HB 1026 requires each school district and open-enrollment charter school to adopt a character education program that includes positive character traits.

As Texas Administrative Code (TAC) describes, “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.”

“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.”