Restorative Discipline: Rebuilding Learning Communities Through Responsive Practices

For access to presentation materials, use the password (use all caps): GAPBS Restorative Discipline: Rebuilding Learning Communities Through Responsive Practices In discussions of student discipline, some argue that marginalized groups receive harsher punishments than their peers. National and state data reported by the U.S. Department of Education document that disparities result in consequences that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. While some argue in favor of traditionally punitive reactions to student misbehavior, others contend that punitive consequences are ineffective. Because punishment does not teach replacement skills, its use serves only as a temporary fix. Further, harsh consequences enacted as a result of no tolerance policies do not make schools safer and often violate student rights, specifically for those who comprise special populations and/or communities of color. One way to empower students and protect student rights is to approach problem behavior through restorative discipline. Restorative discipline supports evidence-based practices by including features of how to: 1. Maximize structure, 2. Post, teach, review, monitor, and reinforce expectations, 3. Actively engage students in observable ways, 4. Use a continuum of strategies to acknowledge appropriate behavior, and 5. Use a continuum of strategies to acknowledge inappropriate behavior. Restorative practices include lessons that focus on acquisition of prosocial skills, preparing students for navigation of difficult situations. Additionally, key tenets of restorative discipline emphasize the importance of educators using preventative strategies rather than resorting to reactive measures. Protecting student dignity and student rights extends far beyond selecting a classroom management program for teaching students replacement behaviors. It also requires educators and parents to shift paradigms from a culture of punitive consequences to one that embodies proactive responses to address challenging behaviors, while holding students accountable for their choices and actions. Together, parents, guardians, and educators can embrace restorative practices to rebuild learning communities that ensure equity and accessibility to a social curriculum that is taught with intentionality and with purpose