Policymakers and Administrators
Welcome to the Conflict Resolution Education Connection’s resources for policymakers and administrators. Our goal is to provide information that will support administrators interested in promoting or extending conflict resolution work within education. The sidebar menu to your right provides a listing of the content areas we focus on at this site.
CRE Conference Presentations
Making Class Matter and Engaging Difference
- Presented by: Rachel M. Goldberg
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Connecting Schools, Communities, and Families through SEL
- Presented by: Linda Lantieri, Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Horizon Community: Character Reformation and CRE in an Adult Prison
- Presented by: Madeleine G. Trichel, Marion Correctional Institution
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Violence Against Children: Global to Local Strategies of the ISPA
- Presented by: William (Bill) Pfohl, President, International School Psychology Association
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
SEL Conceptual Framework for Positive Youth Development
- Presented by: Molly McCloskey-Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, USA
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Effective Ways to Motivate Change in Youth Using Restorative Justice Practices
- Presented by: Keysha Myers, Summit County Juvenile Court; Myron Lewis, Summit County Public Health
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Sample Catalog Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Restorative justice in the school setting: A whole school approach | 12-page PDF paper promoting the teaching of restorative justice in schools. "Restorative justice is a philosophy and a set of practices that embraces the right blend between a high degree of discipline that encompasses clear expectations, limits and consequences and a high degree of support and nurturance." | |
| Conflict resolution skills ladder | 1-page PDF document which outlines a progression of skills and the behaviors associated with them in conflict resolution. | |
| Evaluation report: Life skills project implementation in the Armenian education system | 45-page Word report which "represents an evaluation of implementation of the Life Skills Project being conducted in the Armenian education system as [a] component of an overall effort in education reform ... the project was piloted in the first and fifth grades in 16 schools in 1999-2000. In 2000-2001 the project was expanded to 100 schools and to the second and sixth grades. UNICEF provided funding and some logistical support and the MOES provided administrative and logistical project support and workspace for the curriculum development team." | |
| Similarities and differences between campus ombudsing and mediation | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 3, Number 1, (Oct 2002), which "identifies and discusses some of the similarities and differences between mediation centers and ombuds offices on college and university campuses." | |
| Developing and Assessing School Culture: A New Level of Accountability for Schools | This 8-page CEP position paper argues that education in our nation is at a defining moment, one with the potential to reshape our national conversation about school improvement. Successful schools--ones that foster both academic excellence and ethics--have positive school cultures (or "climates"). CEP defines a positive school culture broadly to include all aspects of school life, including a safe and caring environment, a powerful pedagogy and curriculum, student motivation and engagement, professional faculty culture and relational trust, parent partnerships, and community collaboration. The paper presents case studies and educational research showing the impact of school culture on students' academic achievement and social behavior. Because a positive school culture is central to student success, the authors argue we must address how to help all schools develop effective cultures. Since what gets measured matters, schools must also be held accountable for having positive school cultures and must have tools for assessing their culture. If we are to prepare students to be lifelong learners and 21st century ethical citizens, we must develop a new "school report card" that includes not only test scores but also concrete indicators of the quality of school culture. | |
| Youth & conflict: Global challenges, local strategies, 2008 | 21-page Powerpoint presentation given at the Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education which "introduce[d] some of the themes and research associated with current thinking in values education | |
| Reaching across boundaries: Talk to create change | 21-page pdf handbook which, "shows you how to conduct Mix It Up Dialogues. In the dialogues, participants will have honest discussions about social boundaries, and they will plan action projects that help cross those boundaries ... Mix It Up Dialogues aren't just about talking, however. They're also about taking action -- changing personal behaviors that may hurt or exclude others and engaging in collective projects to improve school climate." | |
| Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning School Posters | The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) materials from the UK Primary National Strategies curriculum provide seven posters for use across the school. They are available for download as pdfs (see attachments in site sidebar). The topics include the following:Feelings detective – understanding my feelings and understanding the feelings of others. These two posters support children when trying to recognise their own feelings and the feelings of others.AssertivenessThis poster uses the ideas covered in the theme sets and provides a reminder about how we might behave assertively rather than timidly, aggressively or manipulatively.Problem solvingThis poster outlines a problem-solving process that might be used in social or learning situations.Peaceful problem solvingThis poster provides a reminder of the SEAL approach to resolving conflicts within the school.Circle timeThis poster is an aid to those who use circle time and provides useful reminders for children to ensure the sessions are positive and productive.The FightThis is a copy of The Fight by L. S. Lowry. It is used as a stimulus for work in Say no to bullying | |
| Conflict resolution: Citizenship education for young people with special needs | 27-page PDF document which aims to, "develop positive models for dealing with conflict and to practise appropriate responses to deal with conflict." Includes examples of use of universal access symbols to increase retention and understanding when working with low literacy participants and students in special education classrooms. | |
| Podcast audio resources for conflict studies | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 6, Number 1, (Nov 2005), which introduces the concept of podcasting and its use in conflict resolution education, it also provides basic start up information and sites of interest. | |
| Creating harmony in the classroom: Building safe and inclusive classrooms for special populations | 231-page pdf manual designed "to assist teachers with building an inclusive and safe classroom for all students, including special needs, deaf, and visually impaired youth. Teachers who build an inclusive and safe classroom environment are encouraging all youth to excel academically and socially." Includes chapters on building self-awareness in students, enhancing student's problem-solving skills, mediation in school settings, evaluting conflict resolution education programs and a chapter on resources. | |
