How does Philip Malloy's character change as the story progresses in the book Nothing But the Truth?

In Nothing But the Truth, Phillip Malloy remains a static character for much of the story, stuck in a state of youthful rebellion while a firestorm of controversy rages around him. Though he is the center in the controversy, he fails to acknowledge his role in it. Philip is the class clown—he’s lazy and arrogant, and for most of the book, he exhibits a youthful recklessness and idealism that hinders his ability to put events into perspective.
Philip fails to recognize the magnanimity of the scandal and seems to feel somewhat removed from it, believing that he will be only temporarily affected by it before things settle down to normal. His actions through most of the book escalate the conflict, however, which shows that both his stubbornness and his immaturity are preventing him from speaking the truth and accepting the idea of failure. Philip, however, begins to change toward the end of the book, when as a result of the controversy, he becomes somewhat of an outcast. He retreats from the situation because he is unable to deal with it, and as he struggles internally to cope with the scandal, his rebellion escalates to misconduct. At the end of the story, Philip transfers to a private academy, and when asked to sing the National Anthem, he replies that he doesn’t know the words. Philip is is forced to tell the truth, but he has learned that truth is highly subjective and therefore always distorted. Perhaps he has learned to temper his rebellion because he understands its futility.