FOR
CHARACTER
creating
schools and community for character!
November/December
2002
An electronic newsletter to help you make sure CHARACTER COUNTS!sm
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CHARACTER
COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of Character are service marks of the CHARACTER
COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. For more information about training opportunities
and resources available to assist schools and communities in the integration of
a character education initiative, check out their web site at: www.charactercounts.org or call them at 1-800-711-2670.
Welcome to our new subscribers who attended the October 18-20 Character Education Partnership (CEP) National Forum in Atlanta. If interested in the power point slides from my breakout session, “How to be a Leader in Promoting Character Education in Your School and Community”, e-mail your request to gsmit@forcharacter.com
· Taking Time to Implement
· Ideas You Can Use
· Book Review
· The Ethics of American Youth – 2002 Report Card – Josephson Institute of Ethics
·
Dating Violence Prevention Curriculum
Character education is a journey. What I have found is that successfully integrating character education into the school or community is a process that takes time. As educators and community leaders, we must make character education an on-going goal. Character education initiatives that are deeply woven into the fabric of school and community life – including curriculum and youth programs- have the best chance of long-term success and survival. Strategies that nourish, sustain and improve character education initiatives as a permanent part of a school district and community missions will provide continuity despite organizational and civic leadership changes.
For many of us, time can be seen as an enemy to sustained progress. We want a program that makes changes quickly. Time has a way of making us think that the good things in schools are those that bring immediate results. However, what is developed over time will often have a more lasting effect on those who we are seeking to impact.
This summer, the reality of how a desired goal was reached over time, was clear for me and our son Jason. For those who have attended one of my workshops you may have heard the story of how Jason and I visit major league baseball parks. It was about 7 years ago that Jason asked me if we could watch a game at each of the 30 major league parks. In August, we completed this 7-year journey by traveling to Florida to watch a Saturday Marlins game and then a Sunday afternoon game in Tampa.
What does this have to do with character education? The desire to visit all 30 parks could not realistically be completed in one year. The time away from the job, the hectic schedule and the other demands of life prohibited this from happening in one season. The same is true for establishing a character education initiative. The time necessary to develop a program in schools and communities is best taken on over time.
What I also concluded from the experience that took 7 years to complete was that we got better at the logistics of our trips over time. We handled the schedule better, knew what to do in advance and how to make sure our baseball experience met our intended goal. Integrating a successful character education initiative is similar. Each year, the expectations increase, the engagement greater and the anticipated results become more clearly focused.
Wherever you are on the journey to make character count in your school or community, be mindful of the process taking time. And when you think you reach the goal, you only realize that there is still more that can be done. As Jason said on the trip home, there are five new ballparks to visit that have been built since we started our tour.
If I can be of help to you on your journey, or if your just want advice on which ballpark to visit, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Gary Smit
According to the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Youth Violence, individual, family, and societal factors all play a part in healthy youth development, and, conversely, the risk of violence. Violent events are on the rise in schools across the country and communities are seeking better ways to ensure that schools are safe places for students to learn and grow.
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is providing information and resources on school violence prevention and related issues to help parents, educators and community leaders develop initiatives to reduce school violence and foster the healthy development of children. CMHS Program Spotlight - School Violence Prevention August 2002 Web site at http://www.mentalhealth.org/highlights/August2002/ has tips for parents on dealing with behavior problems; coping skills for young people; and links to information for educators and others working with children.
http://teachers.net/gazette/OCT02/gimbert.html
A list of successful strategies was collected from numerous teachers and administrators, and compiled by the staff of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University. Check out their web link for the list. Or, you can go to the page on my web site - www.forcharacter.com/page13.html to find the printable list.
