Restorative Practices

Restorative practices in schools focus on building positive relationships and creating a culture of accountability and respect. By prioritizing open communication and conflict resolution, restorative practices help students take responsibility for their actions, understand the impact on others, and work toward repairing harm. These practices promote student engagement by fostering a sense of belonging and safety, which can lead to improved behavior, reduced discipline issues, and stronger peer connections. Restorative practices also empower students to develop empathy, problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of their role in the school community.

• Strengthen Relationships: Foster trust and connection among students and between students and staff.
• Reduce Discipline Disparities: Provide alternatives to suspensions and other exclusionary practices, especially for students disproportionately affected.
• Promote Accountability: Help students understand the impact of their actions and take responsibility in meaningful ways.
• Improve School Climate: Increase students’ sense of belonging, safety, and voice in the learning environment.
• Align with Tiered Supports: Can be used schoolwide (Tier I), for targeted relationship repair (Tier II), or intensive interventions (Tier III).

• Proactive Community Building: Activities like classroom circles help build relationships before conflict occurs.
• Restorative Conversations: Structured dialogue that encourages reflection, empathy, and problem-solving after a harm has occurred.
• Inclusive Participation: All voices—those who caused harm, those affected by it, and the broader community—are heard and valued.
• Focus on Repairing Harm: Emphasis is placed on understanding the impact of behavior and making things right, not just punishment. Facilitator Readiness: Staff are trained to lead restorative practices effectively and with cultural humility.
• Tiered Application:
  • Tier I: Community circles, relationship-building practices, morning meetings.
  • Tier II: Restorative chats, peer mediation, conflict resolution circles.
  • Tier III: Formal conferences addressing serious harm or re-entry after suspension.

• Start with Relationships: Build community through regular check-ins, classroom circles, and open communication.
• Train and Support Staff: Provide ongoing training in restorative language, facilitation skills, and trauma-informed practices.
• Integrate into Discipline Systems: Use restorative responses as alternatives or supplements to traditional consequences.
• Model Restorative Mindsets: Shift from “What rule was broken?” to “Who was harmed, and how can we repair the harm?”
• Use Restorative Questions: Teach and model questions like:
  • What happened?
  • Who was affected?
  • What needs to be done to make things right?
• Involve Students and Families: Engage youth and families in co-creating expectations, participating in circles, and supporting restoration.
• Evaluate and Reflect: Collect feedback, track outcomes (e.g., discipline referrals, student satisfaction), and adjust practices as needed.

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