Helping Our Students
Become Smart
and Good
Tom Lickona
Center for the 4th & 5th Rs
State University of New York at Cortland
WORLD CONGRESS IN EDUCATION
Valencia, Spain
April 17-19, 2008
Smart & Good Schools Initiative
Integrating Excellence & Ethics for Success in
School, Work, and Beyond
www.cortland.edu/character
The Smart & Good Schools Initiative is co-directed by
Drs. Thomas Lickona, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, and
Matthew Davidson, Institute for Excellence and Ethics.
To inquire about participating in the Smart & Good
Schools Initiative, email character@cortland.edu.
Through history, and across
cultures, education has had two
great goals:
help students become smart
help students become good.
They need character for both.
THE MEASURED EFFECTIVENESS OF
CHARACTER EDUCATION
At all grade levels, students who have
experienced quality character education
outperform comparison groups not only on
measures of social behavior
but also on measures of
academic performance.
—Journal of Research in Character
Education (2003)
The vision of a Smart & Good
School is based on the 2005 study
Smart & Good High
Schools
Tom Lickona & Matt Davidson
100 Promising Practices for
Integrating Excellence & Ethics
www.cortland.edu/character
5
Smart & Good
Research Methodologies
1. A comprehensive literature review
2. Site visits (focus groups &
observations) at 24 award-winning high
schools
3. Guidance from:
 Experts Panel
 Student Leaders Panel
The concepts and findings
that emerged from the
Smart & Good study are
now being used by schools
K-12.
2 Foundational
Questions
1. What is character?
2. What is character
education?
8
Character has two major parts:
performance character and moral character.
Performance Character
Moral/Ethical Character
Commitment to
continuous
improvement
•
•
Respect
• Responsibility to others
•
Goal setting
•
Love (Compassion)
•
Work ethic
•
Humility
•
Determination
•
Integrity
•
Self-confidence
•
Justice
•
Initiative
Moral courage
•
Creativity
•
Performance Character:
Doing Our Best Work
You must discover what you
are made for, and you must
work indefatigably to achieve
excellence in your field of
endeavor.
If you are called to be a
street-sweeper, you should
sweep streets even as
Michelangelo painted or
Beethoven composed music.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
The goal in life is to make the effort
to do the best you are capable of
doing—in marriage, at your job, in
your community, for your country.
Don’t measure yourself by what you
have accomplished, but by what you
should have accomplished with your
abilities. The effort is what counts
in everything.
—John Wooden, UCLA Basketball Coach
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Performance is the outcome (the
grade, the honor or award, the
achievement).
Performance character consists of
those qualities needed to pursue our
personal best—whether the outcome
is realized or not.
We asked high school students:
”What persons or experiences in
high school have most influenced
the development of your
performance character?”
The importance of being challenged:
“The person who has most profoundly
affected my performance character is my
basketball coach. He had me play power
forward, even though I am only 5’4”.
When I became frustrated, he never let
me give up. I never before had to do
anything so far out of my comfort zone.”
—A High School Girl
Moral Character:
Doing the Right Thing
Moral character consists of the
virtues needed for ethical
behavior, positive relationships,
and responsible citizenship.
Moral character honors the
interests of others, so that we do
not violate moral values as we
pursue our performance goals.
We asked high school students:
”What persons or experiences in
high school have most influenced
the development of your
moral character?”
“We are taught from the start that
plagiarism and all forms of cheating are
wrong, and that any kind of cruelty toward
other students is not to be tolerated.
We often have assemblies that discuss how
to promote peace and justice in society.
Graduation requirements include 100 hours
of community service, but our school
encourages us to do more.”
—A High School Girl
“There are two roads in life: a high road
and a low road. The high road is harder,
but it takes you somewhere worth going.
The low road is easy, but it’s circular—you
eventually find yourself back where you
started.
“Your life won’t get better—and you won’t
get better—on the low road.”
—High School Science Teacher
A person of character
embodies both
performance character and
moral character.
Without moral character,
performance character easily
runs amuck.
You could become a courageous
terrorist who blows up innocent
people, an ingenious CEO who
cooks the books, or a
brilliant valedictorian who is only
out for herself.
Without performance character,
moral character is ineffective.
