Evaluating Attempts at the Implementation of Restorative Justice in Three Alternative Education High Schools

Abstract

The concept of integrating restorative justice into schools is an idea that is gaining in popularity and implementation attempts. Many institutions are turning to this approach when their traditional discipline policies are seen as failing, or in response to external legislative pressure. However not all programs with the words "restorative justice" in them are created equal, and not all such programs can be said to result in "restorativeness." In this dissertation, two sequential phases of attempted implementation of restorative justice elements were examined, in three alternative education high-schools. Both theoretical and practical outcomes were assessed. The first effort mainly consisted of an in-school-suspension classroom and a staff-student mediation process, as well as a new school posture and training. The second effort consisted of minor modifications to the staff-student mediation process, and attempted skills and ethos training in basic restorative practices, including affective statements, restorative questions, and circles. Four years of data on suspensions and suspensions incidents were collected and analyzed, as well as three years' worth of staff and student surveys, and a sample from two consecutive years of discipline referral forms used in a staff-student mediation process. The data was then analyzed using a combination of ARIMA modeling for time series data, ANOVA, and T-Tests. The findings provide some mixed support for both phases of intervention but more strongly for the second phase, including an observed reduction in suspensions and suspension incidents—but not a hoped for improvement in teacher-student relationships. Further, a process change in the language of the main discipline referral form used in the staff-student mediation process provides some insight into the power of language to impact engagement in the process. Specifically, the form was changed to include a set of restorative questions instead of the previous set of questions, which coincided with greater engagement on the part of staff and students. These and several more nuanced results are discussed in relation to the theoretical ideals of restorative justice or restorative practices in a school setting, and where the efforts went well or could have been improved. Future directions for research and implementation efforts are highlighted.