VALUES and CHARACTER EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE OFFICE of POLICY and COMMUNICATIONS August 1997 GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
LINDA C. SCERENKO STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
LIST OF VALUES AND CHARACTER EDUCATION ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AUGUST 1997 Values and character education development usually occurs over a number of years and within a number of environments. Since family members are the first individuals with whom one comes into contact the influence of the family continues to be extremely important to a child's character and values development. This fact is particularly appropriate in the preschools and early school years. As students progress through public schools, it is important that their education provide instructional opportunities, explicit and implicit that help them develop their beliefs about what is right and good. The following definitions are intended to guide schools in providing the basis for the teaching of values and character education in the public schools. Values: hold in high esteem; regard highly Values Concepts: ideas, beliefs or understandings one has that guide and are reflected in one's behavior Values Education: the process of providing opportunities for the continuous development in all students of the knowledge, skills and
attitudes related to certain values which lead to behavior exhibiting those values Character: attributes or features that make up and distinguish the individual; the complex of mental and ethical traits making a person, group or nation Character Concepts: actions, attitudes and practice that characterize a person. Acting honorably under all circumstances, even when it is to the disadvantage of the self Character Education: the proem by which positive personality traits are developed, encouraged and reinforced through example, study (history and biography of the great and good) and practice (emulation of what has been observed and learned) The State Board of Education believes that there is a core list of values and character education concepts that should be taught in Georgia's schools. The following list has been adopted by the State Board of Education to be implemented in Georgia's schools. CHARACTER CURRICULUM
accomplishment cheerfulness citizenship cleanliness commitment compassion cooperation courage courtesy creativity democracy dependability diligence equality
fairness frugality generosity honesty honor kindness knowledge loyalty moderation patience patriotism perseverance productivity punctuality
respect for authority respect for others respect for the creator respect for environment respect for health school pride self-control self-respect sportsmanship trustworthiness truthfulness tolerance virtue
CITIZENSHIP
Democracy: government of, by and for the people, exercised through the voting process
Respect for and acceptance of authority: the need for and primacy of authority, including the law, in given circumstances Equality: the right and opportunity to develop one's potential as a human being Freedom of conscience and expression: the right to hold beliefs, whether religious, ethical or political, and to express one's views Justice: equal and impartial treatment under the law Liberty: freedom from oppression, tyranny or the domination of government Tolerance: the allowable deviation from a standard. Indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own
Patriotism: support of the U. S. Constitution and love for the United States of America with zealous guarding of their authority and interests.
Courage: willingness to face danger with determination Loyalty: steadfastness or faithfulness to a person, institution, custom or idea to which one is tied by duty, pledge or a promise Honor: a keen sense of ethical conduct one's word given as a guarantee of performance
Respect for the Natural Environment: care for and conservation of land, trees, clean air and pure water and of all living inhabitants of the earth
Conservation: avoiding waste and pollution of natural resources
Respect for the creator: our most basic freedoms and rights are not granted to us from the government but they are intrinsically ours; i.e., the Constitution does not grant Americans the right of freedom of speech, it simply recognizes that each of us is born with that right. This is to say that the founders of the republic recognized a higher authority, a power greater than themselves that endowed every human being with certain unalienable rights that no government or legal document could ever revoke or take away. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson names this life form that permeates the universe and from which our unalienable rights stem the "creator, "nature's God", and the 'supreme judge of the world'. If we are to respect life, the natural rights of all people and the authority which the founders based their legal opinions on concerning our separation from Great Britain then there must be a respect for that creator from which all our rights flow. This cannot be interpreted as a promotion of religion or even as a promotion of the belief in a personal God, but only as an acknowledgment that the intrinsic worth of every individual derives from no
government, person or group of persons, but is something that each of us is born with and which no thing and no one can ever deprive us of. RESPECT FOR OTHERS Altruism: concern for and motivation to act for the welfare of others
Civility and cheerfulness: courtesy and politeness in action or speech Compassion, kindness and generosity: concern for suffering or distress of others and response to their feelings and needs Courtesy and cooperation: recognition of mutual interdependence with others resulting in polite treatment and respect for them
Integrity: confirmed virtue and uprightness of character, freedom from hypocrisy
Honesty: truthfulness and sincerity Truth: freedom from deceit or falseness; based on fact or reality Trustworthiness: worthy of confidence Fairness and good sportsmanship: freedom from favoritism, self-interest or indulgence of one's likes and dislikes; abiding by the rules of a contest and accepts victory or defeat graciously Patience: not being hasty or impetuous
RESPECT FOR SELF Accountability: responsibility for one's actions and their consequences
Commitment: being emotionally, physically or intellectually bound to something Perseverance and diligence: adherence to actions and their consequences Self control and virtue: exercising authority over one's emotions and actions Frugality: effective use of resources; thrift
Self-Esteem: pride and belief in oneself and in achievement of one's potential
Knowledge: learning, understanding, awareness Moderation: avoidance of unreasonably extreme views or measures Respect for physical, mental and fiscal health: awareness of the importance of and conscious activity toward maintaining fitness in these areas Cleanliness: good habits of personal hygiene and grooming
Work Ethic: belief that work is good and that everyone who can, should work
Punctuality: being on time for attendance and tasks Accomplishment: appreciation for completing a task Cooperation: working with others for mutual benefit Dependability: reliability; trustworthiness Diligence: attentiveness; persistence; perseverance Pride: dignity; self-respect; doing one's best Productivity: supporting one's self, contributing to society Creativity: exhibiting an entrepreneurial spirit inventiveness; originality; not bound by the norm School pride: playing a contributing role in maintaining and improving all aspects of a school's environment, programs and activities within the context of contributing to the betterment of the city, county and state
VALUES AND CHARACTER EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE History and Development of the Concept During its 1997 session the Georgia Legislature amended Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia annotated by adding at the end of said part a new code section 20-2-145 to read as follows: The State Board of Education shall develop by the summer of the 1997-1998 school year a comprehensive character education program for levels K-12. This comprehensive character education program shall be known as the 'character curriculum' and shall focus on the students' development of the following character traits: courage, patriotism, citizenship, honesty, fairness, respect for others, kindness, cooperation, self-respect self-control, courtesy, compassion, tolerance, diligence, generosity, punctuality, cleanliness, cheerfulness, school pride, respect for the environment, respect for the creator, patience, creativity, sportsmanship, loyalty, perseverance, and virtue. Local boards may implement such a program at any time and for any grade levels, and the state board shall encourage the implementation of such plan. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. Planning
Status assessment is the first step for a school system implementing values and character education. Planners should consider:
What materials are presently used? What funds are available? How can Quality Core Curriculum (QCC) objectives be keyed to the core values/character traits list? How can explicit values be conveyed through the curriculum? For example, which staff, at what grade levels, and in what subjects are the core values/character traits addressed? What kinds of opportunities on and off campus are provided for student practice of the values/character traits taught? To what degree are implicit instructional strategies used; for example, cooperative learning, developmental discipline, building positive school climate? What staff development has been done to build skills in using the implicit and explicit delivery strategies? How effective has it been?
