Conflict Resolution Education: The Challenge of Institutionalization

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Conflict Resolution Education The Challenge of
Institutionalization

• Persistently Safe Schools Conference
• Hamilton Fish Institute
• September 19th, 2006

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Presented by Tricia S. Jones, Ph.D.Dept. of
Psychological Studies in EducationTemple
UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,
USAtsjones_at_temple.edutel/fax [phone]
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Three Critical Questions for Institutionalization

• What Is Conflict Resolution Education?
• Is It Effective?
• What are the Challenges of Institutionalization?

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Conflict Resolution Education An Introduction
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Defining CRE

• Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) models and
  teaches, in culturally meaningful ways,
  processes, practices and skills that help
  individuals understand conflict processes and
  empower them to use communication and creative
  thinking to build relationships and manage and
  resolve conflicts fairly and peacefully
  (Association for Conflict Resolution, 2002).

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The World of CRE
Expressive Arts And CRE
After School Programs
Dialogue Processes
Peer Mediation
Negotiation Skills
Bullying Prevention
Restorative Justice
Conflict Classes
Curriculum Infusion
Social and Emotional Learning Emotional
Awareness Perspective taking Strategic
expression Cultural Sensitivity
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USDE On-line CRE Course

• Managing and Resolving Conflicts Effectively in
  Schools and Classrooms was developed through the
  National Training and Technical Assistance Center
  for Drug Prevention and School Safety
  Coordinators, through a contract with the U.S.
  Department of Educations Safe and Drug Free
  Schools Office. The course can be found at
  www.k12coordinator.org and on www.ed.gov.

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Is CRE Effective?

• DOES CRE
• Enhance Students Social and Emotional
  Development?
• Create a Safe Learning Environment?
• Create a Constructive Learning Environment?

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CRE Enhances Students Social and Emotional
Development

• increases perspective-taking
• increases empathy
• improves emotional awareness and management
• reduces aggressive orientations and hostile
  attributions
• increases use of constructive conflict behaviors
  at school and at home

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CRE Creates a Safe Learning Environment

• decreases conflicts between groups of students
• decreases suspensions, absenteeism, and drop out
  rates
• decreases incidents of violence

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CRE Creates a Constructive Learning Environment

• improves school climate
• Improves classroom climate
• promotes a respectful and caring environment
• Increases academic achievement

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Supports for Institutionalization

• Excellent Programs and Curricula
• History of Implementation in In-Service Delivery
• Solid Research
• Legislative/Policy Advances

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More on Legislation/Policy Mandates

• CRE-related legislation in nearly all 50 states
  and at the federal level on topics including, but
  not limited to
•   school safety   violence prevention  
  character education   mediation   conflict
  resolution
• Legislation, mandates and requirements range in
  implementation from
• Integration into curriculum standards
• Integration into school mission and discipline
  policy
• Integration into teacher training
•     Legislative Database http//law.gsu.edu/area
  51/crisp

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Challenges of Institutionalization

• Insufficient Pre-service Teacher Education
• Inadequate Administrator Education
• Ineffective Parent Education Approaches

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Insufficient Pre-Service Teacher Education

• Currently only two Colleges of Education have
  Pre-Service CRE Initiatives CRETE Program
  funded by USDEs FIPSE program
• Temple University
• Cleveland State University
• North Carolina has 3 credit hour requirement
  training offered externally
• Wisconsin has 6 credit hour requirement with
  training offered externally and internally
  varied approaches for fulfilling the requirement

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Possible Consequences of Lack of Pre-Service CRE
Education

• Unsafe Learning Environments
• Nationally
• NCES survey indicates 40.5 of teachers feel
  student disruptive behavior prevents learning
• CDC survey indicate 9-10 of students regularly
  miss school because of fear from unsafe learning
  environments
• 10 of students drop out of school because of
  persistent bullying
• 90 of 4-8 graders report experiencing serious
  bullying

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Possible Consequences of Lack of Pre-Service CRE
Education

• Teacher Attrition
• Nationally
• 1/3 of new teachers leave in five years
• 1/2 of new teachers in urban environments leave
  within 5 years
• One of main reasons cited is inability to manage
  chaotic and conflict-ridden classrooms

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Inadequate Administrator Preparation

• Graduate Programs in Educational Leadership and
  Policy Studies lack Courses Addressing CRE
• Exception MA in Conflict Resolution in Education
  at Lesley College
• Exception Certificate in Social and Emotional
  Learning at Hunter College, CUNY (Dr. Janet Patti)

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Ineffective Parent Training and Involvement

• Difficult to establish and sustain parent
  training and involvement especially in urban
  education environments
• Some programs (e.g., RCCP Responding to
  Conflict Creatively Program) have parent training
  initiatives
• Some organizations moving in this direction
  (Words Works project, ABADR)
• Vast majority of CRE efforts do not include
  parent training

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Call to Action

• Explore partnerships with Colleges of Education
• Ask about their current course content and
  coverage of CRE and related fields
• Identify faculty who may be interested in
  expanding their pre-service offerings
• Explore partnerships with regional and local
  funders who may support such initiatives.

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Interested in CRETE (Conflict Resolution
Education in Teacher Education?

• The mission of the CRETE project is to provide
  pre-service teachers with critical skills and
  knowledge of conflict education and classroom
  management necessary for cultivating constructive
  learning environments for children, enhancing
  student learning and bolstering teacher
  retention.
• Infusion in Pre-Service Coursework
• External CRE Training for Pre-Service Majors
• Training for Mentor Teachers to Support New
  In-Service Teachers