Character Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This issue of "Changing Schools" focuses on character education. The lead article, "Character Education: Finding Ways To Foster Ethical Behavior in Youth" by Diane McIntyre Wilber discusses the character education programs that have spread to nearly every type of school, whether public, private, charter, or faith-based. Since 1996, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $25 million in character education seed money to 36 states and the District of Columbia. The programs of five recipients of these funds in the region served by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) are profiled. "Universities and Communities in the Region Emphasize Ethics" by Diane McIntyre Wilber highlights recent actions in the field of character education by one college of education and one community in the McREL region. "Mentoring Program 'Inducts' New Teachers" by Paula Wenger describes the new teacher program in a Nebraska school district. A special section describes some recent research results and products from McREL. "Work Force Study Reveals the Importance of Soft Skills" by Paula Wenger describes a study of qualities such as responsibility, dedication, and the ability to work with teams as ("soft skills") in the workplace. (SLD)