Washington, DC - Does the water we choose to drink matter? Worried there might be more coming out of your spout than just water? Bottled water is not the answer. Everything we send down the drain—including products that wash off our bodies can end up back in local waterways, the ocean, and even the water supply? Why does knowing this matter? The answers to these questions will be explored in an interactive, in-depth workshop designed for educators and their students.

Water Planet Challenge Workshop: Out the Spout & Down the Drain to be presented by The Character Education Partnership and Earth Echo International, Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon. To reserve a please visit www.character.org/conference/sessions/in-depth-workshops

Teachers will learn how to integrate service-learning and citizen journalism into their academic lessons and how to provide students a comprehensive understanding of local water quality issues. The workshop will empower students to become community leaders to benefit the health of our water planet.

The informative workshop will be taught by Cathy Berger Kaye, renowned author and service learning consultant, and Kyra Kristof of EarthEcho International. During the event, they will highlight:

• Out the Spout— why filtered tap water is always best; find out how you can become part of the Anti-Bottle movement that helps communities kick their plastic water bottle habit while raising money for water-related projects in their own backyard or across the globe.
• Down the Drain— tools you can use to investigate what is going down your drain; develop and implement a plan to defend your drain (and others) from toxins.
• Citizen Journalism— how multi-media documentation of the service-learning process enhances student achievement and gives youth a voice in protecting the environment as citizen journalists.

After completing the event, teachers will have a curriculum they can easily implement, and all attendees will leave feeling energized and ready to take positive action.

The workshop is part of the National Forum on Character Education, held Nov 1-4 at the Renaissance Hotel Washington, DC. For more information about the conference, please visit www.character.org/conference.

This year’s forum will bring together more than 800 educators, researchers, scholars, and business leaders all looking for the latest information on many of education’s hottest topics – including service learning. If you are interested in this workshop, you may also be interested in attending breakout sessions such as “In Youth We Trust,”  also led by Kaye and “Fostering Good Character in a Globalized World,” led by Zoe Weil of the Humane Society.

Character Education Partnership (CEP) is a national advocate and leader for the character education movement. Based in Washington, DC, we are a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian coalition of organizations and individuals committed to fostering effective character education in our nation’s schools. We provide the vision, leadership and resources for school, families and communities to develop ethical citizens committed to building a just and caring world.

EarthEcho International is a leading environmental nonprofit committed to youth engagement, action, and leadership through education. EarthEcho helps young people everywhere understand the critical role we play in the future of the planet through the one thing that connects us all – water. EarthEcho International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau in honor of their father Philippe Cousteau Sr., son of the legendary explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau. For more information about EarthEcho International, visit http://www.earthecho.org.

The project is based on developing an evidence-based method for teachers to report individual student progress on the development of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies. Presently, we are attempting to identify models of SEL assessment through the investigation of the various reporting methods schools utilize to provide feedback on student progress towards SEL competence. Ultimately, we are trying to develop our own section of the common report card to address SEL, but need guidance in constructing it. In order to assess schools current use of SEL, we are utilizing the five core SEL competencies proposed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) which include:

• Self-awareness-Knowing what we are feeling in the moment; having a realistic assessment of our own abilities and a well-grounded sense of self-confidence.
• Social Awareness-Understanding what others are feeling; being able to take their perspective; appreciating and interacting positively with diverse groups
• Self-Management-Handling our emotions so they facilitate rather than interfere with the task at hand; being conscientious and delaying gratification to pursue goals; persevering in the face of setbacks and frustrations
• Relationship Skills-Handling emotions in relationships effectively; establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation, resistance to inappropriate social pressure, negotiating solutions to conflict, and seeking help when needed/
• Responsible Decision Making-Making decisions based on an accurate consideration of all relevant factors and the likely consequences of alternative courses of action, respecting other, taking responsibility for one’s decisions.

Primarily, we would like to analyze as many report card models as possible with a specific focus on report card comments, or other areas which may reflect characteristics of the individual students. In our analysis we will be sensitive to those report cards which address SEL competencies and the manner in which they are assessed. We will also be focusing on the particular methods used for providing feedback on these competencies.

We would greatly appreciate examples of report cards from as many schools and programs as possible.

Where to Send Samples:

Mail: Dr. Maurice Elias, Psych. Dept., RU, 53 Avenue E, Tillet Hall, Piscataway NJ 08854 Email: Joseph.Ferrito@gmail.com Fax: (732) 445-0036

by Mark Hyatt, President & CEO, Character Education Partnership

As a parent, former school superintendent and now President of a national, education-based nonprofit, I have long agreed with the profound point made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said in 1947, “Intelligence is not enough.  Intelligence plus character,that is the goal of true education.” 

