Building a District of Character

1. "Inspiring Learners Through Educational Excellence for a lifetime of global opportunities." Birmingham MI Public Schools Presentation August 2011 Building a District of Character Mapping your Character Journey through the Eleven Principles Presenter: Richard Benjamin CEP Senior Consultant rbenjamin@character.org

2. Agenda August 7 - Morning August 7 - Afternoon Leadership by Job-Alike Groups Leadership by Cross-Teams Encouraging Teacher Leadership Team Presentations Closure • Overview / Introduction • Great-To- Great Dilemma • Character Education Partnership • 11 Principles of Quality Character Education • Break • Moral / Ethical Leadership • WOTS Up Analysis • What do you want to Learn? (Set Objectives)

3. Special Recognition This is to recognize the quality work of Dr. Eileen Dachnowicz, who prepared the initial plan for the Birmingham Public Schools workshop. The illness of her husband prevented her from presenting. Marvin is home now, but still requires close care. Eileen researched BPS and had great suggestions for ‘customizing’ this presentation – We thank her very much….

4. Crucial Step in YOUR Journey:Taking a Snapshot of Your School/District • WHAT is special about your school/district in its character journey? • WHERE would you like to go? Creating a District of Character

5. Essential Questions: Your Character Journey Leadership…. How does character education impact academics?(distract, neutral, accelerate / deepen learning?) How do the Eleven Principles provide a framework for teaching character and deepening learning? How can character be embedded into everything we do? ( (NSOC Examples)) What should a school/district of character look like? (NSOC Examples) How can we apply what we learned today to our district, school? (Imagination / Innovation)

6. Key Issues • Concepts: • Moral Values • Performance Values • Intellectual Values • Encourage/Demand • Human Potential • Climate / Culture • Balance / Synergy • Other…. • Strategies: • Modeling (Respect) • Opportunities for Moral Action • Caring Curriculum • Values Education • Dinner Dilemmas • Storytelling • Other….

7. Leadership: What are we doing?(Laying bricks or building a cathedral?) • Pins / balloons • Good-To-Great • Assess-to-21st Cent • Skewer / Balloon • Academics • Balance Yardstick • Academics / 21st Century & Character • Will Power • Test for 4-year olds • China – single child • Intrinsic Motivation • Empathy

8. Evidence that Character Education Improves Academics in 2011 NSOC: • Primary Level: Renfro, Roosevelt • K-5 Economically Disadvantaged: Walnut St., Oakwood, Union • K-5 Affluent: Duffy, Bingham Farms, Pierce, Pembroke • Middle School: Carusi, Fox • High Schools: Lindbergh, South Brunswick

9. Helpful Guides in Mapping Your Character Journey • Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education (www.character.org)* • Capsule Summary Sheet of 11 Principles (includes revisions) • Quick Overview ofRevisions • District Guidelines *Web site: You can download the revised 11 Principles as well as Sourcebook Connections pages of topics for each Principle. Also, look at NSOC videos, lesson plans, research articles.

10. Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education: An Overview

11. CEP Frameworkfor Effective Character Education The Eleven Principles 2 Character Formation 1 Core Values Ethical Assessment 11 Thinking (Cognitive) Feeling (Affective) Acting (Behavioral) Family & Community Partners 10 Comprehensive Intentional Proactive 3 Next Meaningful Academic Curriculum 6 Shared Moral Leadership 9 Moral Action 5 Self Motivation 7 Staff Learning Community 8 Caring Community 4

12. Old-timers: Check the Overview of 2010 Revision to See Changes to 11 Principles. Advantage of 2010 Revision: • Process no longer competitive • Schools/districts show a level of excellence • Annual Publication honors SSOC and NSOC • More space to write • Fewer pages of artifacts • YOU decide what’s more important to highlight.

13. Try the 11 Principles Capsule Summary Sheet (with revisions) Wow! This is a great short cut!

14. Where are YOU on this road? Fill in the empty boxes. Where is your school/district in your character journey?

15. A Tale of Three Districts: Putting the Pieces Together • Fox C-6 District • School District of Jefferson • Peters Township School District What did you learn that could be applied to Birmingham?

