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The purpose of this article is to present the development process of an instrument that attempts to cognitively measure the character of students in Grades 7-12. This instrument was developed in response to a group of schools that were involved in a statewide character education program and needed a reliable and valid instrument to measure character. Specifically, we will present details of how the reliability and validity of the Principled Thinking Inventory was established as well as the general nature and theory of the instrument. A brief discussion of findings from an administration of the Principled Thinking Inventory will also be presented.
Over the past decade, character education in public schools has become an increasingly popular practice. As evidence of this increased attention to character education, in fiscal year 2003 the U.S. Department of Education spent $24 million on character education programs implemented in 47 different states (Howard, Berkowitz, & Schaeffer, 2004). Additionally, Leming (2000) summarized findings from studies on 22 different character education curriculums and or programs as an indication of the vast number of existing programs. The myriad of articles and books that have been written on character education, along with numerous centers and organizations dedicated to the development of character also provides an indication of the wide attention that character education is receiving.
As a result of the widespread implementation of character education programs and curriculums across the United States, there is presently a strong need for evaluations to determine program effectiveness. Specific to conducting evaluations is the need for reliable and valid assessments to determine if programs and curriculums are indeed having an impact on students' character. As Leming (2000b) pointed out, although there are myriad existing instruments, there are also an array of character traits that are commonly associated with character as well as different domains or aspects of character. As such, the complexity of character may make it difficult for the average educator to choose an appropriate instrument to measure character and determine the impact of their program.
As an example of school personnel struggling to measure the impact of their character education programs, the lead author of this article recently spent 3 years as an evaluation consultant for a character education program that was being implemented...