This essay is focused on the role which law schools might play in "reinventing" the law student for a more robust role in an increasingly complex global economy. The case is presented for law schools to embrace and promote a collaborative orientation toward legal conflict and the role which lawyers have to play as problem solvers.…

Restorative practices in schools lack rigorous evaluation studies. As an example of rigorous school-based research, this article describes the first randomized control trial of restorative practices to date, the Study of Restorative Practices. It is a 5-year, cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Restorative Practices Intervention (RPI)…

Establishing caring communities in child care centers is one of the most important, yet challenging undertakings for early childhood professionals. Lessons in accomplishing this goal can be learned from the inhabitants of the island communities of coastal Maine who work together to overcome the challenges of living in remote locations. In this…

This document presents guidelines for Maine special education complaint investigation procedures. The introduction stresses the requirement that complaints must be in writing and must state that an educational agency or service provider has violated a requirement of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Maine special education…

A month-long summer camp in Maine combines recreation, sports, and arts activities with daily conflict resolution sessions to help adolescents from regions of conflict (primarily the Middle East) learn the art of coexistence and peace. From its center in East Jerusalem, Seeds of Peace provides regular activities to reinforce the lessons that…

In response to instances of violent acts involving children and teens both as victims and perpetrators, the Maine Legislature passed a resolve to study the issue and to identify and describe the extent of the problem among children, teenagers, and young adults in Maine. Results of a survey (n=542) designed to: (1) ascertain the perceptions of…

This report discusses findings of a study that investigated the resolution of disputes in the field of special education. Information was collected from ten states (Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming) on their current dispute resolution systems and from two additional states…

Today, society has a greater understanding of what constitutes children at risk. Unlike years past, educators within society can no longer take the luxury of ignoring students facing emotional and social challenges. Instead, they must respond quickly and positively to the needs of students faced with many of these challenges by developing…