You could be a person who has
good intentions but can’t carry
them out effectively.
Performance character enables
us to act on our moral values.
Only by developing performance
character will schools:
Promote academic achievement for
all students
foster an ethic of excellence, not
just higher test scores
develop scientific and
entrepreneurial talent
produce a competitive, creative
workforce.
Only by developing moral
character will schools:
create safe learning environments
prevent peer cruelty
decrease discipline problems
reduce cheating
foster social & emotional skills
develop ethical thinkers
produce public-spirited citizens.
Performance
character and
moral character
are defined in
terms of 8
Strengths of
Character, assets
needed for a
flourishing life.
THE WHOLE PERSON
What are the
Strengths of Character
that make up the
“whole person”?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lifelong learner and critical thinker
Diligent and capable performer
Socially and emotionally skilled person
Ethical thinker
Respectful and responsible moral agent
Self-disciplined person who pursues a
healthy lifestyle
7. Contributing community member and
democratic citizen
8. Spiritual person engaged in crafting a life
of noble purpose.
Where do the 8 Strengths of
Character come from?
Classical philosophy about living a
meaningful and fulfilling life
Cross-cultural wisdom
Positive psychology’s focus on the
assets needed for a flourishing life
Our own grounded theory research.
1. Lifelong learner and critical thinker
Approaches learning as a lifelong
process
Shows skills of critical analysis
Takes seriously the perspectives of
others
Seeks credible evidence
Integrates knowledge
Generates alternative solutions
Demonstrates intellectual humility
(e.g., willingness to admit error).
A Core Works Curriculum
Core Works in literature, history, and
the arts are selected by one
independent school’s faculty using four
criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Timelessness
Centrality (involves important themes)
Influence
Originality (offers new vision)
“Our purpose is to
teach the best that
has been thought and
said in the world.”
Intellectual Character:
What It Is, Why It Matters, and
How to Get It
(2002)
—Ron Ritchhart
Media Literacy:
Deconstructing Pornography
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How does pornography affect our
respect for the dignity of other people?
Who are pornography’s victims?
How does it affect our self-respect?
What are some of the possible long-term
consequences of viewing pornography on
our sexual attitudes and behavior?
How might pornography affect a
marriage?
2. Diligent and capable performer
Strives for excellence; gives
best effort
Demonstrates initiative
Knows standards of quality and
creates high-quality products;
takes pride in work
Sets personal goals and
assesses progress
Perseveres despite difficulty.
4 KEYS
1. A community that supports and
challenges
2. Self-study (self-assessment and
goal-setting)
3. Other-study (learning from positive
and negative examples)
4. Public performance/presentation
An Ethic of
Excellence:
Building a Culture
of Craftsmanship
with Students
—Ron Berger
Berger’s work
illustrates the use
of the 4 KEYS.
Practices That Use
the 4 KEYS
1. Work that inspires. (Community That
Supports & Challenges)
2. Models of excellence. (Other-Study)
3. A culture of critique. (Community
That Supports & Challenges)
4. Multiple revisions. (Self-Study)
5. Opportunities to present/display
one’s work. (Public Performance)
The Culture of Critique
Students regularly present their
work to peers and the teacher for
feedback, in order to heighten their
responsibility for:
doing their best work
bringing out the best in each other.
Rules for the
CULTURE OF CRITIQUE
 Be kind.
 Be specific.
 Be helpful.
Steps in the Culture of Critique
1. Presenter: “I would especially
like suggestions on . . .”
2. Positive feedback from the
group and teacher.
3. Constructive critique, often
put as questions:
“Would you consider . . . ?”
“Have you thought of . . . ?”
Diligent and Capable Performer
Involve students in meaningful
learning experiences that
challenge them to meet realworld standards.
A HIGH SCHOOL
SCIENCE RESEARCH CLASS
“These kids are doing original
research, not cookbook science.
We’re teaching problem-posing,
problem-solving, cause-and-effect
thinking, and teamwork.”
—Science Teacher
3. Socially and emotionally
skilled person
Possesses a healthy selfconfidence and positive attitude
Demonstrates basic courtesy
Develops positive relationships
Communicates effectively
Works well with others
Resolves conflicts fairly
Has emotional intelligence,
including the ability to understand
and manage one’s feelings.
