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Research
Effects of CRE Involvement on Teachers
It is axiomatic among CRE professionals that programming and implementation of CRE will not succeed unless educators in the classrooms, hallways, and offices of our public schools also model the concepts and skills that are being taught to students. Many in the CRE field agree with a sentiment made famous by Gandhi, that if we want to create peace then "we must start with the children." Yet, who are the "we" who will teach the children, if not parents and educators, who themselves must internalize and apply the theories and practices of CRE? Many educators receive very little training in CRE, other than perhaps a few hours to become familiar with the program that is to be used in their classroom or school building. Researchers have identified the lack of training and support given to teachers as a barrier to the effective implementation of CRE (Jones & Kmitta, Does It Work? 49)
Mediator Mentors: Improving School Climate — Nurturing Student Disposition
by Pamela S. Lane-Garon & Tim Richardson
Education is in the midst of an essentialist movement, with academic achievement and accountability as primary foci. All empirical and anecdotal evidence tells us that the pursuit of academic achievement requires learning environments that foster civility, safety and connectedness. "Mediator Mentors," a collaborative research and service project, was begun by California State University, Fresno, faculty and the staff of an elementary school (K-8) in the Central San Joaquin Valley. The purpose of the research was to assess conflict resolution program effects on students (N= 300) and school climate. The purpose of the project was to develop a conflict resolution program that would "fit into the life of the school" and enhance school climate.
Changing School Climate One Mediator at a Time
No Child Left Behind (PL 107-110-Jan. 8, 2002 115 STAT. 1425) is currently a significant catalyst for school reform. To the surprise of some, when academic gains are sought, school climate and student social-emotional learning issues eventually find their way into the prioritized objectives for change. This situation fairly describes the context for the work presented in this article. In the course of school improvement process, changes in school climate and student social-cognitive dispositions also became goals. And further, as the mediation program developed, the team became interested in the relationships among conflict positive behaviors being taught in the program and student perceptions of conflict negative behaviors observed in other contexts. The school climate improvement process described in this article focused on 1) student disposition to consider the thoughts and feelings of others, 2) student perceptions of school climate, 3) student preferences for conflict strategy choices, and 4) relationships among conflict behaviors and context outside school life. The purpose of the article, then, is to report and discuss progress made toward student empowerment and climate improvement goals.
Mediator Mentors CREAD Connection
The Mediator Mentors program has benefited from the support of CREAD (Center for Research, Assessment and Dissemination). In schools where the goal is to improve the learning and social climate, Mediator Mentors has been a natural program of choice — fitting in to the daily life of the school. Most program schools have discovered that School Climate Improvement need not be another three-ring binder burdening already impacted classroom instruction.
Related Research and Resources
Association for Conflict Resolution | Community Boards of San Francisco
Conflict Resolution Education
Conflict Resolution Education Catalog
http://www.creducation.org/catalog/SPT--Home.php?ResourceOffset=5
This portal provides a tool for tagging and cataloging content for use on the creducation.org web project. The focus is on resources especially useful to teachers, policymakers, administrators and researchers interested in promoting conflict resolution in educational settings. By using this framework, content from the project can be shared with other archives and libraries around the world with minimal difficulty and maximum retention of tagged information.