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…

This article draws on my time as a classroom teacher and my experience as a museum educator affiliated with the Center for Restorative History to argue for learning that centers relationships over education that centers measurement. The world we live in is shaped by a logic that prioritizes categorization, regulation, and metrics measured against…

This dissertation investigates the influence of interventions on the behavior outcomes of alternative education students in the Midwest United States, addressing the gap in literature regarding the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in alternative education settings. Grounded in B.F. Skinner's…

This study explored the impact of secondary administrator perceptions on implementing restorative discipline practices in Texas middle school campuses. Ten secondary middle school administrators from diverse Texas school districts that utilized restorative practices for non-expellable offenses participated in open-ended, semi-structured…

Undesirable behavior happens in schools and has often been punished by suspending and expelling students who misbehave. Exclusionary practices like these deprive students of educational opportunity and have not been shown to improve behavior or school climate. Negative consequences include the school to prison pipeline, which refers to a…

This quantitative study delves into the intricate relationship between Knowles' andragogical teaching style and the implementation of restorative practices in secondary schools. The research takes root in the growing need to move beyond zero-tolerance policies that have demonstrably led to concerning trends such as heightened suspension rates,…

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…

Collegiate men are overrepresented in student conduct systems across the higher education landscape as they are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors when compared with their female counterparts (Laker & Davis, 2011). There is a strong correlation between these high-risk behaviors and the ideology of toxic masculinity (Wagner, 2015).…

Zero-tolerance discipline in schools has resulted in disproportionate referrals, suspensions, and expulsions for Black students, students with disabilities, and low-income students of color. Restorative Justice (RJ) seeks to intervene in these patterns by emphasizing community interconnectedness and a discourse of harm, accountability, and repair.…

Historically marginalized students, especially urban students attending under-resourced schools, experience lower levels of belongingness than their white peers in suburban, well-resourced schools. Much research highlights that student belongingness increases student outcomes such as on-time graduation, standardized test achievement, and lifetime…

Most schools have a code of conduct that guides their expectations for student behaviors. While schools' policies around discipline are believed to help deter further negative behavioral incidents, restorative practices is a field of study that strives to proactively build community and social coherence rather than exclusionary consequences…

The purpose of this convergent parallel design, mixed methods case study, was to discover the perception of students and teachers of the effectiveness of using school-wide restorative practices for students at the middle school level, grades six through eight, at one middle school site. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was the Theoretical Framework…

Research largely agrees on the importance of building and sustaining a collaborative school culture. However, it is less clear how school leaders should address a balkanized culture and repair harm following staff conflict. This becomes even more challenging when the harm that has been caused is rooted in racial tensions. Restorative Justice has…

The widespread adoption of restorative practices (RP) in U.S. schools to address inequities has been significant. However, the existing literature on RP lacks research measuring its impact on genderqueer students. This study explores the experiences of genderqueer students in Grades 3 through 12 compared to cisgender students in a school district…

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…