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TOPEKA — Complete High School Maize, Maize Unified School District 266, was recognized as a 2020 Kansas School of Character on Tuesday, May 12.
Recognition is given though the Kansas Schools of Character Recognition Program and sponsoring organizations - Character.org, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Smoky Hill Education Service Center.
Usually, the announcement is made during a special ceremony at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the announcement was made online and via social media platforms.
Complete High School Maize is one of 81 schools and seven school districts across the country to be certified by Character.org as 2020 State Schools of Character. The 2020 Kansas School of Character now will be considered for the highest distinction – National School of Character. The announcement will be made later this month by Character.org.
The State Schools of Character award program recognizes schools and districts that have worked to enhance social, emotional and character development. Character.org certifies schools and districts at the state level that demonstrate a dedicated focus on character development, which has been shown to have a positive effect on academic achievement, student behavior and school climate, according to character.org. Character.org was founded in 1993 and is a national nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Since its inception, Character.org’s Schools of Character program has impacted nearly 3 million students, staff members, parents and other community members.
Criteria for selection are based on Character.org’s 11 Principles of Character, which include providing students with opportunities for moral action, fostering shared leadership and engaging families and communities as partners in the character-building effort.
More information on Kansas’ Social, Emotional and Character Development Standards, which the state adopted in 2012, is available at http://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/School-Counseling/Social-Emotional-and-Character-Development. The Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education by Character.org are available at www.character.org.
Two Kansas schools were recognized as Honorable Mention Schools of Character. Beloit Elementary School, Beloit USD 273, and Stockton Grade School, Stockton USD 271.
Eight Kansas schools received Shifting School Culture Recognition. This recognizes schools and districts that have developed and implemented a social-emotional character-development (SECD) initiative or program for at least one year and are transforming the school/district culture, as well as growing students’ SECD skills.
Schools receiving Shifting School Culture Recognition are:
Eight schools and one district received Enhanced Spotlight Recognition. This recognizes schools and districts that are implementing new initiatives or are enhancing existing initiatives that will strengthen the SECD skills in their students and school climate.
Schools and districts receiving Enhanced Spotlight Recognition are:
For more information about State Schools of Character or National Schools of Character, visit character.org. Detailed descriptions of each school’s and district’s accomplishments are available at //go.smokyhill.org/SOC2020. For more information about Smoky Hill Education Service Center, visit www.smokyhill.org.
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In this edition | Feature Story | Assessments and Accountability | Reporting and Operations Standards and Instruction | Student Health and Nutrition | Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition
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