Note "Conflict Doctor" Dan Dana was the general session keynote speaker for the 2005 National School Board Association (NSBA) Trainers Conference in Chicago. See conference info.

Management in an educational institution is a unique challenge. Unlike managers of companies or government agencies, school principals and other administrators often find their authority limited by community-based boards of directors, as well as by the demands of the public at large. Further, the "product" of a school is an intangible that is difficult to measure, making performance equally difficult to quantify. Finally, ever-increasingly strained budgets put school administrators in what may feel like an impossible squeeze to meet the standards imposed upon them. Such conditions breed conflict throughout the system.

The Train-the-Manager (Track 2) option is ideally suited to school superintendents, principals, department heads, and other administrators. You will learn to perform "Managerial Mediation," a core leadership competency, and will receive a Coaching Video that demonstrates how to perform the core competencies for managing workplace conflict — an invaluable aid as you coach your staff in how to handle potentially disruptive and costly* conflict situations.

School personnel who provide professional services, such as psychologists and career guidance counselors, may prefer the Train-the-Professional (Track 3) option. You'll still receive the Coaching Video and all the other resources received by registering for Track 2.

Regardless of which option you select, you will have access to these powerful and flexible organizational assessment instruments.

* Click for complimentary access to the Dana Measure of Financial Cost of Organizational Conflict, an on-line calculator producing immediate results. Computer your financial return-on-investment (ROI) in conflict management training.

• Main page | Calendar of dates and cities | One-page printable flyer
• Track 1: Train-the-Trainer details
• Track 3: Train-the-Professional details
• Registration options and fees
• Register here

Can't attend? Or need to train many employees at low cost? Consider using web-based training. Or train your entire team in one hour in your conference room for one low fee by joining an upcoming audioseminar.

Edited by Melissa Zarda. See other bibliographies.
Contributors: Rose Orsini, Meredith Webster, Sandeep Bhatnagar, Sara Yandell, Esra Alagoz, Suresh Dhandapani, Marco Latina, David Giordano, Sheretha Ivery, Victoria Romanko

Copyright restriction: The contents of this bibliography may not be placed on other websites, but links from other websites may be directed to this page. Hardcopies of this page may be printed for academic purposes.

• Arcaro-McPhee, R., Doppler, E., & Harkins, D. (2002, Fall-Winter).  Conflict resolution in a preschool constructivist classroom: a case study in negotiation.  Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 17.1, 19.

The article discusses a study to understand a child’s development when a peer problem solving model is applied in a classroom. The results show that the child’s conflict resolution style changed from a power assertion style to a form of negotiation, to support the thought that young children can develop more advanced conflict resolution strategies when presented with the environment (constructivist-oriented classroom) to practice this technique.

• Axtman, K. (2004). Recess backlash: Parents say it pays to play. Christian Science Monitor.

Educators, policy makers and parents struggle with the decision to either mandate or eliminate recess. Many administrators claim that there is not enough time in the day for recess especially given the fact that schools and educators alike are accountable for a rise in state tests. Frustrated parents however believe that recess contributes to the “whole child” approach and deem recess a necessary break to foster a fresh mind and consequently more learning.

• Barnes , Carol A, Standards Reform in High-Poverty Schools (Teachers College Press, Sept 2002)

After a two year observations and interviews of a high-poverty school, Barnes helps inform her readers of the difficulties of implementing school reform in such high-poverty schools where language barriers and social issues exist.  She demonstrates how teachers deal with this conflict in order help manage some of the reform.

• Bey, T. M., & Turner, G. Y. (1996). Making school a place of peace. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Corwin Press Inc.

In view of he high incidence of violence and intimidation in schools, this book is concerned with the need for students to learn conflict resolution, social problem-solving and peace-making skills. TO strive for a peaceful community, the authors stress the need for children to learn socially acceptable behaviors, to challenge injustices and to establish personal and academic goals. This book is written for teachers at all levels and serve as a useful resource for those wishing to address the growing problem of violence among young people.

• Bloomberg, M.R. & Bush, J. (2006, August 11). How to help our students building on the ‘No Child’ Law. The Washington Post, p. B.07.