For much of our history as a nation, schools did focus on both academics and character development.  One prepared young people to succeed in the workforce, and the other prepared them to be more honest, ethical, engaged citizens. Over time, however, we drifted away from the character mission of schools to focus exclusively on academics.

It is my hope that Paul Tough’s new book, “How Children Succeed,” will get character development on the national radar scope again and, more importantly, back into schools where it belongs. In his book, Tough does a good job looking at the current approach to parenting and education, as well as the types of character traits he believes are necessary for young people to succeed in school and beyond. His research suggests that one especially important virtue, grit, should become the cornerstone of education reform.

Regarding parenting, Tough says moms and dads are worried too much about their children’s self esteem—and, ironically, it is hurting, rather than helping them.  Basically, many parents insulate their kids from adversity or failure, thinking it would wound them in some way.  In reality though, he says the opposite is true—that improvement and growth don’t come from happy talk and slogans about how anything is possible.  Instead, real growth comes by helping kids to learn from failures, mistakes or when they come up short.

As for education, Paul Tough says we’re missing the target there in several ways, too.  One, for example, is our over-reliance on SAT and ACT scores to predict success in college.  The idea behind using them is to make up for GPAs, which many consider arbitrary. How, for example, could a college admissions officer compare a 3.0 GPA from a high school student in a wealthy suburb of Washington, DC, with a 3.0 GPA from a student in rural America or small town USA?

The logic behind using the SAT/ACT as a common denominator sounds quite reasonable.  As such, the scores for many years have carried great weight when selecting young people for college admission.  However, Tough claims that a student’s GPA, regardless of where it was earned, is actually a better predictor of success in college.  The reason, he says, is that GPA reflects more than just cognitive skill.  It reflects other qualities important for college-level work (and life), such as determination or “grit” (a great word, by the way, but one we hardly ever use).

Again, from the prism of parent, veteran school administrator, and nonprofit leader, I agree with Paul Tough’s findings and recommendations. There is indeed a better way to prepare young people for success in school and in life.  We should heed his advice and allow kids to experience and learn from failures and mistakes.  We should also look beyond cognitive skills when judging a young person’s potential.  Finally, we should bring back character development in our schools.

The organization I lead, Character Education Partnership (CEP), has studied schools for nearly 15 years. Along the way, we have discovered 11 Principles of Effective Education. We have seen over and over how following these 11 guidelines in a comprehensive or holistic way, and intentionally focusing on developing good character in students, can positively transform schools. Schools become safe, caring, supportive environments where students are allowed to flourish academically and in other ways.  It also helps prepare those same young people to become more responsible, compassionate, accepting, engaged citizens for our communities, nation and world.

Sounds nice, I know.  But what about those pesky metrics?  Well, we’ve also found from our experience that key metrics also move in the right direction at schools where they do the character building right. Take just one example from the 44 schools we identified and recognized in 2011 as National Schools of Character: Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, Missouri. Since the school implemented character education in 1999, student achievement on Missouri’s tests improved from 24 to 84 percent proficient/advanced in math and from 10 to 66 percent in communication arts. Today the school is recognized as one of Missouri’s Top Ten Highest Performing Schools.

Data points from all 44 schools show similar gains: 87% of students reported they felt safe or that bullying was rare; 89% of the schools reporting said they experienced declines in disciplinary referrals or had rates that were extremely low; 100% of the schools reporting experienced an increase in state reading and math scores; and 78% of the schools made Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), well above the national average.

Based on what we have seen consistently for many years of studying and evaluating schools, I believe Paul Tough is also right when suggesting that paying more attention to key character traits can even become a cornerstone of effective school reform across The United States.  You see, this is not an either-or proposition.  Good character education is simply good education. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.

By Mark Hyatt, CEP President and CEO

Last June in Lower Manhattan, more than 80 students were charged with cheating at one of New York City’s most highly rated public schools—Stuyvesant High School. This revelation, which was still being investigated at press time, took me back to my days as President of the Center for Academic Integrity (CAI) at Duke University a decade ago.

At CAI’s annual conference seven years ago, our keynote speaker was Randy Cohen, author of “The Ethicist” columns in The New York Times Sunday Magazine. In that role, which he filled until last year, Cohen routinely tackled the thorniest moral dilemmas and wrote regularly on issues of character, ethics, integrity and choice.  The theme of his speech to CAI a decade ago was that we won’t have ethical students until we have ethical educators—teachers, administrators and other stakeholders—leading the way.   He told us how his daughter, then a junior at the Stuyvesant School, had come home one day and said that “everybody cheats at this great school.” Cohen recalled that he was shocked and so decided to investigate a bit on his own. He soon found that, yes, his daughter was right—the vast majority of students at this top public school admitted that they cheated to get ahead.  Cohen explained to us that the pressure on these students to get good grades and gain admission to Ivy League Schools was overwhelming and ever-present. And the students’ presumed role models—faculty, staff, parents—all reinforced this notion that Ivy League-level grades were “expected,” period. No excuses.

