America's classrooms need a revolution in character development, and the step-by-step program in this book equips educators, parents, and other key role models with tools to bring it about.

A resource that gives practical guidelines and numerous examples for building character education programs designed to help children and youth develop personal, family and community responsibility.

A realistic approach to assessing student behavior, staff morale, and school climate and creating a proven-to-work character development program that can dramatically turn around student behavior.

Ryan and Bohlin here provide a blueprint for educators who wish to translate a personal commitment to character education into a school-wide vision and effort.

In Character Compass, Scott Seider offers portraits of three high-performing urban schools in Boston, Massachusetts that have made character development central to their mission of supporting student success, yet define character in three very different ways. One school focuses on students’ moral character development, another emphasizes civic character development, and the third prioritizes performance character development. Drawing on surveys, interviews, field notes, and student achievement data, Character Compass highlights the unique effects of these distinct approaches to character development as well as the implications for parents, educators, and policymakers committed to fostering powerful school culture in their own school communities.

This book provides an effective, action-oriented way of addressing students' values and character growth. The contributors emphasize combining three vital aspects of teaching and learning: thinking, feeling, and acting. You will learn the principles that form the integrated approach to character education. Two chapters are devoted to each principle, with a practitioner and a research scholar to offer a balanced view. This book shows what you can do to promote character growth in students and teach them how to know right from wrong. An integrated approach to character education will make all the difference in the way your students think, feel, and act.