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 Dr. Thomas Lickona and Matt Davidson at the Center for the 4th & 5th R’s in Cortland New York. This model focuses on implementing best practices to help students “do their best work” and 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 is specifically targeting 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 more are participating as control 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 has a full time “character coach” who is facilitating the implementation of the model and providing on-going professional development for school staff.