Character Education
Foundations
Our Character Education initiative began more than a decade ago when Respect and Responsibility became the core values of our school and “The Bayless Way” was defined as a path to developing our young people into Smart, Good, and Strong citizens.
We continue to have a multifaceted approach to developing our program and supporting our mission. We want to maximize teacher talents while cultivating student leadership. Some of our teachers and all of our administrators have certification in Character Ed, and our entire staff continues to participate in the development and modeling of universal expectations.
Our primary goal is to create opportunities and empower students to make good choices. We are pleased that attendance continues to be strong and have added more college credit course options than at anytime in BHS history. The college-bound rate has risen steadily over the past five years, with 77% of underrepresented groups enrolled in at least one class. Climate survey data shows staff and students live respectful and responsible lives and create a family atmosphere where everyone is welcome, loved, and supported.
Bayless High School continues to be one of the most diverse high schools in Missouri, and our diversity is our strength! We teach our students the value of service to our community and the importance of empathy. At BHS, Character Education is a part of the student and adult culture as we strive to embrace our core values daily.
Character Education History
2021 — BHS named a Missouri and National School of Character
As a Missouri School of Character, BHS is recognized for having demonstrated a focus on character development which has positively impacted academic achievement, student behavior, and school climate. This recognition is given to schools that have achieved a standard of excellence in the area of character development through their exemplary implementation of Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, a framework for whole-school improvement.
Our students, staff, parents and community all contribute to this award. Bayless High School empowers students to be good, smart, and strong citizens by embracing our core values of respect and responsibility.
The goal of the National Schools of Character (NSOC) awards program is to recognize all schools and districts that demonstrate an exemplary level of implementation of the Character Education Partnership's 2010 Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. The NSOC designation is renewable after five years. The awards recognize the level of excellence schools and districts have achieved in the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education of Effective Character Education. These principles guide the process of creating a culture based on the community's shared values.