Improving the Moral Climate
Action Plan Strategies
I. Provide moral and academic leadership that
reflects the academic, social, and ethical emphases of the Character
Education initiative.
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Survey parents, students and faculty
regarding school climate and use results to develop strategies |
Administration |
Completed Survey - results will be
compiled and used to make improvements in deficient areas |
| Develop and distribute monthly
newsletters to school community |
Teachers, Students |
Communication of events and
happenings in the school in monthly newsletter |
| Compile an informational school
pamphlet for new students and their families |
SIT Team, Administration |
Provide literature to parents and
community with school focus and mission |
| Encourage positive school climate by
developing a school-wide motto "We are someplace special where character
counts" |
Faculty |
Sense of pride and recognition that
character is important, improvement in overall school behavior |
| Implement school-wide motto, "Do the
Right Thing" |
Faculty and Students |
Fostering a more positive climate,
students develop sense of pride in knowing to do the right thing in
every situation |
| Rewrite Mission Statement to include
character concepts |
Faculty |
Revised Mission Statement posted |
| Display students' character education
writings and artwork |
Teachers |
Students' work displayed |
| Model character concepts through the
principal's interactions with staff, students and parents |
Principal |
Increased power to change students'
moral behavior, create an environment for learning positive character
traits and increase parental support |
| Incorporate concepts into curriculum |
Faculty |
Lesson plans include concepts |
| Provide leadership through the
Character Education Team |
Team Members |
Monthly reports |
II. Create effective school-wide discipline that
models, promotes, and upholds the character traits of the community in all
school environments.
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Develop and implement a school-wide
discipline plan |
Faculty |
Positive student behaviors |
| Organize a Safety Patrol |
Advisor and students |
Student facilitators of school rules
and guidelines |
| Establish a Teen Court to assist with
disciplinary problems |
Advisor and students |
Placement of Teen Court in
disciplinary process |
| Read and explain the Code of Conduct |
Teachers |
Improved behavior and understanding
of school rules |
| Provide small group counseling to
improve decision making skills |
Counselor |
Students will become better decision
makers |
| Recognize students and staff who show
positive character traits |
Faculty and students |
Announcements and/or displays |
| Appropriate supervision and modeling
of character traits during school activities |
Faculty |
Observation of appropriate behavior |
III. Develop a schoolwide sense of community.
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Recognize students for good character
by nominating for recognition programs |
Faculty |
Students showcased monthly for
exhibiting monthly concept |
| Establish a "Character Cafe" to honor
students who have displayed good character |
Beta Club, Lunchroom Staff, Faculty |
Weekly recognition of classes that
exhibit positive character traits in lunchroom, reserved section for
lunch |
| Establish school jobs for each grade
level |
Faculty and students |
Checklists |
| Implement a Student Tutoring Program |
Differentiated Studies Classes, Beta
Club |
Tutoring Logs |
| Involve students in Peer Mediation
Programs and Peer Helpers to Elementary Schools |
Advisor and students |
Improved self-esteem and classroom
performance |
| Participate in School Beautification
Projects |
Faculty and students |
Increased school pride and appearance |
| Implement a Buddy Teacher Program |
Faculty and students |
Increase positive self-esteem and
positive character traits by students and teachers |
| Assign partners to new students to
show them around |
Faculty and students |
Welcome of new students to ensure
their smooth transition into new setting |
| Produce a "Welcome Video" for new
students |
Faculty and students |
Completed video |
| Distribute Welcome Bags to new
families in the community |
Faculty |
Bags with information about community
for new residents |
| Establish a monthly family night |
Faculty, students and parents |
Improved communication |
IV. Promote student government activities that
involve students in democratic self-government and foster the feeling that
"this is our school, and we're responsible for making it the best school it
can be."
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Involve the Student Government
Committee in Character Education activities |
Advisors, Students, Administration |
Student input in future plans |
| Designate student representatives to
serve on Climate Committee. Each class will have box for suggestions to
improve climate and representatives will present to committee and give
feedback to class. |
Climate Committee |
Students will learn how to interact
with and work cooperatively, learn decision-making skills, become more
responsible, develop their character and roles as citizens |
| Establish Youth Advisory Committee |
Cafeteria manager and students |
Student participation in menu program |
| Allow students' input when developing
new rules and policies |
Faculty |
Less behavior referrals and
understanding of consequences |
| Create "Character Council" to meet
with principal once a month |
Principal, teachers and students |
|
| Organize an Energy Patrol |
Faculty sponsor |
Reduced level of energy consumption,
certificates |
V. Create a moral atmosphere of mutual respect,
fairness, and cooperation that pervades all relationships - those among the
adults in the school as well as those between adults and students.
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Implement the KLEAN Team (Keeping
Life Easy and Neat) |
Custodial Staff, Students, Teachers |
Recognition of KLEANEST classrooms on
a weekly basis |
| Provide for grade level and cross
grade level sharing |
Faculty |
Meeting notes/objectives, improved
transition and continuity between levels |
| Promote positive attitude throughout
school |
Faculty and students |
Pictures, comments from staff,
students and parents |
| Provide leadership through the
Building Leadership Team |
Faculty representatives |
Decisions made affecting the
environment of the school |
| Allow teachers opportunities to
observe each other in the classroom |
Teachers |
Enhanced respect for responsibility
of other staff |
| Ensure vertical alignment - use 6
elements of character education to include calendar of character |
Vertical Alignment Writing Committee |
Improvement in alignment of
curriculum |
| Help teachers and students to respect
diversity among people |
Faculty |
Lesson plans |
| Provide Parent Involvement
Activities: Tutoring, Library helpers, Class helpers, etc. |
Faculty and parents |
Parent visibility |
VI. Elevate the importance of positive character
traits.
| Activity/Strategy |
Person(s) Responsible |
Outcome/Evidence of Completion |
| Establish a teacher Character
Education file |
School Climate Team Staff |
To provide teachers with an ongoing
bank of ideas to promote character education in classrooms |
| Hold school-wide assemblies, concept
kick-offs |
Faculty, Community, Students |
Verbal and visual recognition of
students and staff who exhibit positive concepts |
| Disseminate concepts and definitions
to community churches and civic groups |
Climate Committee |
Students will see that good character
is important everywhere |
| Post concepts throughout the school |
Faculty |
Students will become more familiar
with concepts |
| Incorporate concepts into writing
prompts |
Faculty and students |
Develop familiarity with concepts
while improving writing skills |
| Implement Lions-Quest Skills for
Growing |
Quest certified staff |
Students will exhibit positive social
behaviors and have a commitment to their school community |
| Provide staff development on social
and moral development stages of children |
Knowledgeable presenter |
Increased knowledge of social and
moral development of children |
| Display Character Education books in
the Media Center |
Media Coordinator |
Display of character education books |
| Emphasize importance of working hard
and striving for certain standards of achievement |
Faculty |
Setting the tone for improvement of
behaviors |
| Display student work at business
partners' sites |
Students, Teachers, Business partners |
|
| Hold monthly grade level discussions
concerning concepts and activities to be implemented for that month |
Faculty |
Report to climate control committee,
compile into booklet form for action plan |
|