Breaking the Conflict Logjam: Getting Upstream of Disputes
Karen Hannan, Possibilities, Inc.Steve Woodcock, ODE
Intentions for the Session
• Inform• Reflect• Create
Background• Observations from the field– Emotional costs– Financial costs
• Turnover• $$$
• Questions– Why aren’t conflicts getting resolved at the local level
yet resolution regularly occurs in mediation?– What really is driving the conflicts? If we learn this,
might we be able to get ahead of the conflict?– What’s working already—what can be built on?
Background
• Lake & Billingsley • J. Newman, Ph.D. dissertation (U of Penn)• Mueller Ph.D. dissertation (UCSB) • CADRE resources – www.directionservice.org/cadre
• SACSE
Survey Design
• Conflict categories & underlying factors• Strategies that work to address conflict • Pilot/feedback• Revisions• Partners: OrPTI, COSA• Total respondents: 1449• Preliminary nature of findings
38%
28%13%
14%7%
Respondents by Role (n=1124)
Parent
Certified staff
Building Administrator
District Administrator
Parent Advocate
17%
25%59%
Respondents by Size of District (n=1212)
Small
Medium
Large
38%
25%
10%
7%
6%5%
3%3%
2%Respondents by Region (n=1122)
Portland MetroMid-Willamette ValleyCentral S CoastS Willamette ValleyNortheastN CoastMid CoastSoutheast
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
43%
38%36% 34%
29%
Biggest Causes of Conflict
IEP Content Resources RelationshipsImplementation Knowledge
Qualitative Responses• Patterns within categories
– Impacting both relationships and creation/content of IEPs• Denial/low expectations, mental health issues of participants, perspectives on
needs, basic lack of partnership orientation– Specific skills missing – autism, mental health, behavior– Resource issues
• Not enough time to work with students– Lack of follow-through
• Additional categories – Assessment/eligibility– Leadership – Educator-educator issues (gen ed/sped and teacher/administrator)– Education model vs. others (medical model, other state agencies, etc.)
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.503.32 3.36
3.48
2.60 2.652.75
3.12
Factors Related to Conflict & Creating IEPs
Reso
urce
Con
strain
ts
View
s re:
Serv
ices &
Plac
emen
t
View
s re:
Stud
ent
Need
s
Lead
ersh
ip Is
sues
Educ
ator
Skills
(inad
equa
te)
Ineff
ectiv
e M
eetin
gs
Lack
of T
rust
Qualitative Responses• Assessment/student needs & services/placement• Measurements/assessing progress• Decision-making• “Attitude”- rigidity, ego, lack of respect for parent
knowledge• Interpretation of law – “intent” or “letter”• Lack of interpreters• Smaller districts—fewer resources & options
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
2.903.06 3.13
3.56
2.57 2.61
3.00
IEP interpretation
Beliefs r
e: educ.
practices
Staff ro
les/duties
Resource
constr
aints
Lead
ership iss
uesEd
ucator la
ck of s
kill
Inappro
priate
parent
expec
tations
Factors Related to Conflict and IEP Implementation
Qualitative Responses
• Lack of communication – among educators and home-school
• Lack of follow-through– Gen ed/constraints /building culture– Caseload size, paperwork excesses, time, etc.• Creativity
• Paraprofessional training/turnover• “Inappropriate expectations”
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50 3.20
1.82
3.032.89
3.19
2.752.94
Not enough
communica
tion
Too m
uch co
mmunication
Ineffec
tive co
mmunication
Inadeq
uate co
nflict
resolution sk
illsLa
ck of tr
ustIneff
ective
mee
tingsPo
wer st
rugg
les
Factors Related to Relationship/Interpersonal Conflicts
Qualitative Responses
• Communication patterns of “telling” and not listening
• Parent input disregarded/lack of true collaborative stance
• Blame, defensiveness and other expected conflict responses
• “Gatekeeper” role and “no” – central administrators and school level teams/parents
• Burnout/stress on all parts, then directed at others
2.70
2.80
2.90
3.00
3.10
3.20
3.30
3.40
3.50
3.60
3.70
3.39 3.39 3.37
3.65
3.29
3.14
3.04
Factors Related to Conflict & Resource ConstraintsTim
e for
Plann
ing/
Colla
bora
tion
Kinds
of se
rvice
s for
kids
$ for
equi
pmen
t, m
ater
ials,
curri
culu
m$ f
or hi
ring p
erso
nnel
Skille
d per
sonn
el av
ailab
lePr
of.
Deve
lopm
ent
Crea
tive u
se o
f res
ourc
es
Qualitative Responses
• Questions about resource constraints:– Quantity or allocation of available funds– Lack of creativity/openness to new ideas– Organization issues• Planning, but no follow-through
• Building leadership commitment• Rural, small districts particularly affected
Inclusio
n strat
egies
Wide range
of student n
eeds
Conflict re
solution
Specia
l ed la
w
Data - c
ollecti
on/interpretati
on
Facil
itation fo
r meetings
2.70
2.80
2.90
3.00
3.10
3.20
3.30
3.40
3.22
3.31
3.10 3.12
2.94 2.94
Factors Related to Conflict and a Lack of Knowledge/Skill
Qualitative Responses
• Parents need access to more training– Lack of knowledge decreases capacity to advocate
for their children• Lack of knowledge/experience in some areas
leads to defensiveness/lack of openness (inclusion, reading, students with ASD)
• Paraprofessionals – often primary interveners but lack training
Communication Skills
Conflict Resolution Skills
Effective Building Leadership
Frequent Communication
District-Parent Partners
Effective District Leadership
Collaboration-GenEd & SpEd
Prof. Development
Parent Support
Neutral Facilitation-IEP Meetings
Draft IEP
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
4.09
3.96
3.93
3.85
3.84
3.8
3.79
3.57
3.54
3.48
3.38
Successful Strategies
Qualitative Responses
• Majority of responses -- “not observed”• Sense that districts are threatened by stronger
parent participation• Exclusion/segregation of students linked to
building leadership/school community• Not a replacement for effective program • Improvement on ideas: IEP draft;
communication frequency; school Parent Liaison
What Else…• Conflict drivers/Systems level:– Basic lack of collaboration/sense of partnership among
home/school/district– Intent of law vs. letter of law orientations– Resource constraints – impacts on multiple levels– People in state of “ongoing stress”– Lack of leadership
• What works/suggestions:– Proactive communication/Fostering relationships and trust
willingness/empathy– Actively supporting parents to learn, be engaged– Commitment to the child
Implications - Discussion• What stands out?• What questions come up for you?• What rings true or not?• How can we get out of the reinforcing loops?– What perspective or value might we embrace to
create change?– What specific actions might we take?– What support do you need?
• What could have the greatest impact?
“Developing leadership capacity is not about stuffing in a whole bunch of new information or trying out the latest technique. It’s about leading out of what is already in your soul. It’s about liberating the leader within you. It’s about setting yourself free. It’s about putting your ear to your heart and just listening”
“A Leaders Legacy” Kouzes and Posner
What does your heart have to say?
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