New Developments and Lessons Learned From the Enhancing Relationships in School Communities Project

The Enhancing Relationships in School Communities (ERIS) project is an applied research project that began in 2005, to develop better processes for cooperative conflict resolution in primary school communities and to create more culturally respectful school communities. In this paper we first describe the background of the project and the approach taken with two cohorts of schools, comprising 12 primary schools in ERIS Phase 1 and then a further 10 primary schools in Phase 2. Also included are descriptions of how the way we presented the conflict resolution model was adapted to respond to school needs. Several developments are described, including (1) simplifying the conflict resolution model to encourage broader application, (2) systematically integrating elements of respect for cultural diversity into the conflict model to assist teachers to consider the broader cultural context, and (3) integrating the conflict resolution model into the broader external framework for building and restoring relationships in schools communities. Further lessons learned from the process of engaging in Phase 2 of the project are discussed, such as the importance of joining in a partnership with schools to better learn from and address their needs, and providing extended professional development with school support to increase implementation and program maintenance.