Benefits of character education can be two-fold
Wisconsinites should be concerned the state’s growing crisis of disappearing educators — a phenomenon the Badger Institute has been taking a closer look at. Multiple studies confirm that retaining good teachers is essential to school effectiveness and student achievement.
Wisconsinites should also be intrigued by the possibility of a potential remedy: character education.
To study the impact of character education on teacher loss, we conducted both a quantitative analysis of teacher loss before and after the adoption of character education programs and a qualitative analysis — interviews with key participants — that laid out specific factors seen as contributing to success in schools.
We learned that that a successfully implemented character program can reap benefits not only by retaining teachers but also by attracting high-quality teachers in the hiring process.
Key factors instrumental in improving retention included school leaders who championed character education, buy-in from parents and the community, an incremental mindset, and commitment to adopting the character culture at all levels of staff.
Wyatt Eichholz is the Policy and Legislative Associate of the Badger Institute.
Any use or reproduction of Badger Institute articles or photographs requires prior written permission. To request permission to post articles on a website or print copies for distribution, contact Badger Institute President Mike Nichols at mike@badgerinstitute.org or 262-389-8239.
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