New research from the University of Chicago Education Lab finds that restorative practices in schools can significantly reduce suspensions and student arrests for violent and non-violent offenses and increase student perceptions of belonging and school safety.
The study, which evaluated the effect of restorative practices rolled out across Chicago public high schools beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year, suggests these practices are generating genuine, positive changes in student behavior. Schools that implemented RP policies saw out-of-school suspensions fall 18%. There was a 35% reduction in student arrests in school and a 15% reduction in out-of-school student arrests. The study saw declines in arrests for both violent and non-violent offenses.
As the scrutiny over zero-tolerance policies has increased in the past few years, more school districts are exploring alternatives to harsh punitive measures. Many school leaders are looking for ways to avoid suspending a large number of students, to avert racial disparity gaps and to create a more inclusive and friendly learning environment.
Zero-tolerance policies often criminalize students of color. For example, while black students made up 15% of students in 2016, they accounted for 31% of school-related arrest and referrals to law enforcement, according to federal data.
Restorative practices can involve bringing students together in classroom circles for non-judgmental conflict resolution and encouraging self-reflection and empathetic listening.
“Our research shows that restorative practices can make a real, positive difference in addressing students’ socio-emotional needs,” said Sadie Stockdale Jefferson, executive director of the University of Chicago Education Lab. “We hope these findings inform how schools advance the health and success of students.”
The study measured the impact of RP on student behavior and educational outcomes in Chicago, the nation’s fourth-largest school district. In addition to significant decreases in student arrests and suspensions, RP improved students’ perceptions of school climate. This improvement is driven by large increases in students’ perceptions that their peers’ classroom behavior improved, their increased feeling that they belong at school and that school is a safe place to be.
Programmatic benefits were particularly large for Black students, although the authors also found evidence that Latino male students’ test scores may have declined in response to RP adoption. Future research is needed to understand why students might have been affected in different ways.
While RP policies have previously shown promising results, this study fills a crucial gap in the research by providing the first causal evidence of the effectiveness of RP in schools. Administrators can now take into consideration this extended analysis when implementing their own programs, particularly as schools continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study authors note.
The study: "From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice"
—Prof. Chuan He
