Needs and readiness assessments for implementing school-wide restorative practices

Abstract

Persistent disparities in exclusionary discipline procedures continue to portent negative educational outcomes for students from specific racial, income, and ability categories. Restorative practices (RP) has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate these disparities and improve school climate. This study describes the utility of field-initiated implementation readiness assessments that might guide school districts by targeting the needs of faculty and staff. This study is a part of a mixed-methods Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project made possible by a university and school-district partnership. The results reveal potential challenges and opportunities related to RP implementation and hold implications for professional development trainings for school districts that aim to implement RP as a foundation to employ more just and effective disciplinary mechanisms.

“I felt good being up here!” Shifts in student exposure to restorative practices

“…The second potential moderator is restorative readiness (Garnett et al, 2020;Gregory & Evans, 2020), or the cultural "fit" between the philosophical tenets of restorative practices and the beliefs of school staff. For example, when staff believe exclusionary discipline is necessary to manage student behavior, they may find it difficult to embrace a restorative approach.…”

Relationship between Restorative Practices and School Climate at Secondary Level District Lahore

“…Many Pakistani school officials and teachers have been witnessed attempting to regulate student conduct through the use of unsuccessful penalties in the past. Exclusionary discipline diminishes a student's chances of graduating from high school since he or she is absent from class (Garnett et al, 2020). Students who have frequent conflict with school authorities are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system (Siddiqui, Muhammad, & Naseer, 2021).…”

Social Emotional Learning in Schools: The Importance of Educator Competence

“…Restorative practice in schools align with curative justice principles which emphasize the interconnectedness of people and seeks to build, maintain, and repair relationships once harm has occurred (Zehr, 2015). They can be complex, given there is no set curriculum in place and often serve as more of a mindset of philosophy that schools can adapt to fit their unique environment (Garnett et al, 2019). Experts suggest that restorative practices are best implemented schoolwide (Amstutz & Mullet, 2015).…”