16. Principle 1: Promotes Core Ethical/Performance Values AARP: • ALL agree/affirm • ALL actions (common language; staff model; staff hiring, training) • Revisit annually • Promote everywhere Mill Pond School, MA: Bingham Farms, Pembroke, Pierce: Touchstones

17. Our Core Values Head – Heart – Hands / Behavior Leadership

18. Beyond the CORE(Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Caring, etc.) Character strengths such as empathy, fairness, trustworthiness, generosity, and compassion are aspects of our capacity to love. These qualities make up what we could speak of as “moral character”; they enable us to be our best ethical selves in relationshipsand in our roles as citizens. Character strengths such as effort, initiative, diligence, self-discipline, and perseverance constitute our capacity to work. These qualities make up what we could speak of as “performance character”; they enable us to achieve, given a supportive environment, our highest potential in any performance context (the classroom, the athletic arena, the workplace, etc.).

19. BPS - CORE VALUE STATEMENTS Birmingham Public Schools value: Strategic Plan • Individuals We value and respect each member of our community and are committed to each individual’s growth and development. • Diversity We celebrate and embrace the unique qualities each person contributes to our global community. • Collaboration We foster collaboration through engagement and effective communication in all of our interactions, in preparation for developing partnerships throughout the world. • Innovation We nurture innovation and change by modeling courage, resilience, curiosity, creativity, risk-taking, exploration, and reflection. • Excellence We inspire academic excellence by challenging all learners to exceed expectations. • Leadership We empower all learners to demonstrate strong character as they lead and mentor within the school and the community. • Learning We instill passion and excitement for continuous learning through an intellectually rich, engaging and safe learning environment. • Civic Responsibility We foster civic responsibility by engaging students in community service learning and inspiring them to become involved in local, national, and international topics.

20. Principle 2: Involves thinking, feeling, doing URP Understandvalues Reflecton them Practicethem Roosevelt Primary School, Ferndale, MI: providing the road map from the earliest days.

21. Principle # 3 - Spirit - Covey Head – Thinking – Moral Reasoning Also: Consider the Organizational Chart, and Servant Leadership? Hands – Acting - Moral Behavior Heart – Feeling – Moral Feelings

22. Four I’s: Intentional Integrated into academics In daily routines Infused in school life Principle 3: Comprehensive, Intentional, Proactive Orrs Elementary School, GA: Character-building shapes the students’ lives.

23. Leadership in Birmingham Schools….Perhaps a 5th ‘I’ - Innovation…. of Strategies • Clarity of shared values • Focus on high levels of achievement • Courage to seriously pursue broader (character) objectives • Artful Leadership? • Next Slide • Culture of Continuous Improvement • Encouragement of trying experiments • Taking risks...even in a very good school….direct assault on the ‘good-to-great’ barrier

24. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadershipby Lee Bolman & Terry Deal • “…Artistic leaders…help us see beyond today’s reality to new forms that release untapped individual energies and improve collective performance. The leader as artist relies on • images as well as memos, • poetry as well as policy, • reflection as well as command, and • reframingas well as refitting.” p 18

25. Look at your journey in terms of Principles 1 through 3. What new insights about shaping your journey did you get?

26. Principle 4: Caring Community Four Kinds of Caring: Adults for kids Kids for kids Processes in place that help kids to care Adults for adults Fuguitt Elementary School, Largo, FL: Character Coaches Largo, Pinellas County Schools

28. Principle 5: Opportunities for Moral Action Moral Actions & Service: • Opportunities for showing character: sportsmanship conflict resolution, academic integrity; service learning • Service Learning in school: connected to curriculum ASL • Service Learning in community: students assess community needs Greenfield Elementary: Red Carpet Gala

29. SIX Parts to Service-Learning:IPARDC Investigating an Issue Preparation Action Reflection Demonstrating to Wider Audience Celebration QUICK REVIEW What core values does each of these steps develop? Academic Service Learning - China

31. Curriculum: Engaging, interactive Accommodates differences & helps ALL achieve Performance values: thinking working social habits academic integrity Principle 6: Meaningful Academics Academic Integrity in the Digital World: Birmingham Covington; Beverly, Birmingham Public Schools, Michigan

32. CEP - Principle 6 Providing A Meaningful Academic Curriculum • When teachers bring to the fore the character dimension of the curriculum, they enhance the relevance of subject matter to students’ natural interests and questions, and in the process, increase student engagement and achievement. p1 • How can schools harness the time and energy going into academics to simultaneously (and naturally) promote character development? p2 • How can schools enhance academic learning through character development? p2 21st Century Teaching & Learning in the Birmingham Public Schools

33. Principle 7: Develops Students’Self-Motivation Moral Action for its own sake Intrinsic not extrinsic rewards Behavior management tied to values vs Rules Academic Integrity stressed Milwaukee College Prep, WI: Students striving to be the very best they can be

