(a) Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
  (1) School districts and open-enrollment charter schools are required to provide instruction in the essential knowledge and skills for positive character traits and personal skills outlined in this subchapter at least once in the following grade bands: Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.
  (2) School districts may provide the required instruction in a variety of arrangements, including through a stand-alone course or by integrating the positive character traits standards in the essential knowledge and skills for one or more courses or subject areas at the appropriate grade levels.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) Character education introduces students to character traits and personal skills that empower them to be good citizens who are trustworthy, responsible, and caring. The character traits and personal skills reflect positive beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets; provide opportunities for self-reflection; and permit students to apply effective strategies to make decisions, solve problems, and behave responsibly.
  (2) The standards for positive character traits and personal skills are comprised of four strands: trustworthiness, responsibility, caring, and citizenship. Each strand consists of the following character traits and personal skills.
    (A) Trustworthiness: honesty, integrity, loyalty, punctuality, and reliability.
    (B) Responsibility: accountability, diligence, perseverance, self-control, and self-management.
    (C) Caring: interpersonal skills, including charity, compassion, consideration, cooperation, empathy, generosity, kindness, and patience.
    (D) Good citizenship: having concern for the common good and the community; having respect for authority, law, justice, and the rights of others; being free from prejudice; having gratitude and school pride; being courteous, fair, and patriotic; and making responsible decisions.
  (3) Students are expected to develop an awareness of self-identity as well as recognize multiple perspectives, differences, diversity, biases, and the social and cultural context in which they live.
  (4) The knowledge and skills for positive character traits and personal skills are organized in the following grade bands: Kindergarten-Grade 2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. However, due to the complexity of the concepts, student expectations and knowledge and skills statements cannot be taught, discussed, or viewed in isolation.
  (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Trustworthiness. The student understands how personal skills, choices, and actions relate to character building. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe how personal choices lead to personal actions;
    (B) explain what it means to be trustworthy; and
    (C) identify personal actions that build trustworthiness, including being honest and punctual.
  (2) Responsibility. The student understands the concept of responsibility and how personal actions and self-management skills demonstrate responsibility. The student is expected to:
    (A) describe and give examples of how feelings and beliefs influence personal actions;
    (B) describe how to make personal choices before speaking and acting;
    (C) define self-control and discuss effective self-management skills, including listening to others, managing one's emotions, and setting goals; and
    (D) identify instances in which self-management skills are important.
  (3) Caring. The student understands how personal actions and interpersonal skills demonstrate characteristics of caring. The student is expected to:
    (A) listen actively when sharing and cooperating with others;
    (B) define patience and identify actions that demonstrate patience; and
    (C) explain and identify examples of how actions can demonstrate kindness to others.
  (4) Good citizenship. The student understands how personal actions and responsible decision making can demonstrate good citizenship. The student is expected to:
    (A) define fairness and identify examples of fairness when making decisions in a variety of situations;
    (B) define and identify examples of school pride and patriotism;
    (C) explain what it means to demonstrate respect and courtesy and why it is important to demonstrate respect and courtesy to others; and
    (D) describe ways in which individuals demonstrate respect for authority and law.

Source Note: The provisions of this §120.3 adopted to be effective August 1, 2021, 45 TexReg 7423; amended to be effective June 14, 2022, 47 TexReg 3458