This is both a research paper that I co-authored with Patrick Buller for PCST 346 Mediation and Conflict Resolution in the Spring 2012 semester (more of the history and comparing programs) and a research policy memo that I put together based on work done for the research paper for POLS 336 Local and Regional Governance in the Fall 2012 semester (more of applying peer mediation at a wider scale) both at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University. Below are links to the final drafts of the research paper as well as research policy memo and documents from the literature review we did before starting our own research and before adapting that into the policy memo.

Peer Mediation Literature Review

Fall 2012 Research Policy Memo

Brief Note

As a policy memo this paper has a recipient and a sender. Though the recipient (Education Commissioner Dr. Brenda Cassellius) is a real person this memo was not meant to really get sent to her. The sender name is mine, but the title isn’t even a real title at Avalon. Program coordinator is the equivalent of principal, but the real program coordinator is not also the math teacher. Rather I paired myself as “Program Coordinator/Math” as I’d expect only the program coordinator to send such memos, yet the math teacher is also the current staff advisor for the peer mediation program.

Final Products

  • Final draft of the Research Policy Memo (completed on December 14th, 2012 and turned in on December 17th, 2012)
  • Final draft of the Executive Summary (used as notes for presentation and submitted with final paper as a summary of main points given in the full paper; completed on December 9th, 2012 but retains the date of the full project being due)
  • Presentation Slides (never actually used for presentation but were prepared for it before I chose to use just personal notes and have no visual aid with my presentation that I presented on December 11th, 2012)

Spring 2012 Research Paper

Abstract

This paper will first discuss the start of peer mediation programs in high schools. It will go on to discuss Avalon School as an example of an existing peer mediation program in a high school. From there it will discuss some details of certain elements of Avalon’s peer mediation program, including looking at the alternative options. It will conclude with comments on what this information tells us about future generations’ ability to positively resolve conflicts and where the reader can go from here.

Final Products