Promising Practice:
Develop and
regularly renew a
positive
relationship with
every student.
Promising
Practice:
Foster Positive
Peer Relations.
THE DAILY FIVE
1.Who has good news?
2.Who would like to affirm/compliment
someone else?
3.What is something in the past 24
hours that you are thankful for?
4.Laughter (rotate bringing in a joke)
5.Change seats; get to know your new
neighbor (2-minute interview).
—Hal Urban
RESPECT SCALE
1.
2.
3.
At the end of the day, each student
gives himself a rating of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
(high) on the Respect Scale.
We have a class conversation: “Why did
you give yourself that rating?” We do not
pass judgment.
I ask, “How are you going to try to get
better tomorrow? What strategies will
you use?” Other students may suggest
strategies.
—Usha Balamore
4. Ethical thinker
Possesses moral discernment
Has a well-formed
conscience—including a
feeling of obligation to do
the right thing.
Has a strong moral identity;
moral character is central to
“who I am.”
Has the moral skills to
translate moral discernment,
conscience, and identity into
effective moral behavior.
Moral Discernment:
How can we tell right from wrong?
1. Right actions affirm human dignity.
2. They promote the happiness and wellbeing of the individual.
3. They serve the common good.
4. They meet the test of reversibility.
(Would I want this done to me?)
5. They can be universalized. (Would I want
all people to act in this way?)
ETHICAL DISCUSSIONS OF
LITERATURE
“Who was the most respectful
character in the book?”
“Would the story have turned out
differently if any character had
shown more respect?”
ETHICAL MINI-ESSAYS
VIRTUE:WISDOM
1. Define “wisdom” in your own words.
2. Who is someone you know who
possesses this virtue? Give an example of
how that person shows wisdom.
3. What are the advantages of possessing
this virtue?
4. How does this virtue affect others?
REFLECTING ON CHARACTER
1. What would you want a teacher to say
about your character in a letter of
reference?
2. How do you gain the trust of another
person? How do you destroy it?
3. What are some of the consequences
of being dishonest?
4. What are some of the rewards of
being honest?
—Hal Urban
Study LIVES OF CHARACTER.
Challenge students to pursue their
own character development.
Draw lives of character from:
 Your academic discipline
 Psychological research (e.g., Some Do
Care)
 Current events (virtueinaction.org)
 Great films (TeachWithMovies.com)
After presenting a man or woman of
exemplary performance character and
moral character, ask students:


What can you observe or infer about
this person as an ethical thinker?
What evidence do you see of moral
discernment, conscience, moral
identity, and moral competence?
What character strengths does this
person possess that you would like to
develop to a higher degree?
Great resource for discussing
current events:
Virtue in Action
www.virtueinaction.org
Bi-monthly on-line lessons
Latest issue: Cyber-bullying
5. Respectful & Responsible
Moral Agent, Committed to
Consistent Moral Action
Respects the rights and dignity
of all persons
Understands that respect
includes the right of conscience
to disagree respectfully
Possesses a strong sense of
responsibility to do what’s right
Takes responsibility for
mistakes
Shows moral leadership.
Classroom Compact for Excellence
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
(PERFORMANCE CHARACTER)
1. BE PREPARED.
2. WORK HARD.
3. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Rules for Treating Others with Respect & Care
(MORAL CHARACTER)
1. TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED.
2. USE GOOD MANNERS.
3. HELP EACH OTHER.
ONE SCHOOL’S DISCIPLINE PROCESS
1. The referred student completes a form
describing the incident from his/her point
of view and the teacher’s.
2. The student relates his/her behavior to
one the school’s 8 Essential Learner
Behaviors (critical thinking, citizenship,
problem-solving, etc.).
3. The student discusses the completed
form with the principal or asst. principal.
4. The student decides on a restitution.
5. The parent/guardian is notified.
6. Self-Disciplined Person Who
Pursues a Healthy Lifestyle
Demonstrates self-control
Pursues physical, emotional,
and mental health
Makes responsible personal
choices that contribute to
ongoing self-development, a
healthy lifestyle, and a
positive future.
