A High School course, General Studies Survival Curriculum, was designed to aid students in problem solving in a complex society. Areas of concern were psychology, consumer economics, environmental studies, law and society, religion and values, ethnic studies, applied aesthetics, creative studies, occupations and futurism. (JB)

By enabling students to mediate their own disputes, educators may be synthesizing the finest potential in the school--the creative, constructive dynamic inherent in conflict. This article describes a mediated dispute resolution program used in several schools and offers implementation advice. (MLH)

Examines the dynamics of conflict and anger expressed by irate parents and offers principals a simple, effective method to resolve conflict and reduce anger in an integrative way. Well-managed conflict helps improve interpersonal relationships, promote healthy interaction, and develop creative, synergistic solutions to undesirable situations. (MLH)

Success in conferring with hostile parents is a result of careful planning, understanding human behavior, and frontline experience. This article encourages principals to develop the necessary skills to handle emotion-charged encounters with alienated, calculative, and committed parents. (MLH)

Examines constructive conflict within the context of a comprehensive Midwestern U.S. high school engaged in significant reform efforts, focusing on constructive conflict as a means to promote individual and organizational learning and growth. Data from observations and interviews indicated that to produce superior results, principals and teacher…

If administrators personalize attacks, defend themselves, or argue with detractors, anger will escalate and the situation will degenerate further. This article explains why people attack and advises how to respond by using reflective listening, inviting criticism, focusing on the problem itself, exploring suggested solutions as legitimate options,…

Outlines the Mt Diablo High School (CA) conflict resolution program that has become a model program. In its first two years it has been responsible for a 67 percent reduction in the number of student conflicts. (MD)

For schools, teachers, and principals, there is no censorship insurance--especially against attacks directed at learning techniques involved with problem solving and higher order thinking skills. Pincipals faced with disputes must work for consensus before, during, and after a controversy and mitigate self-righteousness and arrogance on either…

The Falklands dispute is used as an example of a political dispute with geographical overtones which can be used as a secondary level geography unit. Students are introduced to the conflict, discover where the Falklands are, examine their history and human ecology, and finally consider possible resolutions to the conflict. (IS)

Teachers are expected to provide guidance in coping, adapting, and managing conflicts. Ways to resolve conflict include achieving a balance between work and family life goals to increase personal, family, and work satisfactions. (SK)

Authorized by Title X of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Community Relations Service (CRS) is a mediation service dealing with community racial disputes. CRS has spent much of the past three years working in Los Angeles and is now handling problem solving in multiracial, multicultural schools in Stockton, California. Workshop participants usually…

Interviewed 18 principals in Quebec about their recent experience with incidents involving conflict. Conflicts involved students, teachers, parents, school board members, and superiors. Principals used problem solving to treat most conflict situations but tended to use withdrawal when dealing with teachers who had strong negative attitudes. (KS)

Evaluates effectiveness of an intervention program for students with low self-concept and social relationship difficulties. The ABLE program (Attribution, Behavior, Life Skills Education) incorporates problem-solving, conflict resolution, and a multidimensional framework to investigate adolescents' self-concept formation. Improvements were made in…

Adolescents' understanding of societal conflict and of compromise resolution in the context of peer and authority relations was investigated. Six conflict stories were prepared for three social issues, and adolescents were asked to develop dialogues from the stories. Responses were categorized on a three-point scale. (Author/LMO)

The purpose of this final report is to provide a description and evaluation to the Camp Fire Greater Arizona Council of the results of Teens in Action: In Pursuit of Peace Curriculum delinquency prevention program. A total of 94 youths in grades 6 through 12 participated in the program in the spring of 2002 at four sites in Chandler. The Student…