Administrators

Articles exploring the inclusion of restorative practices in the school environment including statement of good practice.

Restorative justice instead of suspensions

from the City Insider column on SFGate.com: The San Francisco school board adopted a policy Tuesday night that will require school administrators to consider alternatives to suspension and expulsion when children violate school rules. While suspension and expulsion are mandatory in certain cases -- for bringing a gun, knife or bomb to school, selling drugs or committing sexual assault -- principals have leeway in determining punishment when students get into fights, repeatedly disrupt class or damage school property.

I love my job!

from Giles Charle's post on Restorative Justice at West Oakland Middle School: I am very happy with my job, even though I don't make very much money and I have no idea if it, or anything like it will exist next year. I do believe that Restorative Justice provides some crucial answers for us as we move towards our true potential as peaceful cooperative beings. With that said today was rough, I had more kids in lunch detention/thinkery then I new what to do with. Thanks to Mr. Brooks the co-principle of West Oakland Middle School (WOMS) we were able to sort out the students who understood what they did and were ready to take responsibility and head back to class from the kids who needed a little bit more reflection time before they would be ready.

Dignity in schools: an unexcused absence

Excellence in Education Award given for restorative practices

Safety with Dignity: Alternatives to the Over-Policing of Schools

This report examines six New York City public schools that are successfully maintaining safety while simultaneously promoting a nurturing school environment. This report explores the methods employed by these schools, including the tangible and intangible qualities that have contributed to their success. It concludes with practical recommendations to help the New York City Department of Education (DOE)—and urban school districts across the country—replicate their successful approaches to discipline and security. The report was prepared by The New York Civil Liberties Union, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and Make the Road New York.

Safety with Dignity: Alternatives to the Over-Policing of Schools

By Dan Van Ness On July 8, 2009, three organizations -- the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University and Make the Road New York -- released a report on six New York City schools that have created safe and nurturing environments without relying on metal detectors, aggressive policing and harsh discipline. Based on the success of those schools, Safety with Dignity: Alternatives to the Over-Policing of Schools offers seven recommendations for replicating their experience in other NY City schools.

Black male conundrum

From Sarah Karp's article in Catalyst Chicago: In Chicago’s public schools, African-American males are suspended and expelled at a higher rate than any other student group. Yet educators are working to raise black male graduation rates, creating a classic case of policy and practice at odds.

Improving School Climate: Findings from Schools Implementing Restorative Practices

From the International Institute for Restorative Practices e-Forum: The International Institute for Restorative Practices has compiled a 36-page booklet of findings from schools in the United States, England and Canada that are implementing restorative practices.

Marshall, Pat. Designing a dispute resolution system: the constraints for educational institutions

Pat Marshall presents this paper based on experiences as a teacher and administrator in education and as a mediator. Many organizations in Australia are adopting dispute resolution systems based on certain models. Nevertheless, educational institutions (particularly schools) have great difficulty in designing and implementing a dispute resolution system. Concerned with the role that schools play in modeling to students effective means of resolving disputes, Marshall explores several constraints educational institutions face in seeking to apply this kind of conflict management system

Metzen, Leslie M and Metzen, David R. School-based restorative justice; The perspectives of a judge and former school superintendent

Darrol Busler was a former educator in South St. Paul, Minnesota. He was also a crime victim who was not happy with the way the formal justice system treated him. In 1997 he brought together people from the schools, probation services, courts, police, and faith communities to talk about how other approaches to crime might be more responsive to victims. Hence, many interested citizens and professionals began learning about restorative justice, victim-offender mediation, and peacemaking circles. David Metzen, a former superintendent of South St. Paul schools, and Leslie Metzen, a Dakota County (Minnesota) trial court judge, tell how a Minnesota school district became committed to integrating circle and restorative processes into its philosophy of discipline at the same time that the local justice system began approaching some cases with restorative justice principles.

Dignity in Schools Campaign.. Model code on education and dignity.