No Child Left Behind was developed to hold schools and teachers accountable for student achievement. The conflict revolves around the promises of the law and recognizing its demand as measured by standardized tests.  Currently NCLB allows for some loopholes in definition is now being re-investigated to further promote a more uniform measuring stick.

• Bodine, R.J. & Crawford, D.K.(1998).The handbook of conflict resolution education: a guide to building quality programs in schools. San Francisco,CA. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Conflict resolution education is a critical component of comprehensive efforts to prevent violence and reduce crime in schools. The workbook provides an introduction to the basic principles of conflict resolution and its application to school settings. It describes the elements of effective approaches. And it offers step-by-step guidance on planning and implementing a successful conflict resolution program.

• Burrello, Leonard C & Hoffman, Lauren P & Murray, Lynn E., School Leaders Building Capacity from Within (Corwin Press, October 2004)

The authors offer a book that helps school leaders understand the principles and dynamics necessary to make reforms with in the school.  Real-life examples are discussed as well as offering specific strategies for helping follow through on planned reforms.  This “how to” book offers great advise to conquer problems that have surfaced in the passed with school reform

• Burriss, K. (2002, Winter).  The teacher's role in territorial conflicts of 2- to 3-year-old children.  Childhood Education,  79.2, 118.

This study explores the teacher's role in young children's territorial conflicts in Dutch and Finnish child care centers. Explores how conflicts between preschool age group arise from the problem of children wanting to play together but also wanting privacy. Also explores how teachers indirectly influence the occurrence and seriousness of conflicts by organizing time, space, and material.

• Carruthers, W.L., Sweeney, B., Kmitta, D., & Harris, G., (1996). Conflict resolution: an examination of the research literature and a model for program evaluation, The School Counselor, 44, 5-18.

This article is a literature review of the way conflict resolution and peer mediation systems are evaluated. The author contends that a mediation system is incomplete without an evaluation of the process and outcome. Authors usually look at the self-evaluations from the mediators and participants as well as observation from parents and teachers. The author makes the case for using more rigor around the evaluation of these systems in order to help educators and parents buy into a conflict management system. The author states that conflict resolution and peer mediation systems should prove their effectiveness like other tools.

• Coleman, P. & Morton D. (2001). Introducing cooperation and conflict resolution into schools: A systems approach. In Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology for the 21st Century. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.

This article is about illustrates how violence erupts and gives the reader several assumptions to guide prevention. It is apparent that schools have to change in basic ways in order to educate children that they are for rather than against one another, to equip them with the skills to resolve conflicts constructively rather than destructively, and to provide them with an orientation to problems and a set of norms and skills that enables them to fulfill their needs in a non violent manner. Also it is a mistake to assume that causes of school violence reside only or primarily in the school. Child abuse and neglect for example, contribute to the occurrence of violence but are largely not under school control. Nevertheless, there is much that schools can do to prevent violence and counteract harmful outside influences.

• Copeland, B., & Wida, K. (1996, April). Resolving team conflict. (coaching tips to prevent player conflicts). JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance,  67.n4, 52.

The article provides recommendations that coaches can use to handle conflicts among players on athletic teams in order to prevent them from impacting the entire team.  Views on the cause of team conflict such as player selfishness, lack of coachability, and lack of cohesion. Suggestions for preventing and managing various team problems include establishing expectations of appropriate behavior, developing team cohesion, and communicating effectively.

• Cunningham, C., Cunningham, L., Martorelli, V., Tran, A., Young., & Zacharias, R., (1998). The effects of primary division, student-mediated conflict resolution programs on playground aggression, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 5, 653-662.

This article is a write up of a research study in which fifth grade students were trained how to mediate conflict on the playground. The mediation system was designed around teaching students how to notice a conflict, intervene and then mediate if the students agreed to have a mediator. The study found that mediation helped reduce aggressive behavior on the playground significantly and this reduction was sustained in a one-year follow up observation period.

