Some Key Issues in the Evaluation of Character Education.

This article summarizes issues in defining character education (CE) that are relevant to program development and evaluation. No authoritative definition exists for CE, but several features seem prominent. These include a focus on enhancing civic, moral, self-regulatory, and/or intellectual virtues; and (at least implicitly) prioritizing the shaping of participant identity over teaching skills. Within these broad parameters, programs vary widely in their targets and interventions. They can also vary in terms of emphasizing the same or individualized elements of character across students. The discussion finishes with a summary of elements of a CE program, and a call for well-planned evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]