Vol. 5, Issue 1 | Winter 2007 

 also see Solving the Puzzle:  Step by Step for Inclusive Schools

Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education (CRETE)

School districts are having trouble with teacher attrition and unsafe working environments. The increase in social aggression, disrespectfulness, and bullying are the top three issues that coincide with this unsafe working environment. “This problem is especially significant in urban education environments, where teacher turnover is 50 percent higher in high-poverty than in low-poverty.”* One reason why teachers leave these environments is that it can seem hopeless to be able to provide a constructive learning environment for students. Tricia S. Jones is the project director for the Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education (CRETE) at Temple University. CRETE is a project whose main initiative is to provide pre-service conflict resolution education (CRE) and social and emotional learning (SEL) to teachers across the United States.  Jones stated that 89 percent of teachers do not feel adequately equipped to handle conflict among students in the classroom. Therefore, these programs are being taught in an effort to create a more positive environment in the classroom that benefits both increased learning and positive teacher-student relationships. 

CRETE is a three-year national pilot program and the only program that provides teachers with pre-service CRE in the nation. CRETE has collaborated with Temple University, Cleveland State University, Ohio State University, West Chester University, and the Ohio Commission for Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management. Organizations funding this effort are the United States Department of Education, the George Gund Foundation, and the Ohio Commission for Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management. Temple University and Cleveland State University involve faculty training and development of lesson plans, a 40-hour practicum, and availability of teacher mentors to new student teachers. Ohio State University and West Chester University are evaluating CRETE to determine its impact on teacher success in classroom management. Web-based educational programs, like Web-CT, help structure course materials and make it accessible around the United States. 

Expectations for the new teachers in this program are that they will be able to better manage their classrooms more effectively, with more time to focus specifically on teaching. This, in turn, will help reach CRETE’s goal for students to be able to attend schools that provide a more positive and supportive learning environment.

After evaluation of the CRETE program is complete in 2006–2007, an assessment will be made on its effectiveness. If evaluation shows that CRETE is effective in pre-service, the next step would be implementing CRE training programs in colleges of education across the United States.