Several Ohio schools have been hit hard by vandalism, leaving school boards and district leaders grappling with staggering repair and replacement costs as well as soaring insurance premiums. Three Ohio school districts recently suffered arson blazes that cost nearly $1 million each. And Ohio is not alone: School vandalism is taking its toll in other states as well. A federal government study estimates that 234 out of every 100,000 students are involved in some degree of vandalism. Incidents of vandalism are widespread in both urban and rural schools, although rates tend to be higher in crime-ridden neighborhoods marked by poverty. Other factors -- including those within a school's sphere of influence -- also contribute to vandalism. Schools that are large and impersonal and those where teachers and administrators are hostile and authoritarian toward students are more likely to be vandalized. Installing surveillance cameras and lighting dim corridors can go a long way toward thwarting major and minor vandalism. But schools shouldn't stop there. School officials have an obligation to assess -- and correct -- disorder in their schools and classrooms. Very likely, the most important step you can take to control vandalism is making certain your school's house is in order.
http://www.asbj.com/current/research.html
CIVIC DISENGAGEMENT
The voter-turnout rate for Americans ages 18 to 24 has dropped by a third over the past three decades, a recent study has found. Moreover, young Hispanic citizens are less likely to vote than other young adults, with only 30 percent of eligible Hispanics in that age range voting in the 2000 elections, compared to 42 percent of non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. The study is available at www.civicyouth.org
BOOK REVIEW
Brooks, David and Goble, Frank G. (1997). The Case for Character Education: The Role of the School in Teaching Values and Virtues. Northridge, CA: Studio 4 productions.
This book by Brooks and Goble is a revision of their original 1983 version. While there is much overlap between these books, the new edition has much to offer. This would be a good introductory book to make available to teachers (and parents) in a school serious about attempting to address character education in its curriculum. Many useful perspectives are presented, particularly in chapters 8 and 9 ("How to Teach Character" and "Character Education--Where are We Going") and in several of the appendices (particularly C, "What Makes Character Education programs Work").
The first set of chapters present an overview of the domain of character education, citing data and history, much of it from the original 1983 version of the book and thus somewhat dated. A chapter on the separation of church and state is still significant and should calm fears of some parents about the intent of such programs. But the real value of this book for teachers is to be found in chapters 8 and 9. It is here that questions are posed that concern them: make character education a stand alone program or infuse it throughout the curriculum:
· What do the California reform documents (Caught in the Middle, It's Elementary , etc.) say about character education?
· What are some good examples of character education programs I can look at and use?
· How can I evaluate the effects of such programs?
· How can I get my school community to become involved and supportive?
The Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board has distributed a 40-page curriculum packet on dating violence to all of the state's high schools. The material also will be available on the state Web site http://www.michigan.gov/fia. In one lesson, students learn the definition of dating violence and take a quiz identifying the signs of abusive behavior. They also discuss traits they would like to see in a dating partner. In another lesson, teens learn how to help a victim and how to talk to someone who is abusive. Young women ages 16-24 are nearly three times more vulnerable to dating violence than any other age group, according to U.S. Justice Department statistics. One in five adolescent girls experiences physical or sexual assault in a dating relationship, according to a Harvard School of Public Health Survey last year. The curriculum is intended for teens, who are often beginning intimate relationships.
SURVEY DOCUMENTS
DECADE OF MORAL DETERIORATION
According to a new report by the
Josephson Institute of Ethics cheating, stealing and lying by high school
students have continued their alarming, decade-long upward spiral. A survey of
12,000 high school students showed that students admitting they cheated on an
exam at least once in the past year jumped
from 61% in 1992 to 74% in 2002; the number who stole something from a store
within the past 12 months rose from 31% to 38%, while the percentage who say
they lied to their teachers and parents also increased substantially.
The report, released
as part of National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week (October 20-26), also reveals
significant deterioration over the past two years: Cheating rose from 71% in
2000 to 74% in 2002, theft increased from 35% to 38%, and those who said they
would be willing to lie to get a good job jumped from 28% to 39%.
The 2002 report also
found that students who attend private religious schools were less likely to
shoplift (35% vs. 39%) but more likely to cheat on exams (78% vs. 72%) and lie
to teachers (86% vs. 81%). In addition, students participating in varsity
sports cheated on exams at a higher rate than students who did not (78% vs.
73%).
Michael Josephson,
president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, said: “The evidence is that a
willingness to cheat has become the norm and that parents, teachers, coaches
and even religious educators have not been able to stem the tide. The scary
thing is that so many kids are entering the workforce to become corporate
executives, politicians, airplane mechanics and nuclear inspectors with the
dispositions and skills of cheaters and thieves.”
