This one-of-a-kind, comprehensive history of moral education in American schools provides an invaluable historical context for contemporary debates. McClellan traces American traditions of moral education from the colonial era to the present, illuminating both debates about the subject and actual practices in public and private schools, colleges, and universities. He pays particular attention to changing fashions in pedagogy, to church–state conflicts, to the long decline of character training in the schools, and to recent efforts to restore moral education to its once-honored place. The book concludes with a thorough examination of recent theorists, including Lawrence Kohlberg, William J. Bennett, Carol Gilligan, and Nel Noddings, and an appraisal of current practice in American schools. “In an age of specialists who quite productively write books on relatively narrow subjects imbedded in short time periods, McClellan writes effortlessly about the grand themes and social practices in the history of moral education and character training over several centuries.” —From the Foreword by William J. Reese “I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in educational policy in general and moral education in particular. . . .There is nothing presently available that is comparable in scope, balance, intellectual coherence, and readability.” —Ray Hiner, University of Kansas

This book is not a comprehensive history of moral education in American schools. Rather, it is an episodic history that deals with selected periods, movements, and individuals throughout the course of American education history from the time of colonial Massachusetts in the 17th century up to present times. It is almost entirely devoted to public schools. It is a tale that is fraught with friction and controversy, even legal challenge. Given the nature of the topic, and the passion with which it has been and is currently viewed, it will ever be thus.

Character Education in America's Blue Ribbon Schools is based upon descriptive, documentary, and qualitative research conducted on the award winning school applications in the United Stated Department of Education's Elementary School Recognition Program, i.e. the Blue Ribbon Schools. The purpose of the program is to focus national attention on schools that are doing an exceptional job with all of their students. Areas studied are developing a solid foundation of basic skills and knowledge of subject matter and fostering the development of character, values, and ethical judgement. The first edition of this book reported on the first decade of this program, from 1985 to 1994. The second edition adds the schools that have won the award from 1996-2001. Included are the Blue Ribbon schools that applied for Special Honors in Character Education and five that actually won that recognition in 1998-1999. This edition finds character education much stronger in American schools in recent years and is full of many promising practices. It is a practical book that will guide school administrators, teachers, parents, board members, and concerned citizens interested in starting or strengthening the character education focus of their school.

This publication covers the hearing held on March 1, 2000, in Washington, DC, before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives on the role of character education in U.S. schools. The publication contains the following: "Statement of Mr. Michael N. Castle, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood Youth and Families, Representative from Delaware"; "Statement of Mr. Dale Kildee, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, Representative from Michigan"; "Statement of Ron Kinnamon, Coalition Vice-Chairperson, Character Counts! Coalition"; "Statement of Diane Berreth, Deputy Executive Director, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development"; "Statement of Esther Schaeffer, Executive Director and CEO, Character Education Partnership"; "Statement of Andrew Shue, Co-Founder, Do Something"; "Statement of Sheldon Berman, Superintendent of Schools, Hudson Public Schools"; "Appendix A--The written statement of Michael N. Castle, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, Representative from Delaware"; "Appendix B--The written statement of Dale Kildee, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, Representative from Michigan"; "Appendix C--The written statement of Ron Kinnamon, Coalition Vice-chairperson, Character Counts! Coalition"; "Appendix D--The written statement of Diane Berreth, Deputy Executive Director and CEO, Character Education Partnership"; "Appendix E--The written statement of Esther Schaeffer, Executive Director and CEO, Character Education Partnership"; "Appendix F--The written statement of Andrew Shue, Co-Founder, Do Something"; and "Appendix G--The written statement of Sheldon Berman, Superintendent of Schools, Hudson Public Schools." (BT)