This resource manual presents information on mediation practices in special education disagreements between the school and parents. The manual provides an overview of requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and gives definitions for alternative dispute resolution processes, such as arbitration and litigation. A chart…

Most school practitioners lack the knowledge to initiate major school-community collaboration efforts. This paper highlights two collaborative programs implemented in South Carolina secondary schools--one in mental health and one in conflict resolution. The paper presents an overview of the "how" of collaboration and suggests changes in…

The most effective alternative to punishment for violent or disruptive student behavior is to provide children with tools they will need for living peacefully with one another. This guide for elementary school classes examines ways in which a peaceful environment can be achieved and maintained in the classroom. Divided into six units which are…

This paper outlines a curriculum for young children that emphasizes conflict resolution and social development. It discusses the causes of violent behavior among children and describes activities and recommends children's literature on conflict resolution that can be used in the classroom. Several activities are examined, including role-playing…

Research has shown that organizations differ on the basis of their willingness to change and the strategies they use to manage change. For this paper, data were gathered through a review of the literature and through nonstandard interviews with persons in two identified organizations who handle grievance procedures. The analysis identifies the…

This publication addresses many of the complexities of violence, and provides information to prepare educators and parents to combat violence in schools and communities. The chapters are: (1) "How Educators, Students, Parents, and Law Enforcement Officials See School Violence" (Rose M. Duhon-Sells and Halloway C. Sells); (2) "Addressing School…

This guide describes the many ways to teach bias reduction and violence prevention in order to help schools, community and religious leaders, and parents decide which project is best for their children. Some projects concentrate on changing behaviors, while others concentrate on changing attitudes as a prelude to changing behavior. Some projects…

Drawing on and extending the work of Jean Piaget into the realm of sociomoral development, this book argues that constructivist education must involve more than the special activities with which it is commonly associated. Planning must also include provision for children's social and moral development, since children construct their moral…

This action research project evaluated the impact of a 16-week intervention to improve primary school children's conflict resolution skills and to enhance their self-esteem. The targeted population consisted of one kindergarten class, one first-grade class, and one third-grade class at three different elementary schools in the same suburban…

Recent statistics show that young people, ages 10-19 years old, are at greatest risk of violent death in modern society. Teachers and education policy-makers know that by working with students, a change in attitude can be brought about. A curriculum designed to achieve this change is presented here. The curriculum comprises a book and worksheets…

Peer helping has become a popular method of dispute resolution in many secondary schools. However, evaluation of such programs is usually anecdotal in content. In order to add to the quantitative data on the effectiveness of peer helping, a peer helping effectiveness scale was designed and implemented; the results of this evaluation effort are…

This paper discusses a project that attempts to update what is known about Catholic schools, articulates the shape and direction that the Catholic high schools have taken, and clarifies certain myths and lores of Catholic education--specifically, that Catholic identity has a direct impact on student achievement, and that Catholic identity is…

This annotated bibliography of 39 books is designed to tap the rich resource of children's literature to stimulate discussion of violence and of alternative, peaceful ways to resolve conflict. The most important criterion for selection was that issues of violent and nonviolent conflict resolution are presented so that students can examine the…

This book, designed for grades 2-8, teaches students the creative problem-solving (CPS) method. Each step in the process is outlined in detail and is illustrated with 30 reproducible classroom activities. The levels of the problem-solving approach addressed in the book include: (1) "Sensing Problems and Challenges"; (2) "Fact Finding"; (3)…

A growing number of schools and districts are considering using teams to handle all types of decision making and advisory activities. The term "teams" can be applied to a wide spectrum of groups with various purposes or powers. This bulletin was designed to assist those who want to create efficient, successful teams. It provides…