| (a) Implementation. The provisions of this section
shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2021-2022
school year.
(1) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools
are required to provide instruction in the essential knowledge and
skills for positive character traits and personal skills outlined
in this subchapter at least once in the following grade bands: Kindergarten-Grade
2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.
(2) School districts may provide the required instruction
in a variety of arrangements, including through a stand-alone course
or by integrating the positive character traits standards in the essential
knowledge and skills for one or more courses or subject areas at the
appropriate grade levels.
(b) Introduction.
(1) Character education introduces students to character
traits and personal skills that empower them to be good citizens who
are trustworthy, responsible, and caring. The character traits and
personal skills reflect positive beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets;
provide opportunities for self-reflection; and permit students to
apply effective strategies to make decisions, solve problems, and
behave responsibly.
(2) The standards for positive character traits and
personal skills are comprised of four strands: trustworthiness, responsibility,
caring, and citizenship. Each strand consists of the following character
traits and personal skills.
(A) Trustworthiness: honesty, integrity, loyalty, punctuality,
and reliability.
(B) Responsibility: accountability, diligence, perseverance,
self-control, and self-management.
(C) Caring: interpersonal skills, including charity,
compassion, consideration, cooperation, empathy, generosity, kindness,
and patience.
(D) Good citizenship: having concern for the common
good and the community; having respect for authority, law, justice,
and the rights of others; being free from prejudice; having gratitude
and school pride; being courteous, fair, and patriotic; and making
responsible decisions.
(3) Students are expected to develop an awareness of
self-identity as well as recognize multiple perspectives, differences,
diversity, biases, and the social and cultural context in which they
live.
(4) The knowledge and skills for positive character
traits and personal skills are organized in the following grade bands:
Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. However,
due to the complexity of the concepts, student expectations and knowledge
and skills statements cannot be taught, discussed, or viewed in isolation.
(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Trustworthiness. The student understands how personal
skills, choices, and actions relate to character building. The student
is expected to:
(A) describe how personal choices lead to personal
actions;
(B) explain what it means to be trustworthy; and
(C) identify personal actions that build trustworthiness,
including being honest and punctual.
(2) Responsibility. The student understands the concept
of responsibility and how personal actions and self-management skills
demonstrate responsibility. The student is expected to:
(A) describe and give examples of how feelings and
beliefs influence personal actions;
(B) describe how to make personal choices before speaking
and acting;
(C) define self-control and discuss effective self-management
skills, including listening to others, managing one's emotions, and
setting goals; and
(D) identify instances in which self-management skills
are important.
(3) Caring. The student understands how personal actions
and interpersonal skills demonstrate characteristics of caring. The
student is expected to:
(A) listen actively when sharing and cooperating with
others;
(B) define patience and identify actions that demonstrate
patience; and
(C) explain and identify examples of how actions can
demonstrate kindness to others.
(4) Good citizenship. The student understands how personal
actions and responsible decision making can demonstrate good citizenship.
The student is expected to:
(A) define fairness and identify examples of fairness
when making decisions in a variety of situations;
(B) define and identify examples of school pride and
patriotism;
(C) explain what it means to demonstrate respect and
courtesy and why it is important to demonstrate respect and courtesy
to others; and
(D) describe ways in which individuals demonstrate
respect for authority and law.
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