press release on lessons from the tragedy in Tucson.