The system plan for values and character education should comprise what is being done plus what needs to be done to address the core values/character traits list, grades K-12. The content of the system's values and character education plan will reflect the mission of that school system; however, such topics as explicit and implicit instructional strategies to be employed, curriculum objectives, practice opportunities and staff development activities might all be included. Curriculum Delivery Services Infusing values/character traits across the curriculum in grades K-12 is one of the most workable, most used approaches. Many schools and school systems begin with a core staff-, e.g., all at one grade level, two per grade level, or all in a subject discipline and expand gradually to include all staff. Another approach matches core values/character traits concepts to appropriate disciplines; e.g., freedom of conscience and expression with civics or government; conservation with science courses. In most instances these concepts are addressed in segments of time, such as six-week units. Some elementary schools assign some time daily for values/character instruction. The school, the home and the community, including religious institutions, should be used as venues to practice value/character traits. Students in all grade levels should have opportunities to practice values and character traits that range from role playing and decision making exercises to actual community service.
To ensure the broadest possible coverage, QCC objectives should be reviewed for all subject areas to identify those that can be keyed to the core values/character traits list. As part of the planning process, this activity would result in instructional strategies and lesson plans, including outcome statements. A wealth of commercially developed material is available. Some is comprehensive; however, most resources are supplementary and topic specific. For example, drug education, sex education and law- related education materials may be relevant to a number of the core values/character traits. As schools implement values and character education, the implicit curriculum should not be ignored or underestimated. The manner in which teachers and administrators relate, how teachers relate to parents and how we communicate with students all provide invaluable opportunities for modeling behavior based on the values and character we seek to develop in students. This modeling process should permeate the total school climate, including the way discipline is administered. Classroom management strategies, such as cooperative learning, can encourage the development of such values as courtesy, cooperation, selfcontrol and dependability. Staff Development Extraordinary sensitivity and skill are required to conduct explicit instruction in many concepts on the values/character traits list; therefore, teacher pre-service and in-service training is important Some commercially developed program provide training, usually in the train-the-trainer mode, as part of a total package. The Georgia Department of Education may provide technical assistance on preparing training grants for such activities as summer seminars. Local county extension service agents have training programs and a curriculum on values that are available through the 4-H organization. Civic organizations, such as Lions, Kiwanis, American Legion and Concerned Women of America can provide help. The Georgia Department of Education often has workshops directed to the explicit and implicit curricula. The Georgia Education Leadership Academy, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Unit and the Student Support Services Unit, among others sponsor workshops on such topics as positive discipline alternatives, cooperative learning, managing conflict and sex education. The Law-Related Education Consortium, coordinated through the Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia provides training and materials to help students learn about the responsibilities of citizenship, the law and court systems.
The Staff Development Unit in the department of education can provide information regarding procedures for revising or writing local staff development plans to include values/character traits education emphases. Funding Sources There is an obvious, natural link among materials acquisition, staff development and funding availability. School systems implementing values and character education use a variety of sources to fund their efforts. Business, industry, civic and service organizations often sponsor activities in concert with their philosophy. Federal and state grant funds are available for training and materials in such areas as drug abuse and sex education. Building self-respect and respect for others for example, am appropriate activities under the heading of -values and character education as well as "drug education or "sex education.' School systems are encouraged to carefully examine the purposes and acceptable expenditures for all state or federal programs. Many private organizations and foundations offer funds for educational programs, includes values and character oriented education. Details on these sources are available from Student Support Services Unit and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Unit in ft Georgia Department of Education. Finally, state staff development funds may be used for training related to values and character education. Evaluation This section is intended to guide schools and school systems in assessing the values and character education program. The following procedures (which are not exhaustive or inclusive) may be taken as a whole or piecemeal and may be long-term or short-term in focus; they will be subject to extraneous variables. They could be determined with self-report scales, anecdotal records or published scales. The evaluation model suggested here focuses on process and product. A. Process: things done, and the efficiency with which they are done 1. 2. 3. 4. Numbers and VW of materials used Numbers and kinds of activities Lesson plans; course objectives Curriculum scope and sequence statements
B. Product: the effectiveness (outcomes) of what is done 1. Attitude changes regarding sell home, school
2. Behavioral changes in groups or individually: discipline referrals, suspensions, dropouts, fighting, participation in activities, volunteerism, etc. 3. Academic performance
