Earlier essays in this symposium describe Restorative Justice processes in schools, referred to in our school as a Fairness Committee. Implementing these collaborative, restorative processes does not come without challenges. This essay will explore some of the historical and theoretical roots of the Fairness Committee in Lawrence Kohlberg's work…

This presentation capitalizes on a three-year, longitudinal, school-randomized trial of the 4Rs Program, a comprehensive, school-based social-emotional and literacy program for elementary schools, to test intervention induced changes in features of classroom climate and key dimensions of teacher affective and pedagogical processes and practices…

Recognizing youth violence as a major public health issue, the National Centers for Disease Control in 1993 launched an $11 million effort to evaluate 15 violence-prevention programs used in U.S. schools. The schools will evaluate programs, using various criteria. "ASBJ" examined programs in five urban areas, highlighting major emphases,…

The landmark Civic Mission of Schools report of 2003 laid out an argument for the role of schools in promoting youth civic engagement and presented a range of promising ideas and practices to accomplish that. In this study we describe the civic engagement outcomes that Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Louisville, KY, has chosen to promote…

A recent study of Houston secondary schools shows that assistant principals' work centers on routine clerical tasks, custodial duties, and discipline. Daily activities are characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. Assistant principals are seldom charged with instructional improvement activities, except for teacher appraisal. The…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of conflict resolution and related social skill development on students' meta-cognitive competencies. The investigation was conducted throughout a 5-year period in elementary schools in the Philadelphia School District and in a neighboring urban school district. Sample subjects were fourth-and…

A case study demonstrates how urban school board members resolved a community crisis precipitated by the board's critical evaluation of the superintendent. Issues are analyzed through symbolic, political, human resources, and structural frameworks. The importance of establishing evaluation procedures when the superintendent is first hired is…

Presents a staff-development model for implementing a schoolwide conflict-management plan. Discusses an urban middle school's ongoing conflict-management plan to illustrate a conflict prevention and management strategy shaped by the school's culture and climate realities. Program effectiveness improves when a philosophical orientation is…

The average life expectancy of a superintendent in a given post is three years. By that time, the position has been steadily weakened by accumulating enemies spawned by unforeseen events. A research survey of 50 "early leavers" discloses 3 primary disincentives: poor board-superintendent relationships; conflict with board over educational…

Tests an intervention model of constructive conflict resolution (CCR) and cooperative learning in three urban high schools. Findings show that improvements in CCR increased social support and decreased victimization for the students. These changes improved student's attitudes, self-esteem, interpersonal relations, and academic achievement. (GLR)

Describes a districtwide conflict-resolution program implemented in all New York City high schools during 1992-93. The program tries to empower students and staff by teaching them how to resolve conflicts nonviolently and use conflict as a vehicle for personal growth. During the first year, schools made substantial progress in handling…

An outcome evaluation of the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) in four New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools studied the program's impact on teachers' classroom management skills and the use of suspension as a disciplinary measure. Over half of the 63 teachers thought that RCCP improved their problem managing behavior, and principals…

There is a need for an effective violence reduction program for early adolescents in schools. Social psychologists have had success teaching adolescents integrative negotiation strategies that help them to resolve potentially violent conflicts. The caveat is that these strategies are effective only in cooperative social contexts and backfire in…

Studied the effectiveness of the Socratic seminar method at a middle school in Chattanooga (Tennessee) through observation, focus groups, and semistructured interviews with nine teachers. Findings support the usefulness of the seminars in promoting higher-order thinking, appropriate conflict resolution strategies, and interest in learning. (SLD)

Involving families in their children's education is not only a legal requirement in special education, it also predicts academic achievement, social and emotional development, and a variety of other positive school outcomes for all children. Unfortunately, school-home relationships often have been ignored or underdeveloped. Disconnections between…