LOCAL SCHOOL RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS
February 08, 2008
Ten National Schools of Character winners selected as models of effective school reform
May 18, 2009 . . . Washington, D.C. – The Character Education Partnership (CEP) has named Bayless Junior High School in St. Louis County, Missouri a National School of Character.
The winning schools demonstrate that school transformation is possible through low-cost, high-quality character education initiatives. They have closed the achievement gap and raised academic expectations for all students, built strong relationships and partnerships between parents, teachers, and students, and given their students opportunities to serve their communities.
“All of the winners are wonderful exemplars of how comprehensive character education can truly transform school culture and climate, which in turn allows students and teachers to flourish,” said CEP Executive Director Joe Mazzola.
A primarily blue collar community, the Bayless area has become the epicenter for many St. Louis immigrant families. Bosnian and Vietnamese comprise the largest groups. The influx of students and families with limited English proficiency has presented real challenges for the district. Bayless Junior High has met those challenges with programs that build an appreciation for their diversity and that address the language learning needs of all students. The school’s mission is growing “responsible citizens for a diverse society” and by all measures they seem to be succeeding.
“We are very proud of this accomplishment,” Ron Tucker, Bayless Junior High principal, said. “We know that in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic – the traditional 3 R’s – our students need to also demonstrate authentic understanding of respect and responsibility. Our hands-on, intentional, approach to character education helps Bayless Junior High foster trust among our students, parents, and faculty members, which enable us to empower one another to accomplish the school’s mission.”
Bayless Junior High will receive an award and grant at CEP’s 16th National Forum on Character Education, Citizens of Character – the Foundation of Democracy, to be held October 29–31, 2009, outside of Washington, DC. Bayless will serve as a mentor and model for other schools and districts seeking to improve their character education efforts.
The NSOC application process requires extensive reporting, documentation, and assessment of each school or district’s climate, academics, and programs to develop civic, moral, and social-emotional competencies. CEP’s Blue Ribbon Panel, consisting of experts in the field of character education, considered the written applications and site visit reports of 27 finalists to determine the 10 winners.
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2009 National Schools of Character Winners
Alta S. Leary Elementary School, Warminster, Pennsylvania (Public/Grades K-5)
Bayless Junior High School, St. Louis County, Missouri (Public/Grades 7-8)
Beverly Woods Elementary School, Charlotte, North Carolina (Public/Grades K-5)
The Blake School, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Private/PreK-12)
Colonel John Robinson Elementary School, Westford, Massachusetts (Public/Grades K-2)
Fox C-6 School District, Arnold, Missouri (Public/Grades K-12)
Greenfield Elementary School, Beverly Hills, Michigan (Public/Grades PreK-5)
Long Elementary School, Crestwood, Missouri (Public/Grades K-5)
Milwaukee College Prep School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Public Charter School/PreK–8)
Westwood Elementary School, Friendswood, Texas (Public/Grades Pre K-3)
Geographic Distribution
The diverse group of 2009 NSOC Winners includes one school each from Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin and two schools and one district from Missouri. Missouri is a model for how regional excellence in character education can be attained, according to Marvin Berkowitz, professor of character education at University of Missouri–St. Louis. “We are saturating schools with professional development, leadership training, and best practices,” Berkowitz said.
Demographics
The 2008 winners include seven public schools, one public school district, one public charter school, and one private school. Six of the 2008 winning schools are primary or elementary schools, one is a junior high school, two serve a range of grades from elementary to secondary, and one is a school district. Most of the winners are located in suburban settings while three are urban schools. Most of the winners have 10% or more of their students who eligible for free or reduced lunch and three have 25% or more students who fall in this category.
NSOC awards program
Each year since 1998, the NSOC awards program has recognized approximately ten K–12 schools and districts that provide exemplary comprehensive character education programs that consistently yield positive results in student behavior, citizenship, school climate, and academic performance. The national awards program is sponsored and administered by the Character Education Partnership and made possible through the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation and Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Character Education Partnership
The Character Education Partnership, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to helping schools develop people of good character for a just and compassionate society. CEP is the nation’s leading advocate for quality character education initiatives. To learn more about CEP and the National and State Schools of Character, visit www.character.org.