• Dodd, Anne Wescott & Konzal, Jean L,.,  Making Our High Schools Better: How Parents and Teachers Can Work Together (Palgrave, September 2000)

As with all school reform, it is not only up to the teachers to make decisions how to move forward.  Parents are an integral part of school reform and need to be taken into consideration when making any reform.  Since there has been a rise in conflict between teachers and parents on how to move forward, Dodd, and Konzal try to help to find a happy medium in which teachers and parents are able to resolve their conflicts and work together.

• Deasy, R. (2003). Don’t axe the arts. National Association of Elementary School Principals.

In an effort to increase scores on state mandated tests, teachers and districts are feeling pressure from the federal government to increase time spent on core subjects and cut time spent on art, music and physical education. Research shows contradictory evidence however that schools with a strong art program help students build skills needed to learn other subjects.

• Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children. New York, NY: The New Press.

In this book, Delpit recognizes the imbalance and inequality of power in the school system. She focuses on race and culture and how it clashes in the classroom. The author challenges many controversies surrounding curricula using case studies that suggest alternate ways to teach varying races. Rather than children being labeled as having behavior disorders which inhibits academic success this book is written as a resource to educators to better understand the cultural differences.

• Dykeman, B. (Marcy 2003). The effects of family conflict resolution on children's classroom behavior. Journal of Institutional  Psychology.

This article discusses the negative effects of parental divorce upon children depend upon many factors, including the age and sex of the child at the time of the marital dissolution, the amount of conflict within the family unit, and the degree of cooperation between the divorced or separated parents Each of these factors, alone and in interaction with each other, influences the psychological health of the child and the ability of the child to do well at school.

• Fine, N. & Fiona, M. (1993). Fireworks: creative approaches to conflict: materials for use with young people. Leicester, UK, National Youth Agency.

Fireworks is a set of materials that have been developed by two experienced youth workers to employ drama and theater skills in assisting teenagers to understand and work with conflict. It offers a series of exercises that have been carefully developed and refined that allow participating youth to separate themselves initially from their own situations by acting out situations involving a trio of designed characters and then to use the ideas that they have developed in this process to analyze their own life situations.

• Fine, N. & Fiona, M.(1992). Playing with fire: training for the creative use of conflict. Leicester, UK, National Youth Agency.

Playing with Fire is a manual for trainers of youth work professionals and volunteers to allow them to effectively implement a curriculum for teens on understanding and dealing with conflict. The manual prepares the worker for the implementation of the program offered in that volume to train youth in understanding and using the conflict in their lives as a means of self-empowerment and to offer respect to other individuals views of a situation. The basic course presented by the manual is designed to be used in a 60 hour training program and includes also introduction and "training for trainers" sections which are not a part of the basic course but are intended to be read as an introduction to the program as a whole and which provide information on the nature of the training program and practical clues as to how to structure the program. Each of the eight sections of the basic course focuses on a different aspect of conflict and identifies the skills and techniques that can be used in addressing it.

• Garrity, C. (1998). Bully-Proofing your school: a comprehensive approach. Longmount, CO, Sopris West.

The book demonstrates how team of educators, psychologists and social workers in the Cherry Creek Schools in Colorado have developed a comprehensive program designed to make the school environment safe for children both physically and psychologically.

• Gilhooley, James & Scheuch, Nannette S, Using Peer Mediation in Classrooms and Schools: Strategies for Teachers, Counselors, and...   (Corwin Press, Feb 2000)

Gilhooley, and Scheuch offer a step-by-step guide for elementary and secondary grades to perform peer mediation.  This guide is effective for school administrators, faculty and even more so for students.  Schools can benefit from learning these steps to better deal with conflict and the find and reach amicable solutions.

• Girard, Kathryn and Koch, Susan J., Conflict Resolution in the Schools: A Manual for Educators.  Jossey-Bass (1st edition), 1996.

This work provides a foundation of development tools for conflict resolution within the educational context.  It serves as a training manual for staff and useful in program development and implementation.  It provides the necessary research, topics and applications, needed to understand developing an effective dispute resolution program.  The work deals with diagnosing conflict, as well as problem-solving strategies and is useful for principals, administrators, teachers, counselors, or any educator.

• Gorton, R. A. (1972) Conflict, controversy, and crisis in school administration and supervision: issues, cases, and concepts for the '70s. Dubuque, Iowa, W. C. Brown Co.

