Implementation recommendations for school RJ programs: funding, sustainability, policy integration, and professional development¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 qualitative), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The review distills implementation guidance from the literature and practitioner interviews. Districts can fund RJ through grants or reallocated funds (e.g., a Detroit district used Title I funding to hire a full-time coordinator), and sustainability is supported by integrating RJ school- and district-wide rather than as an add-on. The review states that "A critical driver to long-term sustainability is a district's ability to integrate the RJ approach into its formal policy and procedures," alongside continued staff training and multi-stakeholder policymaking. It also points practitioners to published implementation guides and toolkits.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Staff time, buy-in, training, and resources beyond what traditional sanctions impose; supportive teachers and administrators for sustained implementation

Constraints¶

• The review notes this guidance is not backed by rigorous scientific evidence that any particular steps actually work; a deep shift to restorative climate may take three to five years

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in schools and districts adopting RJ programs

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reducing exclusionary discipline while holding students accountable and repairing relationships

Claims¶

• Experts argue most school RJ implementation is weak and funding should first strengthen implementation before funding research [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Implement sustained educator development programs including needs assessment, coaching, communities of practice, and experiential learning
• Structural supports for restorative practices: funding, people, time, discipline policy, and equity
• House the certifying entity within structures and policies that promote alignment, buy-in, and sustained funding
• Integrate multiple strategies in a context-based and community-involved approach to reverse violence and promote peace

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Lb