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On Purpose
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On Purpose
How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character



November 2010 | 208 pages | Corwin

"This book reminds us that there is more to education than preparing students for high-stakes tests. It is our responsibility to intentionally develop the whole child."
—Irwin Kurz, Former Director of School Quality
Heritage Academies, Grand Rapids, MI

"Samuel Casey Carter shows how great cultures—not big bucks, smaller class sizes, different curriculums, or better buildings—are what we need to save our education system."
—Jay Mathews, Columnist and Author
The Washington Post

Discover how 12 ordinary schools achieved extraordinary results

Bestselling author Samuel Casey Carter showcases a dozen extraordinary K–12 public and charter schools where confident children joyfully strive to accomplish worthy goals in concert with their friends. These mainstream American institutions focus on a culture of character as their foundation and demonstrate scalable, sustainable, and replicable models for your school to emulate. The results are undeniable:

  • Students who are encouraged to build lasting personal character and a strong sense of purpose
  • Motivated teachers who feel rewarded for their hard work
  • Improved student achievement in multiple subject areas

Strategies for creating a healthy school culture, including intentionality and hands-on guidance by the principal, come to life through case studies. These compelling examples will help educators and parents focus on strong personal character as the desired result of genuine learning.


 
About the Author
 
Acknowledgements
 
Preface
 
I.
 
1. Four Common Traits of Great School Cultures
A Strong Belief That Culture Determines Outcome

 
A Nurturing but Demanding Culture

 
A Culture Committed to Student Success

 
 
2. Creating a Great School Culture
How School Cultures Are Made

 
How School Cultures Form Character

 
How Great School Cultures Drive Achievement

 
 
II.
 
3. Harvest Park Middle School, Pleasanton, CA
 
4. Veritas Academy, Phoenix, AZ
 
5. Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale, IL
 
6. P.S. 124 New York, NY
 
7. Providence St. Mel, Chicago, IL
 
8. Arlington Traditional School, Arlington, VA
 
9. HOPE Prima, Milwaukee, WI
 
10. Cotswold Elementary, Charlotte, NC
 
11. Atlantis Elementary, Port St. John, FL
 
12. Grayhawk Elementary, Scottsdale, AZ
 
13. An Achievable Dream Middle and High, Newport News, VA
 
14. Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School, Franklin, MA
 
III.
 
15. How Communities Can Help Form Great School Cultures
 
Endnotes
 
Selected Bibliography
 
Index

"This book reminds us that there is more to education than preparing students for high-stakes tests. It is our responsibility to be 'intentional' with the development of the whole child."

Irwin Kurz, Former Director of School Quality
Heritage Academies, Grand Rapids, MI

"At the heart of this intriguing volume are well written profiles of twelve different schools that are quite proactively shaping their cultures to educate both the minds and hearts of their students."

Mary Beth Klee, Educational Consultant in History and Character Education
President, Content and Character Educational Resources, LLC, author of Core Virtues

"This volume reinforces the need to address character development in children throughout their days in school."

Steven Miletto, Principal
R. L. Osborne High School, Marietta, GA

"This wonderful book shares a broad range of school successes that are evident, easy to report on, and site-specific."

William H. Wibel, Educational Consultant
SchoolWorks, LLC, Beverly, MA

"Samuel Casey Carter shows how great cultures—not big bucks, smaller class sizes, different curriculums, or better buildings—are what we need to save our education system."

Jay Mathews, Columnist and Author
Washington Post
Key features
  1. 12 case studies of highly successful schools that share common traits of great character and culture are discussed in detail
  2. Schools are varied in size, age-level, income-level, geography and include 2 Charter Schools so there is a real cross-section
  3. Research criteria for school selection is clearly laid out in Ch. 1 so readers can see how and why this was done
  4. Lessons learned from the 12 schools are summarized in the final chapter so that readers can start to use this information in their own settings

Sample Materials & Chapters

Carter_OnPurpose_Preface

Carter_OnPurpose_Ch1


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ISBN: 9781452237879

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