34. Intrinsic Motivation • Lesson Design • Rubric • Drive by Daniel Pink • Bill Scott Dissertation

35. STOP! Look back at your journey. Which programs worked for you? Let’s SHARE our successes.

36. Dr. David Larson, Superintendent • Academic Achievement • Each BPS graduate understands the core elements of what makes a person of strong character.  (integrity, respect, kindness, responsibility) • Our graduates also understand what it means to be a 21st Century Learner.  (problem solvers, critical thinkers, and proficient communicators) • Finally, our graduates understand what it means to be a balanced and complete individual. (sports, visual and performing arts, and service projects)  

37. Principle 8: Staff shares responsibility for character education & models it. • Staff models values • Training for ALL staff • Staff as ethical learning community • Adequate time for planning, training Cross Bayou Elementary School, FL; Pinellas County Schools, FL Pinellas County

38. Modeling! (Like a Mobius) • Internal Growth • Becoming more like the person you want to be • Influencing the Culture, with others • Managing Trust & Agreement – Peter Block • How do you plan to deal with: • Cynics • Victims • Bystanders

39. Principle 9: Shared Leadership All Involved: Principal, leadership group; students; CE will continue if principal leaves! Rockwood Public Schools, MO: Everyone’s involved!

40. Shared Leadership • Servant Leadership – • Greenleaf / Spears • Transformational • Burns / Bass • Principle-Centered • Covey • Moral – • Sergiovanni • Invitational • Purkey / Siegel • Teacher Leadership • Modeling / Staff Meetings? • Student leadership • Academic Service Learning • Parent Leadership • Community Leadership • School Board Leadership / Modeling

41. Principle 10: Family & Community as Partners in Character Education Calling All in the Community • Recognize families as partners • Two-way communication between families/school • Recruit & include business, faith, civic, youth in wider community/integrate values in their work Lindbergh School District: Hearts to Serve, Hands to Help

42. Learning Communities - • Who do the Schools Belong to? • My School??? • Our School • Your School • Brought 72 Chinese teachers to visit Stephenson High School • Dufour & Eaker • Through New Eyes • Charles Darwin HS • How do you plan to deal with students who fall through the cracks?

43. Dinner Dilemmas – Each Month / In English & Spanish Pinellas County (FL) Schools – Character Education Partnership – Commitment To Character Dinner Dilemmas – Writing Prompt Caring – Week Four Situation: It is Monday morning and the student responsible for cleaning the cage and feeding the class pet is absent. Dilemma: On the one hand Sam does not like to clean the pet’s cage and knows it is not his job this week. On the other hand Sam knows someone needs to volunteer to care for the pet. Discussion: What is your advice to Sam? Task: Write about the dilemma, identifying three or more ways to address the dilemma, and, telling why it might feel like a real dilemma to Sam, and clearly letting Sam know what you think he should do, and why. Be sure to practice good writing skills, and turn in a paper you have proofread with another student and revised until it is very good.

44. Principle 11: Assess character of school, school staff, and students • Evaluate performance, discipline data, growth • Survey teachers, staff, students, parents: shape plans accordingly • Staff reflects on self, student perceptions & reports to community Alan B. Shepard Elementary, Old Bridge, NJ: Uses survey results, CEP Feedback to design new programs.

45. School Transformation • Transformational Leadership • Transformational vs Transactional • Ethical • Invitational • Moral • Principle-Centered • School Level Transformation • Rubric • Classroom Level Transformation

46. Let’s talk about teamwork: What should a school, district of character look like? Principles 8, 9,10 are about teamwork, and Principle 11 is about assessment. Each table agrees on what should be included in transforming a school or district into a true model of character? School Transformation / Transformational Leadership

47. Transformational Leadership Transformational vs Transactional Ethical Invitational

48. Break • Reflection – • What have you identified, during the morning, that is surprising, significant, or helpful? • Please be ready to share…. • Planning – • What would be the best next steps for you? • What would be the best next steps for your School or Department? • What would be the best next steps for the Birmingham Public School System / Community?

49. Attack the Target Head-on! Using the Principles to Chart Your Journey • TIME FOR REFLECTION: WHICH Principle will be your “area of growth”? • TIME FOR ACTION: (This can be done later) Design a plan of action for the Principle which is your “area of growth.” WHAT will you do and WHO will be involved in order to add needed chapters to your story?

50. Let’s see what we learned today: What does a district/school of character look like? • How do the 11 Principles apply to our district? Our jobs? • What does the role of an administrator look like in a district of character? • Despite our workload, how can we integrate character into what we’re doing? Pulley Metaphor • How do we do it so people see it as a way of life not an add-on?