Centering Student Voices in Restorative Practices Implementation

Restorative Practices (RP) are increasingly adopted in U.S. pre-K-12 schools as an alternative to punishment, yet research less frequently examines student perspectives on this transition. This qualitative study centers alumni student voices in the implementation of RP at Riverdale High School (RHS), an urban-emergent high school, through semi-structured interviews with 13 alumni who attended before, during, and after RHS’s shift from punishment to RP. Using the Social Discipline Window (SDW) as a conceptual framework, the study explores students’ perceptions of their relationships with teachers and administrators. Findings indicate four distinct experiences in both disciplinary practices and relational dynamics: (1) punitive “To” experiences, where adults exerted expectations without support, (2) neglectful “Not” experiences, where students experienced neither expectations nor support, (3) permissive “For” experiences, where adults offered support without expectations, and (4) restorative “With” experiences, where students experienced high expectations and high support from adults. Some students, however, described harmful experiences unrepresented by the SDW, leading to the proposal of an Emergent Social Discipline Window, which includes “Against” experiences, representing situations where students experienced harm from adults. Findings underscore the need to prioritize student voices in RP implementation, ensuring students are centered in decision-making processes.