The Character Education Partnership, a national advocate and leader for the character education movement, announced that Lindbergh Schools and the Mehlville School District are two of three districts nationwide to be named 2014 National Districts of Character.

Sperreng Middle School also was recognized as a 2014 National School of Character, becoming the sixth Lindbergh school to receive this prestigious honor.

In addition, the Character Education Partnership, or CEP, named the following Mehlville schools as 2014 National Schools of Character: Blades Elementary, Oakville Elementary, Bernard Middle, Buerkle Middle and Oakville Middle.

National Districts and Schools of Character are recognized for their growth and excellence in the area of character development, as measured by CEP’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education framework.

Lindbergh Schools first was named a National District of Character in 2008.

This spring, 50 finalists underwent an intensive screening process to demonstrate how character development has had a positive impact on academic achievement, student behavior and school climate.

Since its inception, CEP has awarded more than 250 schools with the distinction of a National School of Character.

Besides the three districts, 41 schools received top honors this year, and will hold the designation for five years, according to a news release.

“Establishing a Character Education program is the most productive step toward improving student achievement, creating a culture of service and building a connection between school and community,” Superintendent Jim Simpson stated in a Lindbergh news release.

“In the Mehlville School District, we have put a laser focus on this in recent years and the result has been nothing short of an amazing transformation for our schools,” Mehlville Superintendent Eric Knost stated in a Mehlville news release. “Character Education is embedded in our daily practices, as we work to educate the whole child.

“I could not be more proud of the Mehlville School District for being recognized on the National level as a District of Character, and also proud of the five additional schools that are now National Schools of Character.”

CEP will honor the award recipients later this year at the 21st National Forum on Character Education in Washington, D.C.

For more information about the National Schools of Character program, the 11 principles and the 2014 national honorees, visit

.