Introduction Character education is the “fastest growing reform movement in P-12 education today” (Williams, 2000, p. 32), thus all counselor educators and counseling students need to be informed and cognizant of various P-12 character education programs. Currently, more than 30 states mandate some aspect of character education (Otten, 2000) and school counselors are frequently responsible for introducing character education curricula to their schools. However, research suggests that counselor education programs are not emphasizing character education in their preparation programs (Ryan & Bohlin, 1999). DEFINITIONS AND APPROACHESWhat is character education and how does it affect education? Williams & Schnaps (1999) detail the work of the now defunct National Commission on Character Education, formed in 1997, to answer these questions. The Commission defined the term character education as “any deliberate approach by which school personnel, often in conjunction with parents and community members, help children and youth become caring, principled and responsible” (Williams & Schnaps, 1999). According to Williams (2000), the Commission used character education as an umbrella term that encompasses diverse approaches, philosophies and programs. Problem solving, decision-making,and conflict resolution are important aspects of developing moral character. Character education offers students opportunities to experience these traits directly. Typically, the goals of character education are to help children become morally responsible, self-disciplined citizens (McBrien & Brandt, 1997).
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