This Model Code articulates a vision for all stakeholders based on the best practices, research and experiences of students, parents and educators from around the country, and on a human rights framework for schools that recognizes that the goal of education must be to support all children and young people in reaching their full potential.3 Human rights principles and values envision an educational system where schools adapt to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of every student, where students, parents, teachers and other members of the school community participate in decisions affecting education, where all students are treated with dignity and attend school free from discrimination of any kind, and where communities play a central role in monitoring education policies and practices to continuously improve educational outcomes for students. In adopting a human rights approach to education we aim to respect the rights and needs of the individuals who study in, work in and support our schools. The Model Code also presents policy-makers with recommended language for alternatives to pushout and zero-tolerance practices. We present our recommendations in concrete, prescriptive language that is in the form of procedures, criteria and standards, and that is practical and meaningful to states, districts, schools, educators, students and parents. The sections of the Model Code are designed so that communities and policy-makers can identify individual topic areas and choose to implement the recommended language while taking into account the diverse needs and characteristics of individual communities. The centerpiece of the Model Code is Chapter 3 providing a detailed and comprehensive framework for school climate and discipline policies and practices. However, because all of the policies in this model code are part of a broader focus on children’s human right to an education, it should be noted that implementing any part of this code requires communities to engage in a broader conversation about how to shift the community’s collective approach to education. Therefore, we recommend that advocates, schools and communities view this document not only as a prescription for policy change, but also as a catalyst for transforming school culture. Included in the model code are areas of law and policy that break new ground. These innovative recommendations— such as in the areas of right to counsel, right to specific procedures and protections in school suspension and expulsion hearings, clear guidelines on the role of law enforcement, substance abuse prevention in schools, and the right to participation of all stakeholders—are set forth as recommended language to advance the code’s overall goal of protecting children’s human right to education. (excerpt)

Blood, Peta and Thorsborne, Margaret. The Challenge of Culture Change: Embedding Restorative Practice in Schools

This paper seeks to broaden the perspectives of senior and middle management and restorative practitioners around what restorative practice in schools can look like; and to present some practical guidelines which represent a strategic approach to the implementation of restorative practices, so that they "stick" -- that is, become sustainable. It represents a work in progress and the authors encourage readers to engage with them in ongoing dialogue about the issues (we don't know all the answers yet!) and share with us their butterfly (successes) and bullfrog (failures) stories, in meeting the challenges of developing a restorative culture within schools (Zehr, 2003). It should be noted that there is an overwhelming body of literature (Hargreaves, 1997, Fullan, 2000 etc) dealing with school reform, effective teaching, classroom and behaviour management practice and that this paper focuses on the implementation of restorative practice in schools. (excerpt)

Segrave, Jeffrey O. The Off-the-Field Deviance of College Athletes: Problem or Hype?

In the news in recent years, the public has heard many stories about deviant behavior by college athletes off the field. The media have reported a number of high-profile incidents involving allegations of sexual assault, drug abuse, gambling, shootings, deceitful academic practices, and more. In addition to harm to victims of some of this behavior, reputations of individuals, athletic programs, and entire institutions have suffered. Many colleges and universities are seeking positive, effective ways to deal with these problems. Against this background, Jeffrey Segrave reviews the recent literature on off-the-field behavior of college athletes, especially in comparison with non-athletes. He discusses theoretical problems associated with understanding deviant behavior among athletes. Then he looks at ways in which athletic associations and institutions of higher education are trying to respond to the deviant behavior of their athletes. In particular he discusses strengths and weaknesses of the three major approaches to this behavior: the deterrence approach; the educational approach; and the structural/situational approach.

DeJong, William. The Impact of Alcohol on Campus Life

In the words of William DeJong, the misuse of alcohol is the principal social problem confronting American higher education today. Indeed, many other problems affecting colleges and universities – such as upholding academic standards, building a strong and vibrant community, and providing a safe environment – are aggravated by student use of alcohol. School administrators relied in the past on awareness programs to educate students about the dangers of alcohol abuse, but those programs proved of limited effectiveness in reducing alcohol problems on campus. A major shift has occurred in the last decade as administrators are turning to programs that provide not only educational awareness but also seek to change the environmental or cultural conditions and values on campus and in the community to prevent abuse of alcohol. This based at least in part on a prevention philosophy called environmental management. In this vein, DeJong discusses the increasing exploration of restorative justice programs in colleges and universities to deal with students found guilty of alcohol-related misconduct.

