Smart and Good High Schools

Developing Excellence and Ethics for Developing Success in School, Work and Beyond: Authored by Dr. Thomas Lickona and Dr. Matt Davidson, this report describes promising practices that develop performance character and moral character through an ethical learning community. In an ethical learning community, staff, students, and parents support and challenge each other to do their best work and be their best ethical self. This study has organized promising high school practices around eight developmental outcomes that define performance character and moral character: (1) lifelong learner and critical thinker; (2) diligent and capable performer; (3) socially and emotionally skilled person; (4) principled ethical thinker; (5) respectful and responsible moral agent; (6) self-disciplined person who pursues a healthy life style; (7) contributing community member and democratic citizen; and (8) spiritual person-engaged with existential questions and involved in crafting a life of noble purpose. These outcomes offer a vision of human flourishing, not only during school but over a lifetime.