| Social emotional learning scenario | Web-based interactive resource which introduces social emotional learning which "refers to knowledge, habits, skills and ideals that are at the heart of a child's academic, personal, social, and civic development ... this type of learning enables individuals to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish and maintain positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively." | |
| Peace education: A pathway to a culture of peace | 178-page pdf document which "helps the educator, whether in formal or non formal settings, to understand that peace is a holistic concept and state of being and that it can not be learned in the traditional lecture-note taking-testing framework. Indeed, peace education can be integrated into many disciplines. The culture of peace must replace the culture of violence if we and our home, planet Earth, are to survive ... teaching the value of tolerance, understanding and respect for diversity among the school children could be introduced through exposing them to various countries of the world, their geography, history, and culture. At the appropriate levels, curricula must include human rights, the rules governing international law, the United Nations Charter, the goals of our global organization, disarmament, sustainable development and other peace issues. The participation of young people in this process is very essential. Their inputs in terms of their own ideas on how to cooperate with each other in order to eliminate violence in our societies must be fully taken into account. In addition to expanding the capacity of the students to understand the issues, peace education aims particularly at empowering the students, suited to their individual levels, to become agents of peace and nonviolence in their own lives as well as in their interaction with others in every sphere of their existence ... We have organized the book into three sections. Part I presents chapters that are meant to help us develop a holistic understanding of peace and peace education. Part II discusses the key themes in peace education. Each chapter starts with a conceptual essay on a theme and is followed by some practical teaching-learning ideas that can either be used in a class or adapted to a community setting. Part III focuses on the peaceable learning climate and the educator, the agent who facilitates the planting and nurturing of the seeds of peace in the learning environment. Finally, the whole school approach is introduced to suggest the need for institutional transformation and the need to move beyond the school towards engagement with other stakeholders in the larger society." | |
| Inter-agency P.E.P.: Skills for constructive living: Teacher training manual 2 | 58-page pdf manual which "is one of the components of the Inter-Agency Peace Education Programme, the programme is designed for education managers of ministries dealing with both formal and non-formal education and for agencies which implement education activities on behalf of the government ... the manual looks at ‘good teaching’ and the skills required to develop ‘good teaching’, these skills are useful not just for a Peace Education Programme but also for all aspects of the professional life of the teachers whom you are training." | |
| Conflict management skills leadership competencies: A higher ed success model | 26-slide Powerpoint presentation given at the Sustaining Conflict Resolution Education: Building Bridges to the Future conference in Fairfax, VA, which "highlights a successful professional development program for staff at University of Wisconsin-Madison, this program infuses conflict management skills into the workplace culture, from new and aspiring supervisors to experienced program and project managers, teaching conflict resolution, facilitation, and mediation skills and integrating them into a broader leadership development curriculum, the program serves to build bridges and support for student leadership efforts, enhancing opportunities for peer mediation as well." | |
| Licensure Report - Conflict Management Pilot Program In North Carolina | A 9-page pdf document discussing the experiences of Center for the Prevention of School Violence's "Reach In, Reach Out, Reach Over Conflict Management Curriculum" development initiative and related work done on revising statewide licensure of new teachers to include conflict management concepts and skills. Includes reports on results of focus groups with preservice teachers regarding the need for conflict management skills development. As the report indicates, "Although the goal of implementing a teacher licensure enhancement can be ambitious, there were a number of supporting factors for the initiative and foreseeable challenges that were addressed." |
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| Pre-Service Teacher Curriculum | A 247-page pdf document containing a four module curriculum designed to provide pre-service teachers opportunities for analyzing the impact of self as an individual teacher in the classroom. This includes information on pursuing self- assessment, developing communication skills through active and reflective listening, rapport, and trust building, and defining the processes used in managing conflict. The curriculum is also designed to help pre-service teachers identify and strengthen skills used in effective communication to better manage conflicts, especially those in classrooms. Finally, the curriculum is intended to assist pre-service teachers with skills that will be developed through the use of conflict management strategies. |
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| Building effective peer mentoring programs in schools: An introductory guide | 54-page PDF guide which, "provides a framework for designing a peer mentoring program, where older youth (typically high school students) mentor younger students (elementary or middle school) in a school setting. The guide incorporates the latest research on peer mentoring, and provides solutions to the common challenges faced in implementing a peer mentoring model." | |
| Multiple Responses, Promising Results: Evidence-Based, Nonpunitive Alternatives To Zero Tolerance | Research brief by Child Trends that finds that zero tolerance school discipline policies have not been proven effective by research and may have negative effects, making students more likely to drop out and less likely to graduate on time. Instead, the brief recommends the use of nonpunitive disciplinary action, such as behavior interventions, social skills classes, and character education. | |
| Recommended Guidelines for Effective Conflict Resolution Education Programs | These Recommended Guidelines for Effective Conflict Resolution Education Programs, released in 2002, are the product of work begun by a committee of the Conflict Resolution Education Network (CREnet) and completed by the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). The Guidelines outline how elementary and secondary school teachers, administrators, conflict resolution education practitioners, and policy makers can measure progress toward effective conflict resolution education programs. By addressing core goals, components, content and qualities of effective school-based conflict resolution education programs, these Guidelines are intended to also help leaders to make decisions about the resources and strategies needed to support such educational programs in their schools. |