
CharacterPlus® Celebrates
2023 State Schools of Character
(January 30, 2023) St. Louis, MO… CharacterPlus®, the longest-running character education initiative in the country, is proud to announce the area’s thirteen schools named 2023 Missouri Schools of Character and one district named 2023 Missouri District of Character. These schools and district have demonstrated a focus on character development which has positively impacted academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. In the 2023 nationwide evaluation process, conducted by Character.org, 73 schools have been named State Schools of Character, and 2 districts have been named State Districts of Character.
CharacterPlus is the Missouri affiliate for the State Schools of Character process and evaluates all Missouri schools and districts that apply. This recognition is given to schools and districts that have achieved a standard of excellence in the area of character development through their exemplary implementation of Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, a framework for whole-school improvement.
One of the highlights of our year at CharacterPlus is recognizing the hard work and dedication of these schools. This year’s honorees include:
Bayless School District*
Chesterfield Elementary (Rockwood)*
Hancock Place Middle (Hancock Place)
Hawk Point Elementary (Lincoln County R-III)
Independence Elementary (Francis Howell)*
LaSalle Springs Middle (Rockwood)*
Kentucky Trail Elementary (Belton)*
Marquette High (Rockwood)
Mehlville High (Mehlville)*
Parkway Central Middle (Parkway)*
Parkway Early Childhood (Parkway)*
Parkway South Middle (Parkway)
Wild Horse Elementary (Rockwood)*
Windsor Elementary (Windsor)*
*indicates the school/district has renewed its designation after five years
Additionally, two Missouri schools received the designation of Honorable Mention during this year’s evaluation process. Those schools are:
Frontier School of Innovation-Elementary
Windsor Middle School
Lastly, three Missouri schools received Emerging Schools of Character during this year’s evaluation process. They include:
Frontier School of Excellence
Frontier School of Innovation-Middle
Frontier STEM High School
Schools named a State School of Character hold the designation for five years and are eligible to be evaluated for National School of Character. If a school is designated a National School of Character, they also hold that designation for five years. National Schools of Character are announced annually in May.
The State Schools of Character program in Missouri is managed locally by CharacterPlus. CharacterPlus, located in St. Louis, is a membership-based nonprofit organization committed to equipping school stakeholders with the resources they need to provide high-quality character education. Through CharacterPlus, schools receive evidence-based development and training in effective character education for school transformation. The 11 Principles of Character Education and State Schools of Character are trademarks of Character.org in Washington, DC. Character.org and CharacterPlus have been partners in character education since 1993.
For additional information about this recognition or each school’s journey to State School of Character designation, please contact Nicole Diehl, Missouri Schools of Character Coordinator, at ndiehl@characterplus.org
Schools of is generously supported by:
Learn more at PoettkerConstruction.com