The Effects of the Lessons in Character (LIC) English Language Arts Character Education Program on Behavior and Academic Outcomes

Partially in response to unacceptable levels of student misbehavior and inadequate endorsement of good character values, character education has become one of the fastest growing reform movements in K–12 education today (Williams 2000). Between 1993 and 2004, 23 states passed laws mandating or recommending some aspect of character education. Such programs also have strong support from parents, teachers, and school administrators (Glanzer and Milzen 2006). But despite such widespread popularity, relatively few randomized controlled trials have examined the impact of character education programs on the character traits, behavior, and academic outcomes of students (What Works Clearinghouse 2009). This study examines the impact of Lessons in Character—an English language arts-based character education program—on student academic performance, social skills, problem behaviors, and school climate. Since 1995, Lessons in Character has been implemented in more than 15,000 schools in every state except Alaska. The program consists of literature-based supplementary material aligned with state English language arts standards and designed to integrate easily into the current English language arts curriculum. The result is an ease of implementation that distinguishes the program from other character education programs. The following research questions guide this study: Does the Lessons in Character program increase student achievement and teacher perceptions of academic competence? Do students who participate demonstrate greater social skills and fewer problem behaviors compared with control group students? Do students at schools implementing Lessons in Character report a greater sense of student belonging and more school expectations consistent with character development than control group students do? In addition to these primary research questions, the study also examines whether participation in Lessons in Character is associated with student academic engagement, self-control, and other measures of student well-being and school climate. One limitation of the study is that relatively few data are collected on classroom implementation and implementation fidelity. Due to cost considerations, a detailed process study was not conducted. The sample size—inadequate for examining differential impacts on student subgroups—was another limitation. Differences in program impacts for student subgroups can be examined only in an exploratory manner.