With ongoing direction and guidance, character can be cultivated. People of good character can positively impact our communities in a sustainable way.
Character.Org's 11 Principles in Schools
Based on decades of research on effective schools, the 11 Principles serve as guideposts for schools to plan, implement, assess, and sustain their comprehensive character development initiative. Many school leaders also use the 11 Principles as a school improvement process. The 11 Principles focus on all aspects of school life, including school culture and climate, social and emotional learning (SEL), student engagement and academic achievement, as well as MTSS, PBIS, RTI, restorative practices, teacher morale, and parent engagement.
1) Promotes core ethical values and supportive performance values as the foundation of good character;
2) Defines "character" comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior;
3) Uses a comprehensive, intentional, and proactive approach to character development;
4) Creates a caring school community;
5) Provides students with opportunities for moral action;
6) Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed;
7) Strives to foster students' self-motivation;
8) Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students;
9) Fosters shared moral leadership and long-range support of the character education initiative;
10) Engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort; and
11) Assesses the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character.