PROGRAM RESULTS The Commission has available several studies and papers describing programmatic evaluations and/or program data related to conflict management and other school programs. Some of these studies/papers relate directly to the School Conflict Management Grant Initiative; others discuss more general topics such as case studies of conflict management programs in Ohio schools and the role of mediation in reducing school truancies. Please contact the Commission for copies of any of these studies and/or evaluations. Multiple copies may entail a charge. The most recent study, commissioned by the OCDRCM in 1999, is a program evaluation of the Ohio School Conflict Management Grant Initiative using data from the program as it existed in 1996. A summary is provided below. Title: SEEDS OF PEACE: OHIO’S SCHOOL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM Year: 1999 Evaluator: Megan Tschannen-Moran, Ph.D., The Ohio State University Program Summary: In 1999, an evaluation was undertaken to measure the impact of the 1996 School Conflict Management grant initiative that awarded grants of $3000 to 50 Ohio high schools and 43 follow-up grants of $1,450. Dr. Moran used the following primary sources of data: a review of actual program documents such as grant applications, action plans, and final reports; in-person interviews of 1-3 staff members and/or administrators in 30 participating schools; · telephone interviews with core team members from 2 schools; and · faculty survey data related to the degree of implementation and impact of the conflict management program. The study noted some encouraging programmatic results: Of the 50 schools that received grants in 1996, 48 still had programs in place three years later; Almost 90% of teachers surveyed said that their school was safer to some degree as a result of the program; More than 80% of teachers said that the degree of physical fighting had decreased in their school since the start of the conflict management program; · 70% of teachers surveyed said that the conflict management program had reduced the amount of time they spent resolving student disputes; · 87% of teachers saw an increase in students’ willingness to cooperate with each other; and · 86% of teachers had seen students begin to take responsibility for solving their own problems without asking for adult help. This study concluded that, for the majority of participating schools, receiving the School Conflict Management grant funds was critical to their being able to initiate a conflict management program. These funds provided not only resources but also provided a degree of legitimacy to the schools’ conflict management efforts. This research found that schools used their funds in a number of ways but most notably for: · stipends and travel expenses for teachers and administrators to come to the training; · the hiring of outside trainers to train faculty and students; · purchasing instructional resources such as videotapes, books, and games; and · as incentives for peer mediation programs. Most schools felt that the 2- year time frame for the grant (1 year for the grant itself and usually a continuation grant for one additional year) was inadequate to fully develop their conflict management program. A significant finding of this evaluation was that a number of grant recipient schools had found other sources of funds to combine with those of the grant such as Safe and Drug Free Schools funding. Yet, this also created more of a bureaucratic headache for the individuals at the schools responsible for coordinating these various grant programs. Another concern voiced by school staff was the limited amount of staff time available for them to adequately participate in the program given their other responsibilities. OTHER SCHOOL EVALUATION STUDIES The Commission has available the following additional evaluation studies related to school conflict management. Please contact us for information on any of these studies and/or copies (multiple copies will generally entail a charge): Conflict Management in Schools: Sowing Seeds for a Safer Society: Final report of the School Conflict Management Demonstration Project. This report describes the findings of the Demonstration Project, and provides a vision for how conflict management can best benefit Ohio's children and youth. First copy is free, $5.00 for each additional copy. Conflict Management Programs in Ohio Elementary Schools: Case Studies and Evaluations: This independent evaluation includes 12 case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of conflict management programs in Ohio's elementary schools. First copy is free, $5.00 for each additional copy. · Truancy Through Mediation Project Evaluation: This report is an evaluation of the High School Conflict Management Program. A comprehensive independent evaluation of the Truancy Through Mediation Project. This project involved 12 elementary schools throughout Delaware, Lucas and Stark Counties during the 1998-1999 school year. First copy is free, $5.00 for each additional copy. Click here to download the complete document in pdf format: Seeds of Peace: Ohio's School Conflict Management Grant Program If you don't have an Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files Download Now. Back to Schools Main Page
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