Ten years later, the situation apparently has not changed. In June, the Times spoke to several Stuyvesant students about the latest scandal and concluded that “cheating was a symptom of a broader and more widespread problem with priorities at Stuyvesant, where competition for top rankings is intense.” Referring to cheating, one 17-year-old junior there told the newspaper, “Unfortunately, it’s a strong part of the culture” at the school and that he wished “there was more of an emphasis on trying to learn.” Added a 15-year-old sophomore, “I don’t cheat. My grades suffer because of that.”

According to the Times, even Stuyvesant’s student newspaper, The Spectator, had called for more moral leadership from the adults. Two years ago, it conceded in an editorial that “academic dishonesty is firmly entrenched” but rarely punished at the school. “If you walk down any hallway in the building, you are almost guaranteed to see students copying homework,” the article observed.

What is wrong with this picture? The trouble at Stuyvesant and so many other schools is that, as a society, we tell students to do the right thing and not to cheat—even to follow institutional honor codes, where they exist. But as the saying goes: “We get what we inspect not what we expect.”  In fact, we venerate the motivational maxims of people like legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who famously said, “Winning isn’t everything—it’s the only thing.” So, should we really be surprised when we see that mentality manifest itself in locker rooms, board rooms and classrooms?  We set up our students for failure because they’ll do whatever it takes to give us what we say we value—results—no matter what we tell them the rules are.    As school leaders, we are communicating values 24/7. The way we dress; the way we talk; the jokes we tell; the friends we choose; all convey who we are. And our students are watching.  They see us both on and off the job.  Not long ago, when I served in the role of school superintendent in Colorado, I remember gathering elementary school students in a gymnasium one day for a “character” lesson.  I spelled out what was expected of them. They were all to: Do the right thing—even when no one was watching; Treat everyone with respect; Keep their promises, and; Take responsibility for their actions. I also encouraged them to SAY SOMETHING when they see one of us doing something wrong. What we tolerate from each other is what we become, I explained.

Finally, I added that they all had permission to tell me, respectfully, if they saw me doing something wrong.  I assured them that I would be respectful, too, if the situation were reversed. Sure enough, the next day I was walking through the school parking lot talking on my cell phone during student pick-up time and I strayed outside the lines of the crosswalk. An alert third grader called out: “Mr. Hyatt, you’re breaking the rules!”  I quickly realized my mistake, said I was sorry and turned off my phone. Then I thanked the student for his “help.”

But later, I thought, what would that student have learned had I become angry or had I ignored him, or even worse, had I punished him? It would have been a devastating and unforgettable experience, one that likely would have jaded him for life.

Understandably, the youngster would have felt betrayed. But isn’t that essentially what we are doing when we teach one value and reward another?  “Success with character is great, but success without it is fine, too.” Is that really the lesson we want them to learn?

On the contrary, character demands consistency. We reap what we sow. So, our priorities and our goals need to be consistent with our values. And the adults, and especially school administrators, need to remember that the school of life is always in session.

The registration fee for the 19th Forum on Character Education will rise by $50 after Oct. 1. This year’s Forum features an inspirational keynote from Paul Tough, whose new book, “How Children Succeed” was released this month. He will discuss the contributions that good character can make to student life success. Other Forum highlights will include:

• “Out the Spout and Down the Drain,” a new service learning workshop designed to bring your science content to life.

• Our online conference community, which will allow you to remain in communication with fellow attendees for months after the conference concludes.

• A Partnership Meeting, in which leading organizations in the character education field will share ideas and discuss potential collaborative projects

Our aim is that attendees will leave the Forum with both concrete ideas for further developing character education programs within their schools, as well as new connections with those that share their passion and vision.

Here’s what previous attendees have said:

“The Forum was incredible and exceeded my expectations by far…The experiences that I had from the Forum inspired and motivated me to go back to my school and start making some changes…we are seeing the direct effects of the strategies we learned on our students and the differences that they are making.” –6^th grade teacher

“My time at the Forum was filled with moments of awe, experiences shared with new acquaintances and information presented so powerfully as to ignite a desire to take our home grown character education to a new level of excellence.” –Community liaison

Come join us as we work on strategies for “Developing Leaders of Integrity.”  You will discover the latest research and strategies for school improvement from the best scholars and practitioners in the field. Register now.