Promising Practices Overview

Each year, as part of the National Schools of Character (NSOC) program, CEP recognizes educators in the United States and elsewhere who have implemented unique, specific, and effective character education strategies. Schools and districts with practices that are selected are honored at the annual Promising Practices ceremony at CEP's National Forum on Character Education. Short descriptions of these exemplary practices appear in the annual NSOC publication, and fuller explanations can be viewed and searched here. Promising Practices put one or more of the 11 Principles into action. Learn more by downloading our 11 Principles of Effective Character Education.

2012 Promising Practices

The 2012 Promising Practices will be announced by May 15!

Important information for Promising Practices recipients

Sample Press Release for 2011 Promising Practices Winners
Sample Promising Practice banner

Featured Promising Practice

Cultivating a Community of Heroes
Long Elementary School, Crestwood, Missouri
Principle: Principle 7: Strives to foster students’ self motivation.
Topic: Teaching/Learning of Core Values
Grade Levels: K-5
Students at Long Elementary are taught that not only are heroes all around them, but they also have daily opportunities to be like their heroes by practicing good character. Students add their own heroes to the “Everyday Heroes” bulletin board. The bulletin board encourages students to practice identifying heroic traits, and to put a familiar face with those traits. To start the bulletin board, the teacher brings in a personal hero example. The teacher explains which character traits the person has and how that person shows the traits. After the teacher’s example, other pictures of community helpers such as police officers, firefighters, and doctors are added to the board. With these pictures, the students will have a class meeting to discuss the character traits they recognize in the community heroes. And the students reflect on the character traits that everyday people show that make them the heroes.
Main Contact
Ms. Stacey Cervantes
First Grade Teacher
scervantes@lindberghschools.ws
www.lindberghschools.ws

2013 Promising Practices Application

If your school or district has developed and successfully implemented a unique practice, CEP encourages you to apply for a 2013 Promising Practice. We are not looking for a description of your whole character education program, but rather for a specific practice or aspect of your program that other schools may learn from and even replicate. Check back for details this summer!

Activity in the Promising Practices Program (click to view table)(click to hide table)

	Total Applications	Promising Practices Recognized
1998	Program began in 2000	Program began in 2000
1999	Program began in 2000	Program began in 2000
2000		38
2001		27
2002		41
2003	72	43
2004	86	53
2005	107	105
2006	364	126
2007	198	130
2008	270	155
2009	368	200
2010	474	228
2011	499	260

For more information about Promising Practices, contact Lisa Greeves at lgreeves@character.org or 202-296-7743 ext 28.

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