“ON THE LINE”
1. Mark a line across the classroom with 7 points.
1=Not True of Me; 7=Very true of me”
2. “Go and stand at the point on the line that
best describes you in terms of the following
statement” (5-6 students at a time):
“I take care of my health. I get enough
sleep, eat right, and exercise.”
Follow up Q’s:



Why did you put yourself there?
How does this compare to last year?
Where do you want to be in the future?
Sexual Decision-Making
We need to give young people a
rational way of thinking about
sex—one that appeals to their
intelligence and that will ground
them and make their
decisions solid.
10 Emotional Dangers of Premature Sex
Worry about pregnancy and STDs.
Regret.
Guilt.
Loss of self-respect.
Corruption of character.
Difficulty trusting.
Depression and suicide.
Damaged or ruined relationships.
Stunted personal development.
Negative effects on marriage.
“I lost my virginity when I was 15. My
boyfriend and I thought we loved each
other. But once we began having sex, it
completely destroyed any love we had. I
felt he was no longer interested in
spending time with me—he was
interested in spending time with my
body.”
—Amanda, a college student
Article with stories from the lives
of teens:
“10 Emotional Dangers of
Premature Sexual Involvement”
Fourth & Fifth Rs Newsletter, fall, 2007
(www.cortland.edu/character)
The Neglected Heart
1. What can we learn from these
stories?
2. Why does sexual intimacy have
emotional consequences?
3. Are these consequences often
different for males and females? If
so, why?
4. What is required in a relationship to
maximize the likelihood that sexual
intimacy will be emotionally safe and
fulfilling?
7. Contributing Community Member
and Democratic Citizen
Contributes to family,
classroom, school, and
community
Demonstrates civic virtues
needed for participation in
democratic processes
Demonstrates awareness
of interdependence and a
sense of responsibility to
all humanity.
A HURTING WORLD


Nearly half the world’s population are
poor.
One in 6 lives in “extreme poverty”—
the poverty that kills. They are
chronically hungry, lack safe drinking
water, cannot get health care or
afford education.
—Jeffrey Sachs, The End of
Poverty
Contributing Community Member
and Democratic Citizen
Promising Practices

Engage students in service learning.

Involve students in first-hand
experiences of democracy.

Resolve school conflicts
democratically, with respect for
differences of conscience.
Research Finding:
Teens who are involved in
service learning:
Do better in school
Are more likely to treat each
other kindly and respond
positively to cultural diversity.
An Award-Winning
Service Learning Program:
Service learning every
Wednesday morning
Quality control (supervision of
field sites)
Senior year global issues
course
Senior Project.
8. Spiritual Engaged in
Crafting a Life of Noble Purpose
Considers existential
questions (e.g., “What is
happiness?”, “What is the
meaning of life?”)
Appreciates transcendent
values (truth, beauty,
goodness)
Seeks a life of noble
purpose
Formulates life goals and
ways to pursue them
I see so many people just going
through the motions: get into a
good school, so you can get into a
good college, so you can get a good
job, so you can get a better job, so
you can get rich and die.
—Recent High School Graduate
1.
An Analysis of My Life
Are you generally satisfied with what you have
done so far in your life? Explain.
2. What obstacles, if any, have interfered with
your personal growth? What can you do to
overcome them?
3. What is the most valuable lesson you have
learned in your life thus far?
4. What goals have you planned for your future?
What are you presently doing to pursue them?
—John Perricone, Zen and the Art of Public
School Teaching
100 GOALS
1. Write 100 goals you’d like to achieve
in your life.
2. Divide them into categories (career,
family, adventure, service, major
accomplishments, etc.)
3. Select your top 10 goals.
4. Write a paragraph on your #1 goal.
—Hal Urban
2nd Foundational Question:
What is character education?
In a Smart & Good School,
character education
is the process of
maximizing the development
of performance character,
moral character, and the 8
Strengths of Character
within an
Ethical Learning Community.
4 Groups Comprise the Ethical
Learning Community (ELC):
1. Faculty and staff
2. Students
3. Parents
4. The wider community
All members of the ELC
support and challenge each other
to do their best work
(performance character)
and
treat each other with
respect and care
(moral character).
