In Northside ISD, learning and success go far beyond test scores
and accountability ratings. Since 1998, students have been
benefiting from a character curriculum taught throughout the
District at all grade levels. Northside's curriculum is based on
six "Pillars of Character," developed by the Josephson
Institute. The pillars are: Caring, Citizenship, Fairness,
Responsibility, Respect, and Trustworthiness. Teachers weave
lessons about the pillars into classroom activities, and every
year, the Northside Education Foundation selects six NISD
graduates to represent each Pillar of Character. The six alumni
serve as the centerpiece at the Foundation's annual fundraising
gala and each must make a commitment to visit schools and speak
with students. A poster of the current year's pillars hangs in
all 6,000 classrooms in Northside to remind students that
everyone has the potential to be a Pillar of Character. Pillars
can be nominated by anyone in the community by completing the
pillars nomination form (MS Word). All