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2019 VTPBIS Forum. Restorative Practices in Action at Tier One Laura Ellis, M.A./A.C., Nationally Certified School Psychologist. What’s your personal learning goal for this session?. In this session, think about: What will you be able to implement ?
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2019 VTPBIS Forum Restorative Practices in Action at Tier One Laura Ellis, M.A./A.C., Nationally Certified School Psychologist
What’s your personal learning goal for this session? In this session, think about: • What will you be able to implement? • How will you know you’re implementing it well? • How will your most vulnerable students benefit? • How will you/your team sustain what you’re implementing?
Agenda • Introductions • Describe what RP is and why it is important for schools • Impact of RP at Flynn School • Describe the Circle Process • Tier One RP Circle Video (if time)
Introductions • Please get up and introduce yourself to someone you don’t know • Discuss any experiences you have had with Restorative Practices. If you don’t have any, share why you chose this session.
A Broad Definition of RJ/RP • “Restorative Justice promotes values and principles that use inclusive, collaborative approaches for being in community. These approaches validate the experiences and needs of everyone within the community, particularly those who have been marginalized, oppressed or harmed. These approaches allow us to act and respond in ways that are healing rather than alienating or coercive.” Lorraine StutzmanAmstutz and Judy H. Mullet, (2005) The Little Book of Restorative Discipline (p.15)
What Are Restorative Practices? • Proactively build healthy school climates by creating space for people to understand one another and develop relationships • Meaningful opportunities for social engagement that foster empathy and mutual responsibility for the well-being of individuals and community • When things go wrong, engaging those affected and creating space so that individuals and communities can identify, understand, and address harms and needs in order for all to heal
Big Idea Restorative Practices at Tier I involve intentional relationship and culture building. Those who feel connected to their community are less likely to harm, more likely to want to repair harm when it happens, and more likely to accept consequences All members of the community should feel that their “presence is vital to their learning community’s success” -Highgate’s RP/PBIS Document -Whole-School Restorative Approaches Resource Guide
“RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IS A COMPASS NOT A MAP” (Zehr, 2002) • Is not necessarily new. • Is NOT a program. • Is a way of thinking, a philosophical framework. • It is a way of responding relationally to wrongdoing in our schools, justice system, workplaces, and communities. • In schools, workplaces, and communities, it has evolved beyond responding to wrongdoing.
Shifting Practices/Policies and Procedures Moving from… to… Mandatory Exclusionary Adult-centered Punitive Compliance-driven Passive responsibility Shaming Focuses on blame “To”/”For” Voluntary participation Inclusive Explores relationships Meaningful engagement Participatory decision-makingRestorative Repairs harm Active responsibility Addresses harms and needs “With”
STANDARD VS. RESTORATIVE ASSUMPTIONS • STANDARD • Rule violation is paramount • Response targets offender • Punishment is just • WORLDVIEW ▸ SOCIAL CONTROL • RESTORATIVE • Wrongdoing harms people and relationships • Harm creates needs • Obligation is to heal and “put right” the harms • WORLDVIEW ▸ SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
Questions We Ask About Wrongdoing (Standard Justice) • What law or rule was broken? • Who did it? • What consequences do they deserve?
RP Guiding Questions (Whole School Restorative Practices) • Who has been harmed? • What are their needs? • Whose obligation are they? • What are the causes? • Who has a stake in this? • What is the appropriate process?
Whole School Restorative Justice • PRINCIPLES (ZEHR) • ENGAGEMENT: involves those impacted, including the community, in the process and resolution. • RESPONSIBILITY: encourages appropriate responsibility for addressing needs and repairing the harm (accountability); • RESTORATION: acknowledges and repairs the harm caused by, and revealed by, wrongdoing
A CONTINUUM OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES A CONTINUUM OF SWPBIS PRACTICES • Intensive Intervention • Return from suspension • Administrative transfer or school crime diversion: • Victim offender meetings • Family/community group conferences • Restitution • Intensive Intervention • Function-based support • Wraparound support ~5% ~15% • Early Intervention • Check-in/ Check-out • Social Skills Curricula • Early Intervention • Alternatives to suspension: • Youth/peer court • Peer mediation • Conflict resolution training • Restitution • Responsive circles • Prevention & Skill Building • Define and teach expectations • Establish consequence system • Collection and use of data • Prevention & Skill Building • Peace-keeping/community building circles for: • Morning meetings • Social/emotional instruction • Staff meetings ~80% of Students (Adapted from Swain-Bradway, Eber, Sprague, and Nelson, 2016)
Why Restorative Practices? (Restorative Justice in US Schools: A Research Review, Feb 2016) • Zero-tolerance policies have led to larger numbers of youths being “pushed out” (suspended or expelled) with no evidence of positive impact on school safety (Losen, 2014). • Racial/ethnic disparity in what youths receive school punishments and how severe punishments are, even when controlling for type of offense (Skiba et al., 2002).
Why Restorative Practices? (Restorative Justice in US Schools: A Research Review, Feb 2016) • More school misbehavior is being handed over to police (particularly with programs that have police in schools (i.e. School Resource Officers), leading to more youth getting involved with official legal systems — “school-to-prison pipeline” (Petrosino,Guckenburg, & Fronius, 2012). • Research strongly links suspension and other school discipline to failure to graduate (Losen, 2014).
Why Restorative Practices?IDENTIFY THE NEED: KICKED OUT (SELECTED FINDINGS) VTLEGALAID.ORG • Students suspended one time in grade 9 had double the risk of dropping out. • Removal increases the likelihood of contact with the juvenile justice system by threefold. • During 2011-2012, 5-10% of Vermont’s public school students were suspended, losing at least 8,000 days of school. • Vermont’s students with disabilities and students of color were two to three times more likely to be excluded from school through suspension and expulsion.
Why Restorative Practices? • Reduced suspensions and expulsions • Reduced behavioral referrals • Reduced racial disparities in exclusionary discipline • Reduced absenteeism and tardiness • Increased academic performance • Increased parental satisfaction with school response • Identified increased social emotional capacity http://www.greenomegal3c.org/2016/restorative-justice-in-schools-outcomes-and-indicators/
What is YOUR Why? • Turn and talk with a neighbor • What is your school’s why? • What student outcomes do you need to improve?
Tier One: Build Community and Strengthen Relationships • Values circles/celebrate • Check-ins, learning from one another, decision-making as a group, making connections • Explore empathy and biases within the group • Develop healthy relationships • Develop social-emotional understanding • Promote and strengthen sense of belonging and ownership
What is a Circle? • https://youtu.be/QNrON9SzHM0 • Circles are safe spaces for individuals to each have a voice. • Classroom circles support the two main goals of restorative practices: • building community; and • responding to harms through dialogue that sets things right.
The Four Relational Elements of Circles • Developing plans or a sense of unity • Meeting, getting acquainted • Building understanding and trust • Addressing issues
Restorative Practices – Oakland Video(if time) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtdoWo1D3sY
Resources for Educators • Whole School Restorative Approaches Resource Guide (VT AOE) • “Circle Forward: Building a Restorative School Community” by Carolyn Boyes-Watson and Kay Pranis • “The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools: Teaching Responsibility and Creating Caring Climates” Lorraine StutzmanAmstutz and Judy H. Mullett • “Creating Restorative Schools: Setting Schools Up to Succeed” Martha A. Brown, Ph.D.
Turn and Talk/Share Out • How do you see restorative practices fitting into your classroom routine currently? What time of day? How many times per week? • What are some topics you feel would be helpful to focus on through a circle format in your classroom? • How could you see your school adopting this philosophy? What kinds of supports would you need in order to implement Restorative Practices?