Our Centers for Ethics:

Character education research

“Smart and Good High Schools”

How do you create ethical high schools? In "Smart and Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work and Beyond," Thomas Lickona and Matthew Davidson present promising practices for building eight strengths of character that help youth lead productive, ethical and fulfilling lives. Based on a comprehensive study of 24 high schools, this 2005 report concludes that: a) there is national consensus regarding the need for character, and b) smart and good high schools educate for both performance character and moral character.

Dr. Lickona is an education professor at State University of New York at Cortland, and one of the leading researchers and proponents of character development in the schools. He also serves on the advisory councils of the Character Education Partnership (CEP) as well as the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition. Dr. Davidson is Director for the Templeton Grant Award Project at the Center for the 4th & 5th Rs.

The educational and institutional practices include:

• Ways to integrate performance and moral character across the curriculum
• Connecting character and learning standards
• Strategies for creating a caring community in the classroom
• Discipline practices that strengthen character
• Creating small learning communities
• Classroom and schoolwide practices that promote academic integrity
• Creating a professional and ethical learning community
• Strategies for building character through sports
• Strategies from the "What Works in Character Education" review of evidence-based programs
• Strategies for assessing the character of the school and the character development of students.

Download the free 100-page report and a three-page summary.

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