Introduction to Project Heart, Head, Hands (H 3 )

1. Introduction to Project Heart, Head, Hands (H3) Veray Wickham H3 Hub Coordinator San Joaquin County Office of Education 209-468-9021 vwickham@sjcoe.net

2. Project Heart, Head, Hands Shaping Capable, Caring, Socially Responsible Youth through Character Education and Service-Learning • A federally funded character education project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. • Between 2003 and 2006 we have served 31 schools, over 1,000 teachers and 15,000 students in three districts in the East Bay. • Between 2006-10, H3 will work with 24 new sites in the Bay Area and Central Valley.

3. Program Impact • H3 provides staff with common language for working with students to increase self-management skills. • H3teachers have more positive perceptions of school professional climate than teachers at control sites. • H3 schools show decreased disciplinary action and increased attendance. • Academic achievement (reading comprehension, fluency) of H3 students improves.

4. More Program Impact • H3 positively impacts students’ development of character assets. • H3 students demonstrate positive social-emotional growth and improved behavior. Examples include: • Increased empathy, tolerance, understanding. • Decreased playground fighting and increased respectful behavior. • Improved active listening and ability to take the other person’s point of view. • Increased sharing and team work. • Greater willingness to tell the truth and accept responsibility for their actions.

5. Project Heart, Head, Hands: Responding to the Realities of Time and Testing • H3 curriculum is integrated with Open Court and Houghton Mifflin language arts materials at each grade level. • H3 reinforces reading comprehension and higher order analytic thinking skills. • H3 allows teachers to address language arts content standards while developing character.

6. H3: An Integrated Approach • Fostering development of character traits (e.g., honesty, respect, responsibility) • Building social-emotional skills (e.g., effective communication, conflict resolution) • Engaging students in service-learning (performing acts of service for their communities) Social-Emotional Skills Character Traits Heart Who we are. What we value. Our code of ethics. Head What we know. Ideas, thoughts, concepts that guide us. Hands What we do. How we act. Service-Learning

7. Focus on Asset Building • Project Heart, Head, Hands draws on the work of the Search Institute and its identification of developmental assets that have been shown to benefit youth. • These assets represent a set of mediating factors that research has shown to support academic learning, as depicted in the model below: Positive Values Social Competencies Positive Identity Commitment to Learning Support Empowerment Boundaries & Expectations Constructive Use of Time Quality Character Education & Service-Learning Academic Outcomes Mediating Factors Adapted from Furco, Future Directions for Service-Learning Research, 2006

8. The Eight Great Traits H3 is organized around a core set of positive character traits. These are posted in classrooms, used in program activities, and become a common language for teachers and students. Caring Honesty Responsibility Integrity Respect for Others Citizenship Planning & Decision Making Problem Solving

9. Language Arts Integration • H3 materials are built into Open Court and Houghton Mifflin Reading units at each grade level. • H3 materials incorporate content standards in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as teachers use selections to highlight the Eight Great Traits. • H3 homework activities provide opportunities for parents and students to communicate about positive character, social-emotional skills, and service-learning.

10. Grade 4, Theme: Heroes Sample Language Arts Materials — Houghton Mifflin, G4, Th. 5 Theme Overview • Quotations to Use with This Theme • Integrity • Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud. • Sophocles • Responsibility • You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. • Abraham Lincoln

11. Selection 1:Happy Birthday, Dr. KingKey Trait: Integrity

12. Social-Emotional Skill Lessons • Five “Getting Started” Lessons • Getting acquainted, put-ups, vision, class agreements • 12 additional lessons • Listening, Perspective-Taking • Assertion, I-Statements • Conflict, Win-Win Conflict Resolution • Cooperation • Diversity, Appreciation, Prejudice/Bias • Peacemaking

13. Service-Learning Component • Schools/grade levels identify and complete at least one service-learning project. • Many students and teachers consider this a highlight of their experience with the program. • Our new Service-Learning/Language Arts materials identify service-learning activities that are aligned with Open Court and Houghton Mifflin units (Grades K-6), based on the reading selections in the unit and the overarching theme.

14. Implementation Model • Sites elect to participate in the program at the whole-school level (K-6). • Teachers and principals attend a two-day Summer Institute to prepare them to use the program. • H3 staff and consultants conduct monthly site-based meetings to support teachers during year 1 of implementation. • H3 staff provide coaching to site support teams (3-6 teachers each) during years 2 & 3 of implementation to develop site capacity for continued effective program use. • Sites submit data concerning program usage and administer teacher and student pre-post surveys.