The Character Academy is a social and emotional learning program of Cumberland County Schools. The goal of the framework is to support students in the development of positive behaviors that contribute to academic achievement and school success through restorative justice practices.

The Cumberland County Schools is committed to providing a safe and caring environment for all students.  During the 2012-2013 school year, The Character Academy was developed by a small team of administrators as a district-sponsored program for secondary students.  The goal of the program is to increase instructional time and positive behavior supports for students with multiple Class I and II infractions.

Students may participate in The Character Academy by principal recommendation only as an alternative to disciplinary re-assignment to Ramsey Street High School for multiple Class I and Class II offenses. Participation will only be granted one time per academic year. Students selected to participate in The Character Academy must successfully complete all components of the program to avoid reassignment to the alternative school.

In addition, students will demonstrate what they learned through their participation in The Character Academy by creating a portfolio of their work. The Character Coach will assist students in setting up a transition conference with the Student Services Team at their home school upon successful completion of the program.

The program is comprised of three primary components:

Assessment & Referral 
The GAIN S-S (Global Assessment of Individual Needs) Short Screener will be administered to all participants of  The Character Academy. The data collected from the screener will be used by the Character Coach to make referrals to community agencies and to set individual goals for students.

Behavioral Education
All Character Academy participants are required to complete 20 hours of behavioral education. All sessions will be facilitated by the Character Coach during the program hours. Students will complete a combination of online modules and face-to-face sessions. Face-to-face sessions will include conflict resolution, information sharing, guest speakers, A.R.T. (Aggression Replacement Training), and circles.

The ABE System is an interactive software that delivers personalized modules to students based on over 50 targeted behaviors such as fighting, substance abuse, or disrespect. The program features vocabulary and interactive quizzes and students sharing real-life experiences such as consequences and rewards for past decisions.  The modules are offense-oriented, age-appropriate and modifiable based on individual student maturity. For more information about the ABE System, visit their website at:  http://www.abesystems.com/index.php.

Community Service
All Character Academy participants will complete 10 hours of community service on their own time. While the Character Coach is available to offer information about community agencies, it is the responsibility of the parent and the student to contact agencies directly to arrange and to complete the service hours. Students must document their hours on the CCS provided form.