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Plano ISD Builds Consistency and Impact with District-Wide Character Development

by CharacterStrong on
District Spotlight

In Plano ISD, a large district serving over 42,000 students, creating a consistent approach to character development across 44 elementary campuses was a challenge. Individual campuses were implementing lessons differently, and student mobility sometimes led to inconsistent exposure to important character traits.

In this episode of The CharacteStrong Podcast, host John Norlin sits down with Grant Wilson, Coordinator, Counseling Services at Plano ISD in Texas, to talk about how the district worked to create a unified approach to character development and strengthen consistency across schools. Listen below to hear their conversation.

After adopting a district-wide approach with CharacterStrong, Plano ISD has seen clear progress:

  • A unified “trait of the month” implemented across all elementary campuses, tied directly to the district’s Code of Civility, ensuring consistency for students even if they move between schools.

  • Teachers engaging students three times a week on the character trait, reinforced by counselors in their lessons.

  • Counselors empowered to implement lessons effectively, with ready-to-use resources saving prep time and allowing more one-on-one and small group interactions.

  • Tracking tools and dashboards measuring teacher and student engagement, allowing staff to address gaps and provide targeted support.

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One counselor shared the impact: “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do this. But now I’m doing nothing but CharacterStrong, and I have so much more time to meet with kids and impact students one-on-one.”

Plano ISD’s intentional approach—connecting district priorities to classroom practice, providing usable tools, and tracking engagement—has strengthened relationships, improved student behavior, and increased consistency in character development across the district. By blending district vision with actionable supports, educators are seeing measurable impact while students learn how to be responsible, empathetic, and kind—both in school and beyond.

Want to see how CharacterStrong can support your district? Here’s how to get started:

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