Smart & Good High Schools - The Flippen Group

Throughout history, and in cultures all over the world, education rightly conceived has hadtwo great goals: to help students become smart and to help them become good. Theyneed character for both. Performance character is the pathway to excellence; moral characteris the pathway to ethical behavior. Performance character and moral character are, in turn,defined in terms of eight strengths of character needed for human flourishing over a lifetime:8 Strengths of Character8. Spiritual personengaged in craftinga life of noble purpose1. Lifelong learnerand critical thinker2. Diligent andcapable performer7. Contributingcommunitymember anddemocraticcitizen3. Socially andemotionallyskilled person6. Self-disciplinedperson who pursuesa healthy lifestyle5. Respectful andresponsible moral agent4. Ethical thinkerThe genius of the Smart & Good High Schools report is that it uses a character-based approach toaddress schools’ two most important outcomes: academic skills and personal and civic virtues. Thisshould have a huge impact on schools and kids.—PATRICK BASSETT, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLSThis ground-breaking study will change forever how we think about the high school experience andwhat it means to be a great high school that truly meets the needs of all its students.—KRISTIN DANIELSON FINK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY OF CARINGDr. Thomas Lickonais Director of the Centerfor the 4th and 5th Rsat SUNY Cortland.Dr. Matthew Davidsonis Research Director ofthe Center for the 4thand 5th Rs.Smart & Good High Schools is a project of the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs.Tel.: 607/753-2455. E-mail: character@cortland.edu. Website: www.cortland.edu/character.