The Peaceable Schools Initiative for High Schools
Teaching Conflict Resolution, Promoting Respect, and Preventing Violence in High Schools
Many schools face many challenges in creating safe and respectful climates that support healthy development and academic success. Unhealthy levels of conflict, disrespect, and violence among students can pose serious impediments to learning.
What is the Peaceable Schools Initiative (PSI)?
Student voice is at the center of this school-based conflict resolution and violence prevention initiative. A Peaceable School Training Team made up of approximately 12 students and 12 staff co-construct and facilitate a series of 12 to 15 conflict resolution and violence prevention workshops for a specific group of students in the school. The side-by-side training and planning builds relational trust among adults and adolescents and results in an authentic social skills program that feels real to students. Typically a school will choose to target the delivery of workshops in one of three ways: to students within a particular grade, as a course for multiple grades, or to set aside a weekly period for groups of students to engage in the workshops. The ultimate purpose is to teach young people self-management, cooperation, and problem-solving skills and to promote interpersonal effectiveness and intergroup understanding. Students take a pre-and-post assessment at the beginning and end of the workshop series.
How will the Peaceable Schools Initiative (PSI) help my school?
As a result of the PSI, schools will:
• Develop a common language about respect, tolerance, and resolving conflicts throughout the school
• Build capacity of students and staff to handle conflicts more effectively
• Train a cadre of staff and students to facilitate conflict resolution workshops in their schools
• Develop effective “teacher talk” that reduces adversarial confrontations and invites cooperation, redirection, and self-correction
Students will develop understanding and build competency in areas including managing emotions and solving problems, countering bullying and harassment, perspective taking and dealing with differences, and much more. In addition, staff members that teach and/or work directly with the targeted student group will also be trained in conflict resolution and Guided Discipline. Guided Discipline is an instructional, problem-solving approach to classroom management. Six hours of training will help teachers reinforce a common language among adults and students, increase student cooperation and self-correction, and reduce disciplinary disruptions and referrals.
What does my school get with the Peaceable Schools Initiative?
The program includes the following components:
• A customized needs assessment and initial conceptualization, design, and planning with the administrative team, student support staff, and teacher leaders
• Four days of training for Peaceable School Training Team
• Six hours of Guided Discipline/Conflict Resolution Training for faculty who teach the targeted group of students
• Preparation of a final report including a summary of pre-and-post assessment results
• On-site technical support that can include:
- rehearsal of first sessions and observation, feedback, and coaching for staff and students who are implementing conflict resolution workshops and sessions
- consultation with discipline team to discuss systemic strategies for reducing classroom referrals and establishing more effective supports and interventions for students who engage in chronic unwanted behaviors
- updates with Peaceable School Team, principal, and leadership team to assess progress of PSI
- recommendations for how to assess program effectiveness and collect appropriate data
What materials do participants receive?
All staff and students on the training team will receive a workshop notebook. Adult participants and those who teach or work with the targeted group of students will receive Conflict Resolution in the High School and Getting Classroom Management RIGHT: Guided Discipline and Personalized Support in Secondary Schools.
Why Work with ESR?
Since the early 1980s, ESR has been a voice for change in America’s education system-a voice that says we must teach and inspire the whole student if we are to help all young people become active, contributing members in our in our communities. We have a proven track record of offering practical know-how, training, coaching, and resources through a wide variety of programming. And most importantly, ESR is an experienced group of teachers and administrators who understand the education system inside and out and want to make a difference.
To find out how the Peaceable Schools Initiative can help your school or district, call us today toll free at 1-800-370-2515 ext. 19 or fill out the form below to have us contact you about a customized quotation for our services.