The 6 Principles of the ELC:
1. Develop shared purpose and identity.
2. Align practices with desired
3.
4.
5.
6.
outcomes and relevant research.
Have a voice; take a stand.
Take personal responsibility for
continuous self-development.
Practice collective responsibility.
Grapple with the tough issues.
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose
and identity.
Promising Practice 1:
Build a unified school culture
around excellence and ethics
through consistent high
expectations for learning and
behavior.
Most schools suffer from
“loose coupling”—high levels
of inconsistency in
expectations and values.
A Smart & Good School is
characterized by tight
coupling.
One way to achieve
tight coupling:
A School Touchstone—
a “way” of doing our work
and treating others.
THE PLACE WAY
At Place School, we pursue
excellence in scholarship
and character.
We celebrate and honor each other
by being respectful, honest,
kind, and fair.
We give our best inside and
outside the classroom.
This is who we are, even when
no one is watching.
THE ROOSEVELT WAY
“There’s a way that students
here are expected to act, and
a way that they expected
not to act.”
—High School Counselor
Constructing a School Touchstone:
THE _______ WAY
We show ________
We show ________
We show ________
We show ________
by __________.
by __________.
by __________.
by __________.
[Last line: Motto statement]
ELC AUDIT
To what extent does your school have a
“way”—a touchstone or motto that serves
as a standard of behavior and a common
reference point?
What is one step you could take toward
developing or strengthening a school
touchstone?
ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose (cont.)
Develop an honor code.
(see Smart & Good report, “The Ethical
Learning Community, p.46)
1. I will be honest in all my actions.
2. I will treat others the way I want to be
treated.
3. I will extend courtesy and kindness to all
people.
4. I will respect our school building and every
individual’s personal property.
5. I will take pride in our school programs.
6. I will have the courage to report bullying,
drugs, and weapons in our school.
7. I will uphold this Honor Code and exhibit
these behaviors when I represent our
school off campus.
Develop shared purpose
and identity (cont.):
Promising Practice:
Create defining school
traditions that express and
strengthen the school’s
commitment to excellence and
ethics.
WELCOMING FRESHMEN:
ONE SCHOOL’S TRADITION
(“The Ethical Learning Community,”
p. 38)
ELC AUDIT
To what extent does your school use
important school traditions to foster a
shared commitment to excellence
(performance character) and ethics
(moral character)?
What is one step you might take to
strengthen character-building
traditions in your school?
ELC PRINCIPLE 1 (cont.):
Develop shared purpose
and identity.
Promising Practice:
Make a character compact with
parents.
A school’s sense of purpose must be
shared by families.
If it is not, its impact on students
is significantly weakened.
What is missing in many schools is
an explicit compact—an agreement
between the school and parents to
support each other in upholding
shared character expectations.
A CHARACTER COMPACT WITH PARENTS
AROUND THE HONOR CODE (p. 39)
Dear Parents,
Lincoln High School, as you know, takes pride
in its commitment to fostering both
intellectual and moral excellence . . .
_________________________
I have read the Honor Code and discussed it
with my child. I support the school’s effort to
promote academic integrity and to hold
students accountable to that standard.
Signed: _______________________
ELC PRINCIPLE 2:
Align practices with desired outcomes
and relevant research.
Promising Practice:
Challenge parents
to align parenting
practices with
relevant research.
When teens are allowed to drink at
home, they are more likely to use
alcohol and other drugs outside the
home AND are at risk to develop
serious behavioral and health problems
related to substance abuse.
—A Parent’s Guide for the Prevention
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug
Use
www.thecommunityofconcern.org/book
ELC PRINCIPLE 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.
Next to prisons, high schools are the least
democratic institutions in our society. They
are cursed by a tradition of hypocrisy—
teaching and espousing democratic doctrine
within the classroom, while the actual
practice of democratic principles is largely
nonexistent anywhere in the school.
—Peggy Silva & Robert A. Mackin,
Standards of Mind and Heart
On the importance of students’
having a voice:
“For students, it is very important that
their voice be heard. This would show
students that administrators and
teachers respect them, and then
students would be more likely to show
respect in return.”
—High School Girl
On the importance of students’
exercising their voice
“Teens have to realize that they must
stand up for what they believe in.
