Outcome Evaluation

The implementation of restorative practices in the school setting impacts both the relationships in the classroom and the number of students excluded from school. These evaluations discuss the impact of restorative practices on different measures.

Restorative Justice takes on West Oakland schools

from an article by Cassidy Friedman on New America Media: From 2005 to 2009, the city of Oakland backed a restorative justice pilot project at Cole Middle School, in West Oakland, which was already slated to be shut down for low test scores. It was among the first attempts to implement restorative justice circles at a U.S. school. By the final year, standardized test scores had risen by 74 points. The school, which had suffered from a high turnover of teachers, retained all of its faculty. And delinquency plummeted; suspensions fell 87 percent and expulsions dropped to zero.

'Restorative justice' school program reduces student delinquency

from the press release announcing the study: A pilot program to change how teachers and administrators respond to student misbehavior at an Oakland middle school led to a dramatic drop in suspensions and expulsions, according to a new study released today. During a one-year implementation of the alternative “restorative justice” program, suspensions dropped by 87 percent and expulsions dropped to zero.

Hong Kong research demonstrates effectiveness of the restorative whole-school approach

from the paper by Dennis S.W. Wong and T. Wing Lo: To evaluate the effectiveness of a restorative whole-school approach (RWsA), a pre-post study was undertaken. The sampling frame was based on the school list provided by the education authority. A total of 1480 Secondary 1 (equivalent to aged 12) to Secondary 3 (equivalent to aged 14) students from four different Hong Kong schools participated in the survey between September 2004 and August 2006. Due to practical constraints such as the school curriculum and extra-curricular activities, schools had the autonomy to implement the programmes to different degrees, which were then evaluated by the research team.

Video Review: An Introduction to Restorative Practices at Endeavour High School

This video describes the positive results of restorative practices implemented in a school with behavioral and performance problems in England.

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.

Restorative Practices and the Transformation at West Philadelphia High School

West Philadelphia High School has undergone a transformation. It has been on Pennsylvania’s “Persistently Dangerous Schools” list for six years, but the implementation of restorative practices and strong leadership, headed by principal Saliyah Cruz, have made a huge difference. The culture and climate of the school have improved significantly, violent and serious incidents have plummeted, and rates of discipline procedures such as suspensions and expulsions have decreased dramatically. (from the article written by Laura Mirsky for the Restorative Practices E-Forum).

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.

Introducing Restorative Practices into Scottish Schools

In 2004, the Scottish Executive allocated funding for a 30-month pilot project to introduce restorative practices into schools in three Local Authorities. An August 2007 evaluation report outlines the implementation process for the different areas and the progress made in establishing restorative practices in the school.

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)

Kelly, Richard. Draw a circle and be sure to include me in it. Restorative practices with children under 12.

Restorative Practices has assumed international prominence as a preferred approach for working with children and youth at risk. There has been significant activity in Ontario implementing the model in school boards and in youth justice contexts. The Child and Youth Worker at George Brown College is the first CYW program to embrace this philosophy and model within the curriculum, as a focus of research and as a platform for equip ping students and practitioners with the concrete tools for implementation. This article details the 6-year journey from inception and its current robust stage of work with children under 12 in a variety of settings ranging from Inner City schools to children’s mental health settings. (author's abstract)

. Program effectiveness of a restorative whole-school approach for tackling school bullying in Hong Kong.

With bullying in schools high on policy makers’ agendas, researchers are looking for effective strategies to tackle its disruptive effects. The present study sets out to address this issue. First, the prevalence of bullying is examined in Hong Kong High Schools, and second, the effectiveness of a Restorative Whole-school Approach (RWsA) in reducing bullying is examined in a quasi-experimental design. The RWsA emphasizes the setting up of restorative goals, clear instructions, team building, and good relationships among students, parents, and teachers. Over the course of 2 years, and across four schools, the effectiveness of this program was observed by comparing an intervention group with a partial intervention group (which did not receive the full treatment) and a control group (which received no treatment whatsoever). The group that received the RWsA treatment exhibited a significant reduction of bullying, higher empathic attitudes, and higher self-esteem in comparison to the partial intervention and the control group. (authors' abstract)

. Modeling the effects of racial threat on punitive and restorative school discipline practices.

It is clear that schools are mirroring the criminal justice system by becoming harsher toward student misbehavior despite decreases in delinquency. Moreover, Black students consistently are disciplined more frequently and more severely than others for the same behaviors, much in the same way that Black criminals are subjected to harsher criminal punishments than other offenders. Research has found that the racial composition of schools is partially responsible for harsher school discipline just as the racial composition of areas has been associated with punitive criminal justice measures. Yet, no research has explored comprehensively the dynamics involved in how racial threat and other factors influence discipline policies that ultimately punish Black students disproportionately. In this study (N = 294 public schools), structural equation models assess how school racial composition affects school disciplinary policies in light of other influences on discipline and gauge how other possible predictors of school disciplinary policies relate to racial composition of schools, to various school disciplinary policies, and to one another. Findings indicate that schools responding to student misbehavior with one type of discipline tend to use other types of responses as well and that many factors predict the type of disciplinary response used by schools. However, disadvantaged, urban schools with a greater Black, poor, and Hispanic student population are more likely to respond to misbehavior in a punitive manner and less likely to respond in a restorative manner.(author's abstract)

. School-based restorative justice as an alternative to zero-tolerance policies: Lessons from West Oakland.

