Perhaps the best and easiest way to manage conflict is to prevent it in the first place. Increasing the capacity of systems and individuals to meaningfully collaborate and problem-solve offers a proactive strategy for conflict management. Here we review leading preventative alternatives.
All parents can and should participate meaningfully in their children’s education, including those whose children receive special education services. Research demonstrates that parent/family involvement significantly contributes to improved student outcomes. Engagement between family members and educators is seen through coordinated efforts as well as joint agenda setting and decision-making and is evidenced by higher levels of trust.
Stakeholder training is aimed at equipping stakeholders - parents, educators, service providers, advocates and others - with skills that enhance their capacity to communicate, negotiate and prevent conflict from escalating. A wide variety of topics may be included in the training curriculum and the learning setting can vary from short workshops provided to small groups, to all-day courses provided at state-wide conferences.
A Stakeholder Council advises education system administrators and dispute resolution program managers on the development of policies and procedures that regulate the system. Such councils provide ongoing input from a variety of perspectives to help guide and influence the functioning and improvement of dispute resolution systems. The group typically includes representatives from parent and advocacy organizations, special education administrators, attorneys, and dispute resolution practitioners. In some cases, a stakeholder council is a sub-committee of the state’s special education advisory committee; in other cases it is a free-standing entity.
Collaborative Rulemaking was developed as an effort to build consensus among interested stakeholders regarding state special education regulations and procedures. Sometimes referred to as negotiated rulemaking or regulatory negotiations, it is an alternative to the development of rules in isolation and subsequent solicitation of input through a public process. The purpose of bringing stakeholders together is to improve understanding of diverse perspectives, to identify significant issues of concern, to generate policy options, and to develop consensus on policy recommendations reflective of stakeholder needs. Collaboration fosters creativity, increases credibility, legitimacy and trust, and facilitates the regulatory process.
