(a) The fundamental skill areas are parts of the curriculum of the Creating a Peaceable School model of the Illinois Institute for Dispute Resolution (“IIDR”). It is the intent of this chapter to have the IIDR model adopted throughout the territory's schools to the extent applicable and appropriate. Each school in the Virgin Islands shall have the flexibility to decide whether or not to adopt the IIDR model given its level of intra-school conflict, needs, and level of violent behavior. If the IIDR model is adopted by a school, that school shall develop a peer mediation program.
(b) A broad-base coalition of administrators, classroom teachers, special educators, counselors, deans, social workers, and health educators interested in developing a conflict resolution program will be necessary for a successful program.
(c) The conflict resolution program team of any school utilizing the IIDR model may also include parents, students, and/or community members.
(d) A school in the Virgin Islands opting for the IIDR model shall include the following six phases of the peer mediation-based, conflict resolution program.
(1) Develop the Program Team and Commitment
(2) Design and Plan the Program
(3) Select and Train the Mediators
(4) Educate a Critical Mass
(5) Develop and Execute a Promotional Campaign
(6) Program Operation and Maintenance
(e) PHASE I shall include the following activities:
(1) creating the program team
(2) training the program team
(3) designating the program coordinators
(4) conducting a needs assessment
(5) building faculty consensus for program development
(f) Following phase I, the school is encouraged to establish an advisory committee of 10 to 12 members representing the diverse interests of the school and community, including parents, teachers, school and district administrators, students, support staff, community representatives and corporate sponsors. The advisory committee shall oversee the development of the program, including the role of mediation within the school's discipline program: assist the program team in developing timelines for implementation; and identify and develop funding sources.
(g) PHASE III entail recruiting, selecting, and training student mediators. Nominations shall be broadly solicited from among staff and students, including self-nominations. Student mediation training shall involve 12 to 15 hours of basic training and 12 to 15 hours of additional advanced training. Basic training shall include understanding conflict, responses to conflict, sources of conflict, communication skills, the role of the mediator, and the mediation process. Advanced training includes bias awareness, social/cultural diversity, advanced communication, uncovering hidden interests, dealing with anger, caucusing, negotiation, group problem solving.
(h) PHASE IV focuses on educating a critical mass about conflict, conflict resolution, and the mediation process by using workshops for faculty, students, parents, and the community. An in service training program shall be established for the purpose of helping staff develop a common understanding of conflict, learn the principles of conflict resolution, develop an understanding of the mediation process, learn how to support the peer mediation program through curriculum integration and referral of conflicts to mediation, and prepare to conduct student workshops.
(i) Because peer mediation can be greeted with skepticism, promoting the program among the student population is crucial to its success.
(j) PHASE VI encompasses requesting mediation, scheduling mediations and mediators, supervising mediators, recording mediation data, providing ongoing training and support, and evaluating programs.