Reducing racial disparities in discipline through transformative action for equity
ANNE GREGORY, [email protected] UNIVERSITY
NJ PRINCIPALS AND SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
Workshop in five parts
Part 1: Urgency: National and state trends in school discipline
Part 2: On-line PD on relationship building
Part 3: Strengthening instruction as prevention (coaching model)
Lunch
Part 4: The promise of restorative approaches to discipline
Part 5: Sample policy reform
Part 1: The urgency
Racial Disparities in Secondary School Suspension Rates*
1972-73 2009-100
5
10
15
20
25
30
Asian/PI
American Indian
White
Latino
Source: Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s 2009-10 Civil Rights Data CollectionFigure from Losen, D. & Martinez, T. (2013) Out of School & Off Track: The overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools. * Based on non-duplicated student counts.
Racial Disparities in Secondary School Suspension Rates*
1972-73 2009-100
5
10
15
20
25
30
Asian/PIAmerican IndianWhiteLatinoBlack
24.3%
11.8%
Source: Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s 2009-10 Civil Rights Data CollectionFigure from Losen, D. & Martinez, T. (2013) Out of School & Off Track: The overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools. * Based on non-duplicated student counts.
Alternative explanations
• Really about lags in achievement?
• Disproportionate representation in special education?
• Higher poverty rates?
A statewide longitudinal study
• Rigorously examined the link between race and discipline.
• Isolate the effects of race controlling for 83 risk factors.
• (Multivariate methodologies make it possible to isolate the effect of a single factor, while holding the remainder of the factors statistically constant.)
8
Accounting for 83 different variables and compared to otherwise identical White and Latino students
.
Chance of Discipline Action0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
WhiteBlackHispanic
Breaking School Rules report
9
African American students had a 31 percent higher likelihood of a school discretionary discipline action
.
Chance of Discipline Action0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
WhiteBlackHispanic
Breaking School Rules report
Other groups to be concerned about…
GENDER
Male students
Across a K-12 sample, males received 3 times more referrals for behavior and 22% more referrals for attendance than females (Kaufman et al., 2010).
Black females
In 2009, the average national suspension rate for Black females was 13%; 5% higher than the national average for all students and comparable to the suspension rate of Latino males (Losen & Martinez, 2013).
Other groups to be concerned about…
Latino students
Latino 10th graders were twice as likely as White students to be issued an out-of-school suspension. Findings accounted for student- and teacher-reported misbehavior (Finn & Servoss, 2013).
LGBT youth and gender non-conforming youth
LGB girls experienced about twice as many arrests and convictions as other girls who had engaged in similar transgressions. They also were expelled at higher rates (Himmelstein & Bruckner, 2011).
The urgency
For many students, the snowball starts rolling in elementary school
Small paper cuts of negative interactions with school staff…
• Can snowball!
• Lower school bonding
• Affiliate with other peers who are less bonded.
• Internalized sense that “I am the bad kid” or I hang with the “bad kids.”
• Develop a race-based sense of “us” and “them” – school is for “them” not “us.”
Suspension and college coursework
White boys Black boys Latino boys0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.66
0.53 0.55
0.230.2
0.24
Never SuspendedSuspended 10+ days
Perc
en
tag
e an
y c
olleg
e
Shollenberger, T. L (2015). Racial disparities in school suspension and subsequent outcomes: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. In D. J. Losen (Ed.) Closing the Discipline Gap.
Statewide sample of 9th graders followed over time: Each additional suspension further decreased a student’s odds of graduating high school by 20% (
High School Graduation
High School Drop Out
Accounting for poverty, special ed
status, course failures, and attendance
Suspension
(Balfanz, Byrnes, & Fox, 2015).
School to prison pipeline
• To what extent is school discipline an indicator of risk for juvenile justice involvement, particularly for students who cycle through the disciplinary system?
18
Accounting for 83 different risk variables…
.
Justice Contact0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
No prior dis-ciplineFrequent disci-pline (11+ times)
Breaking School Rules, Texas report
19
Frequently disciplined students and juvenile justice contact
.
