Experts report reduced suspensions and expulsions and improved school climate as RJ implementation successes¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Experts cite a reduction in student suspensions and expulsions as a significant success of RJ implementation, while noting this measure alone is not enough. → Guckenburg 2015 q2 i? Experts report RJ can improve school climate by shifting staff-student relationships and reducing teacher stress. → Guckenburg 2015 (2)

Evidence¶

Guckenburg 2015¶

Guckenburg, S., Hurley, N., Persson, H., Fronius, T., & Petrosino, A. (2015). Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts. San Francisco: WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED568378

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Expert interview findings: interviewees "noted as a significant success of RJ implementation in schools is a reduction in student suspensions and expulsions," though several emphasized this single measure is not enough.

"One area the experts we interviewed noted as a significant success of RJ implementation in schools is a reduction in student suspensions and expulsions."

Guckenburg 2015 (2)¶

Guckenburg, S., Hurley, N., Persson, H., Fronius, T., & Petrosino, A. (2015). Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts. San Francisco: WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED568378

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Interview findings on school climate: experts "frequently stated that the ways RJ can help shift relationships at school can ultimately improve school climate," including reduced teacher stress.

"Experts also frequently stated that the ways RJ can help shift relationships at school can ultimately improve school climate."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Experts attribute their focus on RJ in schools to the failure of zero-tolerance discipline, disciplinary disparities, school climate concerns, holistic community approaches, and connections to youth development models — related
• Schools implementing restorative justice report decreases in exclusionary discipline such as suspensions and expulsions — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Evidence suggests RJ improves school climate, including student connectedness and staff-perceived climate gains — related
• Frequent RJ use by teachers shows preliminary indications of reducing the racial discipline gap, though disparities persist — related
• School climate improved in predominantly Black schools but declined in predominantly Latino and racially diverse schools as suspension use for severe infractions fell — related
• Implementing restorative justice in schools requires staff time, buy-in, training, and resources beyond traditional sanctions, with full climate shifts estimated to take three to five years — related
• Perceived safety changes under reduced suspension use varied by school racial composition: a small decline in predominantly Latino schools and a similar-sized but non-significant improvement in predominantly Black schools — related
• Time, funding, competing priorities, culture change, resistance, measurement gaps, and sustainability are the main challenges to implementing RJ in schools — related
• School culture changes during turnaround coincided with suspension rates falling from roughly one in four students suspended per year to zero suspensions — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teachers who implemented restorative justice frequently had better student relationships and issued fewer referrals, with preliminary indications of reduced racial discipline gaps that were not fully eliminated — related
• California's shift to restorative and social-emotional approaches coincided with a 33.6% decline in suspensions and 40.4% decline in expulsions (2011-2016) while schools became safer — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• School climate data supported changes to the three schools' discipline systems — related
• CSTAG training shifts staff knowledge and beliefs, improving threat-assessment accuracy and reducing support for zero-tolerance policies — related
• Denver Public Schools' restorative justice reforms coincided with falling suspension rates and a narrowed Black-White suspension gap — related
• Exclusionary discipline harms students and disproportionately affects students of color, so tracking suspension data can promote positive interventions — related
• Using multiple data sources, including site-specific data, helped schools develop a more comprehensive understanding of their school climate — related
• Restorative practices reduce exclusionary discipline and misbehavior and improve school climate, safety, and achievement, though implementation requires sustained investment — related
• Shifting to restorative practices reduced exclusionary discipline and its racial disparities while improving climate and achievement — related
• Exclusionary discipline is ineffective at improving school safety and harms both suspended students and their non-suspended peers — related
• Chicago policy changes coincided with steep drops in suspensions and expulsions for girls of color — related
• RJ serves a preventative purpose by building students' social and emotional skills, not only responding to offenses — related
• Academic benefits of restorative practice exposure are stronger for Black and Latino/a students than for White students, suggesting practices can reduce racial gaps — related
• Restorative practices outcomes follow a slow trajectory: quick low-level successes after training, high-level success in three to five years or more — related
• Experts report there is neither a clear definition nor a widely accepted model of restorative justice in schools — related
• National school crime indicators show schools became safer as exclusionary discipline reductions were underway, with 79% of schools recording incidents in 2015-16 versus 85-89% in prior years — related
• School exclusionary policies paradoxically worsen dropout, delinquency, and achievement — related