Approaches to the Development of Character

The development of character is a valued objective for many kinds of educational programs that take place both in and outside of school. Educators and administrators who develop and run programs that seek to develop character recognize that the established approaches for doing so have much in common, and they are eager to learn about promising practices used in other settings, evidence of effectiveness, and ways to measure the effectiveness of their own approaches. In July 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop to review research and practice relevant to the development of character, with a particular focus on ideas that can support the adults who develop and run out-of-school programs. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.Table of ContentsFront Matter1 Introduction2 What Is Character? Moving Beyond Definitional Differences3 Views of What Works in Developing Character4 Investing in Implementation and Evaluation5 Developing a High-Quality Staff6 Measuring Character7 Workshop ThemesReferencesAppendix A: Workshop AgendaAppendix B: Participant ListAppendix C: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and PresentersAppendix D: Worksheet for Breakout Sessions