A new study of students in 20 Hawaii elementary schools found that weaving character education into the school day boosts overall student achievement.

As part of the study, character education lessons — which took about an hour a week away from traditional subjects — were given at half of the participating schools.

Students were instructed on being responsible, the importance of empathy, problem solving, getting along with others, being honest and self-improvement.

Over the course of the study, absenteeism and proficiency levels on state tests improved in schools with character education, and teachers reported the approach helped "school quality" and decreased behavioral problems.

Oregon State University researchers conducted the study from 2001 to 2006, and reported their findings in the January edition of the Journal of Public Health.

Brian Flay, OSU professor of health promotion and behavior, said the study demonstrates that instructing students on character issues can decrease behavioral problems and learning distractions for all students.

He said character education differs from other efforts to decrease behavioral problems because it addresses underlying issues, including a student’s sense of self.

In their report, researchers wrote, "The current research supports the hypothesis that these programs can generate whole-school change and improve school safety and quality." They noted the schools that showed gains began the study as low-performing campuses.

The character education curriculum studied in the elementary schools in Hawaii is still being used, Flay said.

The public schools that participated in the study included campuses in rural and urban areas. Ten are on Oahu, six on Maui and four on Molokai, he said.