Moral education in public schools and the church: building bridges

In recent decades, public schools have been challenged to integrate student character development with academics. This challenge requires a reallocation of school resources that have been previously devoted only to academics. However, with current academic standards demanding more resources than many schools can supply, incorporating character development becomes extremely difficult. The goal of this paper is to open the door for discussion regarding the possibility that public schools and local churches can have a mutually beneficial relationship for the purpose of enhancing student character development to promote both academic and spiritual excellence. To establish background about the school's role in moral development, the church's relationship to public schools, and the key components of effective character education, a review of literature was conducted. An analysis of character frameworks revealed the alignment of key character components as identified by both public schools and the church. These findings show that a reciprocal relationship is possible, therefore preserving valuable school resources such that academic excellence can be maintained as a priority.B.S. (Bachelor of Science