The Importance of Multidimensional Baseline Measurements to Assessment of Integrated Character Education Models

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2007

Abstract

Currently, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools Partnerships in Character Education Program provides funds to approximately 50 experimental (or quasi-experimental) efforts that are investigating the effects of character education in relation to academic achievement and other education-related variables. This study highlights the importance of the baseline measurements in the assessment of one such grant awarded to an Appalachian region state education agency to study the effect of the integration of character education models into rural schools. The participants from this study were recruited from 8 rural schools selected through a matched random sampling technique. Four were randomly assigned to be control schools, and 4 were randomly assigned to develop and implement an intervention process model rich in character education. The student participants recruited at the middle/high school level consist of 151 males (42%) and 199 females (55%) for a combined N = 366. The participants recruited at the elementary level consist of 61 males (52%) and 56 females (48%) for a combined N = 124. This study investigates how character was defined using a multidimensional approach. Baseline MANOVAs identified significant differences between the control and experimental schools. Post hoc analyses suggest that when a student’s self-reported levels of character, educational attitudes, as well as views of school climate increase, theoretically so will one’s academic achievement.

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Copyright © 2007 Information Age Publishing, Inc.

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