Justice contact0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
5.5%
17.5%
No prior dis-cipline
Breaking School Rules, Texas report
“A student who had been disciplinedmore than 11 times faced a nearly one in five chance (17.3 %) of a juvenile justice contact” p. 71.
Suspension and confinement in correctional facilities
White males
Black males Latino males
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.040.09 0.07
0.32
0.380.35
Never SuspendedSuspended 10+ days
Perc
en
t con
fin
ed
by
mid
to late
20
’s
Shollenberger, T. L (2015). Racial disparities in school suspension and subsequent outcomes: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. In D. J. Losen (Ed.) Closing the Discipline Gap.
• “The indications and effectiveness of exclusionary discipline policies that demand automatic or rigorous application are increasingly questionable...
• Periodic scrutiny of policies should be placed not only on the need for a better understanding of the educational, emotional, and social impact of out-of-school suspension and expulsion on the individual student but also on the greater societal costs of such rigid policies.”
• Feb, 2013
US DOJ Office of Civil Rights holding schools legally accountable through “disparate impact”
• U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") investigates civil rights violations • Violations of the U.S. Department of Education's regulations
interpreting Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Civil right complaints are being filed related to how school discipline practices have disparate impact on some racial groups.
• Proving intention is unnecessary for the plaintiff to win in a disparate impact case.
USDOE (2014) Guidance
Office of Civil Rights Data Collection
• http://ocrdata.ed.gov/DistrictSchoolSearch#schoolSearch
• The web tool allows users to access data on suspensions and see disparities at the school level.
• Users can see data disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, &/or disability status. The data is available at the elementary and secondary levels.
Discussion questions about data-based decision making
• Using data:• How do you use data in your school(s) to track patterns in school discipline?
• What data sources do you use?
• Overall trends:• Do you know if school suspensions in your school(s) are on the rise or decline?
• What are the demographic characteristics of students subject to repeated removal?
• Are disparities increasing in your school or across your district?
• Are new trends emerging in terms of disparities across different student subgroups?
• Specific patterns: • Do you track and disaggregate discipline data by offense type, student characteristics (e.g.,
student race/ethnicity, disability status), school staff referrer, location of infraction, time of infraction, referral to law enforcement, and whether students receive a school-based ticket or arrest.
• How are you using data to guide decision-making, interventions, and supports?
Questions thus far?
(5 minutes)
Part 2: An ounce of prevention
• Preventing discipline disparities:• Offer supportive relationships, • Academic rigor, • Culturally relevant and responsive teaching, • Bias-free classrooms and respectful school environments
• Intervening when conflict occurs: • Problem-solve, • Engage youth and families, • Reintegrate students after conflict.
From “deporting and disciplining” to “resolving and educating”
See handout: Gregory, Bell, Pollock, (2014) Intervention Brief at http://rtpcollaborative.indiana.edu/briefing-papers/
Creating Opportunities through Relationships (COR)
Developed at the University of Virginia and supported by Atlantic Philanthropies
Module 2• Recognizing and Understanding Our Own Lenses
• http://www.castllearning.org/
Part 3: The promise of coaching for teachers
The My Teaching Partner-Secondary (MTP-S) professional development program
• Sustained over the whole school year
• Focused on teachers’ interactions with students as viewed through regular video-recorded instruction
• Rigorous – based on research/theory and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
• Developed at the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL)
University of Virginia (Pianta, R., Allen, J., Hafen, C., Mikami, A., Gregory, A.)
Classroom Assessment & Scoring System- Secondary (CLASS-S)
Emotional Support
Positive ClimateTeacher Sensitivity
Regard for Adolescent Perspectives
Instructional Support
Instructional Learning Format
Content Understanding
Analysis & Problem Solving
Quality of Feedback
Classroom Organization
Behavior ManagementProductivity
Negative Climate
Student Outcomes
Student Engagement
Classroom Assessment & Scoring System- Secondary (CLASS-S)
Emotional Support
Positive ClimateTeacher Sensitivity
Regard for Adolescent Perspectives
Instructional Support
Instructional Learning Format
Content Understanding
Analysis & Problem Solving
Quality of Feedback
Classroom Organization
Behavior ManagementProductivity
Negative Climate
Student Outcomes
Student Engagement
Overview of MTP™ Cycle
Prior positive findings of MTP-S
Prior evidence for the positive impact of MTP-S• Increased student performance on standardized tests (held across racial groups).
