SED Professor Kevin Ryan is founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character. On April 14, they will mark the center's 10th anniversary with a gala celebration at the Photonics Center featuring a keynote address by BU Chancellor John Silber. Nationally prominent educators are on the invitation list, along with state senators and CAEC benefactors. The occasion occurs at a point of transition for the center, as Ryan plans to retire this year. The center's mission, Ryan says, is to influence both the training of teachers and the national dialogue on character education.
Research is a major part of that quest.
In a recent national study of 650 teacher-training programs, the CAEC found that 90 percent of their deans and directors think character education is important, but few provide aspiring teachers with a framework to pass along ideas about morality to youngsters. Ryan was not surprised by the results. He is scheduled to report the findings at an April press conference in Washington. Another large-scale CAEC research project, funded by the Templeton Foundation, identifies 10 schools annually from across the United States with exemplary programs in ethics for their pupils. The schools are intended to serve as national models.