1. An Introduction to Restorative Practices
Fostering Healthy Relationships
and Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools
Presented by Sapphira Ha, MPH Candidate
California State University, Long Beach

2. Outcome Objectives Participants will:
Understand the core philosophy of Restorative Practices
Be able to give an example for each part of the Restorative Practices Continuum
Understand how Restorative Practices can be integrated within MTSS
Know how restorative practices can change school culture

3. Restorative Practices in Schools are inspired by the philosophy and practices of restorative justice, which puts repairing harm done to relationships and people over and above the need for assigning blame and dispensing punishment. 
Source: Lucille Eber. 7th Annual NYC PBIS Leadership Summit June 13, 2014

4. School-to-Prison Pipeline
Juvenile Detention or Secure Commitment
Re-entry
SCHOOL
Suspension & Expulsion
With traditional punitive discipline practices – zero tolerance policies
Just 1 suspension doubles a student’s risk of dropping out
Dropping
Out
Adult Prison

6. California Education Code
ED Code states: (a) Suspension, …, shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct.
(b) Other means of correction include, but are not limited to, the following:
Participation in a restorative justice program.
A positive behavior support approach with tiered interventions that occur during the school day on campus.

7. Education Code 48900(k) Defiance Suspension and Expulsion

8. High School Dropouts, by Race/Ethnicity: 2010 - 2013
Definition: Percentage of public high school students who drop out of high school, based on the four-year adjusted cohort dropout rate, by race/ethnicity (e.g., 2013 figures show that 13.9% of the Hispanic/Latino students who started high school in 2009 statewide dropped out). The adjusted cohort dropout rate measures the percentage of students who exit grades 9-12 without a high school diploma, GED, or special education certificate of completion and do not remain enrolled after the end of the fourth year.
Data Source: As cited on kidsdata.org, California Dept. of Education, California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) (Oct. 2014).

9. in “Restorative Practices keep students school, learning, rather than
removing them for
suspension or expulsion…” in

10. What are Restorative Practices (RP)?
Restorative Practices are a framework for building community and for responding to challenging behavior through authentic dialogue, coming to understanding, and making things right.
International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP)

12. Core Philosophy of Restorative Practices
Human beings are happier, more productive and more likely to make positive changes in their behavior when those in positions of authority do things WITH them, rather than TO them or FOR them.
Ted Wachtel
Founder, International Institute for Restorative Practices

13. The Social Discipline Window
Way to choose to exercise authority is a decision you get to make, how you choose to engage with students, staff, parents
Two main factors : control and support
The control is the limit-setting, the discipline, the parameters, the expectations, and the support is the encouragement, the nurturing, the care, the love

14. Paradigm Shift Adversarial Restorative What rule was broken?
Who’s to blame?
What punishment does the offender deserve?
Who was harmed?
What harm resulted?
What needs to be done to make things right?

15. A Continuum of Restorative Practices
INFORMAL
Affective Statements
Affective Questions
Small Impromptu Conference
Group or Circle
Formal Conference
FORMAL
McCold & Wachtel, 2001

16. Affective Statements Most informal side of continuum
Core to all of restorative practices
Provide students and teachers opportunity to express feelings, both positive & negative
Cultivate empathy and learn social and emotional skills
Example of sentence structure:
“I feel/am ________(emotion)_________when/that you_________(behavior)___________.”

17. Affective Questions
Gives both sides opportunity to share their story and be heard

19.
Show clip of Student Voices
Circle Activity?

20. Formal Restorative Conference
Structured circle, script
Facilitator, offender(s), victim(s), friends & family of both parties
Victim-sensitive process and reintegration of offender
Problem-solving method where both parties contribute
In lieu of disciplinary action or as a supplement

21. Integrating Restorative Practices into A Multi-tiered Framework
Repair Harm & Restore Relationships
Formal restorative conference
Maintaining Relationships
Impromptu conferences Circles for problem-solving & conflict resolution
Build Community & Relationships
Community-building Circles (student & staff) Affective Questions Affective Statements
Prevention & Intervention

23. Whole-School Outcomes with Implementation Fidelity
REDUCED
Misbehavior
Violence & bullying
Suspensions & expulsions
Teacher & student absenteeism
INCREASED
Instructional time
Safety
IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS & ATTTITUDES AMONG
Students, staff, administration and parents
IIRP, 2011

24. Source: IIRP Graduate School (2014)
Source: IIRP Graduate School (2014). Improving School Climate: Evidence from Schools Implementing Restorative Practices. Retrieved from

28. Ongoing Research
RAND study funded by NIH: randomized controlled trials (RCT) for restorative practices in 16 Maine schools
Five-year project: Begin implementation school year
RAND and IIRP study funded by U.S. Department of Justice Comprehensive School Safety Initiative: RCT to implement IIRP’s SaferSanerSchools Whole-School Change Program at 25 Philadelphia schools
Implementation in and school years
Johns Hopkins University funded by Atlantic Philanthropies: RCT to evaluate IIRP’s SaferSanerSchools Whole-School Change Program in 15 urban schools nationwide
Three-year study

30. Orange County Dept. of Education Restorative Practice Initiative
Goal: Build county office and school district capacity & expertise
Ongoing trainings for school staff
RP Community Network for implementation support
Support a cadre of trainers
Website of resources & supports
1:10-4:05

33. International Institute for Restorative Practices
Professional Development Trainings
Free Webinars:
Certificate of Restorative Practices
Master of Science in Restorative Practices

34. Thank you!