Examining the Obstacles to Integrating Restorative Practices into the School Environment

• In Event: 2201 - Visual Media Presentations

Abstract

For nearly the past four decades U.S. public schools have relied on zero-tolerance policies to manage disciplinary issues. These policies were initiated with the intent to they would make school environments safer, decrease in-school incidents of violence and behavioral issues and provide a fair and balanced measure for determining and disciplinary consequences. Research has shown however, that in practice, zero-tolerance policies have fallen short of their goals. Since implementation, school violence has remained stable over time, while suspension and expulsion rates have increased; particularly for students of color and students with disabilities. In light of this, disciplinary alternatives, such as restorative practices, have been introduced as a healthier way to address unwanted behavior in the school environment. This paper takes to task the question, how are restorative practices best implemented in the school environment by engaging in an empirical study on obstacles to application in Michigan schools. Ultimately, this research seeks to inquire: what forms of resistance barriers, bureaucratic and otherwise, do teachers and administrators encounter in making restorative practice part of the school culture? The author found that the most significant obstacles to changing the culture of Michigan schools were both cultural and structural in nature. The most challenging impediments to whole school change lay in the idea of restorative practices as a philosophy (I), the reality that many teachers and staff members prefer punitive measures (II), and selective implementation (III).

Author

• Tia Clinton, University of Michigan