Restorative Practice Resources Tagged With: In Schools

New research from the University of Chicago Education Lab finds that restorative practices in schools can significantly reduce suspensions and student arrests for violent and non-violent offenses and increase student perceptions of belonging and school safety.  

The study, which evaluated the effect of restorative practices rolled out across Chicago public high schools beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year, suggests these practices are generating genuine, positive changes in student behavior. Schools that implemented RP policies saw out-of-school suspensions fall 18%. There was a 35% reduction in student arrests in school and a 15% reduction in out-of-school student arrests. The study saw declines in arrests for both violent and non-violent offenses.

A new study shows restorative practices are more beneficial than traditional discipline for students. Dr Anjali Adukia from the University of Chicago and executive director Bessie Alcantara of Alternatives Inc. joined WGN Weekend Morning News to share more on their initiative towards restorative justice.
 

Video: Relationships First: Restorative Justice Education Do you wonder what is at the foundation of Restorative Justice Education? Have you ever wondered about things as simple as how to organize a circle in the space you have available? This clear and accessible description of the foundational components of a holistic approach to implementing Circle processes is unique in that it answers questions many of us are hesitant to ask. 2018.

An instructional manual on restorative justice in schools from world-leading experts; this 'how to' guide offers guidance on the issues of carrying out restorative practices, including coping with day-to-day problems, and offers worksheets for practical daily use.

Beginning with challenges to orthodox thinking about behaviour change, it goes on to describe a multitude of approaches to respond to minor incidents in school settings, then takes a close look at using restorative approaches to bullying, before it finally focuses on the formal end of the continuum (including conference preparation and facilitation).

This book is reflective of the evolution of processes and responses from the most serious of incidents through to minor everyday issues, making this an essential resource for all school staff.

'Schools need to be transformed into communities where everyone belongs, where differences are accepted and membership is unconditional. Schools can and should be places that all students can love. Making this change will require educators to think differently about student behavior and reflect on how they respond to it.

Real discipline should be more than deciding what consequences to use with students; it should always be about learning. So when students break the rules or have trouble, educators need to ask, "How can we help them learn what they need to learn, and how can we meet their needs?"

The answers to those questions should shape both our discipline practices and the type of school that we provide for our children.'

Adam Voigt has been teaching and leading schools in some of Australia’s most challenging locations for more than twenty-five years. He has a history of transforming student lives and teacher practice by fostering school cultures that are strong, relational and hallmarked by stakeholder trust.

More than ever, we need inspired and inspiring teachers and school leaders. Yet their status and morale have never been lower.

Restoring the pride, focus and community perception of our educators is now a national imperative that involves cultivating a positive account of teaching expertise in every Australian school.

The future of a respected teaching workforce lies in a brave, new frontier of work. It starts with applying the principles of Restorative Practices to the contemporary school context – creatively and practically.

'It seems like a herculean task to ask every single person in a school to contribute to your schoolwide expectations. However, the Restorative Practice of the community circle is an excellent way to intentionally work together to establish community values and behavioral expectations. Restorative Practices ideals emphasize that “rules” established by authority figures are less likely to create the positive community we are seeking. Instead, our standards for how we interact should be co-created (WITH) so everyone feels like they contributed. When we adults show respect for students' needs and listen to their voice, we are modeling to them how to respect the needs of others. As students help in creating schoolwide and classroom expectations, they get to experience mutual respect and shared power.'

'Around this time, I was attending a principals’ conference and heard Adam Voigt (Real Schools) speak about this very issue. Adam’s philosophy is very much built around establishing and maintaining effective relationships in the school setting, not only student to student, but also student to teacher. A key part of this is encouraging students to actually understand the damage they may have done to their relationships with others, due to incorrect behaviour and to then help them through the process of being better at ‘getting it right’ i.e. restoring the relationship. This resonated strongly with me and shortly afterwards Yarra Hills Secondary College embarked on a partnership with Real Schools to start the process of creating a restorative environment and embedding it in school practices'

'As many of us gather virtually during this time of COVID-19, we feel a need to talk about what is happening and how we’re being affected. The impact has to do with those who become sick, obviously. The rest of us who are settling in place in our homes and maintaining physical distance are also dramatically affected. Early in the crisis, a teacher asked, “I’m out of school; all my students are at home. What’s a good circle prompt to do at this time?”'

'Personal, Daily Connections As soon as schools closed, Lurenz-Seguin knew she needed to maintain a personal, daily connection with her students. Many of them are still developing language skills, and she wanted to continue building on the progress they had made in class, she said. In Lurenz-Seguin's virtual circle times, she breaks the block of time into chunks. First, she and the students sing a good morning song, then they move onto the days of the week, then practicing vocabulary and having conversations.'

'The foundational principles of the transformative justice model “come from indigenous teachings,” which say that “we are interconnected, that everyone has a space and that when harm happens it’s because there is something that needs to be repaired as opposed to something that needs to be extracted from the community,”'

'Keeping Them Connected: Restorative Justice in Schools in Australia and New Zealand – what progress? The traditional response of schools to school discipline is based on the retributive approach which has long characterised the criminal justice system. Research now indicates that this approach generally fails to satisfy the victim, the offender and the community. In the context of criminal offending, attention is increasingly being paid to the application of restorative practices. In New Zealand the restorative justice model has been operating since 1989 for youth offending and is now being implemented in the context of adult offending also. The Australian states and territories are following to varying degrees. Restorative practices move the focus from punishing the offender to requiring them to take responsibility for their actions. Because of this focus they are not seen as a ‘soft option’, and there are many indications of their success. Many schools are now applying this model to school discipline. A variety of different practices are being employed to keep young people in school and connected with the education process, while still not compromising school safety. This article explores the incorporation of restorative practices as alternative and proactive responses to behavioural problems within some Australian and New Zealand schools. The focus here is on particular restorative practices with the acknowledgement that there is a much wider picture which involves changes in school cultures to embrace, in a practical manner, principles of citizenship and democracy. This concept is the subject of significant research which is discussed by the author in a previous article.

'Student Wellbeing Central to Learning and School Improvement Rationale Education in schools is largely about relationships, which can often develop into conflicts which require resolution, forgiveness and healing. Restorative practices help students learn from their mistakes and reconcile and resolve problems with others. The aim of this initiative is for schools to develop an understanding of restorative justice and learn skills and practices for use in the classroom. It is acknowledged that these prevention measures may lead to and / or require the use of interventions for more serious offences.'

'Restorative justice is a broad term and is used in this report to capture what the literature describes using a variety of terms, including “restorative practices,” “restorative approaches,” and similar language. The report describes restorative justice as encompassing “a growing social movement to institutionalize non-punitive, relationship-centered approaches for avoiding and addressing harm, responding to violations of legal and human rights, and collaboratively solving problems.”'