More than test scores

When Principal Pat Hutchings thinks about the culture of competition at Westside High School — and many other schools — she sometimes worries that numbers have become as important as names.

Class rankings. ACT scores. Stats and figures that show how one school compares with others.

“You get that sense of teaching kids that they are a number, and that their value depends on a number,” said Hutchings. “Yes, those numbers are important, and we take pride in those kinds of things. But there has to be a counterbalance.”

Starting this year, Hutchings hopes her school can better level the scale between promoting competition and building character.

Westside, which begins classes today, is the only school in Nebraska and Iowa participating in an Institute for Global Ethics program designed to make kids think about how they act and what kind of people they want to be.

The four-year-old program isn't a class. Instead, teachers are encouraged to raise ethical dilemmas during class discussions.

In art class, students could talk about how far they can go in emulating a famous artist's work. In English class, students could examine the actions of a novel's character and imagine how they might act in the same situation. In science, they might weigh technological advancements against the human and environmental impact.

The purpose is to bring together a diverse student body, encourage more thoughtful debates in the classroom and prepare kids for the tough ethical decisions they'll face as adults.

Senior Camille Akers said she recognizes that it will be a challenge getting every student on board at a school as big as Westside. But she is optimistic that most of her classmates will buy in.

“Not everyone is going to be into it,” said Akers, who participated in an ethics panel at the school. “But I think any little thing we can do to get someone thinking, and to realize how important this is, it's worth it.”

Founded in 1990 by Rushworth Kidder, an author and a former Christian Science Monitor columnist, the Rockland, Maine-based institute is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to foster ethical action among individuals and corporations.

It has worked with a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and state and federal governments. In 2006, the institute created its ethical literacy program and began training schools.

A three-year minimum commitment to the program cost Westside $14,000, with the money coming from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. There are fewer than 20 schools across the country involved in the program.

The methods aren't rocket science, said Paula Mirk, the institute's director of education. But all you have to do is scan this year's headlines to see that too many business leaders and government officials don't always weigh the consequences of their actions.

“We just think that there's really no point in providing someone a good education without giving them any sort of framework for what's right and just,” Mirk said.

Although the concept of character education in public schools has been around in various forms for decades, the idea that teens should be actively engaged in ethical debates is catching on around the country, said Sarah Edwards, an associate professor of teacher education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Both the Millard and the Omaha Public Schools in recent years have adopted the 40 Developmental Assets program, which focuses on fostering key personal traits such as positive peer influence, honesty and caring.

The new program will put Westside “slightly ahead of the curve” in the evolving trend, Edwards said.

“It's teaching kids how to think instead of what to think — that push toward critical literacy skills.”

The school will distribute posters and bookmarks touting a set of core values. A student-teacher panel chose the buzzwords: respectful, responsible, honest and trustworthy.

Teachers attend conferences and receive coaching on introducing ethical dilemmas into classroom discussions.

Vocal music teacher Doran Johnson said instructors won't impose religious beliefs or personal values during discussions. The critical point isn't determining right versus wrong — rather, it's examining issues of varying degrees of right.

“We're not going to be asking kids to change their faith system,” said English teacher Denise Wegener. “We're asking them to look at things that we all as human beings can agree are good and just.”

Contact the writer:

444-1207, chad.purcell@owh.com