The new millennium has seen character education surge in prominence as a leading form of moral education. During this time Character Counts! has become the preeminent North American program of character education. To date, however, little has been done in the way of critically examining this program and the possible issues that arise from its use. This study draws a critical framework with which to examine programs of moral education. It then uses this framework to evaluate Character Counts!. This study also engages in a thorough examination of the survey data collected by the authors of Character Counts!, the Josephson Institute of Ethics. It was found that Character Counts! neglects a large number of key features and practices indicated by the most respected theories of moral education. It was argued also that the data collected to justify the use of this program do not contribute meaningfully to its defense.
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