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The Toolbox contains a collection of articles with practical advice for school and classroom management.
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Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management
by Sarah Willis
The Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management provides dispute resolution and conflict management resources, training, and direct services to Ohio schools, communities, courts, and state and local government. The goal of the commission is to assist Ohioans in resolving disputes in the most efficient way possible while reducing the chance of violence, building positive relationships and helping disputants reach win-win situations. The commission’s prevention programming with youth is primarily focused in two areas: School Conflict Management and the Truancy Prevention through Mediation program.
School Conflict Management
The School Conflict Management (SCM) initiative helps to build the capacity of students and school staff throughout Ohio to handle personal and professional conflict. Conflict can lead to positive change and learning if the staff, teachers, students, and parents/caregivers use conflict management skills to create a safe and supportive school climate. The SCM initiative advocates a comprehensive conflict management program in order to support a positive school climate. These programs train staff, teachers, students and, ideally the parents and caregivers, in the skills and methodology of conflict management and methods of effective communication-verbal and non-verbal. This includes the skills of reflection, communication, problem solving, emotional literacy, and how to identify their own role in a conflict, defined as a disagreement or incompatibility between two or more person(s). This knowledge helps individuals address organizational and interpersonal conflicts in a constructive manner. This model for building capacity within the school has been implemented in over 800 schools throughout Ohio.
Truancy Prevention through Mediation
The Truancy Prevention through Mediation Program is a collaboration between the Ohio Supreme Court and the commission. Over the last 6 years it has grown from 7 counties and 58 schools to 31 counties and over 500 schools. For a complete listing of the counties involved and evaluation information, visit the commission’s website at www.disputeresolution.ohio.gov. Truancy issues are often addressed by school districts at the high school and middle school levels with students who have been truant for many years, are underachieving, and are close to dropping out. This creates a situation where the district uses time and resources but is not able to address the systemic problem. Research shows that a school district benefits most by building a program that addresses the truancy in the early years. The commission advocates establishing the program first in grades K-6, then incrementally adding middle schools and high schools to the program. Programs are run locally with technical support, training, mentoring, and grant writing assistance provided by the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, and with training assistance from the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Dispute Resolution Section. The program is structured along the following points:
- The family comes in for mediation after the child has had the third or fifth unexcused absence.
- Mediations take place in the school, during or immediately before or after school hours. They are confidential.
- In grades K-6 the teacher always attends, and is often the only person meeting with the parent[s]. The child is often not present.
The goal is to, in a nonpunitive, nondisciplinary way, identify the family problems that are causing the poor attendance and then to help the family reach a voluntary solution. Those solutions often involve reaching out to a government agency, social service provider, or nonprofit organization.
Sarah Wallis is the Director of Education Programs with the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management. For more information on either program area, contact the commission at 614/752-9595.
