This phenomenological qualitative study examined school leaders' perceptions of using restorative practices within their schools. Participants included twelve school leaders who had experience with utilizing and implementing restorative practices. School leaders included: principals, assistant principals, deans, and administrative assistants.…

As student discipline has become a growing area of concern in public schools, the staggering number of office referrals and student suspensions has caused principals to seek alternative methods to address student misbehavior. Restorative practices aim to change negative student behavior and restore relationships following behavioral incidents by…

Restorative practices (RP) have been shown through research to produce positive results on school culture and reductions in measures of exclusionary discipline especially when a whole-school and culture change approach is utilized. Further, the benefits of RP include fostering community, belonging, and supporting the development of positive…

Restorative justice, a nonpunitive alternative to traditional school discipline, emphasizes building and repairing relationships rather than punishing misbehavior. In addition to reducing reliance on suspension, restorative practices correlate with narrowed discipline gaps for minoritized student populations. It is essential for school leaders…

Purpose: This study facilitated restorative coordinators in co-constructing and proposing solutions to common problems in RJ implementation. Design/methodology/approach: This study used grounded theory to examine barriers to equitable restorative justice (RJ) implementation in the US. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with restorative…

Principals have several responsibilities pertaining to the school environment. One of their primary responsibilities is overseeing school discipline and creating a positive school climate and culture. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of middle school principals regarding the implementation of restorative practices in their middle…

This work is important because it concerns students whose aptitudes, talents, and gifts may have been overlooked and misunderstood because these students lacked the correct tools. Specifically, these students lacked the tools to appropriately respond to conflict or stress within the school setting. The lack of such tools easily leads to suspension…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the thoughts, feelings, and actions of middle school administrators regarding their school leadership and their influence on the use of exclusionary and restorative justice practices. Theoretical Framework: This research was on grounded by two foundational theories: Sociocultural Theory…

Exclusionary discipline practices (EDPs), including suspensions and expulsions, are used in public schools, from kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12). Excessive use of EDP can have a negative impact as students face delays in completion of their academic work. The problem of increasing use of EDPs at a suburban public school district located in a…

The problem examined in this qualitative arts-based phenomenological multi-site case study was the existence of racial discipline disparities in K-12 public schools throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the lived experiences of middle school principals leading the implementation of restorative justice practices…

The school-to-prison pipeline has been an ongoing phenomenon for many decades that disproportionately and negatively impacts students of color. Due to research suggesting school principals play a critical role in the student disciplinary decision-making process, the present study aimed to better understand how principals make discipline decisions…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences and knowledge that informed the decision-making of nine principals from a large midwestern urban district who shifted from implementing mainly exclusionary to restorative practices. Framed by Lederach's conflict transformation theory, the research question was: What knowledge and…

Whole school restorative practice (WSRP) calls for creating supportive, equitable schools, requiring broad systems change. This case study explores the journeys of three schools piloting WSRP in one Midwestern district and examines how school leaders designed and implemented within their school contexts. Schools were purposefully selected from…

Educators and researchers have been exploring alternative approaches to school discipline such as School-wide Positive Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) and Restorative Justice. While these programs and practices along have been determined to be effective in reducing instances of discipline disproportionality (McIntosh et. al., 2018; Stewart…

The requirement that schools must monitor student internet use is not a new concept to K-12 education; however, the use of safety management platforms (SMPs) to help with this task is new. These tools utilize artificial intelligence to sift through the data attached to student information and communications technology (ICT) use and report it back…