To provide greater
insight into the factors that may impact the ethics of young people, the
Institute’s 2002 survey sought information about attitudes and affiliations
that add new dimensions to the data: participation in varsity sports, student
leadership, attendance at private religious schools and possession of strong
religious beliefs. A summary of the data follows but here are some highlights:
The surveys
underlying Report Card 2002: The Ethics of American Youth were
administered by schools throughout the country in 2002. A complete set of data
generated by the survey is available at www.josephsoninstitute.org. This report addresses honesty and integrity
and is the first based on the data. An additional report focusing on violence,
drug use and other issues will be released in the future.
1. CHEATING
In decade from 1992
to 2002 the number of high school students who admit that they cheated on an
exam in the past year increased significantly from 61% to 74%. In 2000, 70%
admitted to cheating.
2. THEFT
A) Shoplifting. In the ten years from 1992 to 2002 the number
of high school students who admit that they stole something from a store in the
past 12 months increased significantly from 33% to 38%. In 2000, 35% admitted
to theft from a store.
B) Stealing from parents. The number of students who admit stealing
from a parent or relative increased from 24% in 1992 to 28% in 2002; 25% of
students with personal religious convictions said they stole from parents, the
same percentage as for honor students.
3. LYING
A) Lying to parents. Though one would expect a high percentage of
young people to admit lying to their parents in the past year, the increase
from 1992 to 2002 is substantial (83% vs. 93%).
B) Lying to teachers. This kind of falsehood is also common among
adolescents but again the percentage who admit doing so in the previous 12
months increased significantly from 1992 to 2002 (69% to 83%).
C) Lying to save money. The percentage of students who say they “sometimes lie to save money” increased
substantially from 36% in 2000 to 46% in 2002.
D) Lying to get a job. In 2002, the percentage who say they would be
willing to “lie to get a good job”
more than quadrupled (9% to 37%), compared to 28% in 2000.
4. IDEAS AND SELF-IMAGE CONCERNING ETHICS
A) In just the past
two years, the cynicism of young people has increased substantially. In 2000,
34% of high school students said, “A
person has to lie or cheat sometimes in order to succeed.” In 2002, the
number agreeing jumped 9% to 43%.
B) Despite the high
proportion of students who admitted cheating, stealing and lying in the past
year, the generation appears to possess high self esteem when it comes to
ethics: 76% said, “When it comes to
doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.”
C) In addition,
though many engaged in untrustworthy behavior, the students indicated that
trust was very important: 95% agreed, “It’s
important to me that people trust me.”
D) And the vast
majority of high school students (79%) agreed, “It’s not worth it to lie or cheat because it hurts your character.”
5. EFFORTS AT CHARACTER EDUCATION
About three-quarters
(74%) of all students said that school tries hard to help students develop good
character.
6. TEACHING AND MODELING BY PARENTS
A) The misconduct of
young people is not the result of mixed messages from parents, at least
according to their children as 84% of all students agreed with the statement, “My parents want me to do the ethically
right thing, no matter what the cost.”
B) Similarly, 93% disagreed with the statement, “My parents would rather I cheat than get bad grades.”
THE WOODSMAN AND THE
LEPRECHAUN - A MICHAEL
JOSEPHSON COMMENTARY
Long ago, a woodsman saved the life of a leprechaun and was given one wish. The woodsman thought for a long time and finally wished that each of his three daughters find a good husband. But the leprechaun was full of games. “How am I to know what’s good in your mind? I’ll give them husbands but you can name only one quality and it’s got to be the same for all. What’ll you have? I can make them clever, strong, handsome, rich—you name it.”
The woodsman said, “Give me men of good character, then.”
The leprechaun wasn’t done playing. “And how am I to know what good character is?”
“Do you have children?" asked the woodsman.
“I do,” said the leprechaun.
“And do you love them?”
“More than life itself.”
“Then give my girls the kind of men you want for your children.”
“Ah,” the leprechaun said, “then you shall have honorable men with kind and loving hearts. And I’ll throw in a strong conscience too.”
The woodsman was a shrewd man and a good father. He knew that the well-being and happiness of his children depends on the quality of their relationships and the quality of their relationships depends on the quality of the people they are with.
But what if the woodsman was asked what one quality he wants in his own daughters? As a wise father he would again ask for good character. Whether it’s in one’s spouse or oneself, cleverness, good looks and money are nice, but in the end, the most essential quality of a good life is good character.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.