Kansas schools and school districts were honored today for their support of character education as part of the Kansas Schools of Character Recognition Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, the Kansas Character Education Initiative and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

The schools were recognized through a variety of programs sponsored by the Character Education Partnership, a national organization promoting character education programs in schools. Schools and districts achieved recognition through the program by demonstrating various principles of character and through the successful implementation of effective programs in schools.

Among those recognized Thursday was the Hesston School District, USD 460, as the 2013 Kansas District of Character. Iola High School, USD 257, was recognized as the State School of Character, and Anthony Elementary School, USD 453, Leavenworth, and Kiowa County Elementary-Jr. High School, USD 422, earned the Emerging School of Character recognition.

Twelve Kansas schools and two Kansas school districts were presented Promising Practice in Character Education Awards. They are:

• Centre K-12 School, USD 397 Centre
• Circle High School, USD 375 Circle
• Clifton-Clyde High School, USD 224 Clifton-Clyde
• Dodge City High School, USD 443 Dodge City
• Hoisington High School, USD 431 Hoisington
• Maize Middle School, USD 266 Maize
• Marysville Jr./Sr. High School, USD 364 Marysville
• Moundridge School District, USD 423
• Pittsburg Community Schools, USD 250
• Pittsburg High School, USD 250 Pittsburgh
• Pray Woodman Elementary School, USD 266 Maize
• Robinson Middle School, USD 259 Wichita
• Thomas More Prep-Marian, Hays
• Tonganoxie High School, USD 464 Tonganoxie

State School of Character Award Schools (pdf)
Promising Practice Award Schools (pdf)

Forty-six Spotlight Awards were presented during the ceremony. The Spotlight Award is new this year and is intended to highlight an activity that helps achieve the State’s Social, Emotional and Character Development Standards. The purpose of the standards is to provide schools a framework for integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) with character development so that students will learn, practice and model essential personal life habits that contribute to academic, vocational, and personal success.

The Spotlight Awards were presented to:
• Anderson County Jr./Sr. High School, USD 365 Garnett
• Apache Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Beloit Elementary School, USD 273 Beloit
• Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Circle High School, USD 375 Circle
• Comanche Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• East Antioch Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Erie High School, USD 101 Erie-Galesburg
• Fredonia High School, USD 484 Fredonia
• Highland Park Central Elementary School, USD 501 Topeka
• Hocker Grove Middle School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Horizons High School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Indian Woods Middle School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• John Dewey Learning Academy, Ozawkie
• Kansas School for the Deaf, Olathe
• Maize Middle School, USD 266 Maize
• Manhattan High School, USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden
• Marysville High School, USD 364 Marysville
• McEachron Elementary School, USD 501 Topeka
• McPherson Middle School, USD 418 McPherson
• Meadows Elementary School, USD 501 Topeka
• Merriam Park Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Olpe Elementary & Olpe Jr./Sr. High School, USD 252 Southern Lyon County
• Osawatomie High School, USD 367 Osawatomie
• Oswego High School, USD 504 Oswego
• Overland Park Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Pike Valley High School, USD 426 Pike Valley
• Pray Woodman Elementary School, USD 266 Maize
• Rising Star Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Robinson Middle School, USD 501 Topeka
• Rochester Elementary School, USD 345 Seaman
• Roseland Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Sedan High School, USD 286 Chautauqua Community Schools
• Shawnee Mission School District PBIS Implementation, USD 512
• Shawnee Mission North High School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Shawnee Mission West High School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Sublette Elementary School, USD 374 Sublette
• Sunflower Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Sunnyside Elementary School, USD 233 Olathe
• Thomas More Prep-Marian, Hays
• Tomahawk Elementary School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Trailridge Middle School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission
• Wamego Middle School, USD 320 Wamego
• West Indianola Elementary School, USD 345 Seaman
• Westridge Middle School, USD 512 Shawnee Mission

Spotlight Award Summaries (pdf)