RAND study shows 'restorative practices' have positive effect on Pittsburgh Public Schools
“Restorative practices” have been touted among experts and advocates as a key tool to reduce school suspensions and expulsions — and particularly racial disparities among them.
It’s a strategy to improve school culture and build better, more communicative relationships between students and teachers rather than pushing students out of the classroom for bad behavior.
And it seems to be showing positive results in Pittsburgh Public Schools, at least according to the preliminary results of a years-long, federally funded study of restorative practices at 22 city schools.
The RAND Corporation released preliminary results of a two-year study on restorative practices in Pittsburgh schools, research that began shortly after the district was awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014. Teachers at 22 schools were trained by the International Institute for Restorative Practices, and those schools were paired with and compared to 22 “control” schools with certain similarities, like suspension rates. Researchers also surveyed the teachers, to gauge their use and understanding of the new program.
Overall, the study found, suspensions at schools that participated decreased more than they did at other district schools during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years.
“It was really, really exciting and really, really validating,” said Christine Cray, PPS’ director of student services reforms.
RAND researchers Catherine Augustine and John Engberg presented the preliminary findings to the school board last week, and said the study is undergoing one more peer review before the final report is released in December.
Suspensions in PPS overall decreased during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years, from 16 percent of students suspended to 13 percent, Mr. Engberg said. But in the schools that used restorative practices during that period, the suspension rates dropped twice as much as in the control group. Prior to implementation, black students were suspended four times as often as white students, and that rate dropped slightly to 3.5 times as often as white students, the study found. The suspension rates of economically-disadvantaged students also dropped from three times to twice as often as non-economically disadvantaged students.
The “best results” were in kindergarten through fifth grade, the researchers Continue reading: RAND study shows 'restorative practices' have positive effect on Pittsburgh Public Schools | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Restorative Practices: A Guide for Educators
New Toolkit & Infographic: What Are Restorative Practices?
An Educator's Guide to Fostering Positive School Climate and Culture
Educators across the nation recognize the importance of fostering positive, healthy school climates and helping students learn from their mistakes. Increasingly, they are partnering with parents, students, district officials, community organizations, and policymakers to move away from harmful and counter-productive zero-tolerance discipline policies and toward proven restorative approaches to addressing conflict in schools.
A new toolkit released today aims to help educators better understand what restorative practices are and how they foster safe learning environments through community building and constructive conflict resolution.
"Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools" was developed by the Schott Foundation, Advancement Project, American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association with the help of a working group of educators and school personnel.
The toolkit illustrates how restorative practices can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom, curriculum and culture of schools, and how they can help transform schools to support the growth and health of all students. (Don't miss the accompanying infographic, "A Tale of Two Schools," which is a great visual for explaining how restorative practices can make a critical difference in a student's day.)
This toolkit includes concrete models, frameworks, and action steps for school-wide implementation. It also includes guiding questions to support reflection for practitioners looking to make restorative methods part of the fabric of daily life in their schools.
Restorative Practices: A Guide for Educators | Schott Foundation for Public Education - http://schottfoundation.org/node/3410
