Connecting character to conduct: Helping students do the right thing. (Book Reviews).

Stein, R., Richin, R., Banyon, R., Banyon, F., & Stein, M. (2000). Connecting character to conduct: Helping students do the right thing. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (135 pp., $22.95 pb, ISBN-0-87120-388-X).

   According to the authors: safety, learning, character, and conduct are
   inextricably connected. We do not have to stand at the edge of the grave of
   a child or adult cut down by school violence to know we must do what we do
   best right now: teach our children that we respect each other, that we
   connect with each other. (p. 107)

These words fuel the mandate that has recently been adopted by many localities and states, through legislation and policy, that teaching character education (i.e., the development of values and morals) be supported by schools and integrated into the regular curriculum. Through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, values education has consistently been connected with high ability students as researchers such as June Maker and Linda Silverman have noted that gifted learners, as future leaders, should develop and model the highest ethical behavior. They observe that these individuals often demonstrate an interest in humanitarianism and altruism at an early age. As we enter the twenty-first century, however, character education has become mainstreamed.

This book is a conscientious collaboration by five authors who have extensive associations with schools in their roles as teachers, administrators, counselors, and psychologists. Their objectives include promoting school safety and learning in schools while comprehensively incorporating these goals into regular educational programs for all students. Admirably, these educators communicate their understanding of certain fundamental tenets regarding moral development and education: that to be effective, character education must be a school-wide effort, beginning in kindergarten and continuing through grade 12; that diverse stakeholders should engage in staff development to build a viable program; and that 5% of the student population usually constitutes 95% of the disciplinary problems.

The books' dramatic introduction informs the reader that surveyed middle school students responded, through interviews and journal writings, to the inquiry to describe the most difficult decision they ever had to make by revealing "life changing decisions." The authors note that although "students were struggling with all of the predictable adolescent concerns about homework and what to wear, they were also deciding which parent to live with, which religion to observe, or whether to keep a secret about a friend's thoughts of suicide" (p. 1). The book makes it clear that students often make their decisions alone, and without information and guidance. According to the authors' premise, schools have the opportunity to help gifted and regular students make the right decision for the right reasons, and they must use their influence to develop these abilities through academic programs (e.g., reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and the guiding principles represented by the acronym RICE (Respect, Impulse Control, Compassion, and Equity).

Within the formatted seven chapters, the authors display their educational insights by placing stress on the importance of all staff (e.g., administrators, teachers, secretaries, custodians, and cafeteria workers) developing consensus on a school-wide character education program that is systemic (Chapter 1). This is followed by an emphasis on program implementation at the beginning of the school year (Chapter 2), and a discussion of effective teaching practices (Chapter 3). The authors spotlight the importance of noninstructional settings in education such as hallways, the cafeteria, and lockers and describe how they often contribute to the development of the hidden curriculum (Chapter 4). The authors also cite the athletics program as a vehicle to foster character development and RICE (Chapter 5), and later advocate that their comprehensive character program should involve parents (Chapter 6). There is a minimal effort to do program evaluation (Chapter 7), but they do make a laudable attempt to develop a school service curriculum (e.g., SADD and Big Brothers and Big Sisters). Some of the 23 charts are instructional including "Governance and Everyday Student Life" (Figure 3.2), and the appendices provide interesting and easy-to-model needs assessments and senior and staff surveys.

Despite its several strengths, readers requiring a strong research base will find the book weak in reliability and validity as little actual data is provided. The authors rely on only a few documented anecdotal accounts. Most of the examples are viewed through the authors' creation of the "Centerville School District" which is a fictionalized composite of several schools with which they have worked. Unfortunately, the result is an artificial case study displaying schools, characters, and dilemmas which appear inauthentic and where issues are often addressed and resolved in a contrived manner.

It is surprising that areas requiring serious consideration are sometimes underdeveloped. The book's strong introduction prepares the reader for a character education program using the guiding principles of RICE to be applied within core curriculum subjects and to serious, life altering issues. However, morals development embedded in core subjects is not discussed, and problem-solving sessions during crisis situations or peer mediations are ignored in favor of scenarios examining superficial management problems such as students interrupting conversations or running in the hall. One noticeable exception is the construed discussion by Scott (Chapter 6) during a parent program; he explains the guiding principles of RICE and applies them to a serious automobile accident that he and his six other passengers suffered. This scenario successfully exemplified how the character education program could actually be effective.

Also under-emphasized was the pivotal role that parents and/or community play in supporting character development in students. The topic was treated more as an add-on, and was not formally discussed until late in the book (Chapter 6). Throughout the book, parents are generally informed of the results of student and staff meetings; they are not asked to be supportive from the beginning and encouraged to become true stakeholders by building ownership in the process.

Finally, at times, the reader is confronted with two themes within the book: one deals with the principles of character education and its development and the other addresses strategies to promote and achieve good teaching in effective schools. Although both are important and perhaps linked at many junctures, they should not be confused as being the same. Character education appropriately deals with identifying and building values, developing problem-solving strategies, and applying decision-making skills to real problems; classroom management, lesson plan development, homework policies, and test proctoring are the appropriate domains of effective schools discussions.

Connecting Character to Conduct: Helping Students Do the Right Thing is successful in convincing readers that many schools could benefit from creating a comprehensive district-wide character education program for gifted and regular students that transforms "the normative structure of the school so everyone learns and stays safe." Bringing attention to this goal is a significant and worthy contribution.

Reviewed by Abbey Block Cash, a visiting professor in the Education Department at Skidmore College, a member of the Board of Directors of AGATE, representing gifted education in New York State, and a Contributing Editor of Roeper Review. Her research agenda includes twice-exceptional populations, best reading practices, and character education.