A popular alternative disciplinary framework from zero-tolerance school policies is restorative justice, which refers to a set of ideologies and practices that emphasize healing relationships in lieu of community exclusion. This work investigates the differences between ideological support for restorative approaches compared to program…

In this essay, we explore the concept of path dependence through the example of the long-standing issue of racialized exclusionary school discipline. We argue that historians of education can reduce policy makers' tendency to continue down existing policy paths (especially unhelpful ones), a phenomenon known as "path dependence." We use…

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…

Rooted in relational philosophies, restorative practices (RP) in schools are initiatives that seek to provide alternatives to exclusionary discipline. Restorative conferences (RC), in particular, aim to repair harm and reintegrate youth following a conflict. Despite abundant theorizing about conference benefits and hypothesized mechanisms of…

Discipline practices wield significant influence over the social dynamics within educational settings and profoundly impact students' ability to attain academic and social gains crucial for their success. The racialization of school discipline has been linked to negative effects on student's academic trajectories and life outcomes. Consequently,…

Disciplinary intervention is an important responsibility for teachers and administrators. Undesirable behavior must be addressed as it can cause disruptions to the learning environment and ultimately impede student learning and progress. A variety of punitive disciplinary interventions, ranging from time out to exclusionary practices such as…

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…

There are a multitude of challenges facing the education profession, especially our teachers in the field. Teachers are often dissatisfied due to two prevalent stressors: teacher workload and student discipline and behavior (Borg & Riding, 1991; Boyle et al., 1995; Chaplain, 2008; Klassen, 2010; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009). Given the need…

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…

The challenge for schools and districts across the country has been tackling issues of equity and inclusion that lead to closing opportunity gaps for students. With this in mind, districts have employed schools to find alternative approaches to discipline. One option districts and school sites have is the use of restorative practices as both…

This dissertation explores the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and other school personnel regarding the effectiveness of restorative practices in addressing disciplinary infractions within school settings. Grounded in a phenological design approach, the study investigates lived experiences to understand how individuals perceive and engage…

Racial disparities are consistently present in the office discipline referral data for schools. Beginning in primary grades, African-American students are frequently punished more severely and more often than their peers who display similar behavior. Nationally, during the 2017-1018 school year, over two million K-12 public school students were…

Research suggests support for harsher sanctions for wrongdoers increase in association with the perceived severity of the harm caused. To date, however, research has focused mostly on retributive modes of punishment and has less often addressed restorative sanctions. Furthermore, research has documented racial disparities in conduct sanctioning,…

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…