The code states that the State Board of Education should integrate positive character traits into the essential knowledge and skills adopted for kindergarten through 12th grade.
Counselors at elementary schools in the district teach positive character traits during guidance lessons, NBISD Assistant Superintendent Kara Bock said, but there was not a curriculum used at the secondary level prior to the 2021-22 school year.
During a Nov. 8 NBISD board of trustees meeting, Bock outlined the plan to introduce the Character Strong curriculum to campuses for students in 6th-12th grades.
“We had our counselors, our secondary counselors, evaluate curriculum that our classroom teachers would be able to use,” Bock said. “The lessons are outlined for the teachers; there's not prep time for these teachers that are already teaching a full load.”
Members of the NBISD Districtwide Education Improvement Council and campus administrators also reviewed the curriculum prior to its implementation.
The district received a quote for $12,585.06 for a one-year digital license for the curriculum and professional development, Bock said, and each campus will be required to pay a $699 fee during each subsequent year of adoption.
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds have been designated to purchase the curriculum.
The Character Strong curriculum includes lessons on emotional understanding, empathy, values, goals and leadership, Bock said, and the curriculum includes lessons for each grade level.
“Character education isn’t a one and done kind of thing,” Bock said. “We didn’t opt for that one and done in each of those grades. We really looked for that continuity.”