This book deals with the major concepts and problems of school administration. The author uses case studies to highlight the basic areas of conflict, controversy, and crisis between administrators, supervisors, teachers, parents, and students. Each case study is followed by learning activities where the author gives instructions to analyze the case. The author suggests a number of questions to the reader to discuss the larger issues and to be a problem solver as well as to test your possible solutions and to investigate the further issues.

• Gruss, C., & Jackson, I. (1999, September). Behavior management strategies in the preschool: Teacher strategies in current use. Australian Journal of Early Childhood,  24.3, 38.

The article presents a discussion of antisocial play and behavior in the preschool setting. The article includes a discussion of intervention techniques to be used for antisocial play that include re-direction of the children to another activity, ensuring equitable and sensitive treatment of participants, making explicit reference to rules displayed  around the room, and giving alternate choices.

• Henderson, Z. (1990, Winter). Conflict resolution taught early. Human Ecology, Vol. 18 Issue 2, 31.

Teachers at the Belie Sherman Elementary school in Ithica had success with resolving conflicts by teaching certain principles to students (no name calling, blaming, or interrupting), by having multiple student conflict managers in a class, and by having student run mediation. There is a discussion of the techniques used by the student mediators, such as reflective listening, rephrasing, and allowing an opportunity for the parties involved in the conflict to provide a solution. 

• Hill, Paul T & Lake, Robin J., Charter Schools and Accountability in Public Education (Brookings Institution Press, May 2002)

Hill and Lake have extensively researched charter schools which apparently have conflicting missions and educations to those with public schools.  These schools have a different setup than public schools.  Hill and Lake try to resolve the conflict of these differences and suggest that each school, regardless of legislation is held accountable for its structure and its performance (what kind of education students receive).

• Holden, G. (1997, May). Changing the way kids settle conflicts.  Educational Leadership,  54.n8,  74. 

The Students Against Violence program designed by a Colfax Elementary school teacher geared for children in grades 1 through 5 after the teacher failed to find a suitable program focusing on conflict management, antiviolence strategies, and safety. This program includes creating a refuge to make students feel emotionally and physically safe, as well as creating a Students Against Violence club with membership cards, songs, mottos, and lesson plans involving stories, maps, and exercises.  

• Ihejirika, M. (2006, July 30). Ready or not? Should kids be in school at 5? Chicago Sun Times.

This article analyzes the age old debate about whether a child should be forced to enter Kindergarten by age 5 despite his/her readiness.  Depending on the state in which you live there are mandates and limits on how old your child must be in order to enter the school system. Parents, legislatures and members of the Board of Education do not agree on an appropriate age for a child to enter school.

• Ingersoll, R.M. (1996). Teachers' decision-making power and school conflict. Sociology of Education, (Volume 69, Issue 2; pp 159).

This article used national data to examine effects of two types of decision-making power that teachers have in regards to educational issues at the high school level with teachers, students and the administrators. Results indicate increases in faculty control and teachers' autonomy are considerably linked with decreases in school conflict. However, the strength of the relationship depends on the issues that are limited.

• Irvine, J. (2002). Talk about sex: the battles over sex education in the United States. Los Angeles, CA. University of California Press.

Irvine discusses the culture wars over sex education including the use of sexual speech. This book provides an analysis of the rise of the Christian Right in the 70’s. Irvine provides an in depth look at the sexual education debates by looking at the clash between professional sex education advocates and the politics of the Christian Right.

• Jacoby, J. (2006, April 27). When parents’ values conflict with public schools. The Boston Globe.

When it comes to the education of your children some parents may choose to send their children to private school rather than public. The reasons for this being that one is less likely to be able to discuss religious, political or ideological values as openly in a public setting depending on the curricular goals of a particular school system. Mentioned here also is reference to human sexuality and the conflict as to whether or not it should be discussed in school. 

• Jan, S. (2006, August 18). Changing the dress code, face first. The Boston Globe.

Hooded sweatshirts are being banned in Boston area schools because they are said to being used to hide identity, therefore raising a security/ safety issue. Parents disagree with the school board’s decision and see the sweatshirts as a fashion statement rather than a safety issue. Furthermore schools with strict dress codes tend to have higher academic achievement and fewer incidents of violence.

