This report describes a program that was designed to identify and modify disruptive student behavior and improve academic performance. The targeted fifth grade class had been noted for inappropriate behavior and sporadic academic success, with problems documented by teacher observation surveys and self-reporting by students. Probable causes…

To ameliorate violence in schools, many programs are being developed to provide students with tools to help them successfully resolve conflicts. However, there is a limited amount of quantitative data supporting their effectiveness. This study was an effort to add to the pool of research on the effectiveness of peer mediation training in schools.…

Although the issues of conflict and violence cannot be blamed on schools, schools are one of the most logical places to tackle problems associated with conflict. This booklet offers practical tips to help school leaders, staff, and students resolve their disputes peacefully. It focuses on student-versus-student and student-versus-teacher…

Parents and members of the public want safe schools that are free of violence. This document explicates Illinois' state plan for ensuring safety and order in its public schools. The plan contains 44 steps that are designed to commit the state to school safety; restore safety and order; implement conflict-resolution programs; prevent violence by…

This report presents data from all 50 states on due process hearings concerning the education of students with disabilities for the years 1992, 1993, and 1994. Data were gathered from a 1996 survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. This survey updates due process statistics from a 1994 survey that…

In response to instances of violent acts involving children and teens both as victims and perpetrators, the Maine Legislature passed a resolve to study the issue and to identify and describe the extent of the problem among children, teenagers, and young adults in Maine. Results of a survey (n=542) designed to: (1) ascertain the perceptions of…

This study examines the beliefs of Norwegian 16 year-olds about conflict resolution strategies. During 1990-91 over 40 high school students were interviewed in over 50 upper secondary schools throughout Norway. The interviews were conducted in English with groups of two or three students. The students interviewed had stronger English language…

Effective organizational communication can greatly enhance the quality of the school environment and professional/personal relationships. This book focuses on successful communication skills that can help make the school environment a productive experience for administrators, school staff, students, and parents. Chapter 1 discusses the importance…

This document is the facilitator's edition of a curriculum designed to be presented as a four-session workshop for customer service and credit department employees of a manufacturing company. It was developed by educators from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. The workshop is designed around a basic communication model incorporating the three…

Conflict resolution must be approached in a particular way by professional school counselors who seek to minimize conflict without discouraging growth and development in their students. This article acknowledges the growing interest in conflict resolution among professional counselors and explains how resolution interventions may be tempered by a…

This newsletter focuses on what works in inclusive education. A major article is "Inclusive Education: Needs of Minnesota Families--Major Findings from a 'Together We're Better' Study." This article presents findings of a statewide survey of families of children with disabilities. Findings are categorized within four areas: (1)…

The diversity of values about sexuality among administrators, teachers, parents, and children creates serious challenge for public schools. This case study offers an insider's view of what happened in a community when conservative parent groups challenged a senior high health curriculum. In the "Laketown Public Schools," conflict erupted…

This paper examines the transformed governance structures of four schools engaged in systemic restructuring efforts and looks at how those transformations have affected principals' roles by reshaping the micropolitical environment of the school. Principals' roles have changed as: (1) decision-making jurisdictions are redrawn; (2) power dynamics…

These activity cards represent a way for teachers to supplement the content of the curriculum with activities that address the concept of conflict. Students become aware of conflicts in their lives and discover individual methods for coping with those conflicts. The cards contain action-oriented activities to enable students to learn through…

Project Stress Control was developed for the Fulton County (Georgia) school system in 1984 and was implemented at an elementary school. The program was very successful in reducing suspension rates and office referrals for disruptive behavior and in increasing academic performance and parent participation. This curriculum is an outgrowth of the…