Bearing in mind the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, Louisiana's Steering Committee projected performance targets through the year 2014 for the important areas of: (1) Graduation with a Diploma; (2) Dropout Rate; (3) Placement, ages 6-21 and ages 3-5; (4) Achievement Performance Levels, and (5) Discipline. Annual gains were…

The conflict-resolution technique of interpersonal negotiation involves five steps: (1) state your positive intentions; (2) define, analyze, and discuss the problem; (3) summarize progress; (4) explore alternative solutions; and (5) set a time for follow-up. (MLF)

Arbitration is an effective way to resolve disagreements between school systems and their employee unions. A practicing arbitrator offers some suggestions that encourage the best use of the arbitration process. (MLF)

This manual presents a collaborative "situational negotiations" approach to collective bargaining. After a brief introduction, part 1 describes the traditional adversarial bargaining model, using a case study from a medium-sized school district in the state of Washington to illustrate how the aftermath of confrontational bargaining is…

This manual presents a proposal to reduce arbitration or negotiation impasses and to accommodate conflicting interests by selecting a permanent neutral to monitor labor relations both during the term of the agreement and during contract negotiations. Part 1 describes the role of the permanent neutral during the term of the collective bargaining…

This report describes a program to produce four videotapes to be used to enhance previously produced materials that integrated teaching about alternative dispute processes into standard first-year law school courses at the University of Missouri-Columbia (UM-C). Another objective of this project was a comparative evaluation of the previously…

This document is intended to assist states in implementing the mediation requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 1997. These provisions include parent participation in collaborative decision-making and the right of parents to challenge decisions about their child's education program. Increased use of…

This document analyzes the responses to a survey conducted in 1997 on the role of the Ombuds Office in higher education, and also considers the characteristics of professional neutrality needed for successful conflict resolution. Of 178 institutions surveyed, 109 responses include 54 institutions with ombudsmen, 7 without such a position but with…

This book was designed to help school administrators, board members, and teachers improve effectiveness and cooperation at the bargaining table. It charts the history of collective bargaining and discusses changes now taking place in education that will likely affect negotiations. Following the overview of collective-bargaining history in chapter…

This handbook is designed to serve as a guide to help school boards understand collective bargaining and the labor-management relationships in their districts. Chapter 1 describes what school-board members need to know. Chapter 2 discusses some of the political and legal realities that school boards face in the collective-bargaining process.…

This document outlines a program for schools to encourage the development of values, attitudes, and knowledge foster constructive interpersonal relationships. Cooperative learning, conflict resolution, structured controversy, and school mediation can form the core of a comprehensive program for educating beyond hate. Cooperative learning includes…

Parents' Fair Share (PFS) was a national demonstration program to help low-income noncustodial parents find more stable and better-paying jobs, pay child support consistently, and become more involved parents. PFS provided the following services: employment and training services; peer support groups; voluntary mediation between parents; and…