• Johnson, D. W. & Johnson R. T. (1992). Effects of peer mediation training on elementary school students. Mediation Quarterly (Volume 10 pp. 89-99).

The article reports on a study of the effects of a peer-mediation training program among 92 elementary school students.  The study finds that the training program was successful in teaching negotiation and mediation procedures and skills. The study reports that the training dramatically reduced the number of conflicts referred to teachers and principle.

• Johnson, D. W. & Johnson R.T. (1996). Conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in elementary and secondary schools: review of the research. Review of Educational Research (Volume 66,pp 459-506).

Concerns about the violence in schools have been increasing, and, correspondingly, conflict resolution and peer mediation training programs have been proliferating. These programs have been developed by researchers in the field of conflict resolution, advocates of nonviolence, anti-nuclear-war activities, and members of the legal profession. While there are numerous methodologies and conceptual problems with the research on conflict resolution and peer mediation programs, the current evidence indicates that 1) conflicts among students do occur frequently in schools, 2) untrained students by and large use conflict strategies that create destructive outcomes by ignoring the importance of their ongoing relationships, and 3) conflict resolution and peer mediation programs do seem to be effective in teaching students integrative negotiation and mediation procedures.

• Johnson, D.W. (1997). The impact of conflict resolution training on middle school students. Journal of Social Psychology (Volume 137, pp 11-21).

This article presents the results of a study where middle school students enrolled in conflict resolution training wrote essays explaining how they would respond to conflict situations. Students not receiving the training were the control group. Significant differences occurred between the training and control groups concerning knowledge of negotiation procedures and applications.

• Katz, N.H. & Lawyer, J.W. (1994).Preventing and managing conflict in schools. New York, Paul Chapman Publishing.

The authors of this book introduce tested and effective strategies for preventing and managing conflict in both interpersonal and group settings and offer some additional strategies for managing conflict as a third party. This book is designed to enhance the school administrator's ability to ensure that human interaction over differences is both constructive and productive.

• Kelley, M. (2005, Spring).  Peace Building and Conflict Resolution in Preschool Children. Childhood Education,  81.3, 186.

A study that examines the impact on preschool children whose teachers participated in “I Can Problem Solve” (ICPS) conflict resolution course. The study provides a comparison of these children to children whose teachers did not attend the course. Results concluded that children whose teachers received training had greater ability to generate prosocial solutions and fewer forceful solutions to conflicts.

• Kirtman, L., Minkoff, M. (March 1996). A Systems Approach to Conflict Management- School District Administration. School Administrator.

This article discusses how conflict is not inherently bad in school district issues. There always will be disagreements about whether to put more money into curriculum or into building maintenance; about the need for classroom aides and the ideal class size and other key issues. However, the article suggests, when a healthy constructive dialogue is used, these conflicts can be a healthy part of solving problems.

• Kowalski, Kathiann M. (1998, October).  Peer mediation success stories: in nearly 10,000 schools nationwide, peer mediation helps teens solve problems without violence. Current Health 2, 25.n2, 3.

This article discusses the growing role of teen mediation groups in resolving conflicts in high school environments and gives examples of how mediation resolved some real life conflicts. The process is broken down into steps that following a structured format:  laying down ground rules, not taking sides, brainstorming solutions, placing an agreement in writing.

• Lehigh, S. (2005, January 19). The case for longer school days. The Boston Globe.

The 180 days a year, 6 hour school day no longer makes sense for school children today. Massachusetts school and state officials’ battle to reform the school calendar. At the heart of the debate lies whether or not to lengthen the school day and shorten vacations to increase educational quality. State officials seem to embrace this “cure-all” for educational reform as they compare notes on the achievement gap between affluent communities where children attend after school programs versus low income families who do not participate in the extended school day.

• Lehmann, K.J. (2004). Surviving Inclusion. Harvard Educational Review Fall 2005.