In this report we examine a pilot restorative justice program at a school that primarily served students of color from low-income families. We document the implementation of the program at Cole Middle School in West Oakland, California, and the observations and perceptions of those who participated in it. We also draw lessons from Cole’s experiences that we hope will be helpful to those interested in implementing school-based restorative justice. (excerpt)

Wong, Dennis S. W. and Ma, Stephen K. and Wing Lo, T and Ma, Stephen K. and Lok, David P. P. and Wing Lo, T. School Bullying Among Hong Kong Chinese Primary Schoolchildren.

The first comprehensive survey of 7,025 Chinese primary schoolchildren found that 24% of respondents reported that they had sometimes physically bullied another child. When children observed school bullying, 56% said they immediately reported it to their teachers. Another 20% tried to stop the bullying by approaching the bullies. The study also identified factors associated with bullying. These included coming from an adverse psychosocial background and having more contact with violent values through association with deviant peers and exposure to the mass media. On the basis of the research findings, potential methods of bullying intervention are discussed. (author's abstract). Restorative practices are discussed among the interventions.

Claassen, Roxanne and Claassen, Ron. Discipline that Restores:STrategies to Create Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in the Classroom.

Discipline That Restores is a restorative discipline system for schools, classrooms, and homes that parallels, contributes to, and draws from emerging international conflict resolution education, peace education and restorative justice movements with emphasis on the last. (excerpt)

McCold, Paul. Evaluation of a Restorative Milieu: CSF Buxmont School/Day Treatment Programs 1999-2001. Evaluation Outcome Technical Report

The Community Service Foundation (CSF) and Buxton Academy operate six school/day treatment programs in southeastern Pennsylvania. They are community treatment settings for adjudicated delinquent and at-risk youth. CSF also operates other programs for youth in trouble. All of the programs use restorative practices. McCold speaks of a "restorative milieu" because the CSF Buxmont culture consists of many restorative techniques and processes, not just isolated restorative interventions, and because the restorative approach extends beyond staff interaction with youth to staff-to-staff and student-to-student relationships. In this paper McCold presents results of an evaluation of the CSF Buxmont school/day treatment programs to assess the effectiveness of their restorative practices in encouraging positive changes among youth in the programs. The analysis covers the outcome experiences of more than 900 youth discharged from the programs over a two year period between 1999 and 2001.

. Restorative justice in schools: An examination of peace circles within Monroe High School.

Literature suggests that restorative justice programs can have improved outcomes when examining recidivism rates and satisfaction levels of both victim and offender in many instances compared to traditional approaches. Partners in Restorative Initiatives implemented peace circles and community conferencing, both restorative justice programs, within James Monroe High School in Rochester, NY. The practice of peace circles within Monroe High School was explored in comparison to theory and current national and international uses of peace circles. This paper discussed the restorative justice approach of using peace circles within James Monroe High School in Rochester, NY and how it affected perceptions of safety, respect, violence, and communication amongst teachers and students. Through survey analysis, personal observation, and interviews, this paper examined if the use of peace circles improved school environment, enhanced relationships between students and teachers, and was an effective approach to discuss issues of delinquency without relying strictly on punishment. (author's abstract)

Webb, Deanna L.. My Classroom’s Journey with Restorative Practices.

The first change I made to begin building community was to rearrange my classroom management system to reflect the new focus of our classroom. I created “Community, Inc.,” a classroom management system that was “publicly owned; created communities; invested in relationships and made a profit from the positive growth and relationships it created.” In this new system every student had a job, along with responsibilities to the overall “company.” My classroom had “corporate meetings” at least twice a day, and sometimes more frequently if we needed to address an issue in the classroom. “Community, Inc.” pushed the typical boundaries of classroom rules to a system where the students decided the norms of behavior in the classroom, along with how each student would be held accountable, not just to the teacher and administration, but also to the community as a whole. (excerpt)

. A case study of comprehensive schoolwide improvement at a high needs elementary school.

A qualitative case study method was used to examine one elementary Title 1 school's experiences in implementing a continuous, comprehensive school improvement plan over a five year period from 2003-2008. This is a high needs school with over 80% of the families living in poverty. The researcher conducted 14 on-site interviews including the principal, faculty, and staff from the school to assist in determining the most important school wide improvement strategies from the faculty's perceptions at the case site. The Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Human Resources of the case site school district was also interviewed in regards to the school leadership and collaboration at the case site. The researcher also made several site visits, observed different team sessions and collected several cultural documents. The strategies followed in implementing a comprehensive school improvement plan at the case site included: Value Added teacher training and collaboration, implementing the Circle of Courage frame work, the Restorative Justice Center, ELL home liaison, extended school day focused specifically on vocabulary instruction, Bright Future's Health Literacy Center, school leadership and teams, and professional learning communities. The student achievement gradually improved over the five year process of school wide comprehensive improvement. (author's abstract)

Farrington, David P and Ttofi, Maria M.. School-based programs to reduce bullying and victimization.

This report presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce school bullying perpetration and victimization (i.e. being bullied). The authors indicate the pitfalls of previous reviews and explain in detail how the present systematic review and meta-analysis addresses the gaps in the existing literature on bullying prevention. (excerpt)