Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Grading character in school
By Rachelle Chang @ 7:36 PM :: 4311 Views :: Education K-12

Grading character in school

by Rachelle Chang, Better Hawaii, October 8, 2013

If you have children in a Hawaii public school, you’re probably in the middle of fall break and getting ready for report cards. Even if you don’t have school-age children, you probably remember the anticipation (and fear) of getting quarterly and semester report cards.

Today, Hawaii public elementary schools have a three-part report card that evaluates attendance, six general learner outcomes (GLOs), and academic proficiency, with a section for teacher comments. Only one of the GLOs is based on character: Community Contributor (the understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together).

While many Hawaii schools emphasize character values, like honesty and respect, they don’t grade students’ character growth. This may change as more Hawaii schools implement the International Baccalaureate Program and begin to emphasize the ten IB Learner Profiles – among them the goals to be Principled (to act with integrity, honesty, and fairness), and Caring (to show empathy, compassion, and respect).

Other schools have already developed programs that give character development as much attention as academic performance. For instance, the charter school KIPP NYC has come up with a character report card, based on the work of Dr. Angela Duckworth, Dr. Chris Peterson, and Dr. Martin Seligman, and in partnership with Riverdale Country School.

KIPP NYC focuses on seven behaviors that reveal their students’ character and can predict their future success, both in college and career.

1. ZEST — approaching life with excitement and energy; feeling alive and activated. Actively participates, shows enthusiasm, and invigorates others.

2. SELF-CONTROLregulating what one feels and does; being self-disciplined. In school work: comes to class prepared, pays attention and resists distractions, remembers to follow directions, and gets to work right away rather than procrastinating. In interpersonal relationships: remains calm even when criticized or otherwise provoked, allows others to speak without interruption, is polite to adults and peers, and keeps temper in check.

3. GRATITUDEbeing aware of and thankful for opportunities that one has and for good things that happen. Recognizes and shows appreciation for others, and recognizes and shows appreciation for his/her opportunities.

4. CURIOSITY taking an interest in experience and learning new things for its own sake; finding things fascinating. Is eager to explore new things, asks and answers questions to deepen understanding, and actively listens to others.

5. OPTIMISM expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it. Gets over frustrations and setbacks quickly and believes that effort will improve his/her future.

6. GRIT finishing what one starts; completing something despite obstacles; a combination of persistence and resilience. Finishes whatever he/she begins, tries very hard even after experiencing failure, and works independently with focus.

7. SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE being aware of motives and feelings of other people and oneself; including the ability to reason within large and small groups. Able to find solutions during conflicts with others, demonstrates respect for feelings of others, and knows when and how to include others.

At student-parent-teacher conferences, they discuss the character growth report card, praise students’ character strengths, and offer strategies to improve character weaknesses.

“Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education,” declared Martin Luther King, Jr.

How would you rate your child’s character? Would you support a program to teach parents how to build character in their children? Should schools emphasize character more, and would you support a character report card?

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT