Idaho Department of Education Abstract

Contact: Karen Fraley
Idaho State Department of Education
650 West State Street
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
(208) 332–6928
Kfraley@sde.state.id.us

Comprehensive K-12 Character Education System

Application Number: R215V000001
Project Period: 6/1/00–5/31/04
FY 2000 Award: $250,000
FY 2001 Award: $300,000
FY 2002 Award: $300,000
FY 2003 Award:$150,000

The Idaho State Department of Education and its five Local Educational Agency (LEA) partners, in collaboration with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, will engage in the planning, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of materials for a quality comprehensive K-12 character education system in Idaho.

The Academy for Character Education model will provide the vehicle for local consensus building and strategic planning; follow-up training, coaching, mentoring, and sharing among partners; curriculum and activity development; data collection and evaluation; and dissemination of information to other schools throughout Idaho and the nation. The commitment of local Chambers of Commerce to Character Education, which enables the Idaho process to be coendorsed by both the school partners and the business community, holds promise for becoming a national model.

Through a Train-the-Trainer strategy, by the end of the 4-year project all 6 education regions of Idaho, including 113 school districts and private schools, will have opportunities to attend Academy for Character Education training, submit local Applications and initiate locally planned comprehensive character education programs.

In keeping with the state's strong tradition of local control, each school partner will develop and build its own Character Education program, based upon its unique needs and community values. While there is no one single design or curriculum for effective Character Education, there are key tenets that Idaho endorses. Tom Lickona's Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education will provide the overarching framework for all local plans. Local planning and implementation will be supported by access to research, curriculum models, locally developed curriculum and activities, and other support materials. These will be disseminated through the state Character Education Web Site and the clearinghouse.

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