For Immediate Release
Monday, May 14, 2007
Illinois receives nearly $500,000 grant for character
education
Pilot program at 8 high schools to teach skills for success
in life
Springfield, Ill. – The Illinois State Board of
Education (ISBE) announced today the Illinois Positive
Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) Network will
be receiving a $471,038 grant from the U.S. Department
of Education to help implement programs aimed at teaching
character development. The Illinois PBIS Network received
one of four Partnerships in Character Education grants
for Fiscal Year 2007; other recipients included Los Angeles
Unified School District, New York City Department of
Education and the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative,
in Rapid City, South Dakota.
“We’re proud the Department of Education
is recognizing Illinois’ place as a national leader
in PBIS education over the past decade, and look forward
to sharing our research with others as we continue to
implement this on a broader scale,” said Illinois
State Superintendent of Education Christopher Koch. “Being
able to expand our work in this area will help us as
we continue to move forward with educating all of our
students, not just for classroom success, but success
in life.”
The Illinois State Board of Education started the PBIS
Network nearly a decade ago to create and maintain safe
and effective learning environments in schools and ensure
all students have the social/emotional skills needed
for success. ISBE and the School Association for Special
Education in DuPage County administer the program.
“Character education is integral to a well-rounded
education. Positive, respectful students help create
and maintain healthy school environments,” U.S.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said. “Lessons
in responsibility and respect are just as important as
lessons in reading, math and science.”
The four year program funded by the grant will allow
the Illinois PBIS Network to work with 8 public high
schools to integrate school-wide positive behavior supports
and character education as part of their curriculum.
The schools included are:
- Foreman High School (CPS)
- Kelvyn Park High School
(CPS)
- Bolingbrook High School
- Romeoville High School
- Alton High School
- Rock Island High School
- Springfield High School
- Springfield Southeast High
School
The Partnerships in Character Education Program awards
grants for up to four years to eligible state and local
education agencies to design and implement character
education programs, which teach students core ethical
concepts, such as: civics; citizenship; justice; responsibility;
and respect themselves and others. Grant recipients must
show how they have integrated character education into
classroom instruction and teacher training. They also
must involve parents, students and the community in the
process. The projects are evaluated to determine their
success in helping students develop positive character,
reduce discipline problems and improve academic achievement.
Projects also must increase parent and community involvement
with the school. This year’s recipients were chosen
in rank order from the list of the most qualified FY
2006 applicants, which had not yet received funding in
FY 2006. The grantees were solicited and peer reviewed
during FY 2006. Since 1994, a total of 147 state and
local education agencies have received character education
grants.
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