Students with special needs deserve individual academic attention that best facilitates their needs. That being said, this book addresses how can students with special needs receive the appropriate attention while remaining a part of the general classroom. It offers many new ideas for teachers who are faced with inclusion and meeting the needs of all students. This is opposed to the “pull out method” where children’s needs are addressed individually outside of the classroom or via mainstreaming which simply helped children with special needs within a classroom environment only a few hours a day.

• Lunn, P.,  Bishop, A. (November 2002). Subject Leader  and Class Teacher: Exploring the Conflict of a Dual Role in a Primary School.

This article reports upon how teachers in a primary school managed their dual role of full-time class teachers and whole-school subject leaders. The latter in itself represents a significant development of the previous role of curriculum co-ordinator. The part played by the school's head teacher in this latter development is also critically analysed. The study focuses upon the potential for conflict between the class teacher and subject leader roles.

• Lyon, J. (1991, November). Conflict resolution in an inner-city middle school: An alternative approach. School Counselor, Vol. 39 Issue 2, 127.

The issue of student-to-student and student-to-staff conflicts in urban middle schools is one of the most significant factors disrupting education and contributing to drop out among sixth to ninth graders.  The major cause of disputes in this age group includes self-image within the peer group, and cultural gap between staff and students.  A case study where group counseling sessions were provided to problem students is discussed along with the short and long term results.

• Mayers, S. , Zepeda, S. (September 2002). High School Department Chairs: Role Ambiguity of Secondary School Principals. National Assocation of Secondary School Principals.

This study examined challenges that high school department chairpersons faced while changing to a 4 x 4 block schedule. Findings indicated that the participants experienced multiple learning curves and increased tensions between departmental and teaching responsibilities. These problems were exacerbated by reduced released time. Recommendations include aligning job descriptions with procedures, implementing "department chair" professional development, and increasing chairs' released time.

• McClory, R. (August 2001). School Tries To Resolve Conflict  With Sports League.  National Catholic Reporter.

This article discusses the resolution of a three-month-old controversy over entry of the overwhelmingly black St. Sabina Academy into a predominantly white Catholic sports league in the Chicago area. At this point the 21 parish schools in the mostly suburban league have agreed to accept St. Sabina and abide by regulations concerning safety, racial taunts and forfeiture of games, but some terms of the agreement remain in dispute. The article outlines the resolution tools utilized by those involved in the settlement of the conflict.

• McElroy, C. (2000, December). Middle School Programs That Work.  Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 82 Issue 4, 277.

Various programs at Crabapple Middle School in Georgia are designed to aid students in their transition from elementary school to middle school and then to high school. Besides a discussion of mentoring and tutoring programs, there is a discussion of the schools peer mediation program designed to resolve minor disputes.  The program allows seventh and eighth graders to get trained in listening skills, understanding conflict, the peer mediation process, using constructive criticism and role-playing.

• Mckay, A. , Pietrusiak, M.A.& Holowaty, P. (1998). Parents’ opinions and attitudes toward sexuality education in the schools. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality  Vol.7.

This journal excerpt analyzes the debate about appropriate sex education in the classroom. Does sex education belong in the schools and if so how can it be taught so that it reflects both moral and ethnic beliefs. Although many parents in the US and Canada do show that they want sex education taught in schools, there is some controversy on whether or not it should also involve discussions on sexual orientation and birth control.

• Meier, D. (2002). In schools we trust. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

In this book, the author examines issues of distrust in schools and whether schools are meeting the academic needs of their students. Meier challenges policy makers’ focus on standardized tests as a measure of academic achievement and improvement versus an educational experience where classes are smaller and parents are involved. The author looks at how race and culture also affect education and how teaching to the test is counterproductive.

• Miller, S. (1993, November). Middle schoolers `do justice' by their classmates.  Education Digest, Vol. 59 Issue 3, 13..

A conflict resolution program (Project Safe group) successfully implemented at Gilmore Middle School where a group of student mediators were selected, trained, and then acted as mediators for student to student disputes. A model on how to design a conflict resolution program is provided, which includes details on the mediator selection process, the training period, how to begin implementation of the program, and how to keep the program going.

• Million, J. (1994, October). Holidays: Celebrate with Caution. Communicator, PR Primer p.5. 

