How Restorative Justice Programming Impacts Student Outcomes and Student-Teacher Relationships

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Restorative Approaches for Supporting School Community, Climate, and Culture (Table 11)

Abstract

Restorative justice is a philosophical approach that consists of a set of principles that suggests crime or transgressions harms people and breaks relationships, which requires a justice response focusing on the needs of the harmed and the interpersonal damage the transgression created. In this paper, I explore whether building upon this philosophical approach provides an alternative to traditional school discipline.
First, I document suspension and expulsion trends before and after a large school district began implementing restorative practices within their schools. Next, I estimate the impact of restorative justice programming on school connectedness, attendance, academic achievement, social emotional learning survey items, and disciplinary outcomes. I conclude with policy recommendations for education agencies aiming to rely less on punitive school discipline.

Author

• Janelle Fouche, Harvard University