Zero tolerance policies in urban schools increased the disparities in urban school discipline for Black youth in comparison to white youth. Restorative interventions continue to be a popular response to deviant student behaviors; however, exploring the impact of restorative interventions in reducing harsh discipline on Black youth should be a…

African American students continue to be suspended at rates disproportionate to same-aged peers. The purpose of this study is to use empirical evidence to determine the associated influence of restorative justice (RJ) on a large urban district by studying discipline gap data for the 3 years before and after implementation. Results of the study…

As the nation reckons with the role that the over-expansion of zero-tolerance discipline policies has played in the disproportionate disciplining of Black girls and Black children as a whole, restorative justice (RJ) has taken center stage in the quest for change. This paper explores the tensions that arise when moving from restorative justice…

The disciplinary disparity between Black and White students is an issue that continues to span preschool educational settings up to secondary school. This study examined the adverse effects of the disproportional rate that Black boys receive expulsions and suspensions compared to White students. This study also analyzed the role of the campus…

The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to explore the association between school success after the tier-one introduction of a three-tiered restorative practices program. To understand school success, student factors were examined using middle school data from a suburban school district located outside of a large metropolitan…

Disproportionate rates of behavioral problem reporting and consequences for African American males have occurred for decades. With the consequences surrounding problem behaviors typically removing the student from the classroom, whether to the principal's office or for an in-school or out-of-school suspension, time spent in the classroom for…

Punitive discipline has been utilized in American schools for many years, but restorative justice practices are becoming more common. The researcher examined the literature surrounding punitive discipline and restorative justice practices. The design and purpose of this study was intended to help schools avoid the problems that punitive discipline…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore African American students and school administrators' experiences with out-of-school suspension (OSS) and their perceptions of strategies to reduce suspensions. Researchers have identified research-based strategies to reduce OSS, including restorative practices and Positive Behavior…

This study examined the impact Restorative Justice (RJ) practices had on black boys and the teachers who teach them school experience. The setting of this study was an urban inner city middle school, located in the Northeast region of the United States. This study examined the experiences of these two distinct groups, and ultimately how their…

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…

This study tests the impact of adding Restorative Practices within secondary schools implementing the Diplomas Now turnaround model in 8 large U.S. urban districts on: (a) the severity of disciplinary problems in these schools, (b) the probability that students would be suspended three days or more during the school year, and (c) the chronic…

African American males receive a disproportionate number of referrals that result in punitive and exclusionary consequences. These referrals are often more subjective and include reasons such as disrupting class, disrespect, and refusal to obey. In- and out-of-school suspensions lead to a loss of instructional time for students, as well as a…

Education is the cornerstone of American society. However, American society has a long history of providing unequal access to education resources, often to the detriment of Black children. Black children are often perceived as threatening, even when only 4 years old. Relative to their White peers, Black children receive a disproportionately high…

This Urban Texas School District Restorative Discipline Practice (RDP) initiative was founded and funded on the description that RDP is designed to proactively build relationships, improve school climate, and reduce suspensions of African American (AA) males. This RDP phenomenon was reactively implemented in a Reset Center where suspended students…

This study uses critical race quantitative intersectionality to examine the impacts of gender and dis/ability type on Black students' school discipline outcomes. We use multilevel logistic regression models to analyze data from a large urban school district, considering the intersectional impact of gender and dis/ability type on school discipline…