Restorative Justice in a No Excuses Charter School

Abstract

Restorative justice practices are an increasingly popular approach to behavioral management, rooted in relationships rather than the behaviorist approach of many traditional forms of schooling. Research on restorative practice implementation demonstrates that schools rarely have time to consider cultural change, as they rush to reduce suspensions and discipline gaps. Presumably, this mismatch between culture and practice would be even more pronounced in a no-excuses charter, but this presumption warrants inquiry. Framed by theories of institutional logics, the current study examines an historically no-excuses charter school’s shift toward restorative justice. We find that a behaviorist, “no-excuses” logic inhibits teachers and administrators from embracing the cultural and ideological foundations of restorative justice, even as they express ideological and intellectual commitment to the shift in practices. We close with implications for school leadership and restorative justice implementation.

What makes restorative justice equitable? “It’s a practice, not a program.”

“…For example, Wadhwa’s (2016) qualitative case study of a high school revealed that RJ created opportunities for students and teachers to see how their interpersonal conflicts were linked to the pressures of operating in an underfunded, chaotic school system. Still, in Lustick’s multiple case studies of RJ implementation (2017, 2022) and Lustick et al. (2023) teachers and leaders commit to equity in theory but revert to a punitive mindset in challenging “disciplinary moments” (Vavrus and Cole, 2002, p. 89).…”

Public School Choice Options in the United States

“…One study found that in Massachusetts, urban charter schools improved math and English language arts outcomes for Students of Color and low-income students [91]. However, evaluations of no excuses charter schools, which are often defined by the enforcement of strict disciplinary codes and extended school days and years, have shown that these schools have a detrimental impact on the experiences of Students of Color, lead to exclusionary practices, and inhibit the implementation of restorative justice practices [60,104,105]. Collectively, these findings suggest that students' experiences and outcomes at charter schools vary greatly.…”