Creative discipline helps states meet ESSA performance targets
A middle school in Texas takes an unconventional approach to dealing with theft that might help other schools improve school climate and outcomes for students.
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Our opinion pieces, original research, stories, news, and analyses are designed to inspire and equip you with creative approaches to character formation. Use the quicklinks below to sort by popular topic, or continue scrolling to read all of our stories, starting with the most-recent.
One middle school brings parents to school in place of suspension
As school administrators grapple with how to establish school discipline, and avoid excessive use of suspensions, Donaldson Middle School in Louisiana takes an approach that motivates students and parents.
Montessori students think globally through model UN
A dozen students from Jacksonville, North Carolina’s Montessori Children’s School recently trekked to New York City to present their research on the world’s problems and negotiate solutions with students representing different countries, an experience that offered lessons in both civics and character.
High school teaches social emotional skills
Hinsdale High School District 86 in Illinois is showing high-schoolers how to identify and measure their emotions, in hopes that the social and emotional skills can help them balance life and focus in school.
Ohio school to start International Baccalaureate program
Claire Foltz is excited that multiple-choice tests are becoming somewhat passé at Glen Oak High School in Ohio. Foltz and her classmates will soon be able to enroll in International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, which aim “to develop lifelong learners who think globally and act locally to create a better and more peaceful world,”
Jewish school brings summer camp to class
The Jewish Community Day School in Watertown, MA, incorporates camp-like overnight trips as part of its Jewish environmental education curriculum. That is part of a broader push toward experiential learning and character formation.
Snowboarder wins gold in super-G ski competition
Ester Ledecka won gold in the Olympic women’s super-G, despite the fact that she primarily considers herself a snowboarder.
Students take control of their curriculum
The Achievement First charter school network is modifying its approach at several schools to test a new Greenfield model that give students more autonomy over their education, an effort to promote responsible learning that will help students through college.
Creating global citizens through adventure
Students at Staten Island’s Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School learn citizenship by expeditions—to a mayor’s town hall meeting, Freshkills Park, or even abroad.
