While restorative practices (RP) is hailed as one of the oldest criminal justice models in the world, the official advent of RP in education did not occur until the 1990s. Mirroring the reemergence of RP into legal systems, educators began experimenting with the application of RP in the educational setting. Today, restorative work in schools has…

Studies have been conducted for decades on the impact that restorative practices can have on student discipline systems in an educational context, along with the challenges of implementation (Dhaliwal et al, 2023; Marsh, 2017; Blood, 2005; Wearmouth et al, 2007; Drewery, 2016; Jones, 2021, Guckenburg et al, 2015). However, these studies have not…

Beginning in the fall of 2017, forty-one districts and charter schools entered into three-year legal agreements with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to reduce the racial disproportionality in their district or school's exclusionary discipline practices, specifically the overrepresentation of students of color in suspensions and…

Teachers and administrators in an urban, suburban, and rural school district on the east coast of the United States faced challenges implementing effective discipline policy interventions to manage student misbehavior. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educators about the challenges of implementing discipline…

The use of restorative practices to address college student behavior is a growing trend, but one about which few studies exist. While literature suggests how implementation of restorative practices can happen in the K-12 education setting, little is known about how student conduct practitioners should go about modifying their practices, policies,…

School climate can be complex to measure and to change, but it is clear that it is a critical component of an effective school. One practice that has been shown to positively influence school climate is Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a framework of evidence-based practices and its power for initiating change has…

Negative student behaviors are a significant concern among teachers. Incorporating Proactive Classroom Management Practices (PCMPs) to prevent detrimental behaviors would benefit the learning environment. These practices promote academic engagement and limit the number of Office Disciplinary Referrals (ODRs). The purpose of this study was to…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the data from schools that have and have not implemented AVID for at least three years to determine what difference, if any, existed between the schools' racial discipline gap. This study compared both the suspension and expulsion outcomes of students of color and White students in Minnesota…

Research indicates that Response to Intervention (RTI) increases student achievement and significantly improves student academic and behavioral outcomes. RTI has demonstrated significant student gains in the elementary setting and research tends to be more heavily centered at the elementary level; however, RTI is expanding to being applied in the…

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…

"Statement of the Problem": Almost half of children in the United States have been exposed to childhood trauma (McIntosh, 2019). Discipline practices in many schools are often ineffective with and inappropriate for students who have experienced trauma. For example, students who are disciplined in traditional ways often continue to…

School safety is a wicked problem due to shifting needs and available information, the diverse actors affected and involved, fluctuating budgetary demands and ramifications, and relations to broader social and political issues. School safety challenges encompass a range of factors, including threats of violence and fears related to school…

The quest for greatness has produced disparate outcomes for communities of color, identifying racial and economic injustices that require a call for action. The case study examines the relationship between Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) and Title I elementary schools, as applied in a location that served an African…

A mixed-method study in the United States of a northeastern regional charter middle school (CGA) attempted to address the underrepresentation of Black students in academic opportunities and success and their overrepresentation in student discipline by addressing the root causes: teachers' racial and cultural biases and equity instruction efficacy.…

This qualitative comparative case analysis aimed to examine the social, emotional, behavioral, and environmental factors that impact elementary students' ability to improve their academic skills. This research looked to identify the problem and the number of students struggling with academic, behavioral, and emotional concerns. Studies show that…