The Impact of Restorative Practices Intervention on School Culture

The American educational system, historically designed to empower a few while training the majority to be docile workers, is increasingly being called upon to promote greater equity. While some reform efforts promote highly restrictive behavioral policies to boost student achievement, these approaches often serve to recreate the oppressive school systems they seek to reform. Restorative practices, an alternative approach to school reform, emphasizes creating a culture of strong relationships, where children learn the academic and social emotional skills they need to be successful. This paper presents a case study of one urban, public school’s implementation of restorative practices, examining its impact on students, teachers, and the school culture. The study documents the multi year implementation process highlighting that successful implementation required significant time, resources, and a staff member dedicated to overseeing the program. Both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that restorative practices positively influenced students, teachers, and the overall school culture. Considering the strong support for restorative practices in the existing literature alongside the findings from this case study, restorative practices present a promising approach to school reform that supports the development and empowerment of all students.