A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

        FOR RELEASE                                           Contact: David Thomas      June 8, 1996                                                   (202) 401-1576

Maryland Gains Character Education Partnership Support

The Maryland State Department of Education will receive a $246,290 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help launch a partnership between the state education department and one or more local school districts to establish character education programs for youth, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced today at the White House Conference on Character Education.

"Clearly we can all agree about the importance of teaching our children, both as individuals and as members of society, the importance of common values such as respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and citizenship?" said Riley. "This support will help Maryland bring communities -- including students, parents, educators and others -- together to identify common values to help put children on the right course."

Maryland joins three other states -- Connecticut, North Carolina and Washington -- that will receive grants totaling nearly $1 million.

The Maryland Partnership in Character Education will establish a consortium of the state and five local school districts, Baltimore City, and Baltimore, Calvert, Frederick, and Prince George's counties. The goal of the partnership will be to foster a safe and orderly environment for students by providing them with skills for personal interaction based on desired character elements. The plan calls for the development of five different demonstration models at the district level; the state will concentrate on dissemination, networking, training, and curriculum development. Maryland plans to supplement their grant with funds from local sources.

Parents, students, and community members, including private and non profit organizations, can participate in the design and administration of the program. The character education partnerships can help states work with school districts to develop curriculum materials, provide teacher training, gauge and build community consensus on common values, involve parents in character education and integrate character education into the curriculum.

The projects, under the Partnerships in Character Education Pilot Project Program, will be evaluated to determine their success toward reducing discipline problems, and improving student grades, participation in extracurricular activities, and parent and community involvement. States are also asked to establish a clearinghouse for the distribution of materials and information about character education.

The four projects were selected from 27 eligible applicants, with grants totaling $996,190 for Fiscal Year 1996. The Partnerships in Character Education Pilot Project is authorized under Title X, Part A, Section 10103 of the Improving America's Schools Act (P.L. 103 - 382).

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