Armstrong, Marg. Restorative justice: An International Perspective.

This PowerPoint highlights the use of restorative practices in schools in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, New Zealand.

Lewis, Stacy A.. A history of programs implemented by the Chicago Police Department within Chicago public schools.

This study provides a history of programs implemented between the Chicago Police Department within Chicago Public School, while looking at the changes in the relationship between the two between 1945 and 2005. The research answers the following; the change in the relationship of the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools during the last half of the twentieth century, the programs that have resulted from the relationship between the Chicago Police department and Chicago Public schools, the original intent of the programs, and how did the programs evolve during this time period. This paper takes a look at how changes in demographics of Chicago’s population, employment, housing, and crime played a role in the relationship between the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools. It also focuses on the “Officer Friendly,” D.A.R.E., and G.R.E.A.T. programs.(author's abstract)

Bodine, Richard and Crawford, Donna. Conflict Resolution Education: A Guide to Implementing Programs in Schools, Youth-Serving Organizations, and Community and Juvenile Justice Settings; Program Report

The first chapter defines conflict as a natural condition and examines the origins of conflict, responses to conflict, and the outcomes of those responses. It presents the essential principles, foundation abilities, and problemsolving processes of conflict resolution; discusses the elements of a successful conflict resolution program; and introduces four approaches to implementing conflict resolution education. Each of the next four chapters discusses one of these four approaches and presents examples of programs that use the approach. One chapter describes an approach to conflict resolution education characterized by devoting a specific time to teaching the foundation abilities, principles, and one or more of the problemsolving processes of conflict resolution in a separate course or distinct curriculum. Another chapter describes an approach in which selected, trained individuals provide neutral third-party facilitation in conflict resolution. A chapter presents an approach that incorporates conflict resolution education into the core subject areas of the curriculum and into classroom management strategies, and another chapter presents a comprehensive whole-school methodology that builds on the previous approach. The next two chapters address conflict resolution education in settings other than traditional schools, including juvenile justice and community settings. The final three chapters address more overarching topics: conflict resolution research and evaluation; a developmental sequence of behavioral expectations in conflict resolution; and the process of developing, implementing, and sustaining a conflict resolution program. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Michail, Samia. Understanding school responses to students’ challenging behaviour: A review of literature.

This article explores the varied ways in which schools can respond to students who present with challenging behaviours and who are at risk of disengagement from learning. It sets out a typology of school responses and reflects on the philosophies which underpin each approach. In an effort to rethink the use of suspensions within schools, which contribute to the marginalization of children, the article highlights a range of alternatives to exclusionary practice. It outlines the key elements of approaches that are successful in reducing school suspension and makes evident the benefits of an approach that is tailored to the whole ecology of the child. (author's abstract)

Nelson, Tanya. Merrill Middle School Meets Restorative Justice.

Schools are a microcosm of our world. They demonstrate the outcome of our investment, the potential, and its continuous need to adapt to changing times. Walking into an elementary school, middle school, high school, you may actually be able to feel this. Conflict is palpable much of the time. On the surface, Merrill Middle School in Oshkosh, WI, has a lot working against it. Oshkosh is a largely blue collar town and about 50% of Merrill's students are from families at or below poverty level. Many families are unable to stay an entire school year.Relationships are difficult to establish. How has Merrill brought it all together? In 2003, it ended its "honor level" approach to discipline in favor of a restorative justice approach. By creating circles and a core concept of restorative justice, staff and students have joined forces to create better communication when problems occur. (excerpt)

Mirsky, Laura. Restorative practices: Giving everyone a voice to create safer saner school communities.

This article seeks to familiarize readers with the philosophy and processes of restorative practices employed in K-12 education. The author spoke to educators and students at schools where the practices are being implemented and relates their stories about how they are employing the practices, as well as their views on the practices' effectiveness. Although the formal research is just beginning in this area, early indications and anecdotes evidence suggests that restorative practices, by intentionally promoting open communication, enhances relationships and thereby improves school climate, discipline and safety. (excerpt)