The observation of nearly all public holidays are undergoing scrutiny in the school systems due to the innumerable amount of what and what not to observe. Many school districts have policies on what celebrations are allowed which often clashes with teachers, parents and the interest of the community. In school parties are often a source of stress in the classroom which also takes away time from learning.

• Milstein, M. M. (eds.) (1980). Schools, conflict, and change. New York: Teachers College Press.

The author and the contributors of the book analyze the change and the growth of conflict in educational professional and school administrator. They focus on the conflicting forces (or agents) of school administration and propose new strategies to adapt the school systems to emerging changes. The contributors of the book suggest new skills such as “bargaining, negotiation, compromising, coalition building, and some of the organization development approaches” to resolve the conflicts and to adjust to changes.

• Miner, B. (2006). Don’t bite the hand that feeds. Rethinking Schools Online.

In this article the author examines the federal school lunch program and its need for improvement. It is consistently under attack due to its lack of nutrition in an age where obesity is prevalent. Given public concern, legislators in over 40 states are debating more than 200 bills to limit junk food and soda sales in schools. The conflict lies also in the budget cuts that affect school lunches vs. the need for a more nutritional program.

• Nansel, T., Craig, W. M., Overpeck, M., Saluja G., Ruan J. & The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Bullying Analyses Working Group (2004).  Cross-national consistency in relationship between bullying behaviors and psychosocial adjustment. Archives of  Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. (Volume 158, pp 730-746).

The objective of this article is to determine whether the relationship between bullying and psychosocial adjustments is consistent across countries by standard measures and methods. The participants in the study included all consenting students in sampled classrooms, for a total of 113,200 students at a average ages of 11.5, 13.5 nad 15.5 years.  Surveys were conducted at public and private schools throughout the participating countries.

• Palmer, J. (2001, March/April). Conflict Resolution: Strategies for the Elementary Classroom.  Social Studies, Vol. 92 Issue 2, 65.

This article focuses on how teachers in public elementary schools can work with children in early grades (Kindergarten through 4th grade) to help them understand different types of conflicts and the benefits of conflict resolution. Different types of exercises are presented for teachers to use to help children understand how conflicts can escalate, how to de-escalate situations, how to refocus energy, and how to compromise.

• Parks, S. (2003, June3). Such a shame: school humiliation. The Dallas Morning News.

This article revisits the need for punitive measures including corporal punishment against students in the classroom who break rules or are disrespectful. School counselors and parents believe there is a fine line with regard to discipline that schools should not cross including anything that may make a child feel worthless. According to the Department of Education 27 states have banned spanking in the classroom while 23 other states still allow it.

• Phillips, P. (1997, May).  The conflict wall. (conflict resolution). Educational Leadership,  54.n8, 43. 

In response to major problems of fighting, shoving, verbal insults, and threats, East Lyme High School in Connecticut uses large posters on the office wall that display model conflict resolution practices as an innovative approach for supporting discipline. The posters, called the Conflict Wall, contain a series of steps to arrive at a solution, with focus logical aspects of a dispute. The method teaches students win-win, cause-and-effect relationships, and understanding of how conflicts escalate.

• Pinson, N. (2006).  Soda contracts who really benefits? Rethinking Schools Online.

While school districts work to improve nutrition, administrators battle the controversy of fighting obesity vs. using the money that is raised by the junk food vending machines to keep school programs and activities afloat. School districts reconsider whether the revenue is worth the risk by taking a look at what best supports the interests of the communities.

• Porro, B. (c1996) Talk it out: conflict resolution in the elementary classroom. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Talk it out is a book about conflict resolution skills necessary for students within a classroom environment. The author advises the Talk it out skill to her students to solve their own problems. She includes a series of teaching materials such as classroom anecdotes or lesson plans in the book to help students to develop solutions to “everyday social problems”. The book is designed to teach conflict resolution to children and has step by step methods for this purpose. The appendixes give instructions for the conflict resolution skills.

• Ramsey,  N. (2001, Spring).  Tearing Down the Walls of Violence. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 10.1, 12. 

