256.18 - CHARACTER EDUCATION POLICY.
256.18 CHARACTER EDUCATION POLICY.
1. a. It is the policy of the general assembly that Iowa's
schools be the best and safest possible. To that end, each school is
encouraged to instill the highest character and academic excellence
in each student, in close cooperation with the student's parents, and
with input from the community and educators.
b. Schools should make every effort, formally and informally,
to stress character qualities that will maintain a safe and orderly
learning environment, and that will ultimately equip students to be
model citizens. These qualities may include caring, civic virtue and
citizenship, justice and fairness, respect, responsibility,
trustworthiness, giving, honesty, self-discipline, respect for and
obedience to the law, citizenship, courage, initiative, commitment,
perseverance, kindness, compassion, service, loyalty, patience, the
dignity and necessity of hard work, and any other qualities deemed
appropriate by a school.
2. The department of education shall assist schools in accessing
financial and curricular resources to implement programs stressing
these character qualities. Schools are encouraged to use their
existing resources to implement programs stressing these qualities.
Whenever possible, the department shall develop partnerships with
schools, nonprofit organizations, or an institution of higher
education, or with a consortium of two or more of those entities, to
design and implement character education programs that may be
integrated into classroom instruction and may be carried out with
other educational reforms. Section History: Recent Form
94 Acts, ch 1131, §1; 2002 Acts, ch 1083, §1; 2003 Acts, ch 180,
§6; 2009 Acts, ch 54, §3