APPROACHES TO THE
Development of Character
Proceedings of a Workshop
Alexandra Beatty, Rapporteur
Board on Testing and Assessment
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
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This activity was supported by Grant No. 7717 from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-45557-2
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-45557-X
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/24684
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). Approaches to the Development of Character: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi: 10.17226/24684
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COMMITTEE ON DEFINING AND MEASURING CHARACTER AND CHARACTER EDUCATION: A WORKSHOP
DEBORAH VANDELL (Chair), School of Education, University of California, Irvine
CATHERINE BRADSHAW, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia
LUCY FRIEDMAN, The After-School Corporation, New York
ELLEN GANNET, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley College
STEPHANIE JONES, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
RICHARD M. LERNER, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University
VELMA McBRIDE MURRY, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
JENNIFER BROWN URBAN, College of Education and Human Services, Montclair State University
ALEXANDRA BEATTY, Study Director
PATRICIA MORISON, Acting Board Director, Board on Testing and Assessment
KELLY ARRINGTON, Senior Program Assistant
BOARD ON TESTING AND ASSESSMENT
DAVID J. FRANCIS (Chair), Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston
MARK DYNARSKI, Pemberton Research, LLC, East Windsor, New Jersey
JOAN HERMAN, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing, University of California, Los Angeles
SHARON LEWIS, Council of Great City Schools, Washington, DC
BRIAN STECHER, Pardee RAND Graduate School, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
JOHN ROBERT WARREN, Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
PATRICIA MORISON, Acting Director
Acknowledgments
This Proceedings of a Workshop has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published Proceedings of a Workshop as sound as possible and to ensure that the Proceedings of a Workshop meets institutional standards for clarity, objectivity, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this Proceedings of a Workshop: Catherine Bradshaw, Research and Faculty Development, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia; Ellen S. Gannett, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College; and Patrick H. Tolan, Youth-Nex, Center to Promote Effective Youth Development, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the Proceedings of a Workshop before its release. The review of this Proceedings of a Workshop was overseen by Christopher Cross, Cross & Joftus, Danville, California.
He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this Proceedings of a Workshop was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this Proceedings of a Workshop rests entirely with the rapporteur and the institution.
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Contents
2 What Is Character?: Moving Beyond Definitional Differences
Character as a Multifaceted Developmental System
Perspectives on Psychology, Context, and Culture
3 Views of What Works in Developing Character
Perspectives on Key Ingredients
4 Investing in Implementation and Evaluation
Essentials of Program Implementation
5 Developing a High-Quality Staff
The Out-of-School-Time Workforce
