breaking the conflict logjam: getting upstream of disputes

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?