This document outlines steps taken at St. George's Independent School to implement a more student-centered approach to teaching values and ethics. It discusses establishing leadership councils for middle and lower school students to have input into shared values and design positive behavior supports and activities. This empowers students to have independence and responsibility in grappling with ethical dilemmas from real-life experiences. Examples are provided of student leadership teams modeling values and preparing announcements to hold peers accountable using positive peer pressure.

1. A Student-Centered
Approach to Ethical Literacy
Encouraging Student Empowerment
Chris Cooper
St. George's Independent School
Collierville, TN

2. What are some tools that we use
to teach values and appropriate
behavior in schools?

3. Background - EL at St. George's
2008 - joined IGE. Already had shared values (HDR). Began
educating faculty on EL verbiage and ideas.
2010 - Implemented a more structured plan in the Middle
School (GO-HDR).
2011 - Lower School implemented a structured plan
(DRAGONS) 2012 - changed to GRYPHONS
2013 - A team from rising 9th graders to design a student
Ethical Literacy plan for the upper school.

4. Imagine you are tasked with designing a school-wide
program for supporting positive behavior or
promoting "good" values. Outline the steps to creating
that plan.
Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc...

5. PBIS or SWPBS anyone?
"The underlying theme is teaching behavioral
expectations in the same manner as any core
curriculum subject." -pbis.org
Many schools and whole states have created
Positive Behavior Intervention & Support Plans.
There are many variations on this theme.
MIssouri, Michigan, Vermont, Wisconsin, Maryland,
Maine, Illinois, Florida, N. Carolina to name just a few!
Most are consistent with PBIS.org

6. PBIS for Beginners
http://www.pbis.org/school/swpbis_for_beginners/default.aspx

7. The Missing Link: Student Empowerment
Cline and Fay, Parenting with Love and Logic, ch. 6
"Giving even the smallest children a certain amount of freedom and
control over their lives instills in them the sense of responsibility and
maturity we want them to have. Independence helps children learn
about the real world as their wisdom grows from the results of their
decisions."
Rushworth Kidder, Good Kids, Tough Choices, p. 70
Kids need to "grapple with tough dilemmas and engage mentally with
various arguments for right and wrong."
Brown and Knowles, What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, p. 48
“Adolescents’ skills in moral reasoning improve when they are able to
reflect successfully on their behaviors and ascertain the effects on
others and themselves.”

8. Effectiveness through
Empowerment
Ethical fitness comes from the experience of weighing
personal values and "grappling" with decisions.(Ex.
Dilemma = two conflicting values)
The most valuable lessons come from "real life"
experiences.
Control = Ownership. Give kids more control and they will
take ownership.
Responsibility comes from independence. Making
decisions without being told what is best promotes
responsibility.

10. Giving Kids the Reigns...what could
go wrong?
- Challenges and difficulties for faculty?
- Possible negative outcomes?
- Potential for being ineffective?
Talk in groups then report.

11. What does Student-Centered Ethical
Literacy look like?
Students have input into shared values.
Students design positive supports (activities).
Student leadership team models shared values to
student body.
Students gain real life experience dealing with
dilemmas (ex. the bystander scenario).
Positive peer pressure (accountability).
Any more?

14. SK Writing Center

15. GRYPHONS Sticker

16. Instagram Bullying Announcement

17. Using Google Presentations to
collaborate on a chapel presentation.

18. Google Presentation

19. MS Honor Council
2012-2013
Theme & shirt
"Be Courageous"
Middle School Honor Council students designed the shirt, collected
money, tallied the orders, sorted and delivered the shirts.

20. MS Honor Council 2012-2013
"Be Courageous" Video

21. MS Honor Council
2013 Ethical Reasoning Exhibition

22. MS Honor Council
Prepares Friday Announcements

23. MS Honor Council
Friday Announcements

24. 5th grade Citizenship Council
- Students choose their own duty
Ex. Recycling, tech team, chapel leaders, cubby cleaner,
reading
buddy, early morning room, aftercare.
- Always look for new duties as needed
- Every person rotates onto the citizenship council
- Duties are performed autonomously (mostly).
- They train each other with each rotation
- Each group leads a chapel for one grade level
(ethical literacy themed)
- Self-directed video

25. GRYPHONS Video
Created by SGIS 5th Grade Citizenship Council

26. MS Honor Council 2011-2012
"It's Your Life" Video