• Character Education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.

• "Character" must be comprehensively defined to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.

• Effective character education requires an intentional, proactive, and comprehensive approach that promotes the core values in all phases of school life.

• The school must be a caring community.

• To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action.

• Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed.

• Character Education should strive to develop students' intrinsic motivation.

• School staff must become a learning and moral community in which all share responsibility for character education and attempt to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students.

• Character Education requires moral leadership from both staff and students.

• The school must recruit parents and community members as full partners in the character-education building effort.

• Evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character.

• the four main virtues

  • prudence (practical wisdom)

  • justice

  • fortitude (courage)

  • temperance (moderation)

Signs of Character:

• actions

• attitude

  • habits of feelings

  • dispositions to respond & act

Reflection can be used to correct sympathy.

• Character & Civility

Student development of personal reasoning through moral judgement.

Personal values being acted upon.

• Wisdom = Shared

Social emotional learning impacts every area of child development.

2. Recommendations for needed future research

GOAL: understanding the meaning of good work & develop habits, skills, and character strengths.

Theory of Change: "The three E's"

• excellence- character/virtue, well-being

• engagement- meaning & purpose

• ethics- social relationships

Pathways/Domains:

• family

• work

• education

• religious community

States/Outcomes:

• happiness & life satisfaction

• physical & mental health

• meaning & purpose

• character & virtue

• close social relationships