Thomas Lickona is a developmental psychologist and professor who directs the Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs, focusing on character education. He has a PhD in psychology and has written extensively on child moral development based on the work of Kohlberg and others. Lickona proposes that moral reasoning develops through stages from preschool through adulthood. Some criticize character education for lacking substantive values or improving test scores, but Lickona argues schools should develop intrinsic motivation and moral leadership in students and community.

1. Thomas Lickona Jenna Volgamore Jody Zillner Kristen Haugen

2. Background A developmental psychologist and Professor of Education at the State University of New York at Cortland Directs the Center for the Fourth and Fifth Rs (Respect and Responsibility). Visiting Professor at Boston and Harvard Universities Past President of Association of Moral Development Serves on the Board of Directors of the Character Education Partnership and the advisory councils of Character Counts Coalition and Medical Institute for Sexual Health. He speaks at school and conferences about character education and moral development. Ph D. in Psychology from the State University of New York in Albany. Extensive work on the growth of a child’s moral reasoning Named a State University of New York Faculty Exchange Scholar and the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the State University of New York at Albany.

3. Influences Kohlberg (Stages one through five) William Damon and Robert Selman (Stage Zero)

4. Theory The Stages of Moral Reasoning: Preschool to Adulthood Stage 0: Egocentric Reasoning Preschool- around age 4 Stage 1: Unquestioned Obedience Kindergarten

5. Stage 2: What’s in it for me fairness Early Elementary ages Stage 3: Interpersonal Conformity Middle to upper elementary grades and early-to-mid teens Stage 4: Responsibility to “The System” High school years or late teens Stage 5: Principled Conscience Young Adulthood

6. Critique What set of values the children should be learning. Character Education has no “substantive” quality and does little to improve standardized test scores.

7. Classroom Applications Meaningful and challenging academic curriculum Develop students’ intrinsic motivation School staff must become a learning and moral community Moral Leadership from staff and students Parents and Community members Assess the school and staff as character educators.

8. “ When we think about the kind of character we want for our children, it’s clear that we want them to be able to judge what is right, care deeply about what is right, and then do what they believe is right- even in the face of pressure from without and temptation from within..” -Thomas Lickona

9. References http://www.cortland.edu/character/bios.htm http://www.character-education.info/Articles/stages_of_moral_development.htm http://www.cortland.edu/character/bios.htm www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/character.html