• Increased student engagement and positive peer interactions in MTP-S classrooms (Allen, Pianta, Gregory, Mikami, Lun, 2011; Gregory, Allen, Mikami, Hafen & Pianta, 2012; Mikami, Gregory, Allen, Pianta, & Lun, 2011)
Recent study: Randomized controlled trial
- 5 middle and high schools; 82 teachers (one focal classroom each
- 979 participating students (59% African American, 30% White, 8% Hispanic, and 3% Asian)
- Rigorous controls in analyses (e.g., student SES, prior achievement)
% students receiving one or more office discipline referrals
Control Teachers Intervention Teachers0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%13.7%
6.0%5.1%
5.8%
African American
All Others
Gregory, A., Allen, J., Mikami, A., Hafen, C., & Pianta, R. (2015). The promise of a teacher professional development program in reducing racial disparity in classroom exclusionary discipline. In D. J. Losen (Ed.). Closing the discipline gap: Equitable remedies for excessive exclusion (pp. 166-179). New York: Teachers College Press.
Reducing racial disparities
•Reduce:• Implicit bias•Microaggressions• Low expectations•Cultural mismatch•Minimal access to high quality instruction
More “distal” factors
• Increase access to: High quality instruction and positive interactions between teachers and African American students
More Proximal Factors
• Reduce Punitive disciplinary responses to African American student behavior
• Lower their rates of exclusion from instruction
• Increase their academic engagement and trust in the teacher
Outcomes
Questions and Discussion
•How is MTP-S similar or different to the current mentoring/coaching in your school(s)?
Your survey results and breaking for lunch
Part 3: The promise of restorative approaches to discipline
• Preventing discipline disparities:• Offer supportive relationships, • Academic rigor, • Culturally relevant and responsive teaching, • Bias-free classrooms and respectful school environments
• Intervening when conflict occurs: • Problem-solve, • Engage youth and families, • Reintegrate students after conflict.
From “deporting and disciplining” to “resolving and educating”
See handout: Gregory, Bell, Pollock, (2014) Intervention Brief at http://rtpcollaborative.indiana.edu/briefing-papers/
RESTORATIVE APPROACHES to discipline
Summary:
• Focuses on relationships
• Gives voice to the person harmed and the person who caused the harm
• Engages collaborative problem-solving
• Dialogue-based decision-making process
• An agreed upon plan leads to actions aimed at repairing the harm done.
Schiff, M. (2013). Dignity, disparity and desistance: Effective restorative justice strategies to plug the “school-to-prison pipeline.” In Center for Civil Rights Remedies National Conference. Closing the School to Research Gap: Research to Remedies Conference. Washington, DC.
RESTORATIVE APPROACHES- DEFINITIONS
Restorative Justice – A theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm.
Restorative practices – A framework for a broad range of restorative justice approaches that proactively build a school community based on cooperation, mutual understanding, trust and respect.
From: DIGNITY IN SCHOOLS CAMPAIGNMODEL CODEWEBINAR V: RESTORATIVE JUSTICE, http://www.dignityinschools.org/files/ModelCode_Webinar_RestorativeJustice.pdf
Fairfax County Public Schoolsr
SFUSD Restorative Practices Multiple Tiered System of Supports
Brief comments about how others were impacted by the person’s behavior.
Affective Questions; ask who was affected, how they were affected, etc.
Occur when a few people meet briefly to address and resolve a problem.
More formal RP that allows everyone to have some say in what should happen as a result of the wrongdoing.
Brings together offenders, victims and communities of support to repair harm and promote healing.
Adapted from Costello, B. , Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools building community and enhancing learning.
Affective statements
AffectiveQuestions
Small ImpromptuConference
Circles
Formal Conference
Restorative Practices Continuum from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP)
Brief comments about how others were impacted by the person’s behavior.
Affective Questions; ask who was affected, how they were affected, etc.
Occur when a few people meet briefly to address and resolve a problem.
More formal RP that allows everyone to have some say in what should happen as a result of the wrongdoing.
