Karen E. Bohlin is executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character and assistant professor of education at Boston University. She and Kevin Ryan are coauthors of Building Character in Schools (Jossey-Bass, 1999). Deborah Farmer is adjunct faculty member at Boston University, teaching student teachers, and an administrator at a K-8 school in Massachusetts.Kevin Ryan is the founder and director emeritus of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University. He is editor or author of eighteen books including Moral Education and Reclaiming Our Schools.

• Preface xi1 Character Education: What Is It and Why Is It Important? 12 Views, Values, or Virtues 103 Building a Community of Virtue 304 Cultivating Character Through the Curriculum 385 Engaging Parents in Character Education 516 The Teacher's Work: Nurturing Character 647 Helping Students Take Command 74Appendices Part 1: Good Ideas 83A The Character Education Manifesto 85B Character Education Reading List 89Appendices Part 2: Action Strategies 93C Internalizing Virtue: An Instructional and Schoolwide Framework 95D 100 Ways to Bring Character Education to Life 97E Friendship and Character in Film 105F Virtue in Action: A K-8 Guide 107G Helping Younger Students Understand the Virtue of Respect 109H Columbine Elementary School, Grades K-5: Personal and Social Responsibility Standards 111I Stepping Stone Activities for Grade 7: Justice 119J Benjamin Franklin Classical Character School Discipline Reflection Form 121K Sample Survey of Perceived School Environment: For Teachers, Parents, and Students 123Appendices Part 3: Curriculum 127L The Great depression: learning Courage and Hopw 129M Sojourner's Example: Developing Courage 131N Peppe the Lamplighter: Envisioning Diligence 135O Developing a Yearlong Theme: Our Choices Reveal Our Character 139P Elizabeth Barker, Prison Educator: Thinking About Choice 143Notes 149The Authors 153Index 155