Developing character means being an
individual and upholding your
convictions with honesty, confidence,
and courage. Apathy is perhaps the
greatest problem facing teens.”
—High School Boy
ELC Principle 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.
Promising practices:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop student voice.
Develop faculty and staff
voice.
Develop parent voice.
Develop community voice.
Increasing Student Voice
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop student voice in the classroom
(e.g., call on students randomly; conduct
class meetings).
Annual Student Engagement Survey
Schoolwide small-group discussions
(“What can we do to improve our
school?”)
Democratic schoolwide governance
(representative or direct).
ELC PRINCIPLE 4
Take personal responsibility for
continuous self-development.
Promising practice:
Promote ongoing self-reflection on
the quest for excellence and ethics.
Example: Journal:
What can you do to improve in each of
your academic subjects?
What keeps you from doing better?
One school, at the end of each day,
asks all students to reflect:
What did you do well today?
What would you like to do
better tomorrow?
Children develop character by
what they see, what they
hear, and what they are
repeatedly led to do.
—James Stenson
ELC PRINCIPLE 5
Practice collective responsibility for
excellence and ethics.
ELC Principle 5:
Practice collective responsibility
for excellence and ethics.
Promising practice:

Create a school norm of
collective responsibility
and structures that
institutionalize it.
School structures that foster
collective responsibility:
“Brother’s Keeper”
Culture of critique
Advisory groups
Concern meetings
“Care-frontation”
ADVISORY GROUPS
Advisory has allowed my peers to
challenge me to develop my character
and live up to my personal standards of
excellence.
—A High School Girl
When they called the concern meeting, I was mad
they were confronting me. One of them said,
“You do have an attitude. You give teachers lip.
They’re just trying to teach you.” Afterwards I
had time to think: “If all these people are saying
this about me, maybe it’s true.”
I had to write a letter to my concern group about
what I learned from the whole situation. In this
school, if you don’t change, you’re going to get
constantly confronted. This school is concerned.
—High School Girl
ELC PRINCIPLE 6
Grapple with the tough issues—the
elephants in your living room.
If I were head of my school, I would
do more to try to eliminate cliques.
Although our school was named a
National School of Character, we
suffer from this problem. Cliques
segregate students and promote
elitism.
I would increase group projects that
expose students to people outside
their own circle of friends.
—A High School Boy
The
Professional Ethical Learning
Community (PELC)
is part of the ELC and is made
up of all school staff.
It leads the development of
the ELC.
(Ch. 4, Smart & Good)
Effective PELCs
demonstrate a high level of
collegiality.
“People here really care about and
support each other. An experienced
teacher will coach a new teacher,
but it goes the other way as well.
“As a new teacher, you feel
immediately appreciated because
people find out what you’re good at
and want to learn from you.”
—High School Math Teacher
Research shows that as
faculty collegiality
increases,
student achievement
increases.
Creating a Professional
Compact for Excellence
1. At your table, choose a
facilitator and a recorder.
2. Develop a Professional Compact
for Excellence—behavioral and
participation guidelines for our
adult Ethical Learning Community
here today.
3. Each team member make a copy.
Professional Compact for Excellence
Rules for Doing Our Best Work
1. (e.g.) EVERYONE CONTRIBUTE.
2.
3.
Rules for Treating Others with Respect & Care
1. (e.g.) BUILD ON OTHERS’ IDEAS.
2.
3.
Increasing Faculty Voice
1.
2.
3.
Give faculty a voice in setting the
agenda for faculty meetings.
Maximize participation in meetings
(conduct meeting in a circle; do smallgroup sharing of a successful practice
or current problem).
Give faculty a voice in program and
policy decisions, including character
education.
Important Character Education
Staff Decisions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What classroom strategies will we use to
develop our target virtues?
What schoolwide strategies will we use?
What structures (e.g., multiple committees)
will we use to share leadership of the
practices we decide to implement?
How will we measure our success and use data
to guide program improvements?
How will we seek the involvement of other
ELC stakeholders (students and parents)?
Integrating
Excellence
&
Ethics…
For success in
school work
and beyond
Character is
destiny.
—Heraclitus
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