49-6-1007 - Character education. - Tennessee Statutes

49-6-1007. Character education.

(a)  The course of instruction in all public schools shall include character education to help each student develop positive values and improve student conduct as students learn to act in harmony with their positive values and learn to become good citizens in their school, community and society. Public schools are urged to include the use of nonviolence as a means of conflict resolution within character education.

(b)  (1)  The department of education shall provide the appropriate method of instruction in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12), in conformity with the elementary school curriculum provided for in subsection (c).

     (2)  Local boards of education may implement additional courses and materials in character education at their discretion.

(c)  Each LEA shall provide the character education curriculum set forth in the curriculum provided by the department or a comparable program approved by the department.

(d)  (1)  The department shall annually appear before the joint education oversight committee to report the following:

          (A)  The number of schools in which character education was an integral part of the curriculum in the most recent academic year;

          (B)  The number of students receiving character education in the most recent academic year;

          (C)  A sample teaching method of character education used in the most recent academic year; and

          (D)  A summary of the effectiveness of such teaching methods.

     (2)  Based upon the findings of the annual report required by subdivision (d)(1), the department of education shall institute a program to recognize those schools that have developed model instructional methods and administrative policies for the delivery of character education and provide professional development opportunities for the dissemination of these best practices to LEAs statewide. The department will utilize existing resources in the implementation of this subdivision (d)(2).

(e)  Human resource agencies created pursuant to title 13, chapter 26 may serve as the service delivery system for the character education program.

[Acts 1985, ch. 296, § 1; 1999, ch. 210, § 1; 1999, ch. 369, § 1; 2004, ch. 919, § 1; 2008, ch. 865, § 1.]