School Leaders’ Perspectives Implementing Whole School Restorative Practices in Middle School: A Case Study

• In Event: Implementing Restorative Practices in Schools: Perspectives From Practitioners and Researchers

Abstract

Background: Whole school restorative practice (WSRP) calls for creating supportive, equitable schools, requiring broad systems change. A recent review of studies found restorative practices are associated with an overall reduction in suspension rates (Samimi et al., 2023). Evidence that RP is effective in creating racial equity with regard to discipline is mixed. For example, Gregory and colleagues (2016) found that those classroom teachers who implemented RP at higher levels issued fewer discipline referrals to Latino and Black students compared with teachers who were lower implementers. And, in one of the few comparison studies to date, differences in black versus white student suspensions were slightly lower in RP schools compared with a matched set of non-RP schools (Simson, 2012). However, in other settings, racial disproportionality persisted after RP implementation (Anyon et al., 2016; Davison et al., 2022).
Data and Methods: We conducted a case study to explore the journey of two RP site leads at a middle school and examine how they designed and implemented within their school context. The middle school was purposefully selected as one of three schools that made substantial progress towards full implementation within a three year pilot study beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Data sources include annual interviews and focus groups with RP site leads and principals, and annual school reports.
Results and Implications: RP site leads coordinated a leadership team comprised of administrators and other staff who were knowledgeable of and committed to restorative justice principles. They also developed contextually-specific practices, including tailoring RP to learners’ developmental stages, and engaged in multiple strategies to coach teachers, student support staff and administrators. RP site leads also engaged with district supports and learning opportunities they could pass on to their colleagues. These practices led to indicators of sustainability, including that the school maintains an RP site lead on staff. Overall, this study highlights the influential role of school leaders in navigating complexities that arise when working from a worldview that values human dignity, relationality and interconnection.

Authors

• Shawn Davenport, Saint Paul Public Schools

• Jim Yang, Saint Paul Public Schools

• Kara Beckman, University of Minnesota

• Barbara McMorris, University of Minnesota