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In 2006, OPCE and the Ohio Department of Education were awarded a 4 year, USDOE Partnerships in Character Education grant. The project is using the “Smart & Good” model of character education developed by Drs. Thomas Lickona and Matt Davidson at the Center for the 4th & 5th R’s and the Institute for Excellence and Ethics in Cortland New York. This model focuses on implementing best practices to help students “do their best work” and "be their best self" to achieve excellence and ethics. To be successful as students, citizens and workers, students need performance character (such as effort, diligence, perseverance, positive attitude, and self-discipline) and moral character (such as integrity, justice, caring, respect, responsibility, and cooperation).
The grant project specifically targeted students in middle and high school with the goal of developing the strengths of character needed to be successful in high school and beyond.
Five Ohio districts were chosen to participate in this project as implementation sites and 5 additional districts served as comparison sites. The rigorous evaluation results that will emerge from this study will help illuminate the complex process of how character development relates to school success and hopefully add to the mounting evidence nationally that comprehensive character education can lead to not only an improved school climate, but also fewer discipline referrals and higher achievement.
Each of the 5 districts had a full time “character coach” who facilitated the implementation of the model and provided on-going professional development for school staff.
Each school started by creating a "touchstone" that represented their shared values and mission. All stakeholders - staff, students, parents and community members, particpated in creating each touchstone, and the results became a visual reminder of what the school believed in and wanted to accomplish.
OHIO PILOT PROJECTS
In 1998 the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) received a "Pilot Projects in Character Education" grant from the US Department of Education to develop partnerships with state and local education agencies, non-profit organizations and community groups for the purpose of establishing and evaluating pilot projects in character education. OPCE was created as a result of this grant as a partnership of ODE with more than 65 schools, districts, and community and business organizations. With assistance and guidance from OPCE, these schools, organizations, and communities developed and implemented locally-determined character education programs. Staff from each site meet regularly throughout the project (1998-2002)to participate in professional development training with regional and national experts in character education as well as to share their experiences and learn from each other.
