The purpose of this study was to evaluate implementation of a whole school restorative practices model in Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota. Their model aims to embed practices to develop equitable relationships, engage students in learning, and respond relationally to behavioral concerns over a three-year period. The evaluation followed three…

Schools have faced increasing challenges related to safety and security. This Spotlight explores strategies to create safe and supportive learning environments that promote student well-being and academic success. From responding to school threats and building strong school-community relationships to fostering positive school climates, these…

Responding to a growing call for culturally sustaining pedagogy, this article describes a Community of Practice (CoP) project in Minnesota. Guided by two Indigenous mentors, a cohort of 15 Indigenous and Non-Indigenous educators engaged in collective inquiry regarding how Indigenous histories, worldviews, and learning approaches can become part of…

This edited volume offers a comprehensive overview of the dual concepts of Restorative Justice as a legal remedy and Restorative Practice as a philosophy to reduce harm and build resilient and just communities within social, cultural, and educational institutions. With contributions from leading practitioners and scholars, the book serves as a…

The problem under investigation was the impact of restorative justice on lowering rates of exclusionary discipline among minority populations. The focus was primarily on students in grades K-12. More specifically, targeted groups included African American and Latino students (particularly males), and parents. Student/teacher relationships were…

St. Louis Public Schools is an urban school district of 19,299 students. The district has a predominantly Black student population with 78% of students identifying as Black, while also being very diverse with 11% of students qualifying as English Language Learners (ELL). St. Louis has a high crime rate, including a high murder rate. This trickles…

This paper has two purposes: First, we describe the components of the Student Ownership, Accountability, and Responsibility for School Safety (SOARS) framework in the context of the literature on school safety. Second, we offer outcomes from a pilot study testing the framework's impact on student perceptions of: (1) school belonging; (2) sense of…

Well-documented racial disparities in rates of exclusionary discipline may arise from differences in hard-to-observe student behavior or bias, in which treatment for the same behavior varies by student race or ethnicity. We provide evidence for the presence of bias using statewide administrative data that contain rich details on individual…

This mixed method exploratory sequential study examined Illinois high school administrators' perceptions of Senate Bill 100 implementation and the type of professional development provided for staff. This study examined administrators' perceptions on the mindset of staff, effects on student discipline, and professional development offered and…

This Spotlight explores key aspects of MTSS implementation, including its relationship to special education and effectiveness in improving student outcomes. Discover how MTSS can be used to support social-emotional learning, address discipline disparities, and ensure equitable access to resources and support. By combining data-driven…

This qualitative action research concentrates on examining the best practices for teachers in trauma-informed practices by producing an implementation guide to train the trainer. The theoretical framework utilized to help inform the development of this research was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (1989) in relation to human development…

This qualitative case study explored how an existing restorative justice (RJ) curriculum designed for student affairs practitioners in higher education can be expanded to promote an alternative approach to retributive justice in campus sexual misconduct (CSM) cases at postsecondary institutions in the United States. Restorative justice is a…

American high school educators have developed and adopted various disciplinary practices to discourage misconduct among students. Amongst the popular practices are zero-tolerance policies and restorative procedures. Zero-tolerance policies are those whereby student punishment occurs when they violate the code of conduct. Usually, it results in…

This report provides a brief overview of Culturally Responsive Restorative Practices, an innovative framework intended to address discipline disparities and improve school climate and culture at ten AISD schools. This work is part of a 5-year, $3.5 million Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Data…

Exclusionary discipline practices (EDPs) have been linked to poor academic performance and student dropout rates. Research shows that students suspended, expelled, or placed in alternate learning environments fare worse academically than their peers. This qualitative case study explores the experiences of classroom teachers in Northwest Louisiana…