To survive a contentious, dysfunctional environment, interested school board members in a Pennsylvania community captured support from district leaders. A steering committee composed of the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and board president was formed. Establishing rules for brainstorming sessions and developing a "leadership…

Describes the use of a problem-solving negotiation model to resolve disputes under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the need for formal education and training in problem-solving negotiation in early-intervention systems for children with disabilities. (Author/CR)

Examines student affairs professionals' areas of practice in which legal risk-management and ethical practice frequently clash. Offers a series of recommendations to maximize ethical practice while minimizing risks. Provides a framework for further discussion and reflection. (MKA)

Anecdotes of college and university public relations problems and experiences illustrate 10 principles in managing campus controversy. Issues discussed include promptness of dissemination, accuracy of information, deciding how much of the story needs to be told, establishing a relationship of trust with the media, educating faculty about media…

The Nebraska legislature created the Commission of Industrial Relations to resolve labor disputes between governmental agencies and their employees. Refinement of the commission's practices has led to the basic premise of comparability--teachers who perform similar work in similar size school districts should receive similar compensation and…

An African-American student protest against a Hispanic-American celebration was resolved using mediation as a teachable moment. This scenario underscores "Leading for Diversity" study findings: proactive school leaders contain and prevent interethnic violence by building a strong foundation of respect and understanding across lines of…

Presents 10 pointers that can lead to constructive peace making. Covers issues such as a definition of peace; the training of peace workers; the role of the state system in creating conflict; legitimizing peace actions; and suggestions for future peace creation. Discusses the links between direct, structural, and cultural violence. (DSK)

This article describes the application of constructive conflict resolution techniques in a middle-school program for students with behavior disorders, discussing the use of mediation, negotiation, constructive controversy, and classroom meetings. Initial efforts to explore the impact of the program are recounted, and implications for implementing…

Presents an activity where students examine the perspectives of the indigenous poor of Mexico as well as of the Mexican government in a time of political change. Explains that the students read the background information in the accompanying handouts in order to simulate the negotiations between the government and Zapatista National Liberation…

Investigated situations where asking for assistance from a teacher is appropriate and necessary in resolving conflict with an aggressive peer. Relations between help seeking and children's grade level, gender, and self perceptions are discussed in terms of goal and strategy components in a social-information-processing model of conflict…

Describes a model for classroom meetings in an elementary school setting. Focuses on enhancing children's communication and problem-solving skills for typical students and those identified through special education. The purpose of the meetings is to provide a nurturing climate for the learning of social skills that the children can use in the…

Suggests that, due to escalating violence in contemporary society, community colleges should offer certificate or degree programs in conflict resolution. Describes a conflict resolution communication program, which teaches communication skills, mediation processes, and coping strategies to prospective mediators. (NB)

Schools have increasingly been implementing peer mediation programs as a way to help students find peaceful means for resolving conflicts (Casella, 2000). Peer mediation is a process in which students that have been taught a structured, step-by-step model assist others to peacefully negotiate solutions to their interpersonal conflicts. In spite of…

This research is a case study of change and racial/ethnic conflict in the Dallas, Texas, Independent School District (DISD). Data are drawn from observations of monthly meetings of the school board. The focus is on communication as cultural projection among African American and Mexican American delegations at meetings and on the reactions evoked…

Staffings are designed to be problem-solving meetings. In theory, all participants come to a staffing with information, knowledge or general input aimed at designing an effective educational program for a child. However, in some cases, staffings become discordant sessions laced with conflict. In order to avoid this negative outcome, it may be…