Smart & Good Schools: A Paradigm Shift for Character Education

The Smart & Good conceptual framework broadened the definition of character to include performance character and moral character .

‘Smart & Good Schools: A Paradigm Shift for Character Education’, A seminar hosted by the Centre for Policy Studies in Education

“Education worthy of the name,” Martin Buber said, “is education of character.”  What can schools do to cultivate the qualities that comprise good character?  Tom Lickona, founding director of SUNY Cortland’s Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, will describe two complementary phases in his Center’s  20 years of work:

1. The development of a 12-point comprehensive approach that uses all aspects of school and classroom life to foster character development, and
2. the “Smart & Good Schools” framework that emerged from his Center’s two-year national study of award-winning high schools and that is now used by schools K-12. 

The Smart & Good conceptual framework broadened the definition of character to include performance character (needed for best work) and moral character (needed for best relationships). It defined those two parts of character in terms of 8 strengths needed for a flourishing life:

1. critical thinker;
2. diligent and capable performer;
3. socially and emotionally skilled person;
4. ethical thinker;
5. respectful and responsible moral agent;
6. self-disciplined person pursuing a healthy lifestyle;
7. democratic citizen; and
8. a person crafting a life of noble purpose.  

Drawing on many examples from the Smart & Good study, Tom will describe illustrative best practices for developing each of the 8 strengths, including practices similar to those being used in the University of Leeds Narnian Virtues project directed by Mark Pike.

About Tom

Tom Lickona is a developmental psychologist and professor emeritus of education at the State University of New York at Cortland, where he founded and continues to direct the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility).  He has been a visiting professor at Harvard and Boston Universities and president of the Association for Moral Education. His eight books on character development include Moral Development and Behaviour, Raising Good Children, Educating for Character, Character Matters, and Smart & Good High Schools.  Educating for Character won a Christopher Award for “affirming the highest values of the human spirit”. He received the Character Education Partnership’s “Sandy Award” for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education. His Center’s work was the subject of a New York Times Magazine cover story, “Teaching Johnny to Be Good,”  and he has been a guest on National Public Radio, “Good Morning America,” and “The Larry King Live Radio Show.” Currently, he serves as Co-Investigator for the University of Leeds Narnian Virtues project funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Please find the details below and rsvp to cpseleeds@leeds.ac.uk
All are welcome

Location Details

Monday 11th January, 2016

16:30 coffee/tea for 17:00 start

Drinks and snacks reception to follow the seminar from 18:30

Great Woodhouse suite, University House, University of Leeds