A recent report issued by the EPE Research Center revealed that the high school dropout rate could be as high as 50 percent in some states. That was no surprise to many. Slashed budgets, standardized testing, and changing priorities in federal education laws have turned classrooms into microcosms of the stress facing schools. No one would want to be in that kind of atmosphere if he or she had a choice.

Continue reading "America’s Dropout Dilemma: How to Turn Kids on to School" »

It is common practice to compare and contrast students in terms of academic ability by race and ethnicity. But what about morality?

Many schools are implementing character-education frameworks into their curriculum to meet "essential life skills" standards. To analyze their program's effectiveness and to receive funding for it, they need data. Too little info can hurt, but bad data can be worse.

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The Industrial Revolution marked the birth of a new era in human history, an economic and social transformation driven by technology, manufacturing, and transportation. It sparked an age of innovation and invention and challenged the limits of human imagination. But at the same time, our young industrial society made reckless, self-serving choices without regard to the consequences to the environment.

And now, we have a mess on our hands.

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The youth of Birmingham, Alabama are in for a surprise. Recently, representatives from local schools, businesses, and community organizations convened for one sole purpose: to spread character education throughout the community.

CHARACTER COUNTS! works best when it is ubiquitous. Kids learn about the Six Pillars of Character in the classroom, but it’s important that the message is reinforced in sports and after-school programs, in the home, and in the job market. Birmingham is determined to succeed.

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"Character is not developed by accident. It’s not something that happens spontaneously. It’s gotta be proactive. It’s gotta be intentional. It’s gotta be purposeful. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun!" says Michael Josephson, president and CEO of the Josephson Institute.

Art Teacher Suzette Morrow of Potterville High School knows how to make character education fun. Students in two of her classes recently completed a series of large murals depicting the Six Pillars of Character in creative ways.

Continue reading "Potterville, CA: Murals with a Mission" »

In February, Bridgeview Elementary School held its first ever Bridgeview Walk-a-thon with the theme "Bookin’ for Bridgeview." The event kicked-off with an aerial photo of the walkers, who sported t–shirts representing the Bridgeview school colors (gray and navy blue) and the colors of the Six Pillars of Character.

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“At that school, 80 percent of students fail basic literacy tests,” my friend exclaimed recently. “That means 80 percent can’t read or write properly. We can’t send our kid to that school, but our only other option is private, and we can’t afford that!”

She and her husband are thinking about adopting a child and have been looking into their education options. Not very promising choices. But what if she saw things in a different light?

Continue reading "Engaging ELLs" »