Character Education and Civic Engagement Listening Session Meeting Summary (Arlington, Virginia, March 30, 2004)

On March 30, 2004, the United States Department of Education (ED) and the Character Education and Civic Engagement Technical Assistance Center (CETAC) hosted a listening session to provide suggestions about the contents of a publication intended for educators, parents, community advocates, and businesses about key issues related to understanding and advancing character education and civic engagement for the nation's schools. The objectives of the meeting were to: (1) Identify key issues related to understanding and advancing character education and civic engagement; (2) Learn how CETAC promotes and supports the goals and activities of character education and civic engagement; (3) Learn about and respond to the outcomes of evaluation and listening sessions conducted by ED's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS); and (4) Offer the ED and CETAC staff suggestions regarding character education and civic engagement publications. Participants at the listening session included representatives from associations related to character education and civic engagement; administrators; teachers and students from school districts and schools with character education and civic engagement programs; colleges and universities; and federal agency personnel. This document provides a summary of the events and discussions that took place at this meeting. The following appendixes represent the majority of this report: (1) Meeting Agenda; (2) Participant Lists; (3) Meeting Evaluation; (4) "Overview of Partnerships in Character Education Program" (Linda McKay); (5) "Character Education and Civic Engagement Is At, and Is, the Heart of Education" (Clifton Taulbert); (6) "Listening to the Public" (Diane Berreth); and (7) Character Education Listening Session Remarks by Susan Sclafani. [The Character Education and Civic Engagement Technical Assistance Center (CETAC) is operated through a contract awarded to Caliber Associates. Two subcontractors support Caliber, The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and Character Education Partnership (CEP).]