Never having been a principal, I've always been curious about what it takes to be one. Over the years, I've been privileged to meet a number of K-8 principals and have almost always come away impressed. I don?t have to tell you how complex and challenging the principal's job has become, especially since the No Child Left Behind Act took effect.…

Provides a bibliography of 41 books and reports on character development themes such as values education, civic responsibility, family and societal influences, ethical instruction, traditional American and religious values, and parental involvement. (MLH)

The themes of moral, physical, and intellectual development in Chinese elementary school education are consistent with national educational goals. Formidable problems concerning teacher education and morale and latent tensions between development-minded leaders and ideologists must be addressed. Americans desiring to help should consider cultural…

Notes that both liberals and conservatives have criticized values clarification courses on the grounds that they assume only one correct position regarding values: ethical relativism. Maintains that values clarification fails to live up to its own claims of openness and neutrality. (Author/JM)

The Character Education Partnership aims to surround students with an environment that exhibits, teaches, and encourages practice in internalizing and exemplifying needed social values. Ten schools selected for a recent study illustrate successful efforts to build caring, respectful, and responsible children and adults. A sidebar lists 11…

Spurred by an impending morality crisis, moral education is making a comeback. Gallup polls indicate that over 80 percent of parents want public schools to teach moral values. This article shows how to promote respect and responsibility as the fourth and fifth "R's." Insets list values and character development objectives. (MLH)

Describes a program called the Character Education Curriculum developed by the American Institute for Character Education that is the most widely used plan for teaching the basic traits of character, conduct, and citizenship. (MD)

Introduces a character-education framework to guide principals in designing programs. Critical elements include discussion of values to be fostered, development of a comprehensive vision and purpose, consensus on expectations, adequate resources and training, parent/community partnerships, program and implementation standards, and assessment. (MLH)

Growing public concern with student discipline, increases in student suicide rates, homicides, and high pregnancy rates of teenage girls are causing educators to give renewed attention to the concept of "character development" in public education. (MD)