A story of determination written by a high school dropout who later became involved with the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) violence prevention program, and a staff member on  at the RCCP National Center in New York City. The author describes her personal challenges growing up, and how her involvement in this program enabled her to employ conflict resolution skills, different techniques for appreciating diversity, and effective nonviolent communication to improve her relationships and life.

• Reinhart, M.K. (2004, June 28). Conscious discipline teaches kids how to resolve problems with word. East Valley Tribune.

Students at Irving Elementary are learning how to solve social problems with words by understanding empathy. This is being done to prevent bullying in the classroom later in life.  School districts are under much pressure for their anti-bullying laws and daily disciplinary procedures for bullies in an effort to keep children safe. The students are learning conflict resolution in the classroom.

• Samuels, C.A. (2001, August 30). Virginia school say to begin with the pledge or not. The Washington Post p.VA16.

Every school in the Virginia school district is required to begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance. Administrators feel students without a philosophical or religious objection should be suspended for not adhering to the policy. Lawmakers and critics disagree given the notion that many students are not US citizens. The American Civil Leaders Union of Virginia however feel that teachers should allow students not to say the pledge if they don’t want to.

• Schmitz, R. (1994, April). Teaching Students to Manage Their Conflicts.  Social Work in Education, Vol. 16 Issue 2, 125-128. 

This article discusses educating students on methods to resolve conflicts. Focus is on a program developed by Community Board Program of San Francisco where third through fifth graders acted as conflict managers during recess after undergoing pre-training in conflict resolution. Program results during a 2 year period are charted, including the frequency of use of these student conflict managers, attitudes towards the managers, and types of conflict solutions applied by the conflict managers.  

• Strauss, V. (2005, October 24). As 'No Child' answer, Tutoring generates complex questions. The Washington Post, p.A.10.

In an effort to address President Bush’s No Child left Behind Act, low income students are being given tutors paid via the federal government. This simple plan unveiled a series of conflicts over who can tutor what, to whom and where.  Conflicts also arise with parents as they determine the effectiveness of the program and battle over whether or not tutors should have access to school buildings. When private companies get involved in education this encourages a shift in federal spending toward the private sector rather than the public school district.

• Tolson, E., McDonald, S., & Moriarty, A. (1992, April). Peer Mediation among High School Students: A Test of Effectiveness. Social Work in Education, Vol. 14 Issue 2, 86-93.

A discussion of peer mediation programs as an alternative to conflict resolution. The results of a peer mediation study show that there was a significant difference between traditional discipline (i.e. suspension) and those that received mediation. In particular it points out that those receiving traditional discipline encountered missed learning opportunities and lowered GPA’s. The emphasis on empowerment and problem solving in peer mediation was a better alternative. 

• Tombs, D. (2004, October). Bulling nipped in the bud. Alberta Sweetgrass, Vol. 11 Issue 11, 10-11.

A “Make a Connection” program enabled two Canadian schools (one with an Aboriginal student body and one non-Aboriginal) to use student leadership and conflict resolution techniques to resolve conflicts escalating from racial differences when the schools had to share the same school building.  Discussion of how fifth and sixth graders participated in leadership workshops, played co-operative games, and participated in dramatic reenactments to learn ways to work together, and to recognize and prevent bullying.

• Wheeler, E. (2003, Spring). Peace education flourishes in elementary schools. Childhood Education, 79.3, 160-D.  

Global and Peace Education at William B. Ward Elementary school in New Rochelle, New York is discussed.  The school implemented a conflict resolution/peer mediation program with a curriculum focusing on "local" and “global” understanding. Kindergartners through second graders focus on character building, third graders focus on anger management, self-awareness, brainstorming, and grades 4 through 5 focusing on peer mediation and global peace education. Spirit of community, interdependence, collaboration discussed.

• Winans, D. (2004). A Teacher’s Worth. National Education Association.

This article reviews a case study’s findings that teacher pay lags behind alternate comparable occupations despite the similarity in skill and responsibility. In 2003 inflation caused teachers to see a .8 percent increase in salary while there was an 11.8 percent increase for comparable occupations for college graduates. Teachers have less paid leave; fewer wage bonuses and less premium pay. Contradictory to the hard work of teachers ma