The Character Education Partnership (CEP) has named 38 public schools, 3 charter schools, 2 private schools, and 1 school district as 2011 National Schools of Character (NSOC).
“It is truly inspiring to see what these schools have been able to accomplish by coming together around a shared purpose,” said CEP President & CEO Joe Mazzola. “We see over and over that when schools embrace the critical role they have in shaping the character of young people, achievement and morale go up and bullying and discipline problems go down.”
Since 1998, CEP has recognized schools for their outstanding character development of students through its prestigious NSOC program. With more and more schools achieving a level of excellence, CEP changed the program from a competition to a school improvement process in 2010. The change allows CEP to recognize all schools that meet the standard of excellence established by the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education.
“Schools of character are places that bring out the best in everyone – students, staff, and even parents and community members,” said NSOC Director Lara Maupin. “This year, a record number of schools demonstrated school cultures that enable all their students to thrive socially and academically. These schools went through a very rigorous evaluation process and we are thrilled to recognize their achievements and tell their stories.”
CEP will honor the 2011 National Schools of Character at the National Forum on Character Education, to be held October 19 – 22 in San Francisco. After being named NSOC, schools serve as models and mentors, helping other educators transform their school cultures and improve academics and behavior.
For more information about CEP, the NSOC program, the 11 Principles, or the National Forum, visit www.character.org.