Brings together offenders, victims and communities of support to repair harm and promote healing.
Adapted from Costello, B. , Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools building community and enhancing learning.
Affective statements
AffectiveQuestions
Small ImpromptuConference
Responsive Circles
Formal Conference
Restorative Practices Continuum from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP)
Brief comments about how others were impacted by the person’s behavior.
Affective Questions; ask who was affected, how they were affected, etc.
Occur when a few people meet briefly to address and resolve a problem.
More formal RP that allows everyone to have some say in what should happen as a result of the wrongdoing.
Brings together offenders, victims and communities of support to repair harm and promote healing.
Adapted from Costello, B. , Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools building community and enhancing learning.
Affective statements
AffectiveQuestions
Small ImpromptuConference
Responsive Circles
Formal Conference
Restorative Practices Continuum from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP)
Foster reflection through a series of “restorative questions”
• Questions to ask the disputant:
• What happened? What were you thinking about at the time? What have your thoughts been since?
• Who has been affected by what you did? In what way have they been affected?
• What do you think you need to do to make things right?
• Questions to ask those harmed or affected by the incident:
• What did you think when you realized what had happened?
• How has this affected you and others? What has been the hardest thing for you?
• What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
From Costello, B., Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools building community and enhancing learning.
Experiencing Restorative Practices in the classroom
My teacher is respectful when talking about feelings. (Affective Statements)
When someone misbehaves, my teacher responds to negative behaviors by asking students questions about what happened, who has been harmed and how the harm can be repaired. (Restorative Questions)
My teacher uses circles to provide opportunities for students to share feelings, ideas and experiences. (Proactive Circles)
(IIRP, 2009)51
What the students might experience through the RP Elements
My teacher asks students for their thoughts and ideas when decisions need to be made that affect the class (Fair Process)
My teacher uses circles to respond to behavior problems and repair harm caused by misbehavior (Responsive Circles)
My teacher acknowledges the feelings of students when they have misbehaved (Management of Shame)
52
(IIRP, 2009)
Teachers above (n = 16) and below (n = 13) the mean on student-perceived RP implementation and their misconduct/defiance referrals
High RP Classrooms Low RP Classrooms0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2.92
9.13
0.77 1.69
African American/Latino
White/Asian
53
Gregory A., Clawson, K., Davis, A., & Gerewitz, J. (2014). The promise of restorative practices to transform teacher-student relationships and achieve equity in school discipline. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation.
Bringing restorative approaches to life
RJ in Oakland, CA
Questions for video clips
•As you view the video clips, on the index card:• Side 1- Write down two things students might learn from the circle process.• Side 2- Write down two things adults or school staff might learn from the circle process.
•Also, consider:•What would you foresee being the benefit(s) of using these circles in your current setting?
Community-building and Re-entry circles
Restorative Justice Student Facilitators: Tier One. Community Building Circle:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKhcQrLD1w
00 to 6.15 minutes
• Restorative Welcome and Re-entry Circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJ2GPiptvc
00. to 6.07 minutes
Social and Emotional Learning for STAFF AND STUDENTS • Self-awareness: Students’ ability to accurately recognize their own emotions/thoughts
and how their emotions/thoughts influence their behavior.
• Self-management: Students’ ability to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.
• Social awareness: Students’ ability for perspective taking and empathy with others of diverse cultures and backgrounds in their family, school, and community.
• Relationship skills: Students’ ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
• Responsible decision-making: Students’ ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions.
• Cultural responsiveness: Skills, beliefs, and attitudes that facilitate cross-cultural interactions.
• * The core five social emotional learning competencies as identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2013). See: http://www.casel.org
RJ in Oakland, CA
Brief comments about how others were impacted by the person’s behavior.
Affective Questions which are one step further, asks questions such as, who was affected, how they were affected, etc.
Occur when a few people meet briefly to address and resolve a problem.
More formal RP that allows everyone to have some say in what should happen as a result of the wrongdoing.
Brings together offenders, victims and communities of support to repair harm and promote healing.
Adapted from Costello, B. , Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools building community and enhancing learning.
Affective statements
AffectiveQuestions
Small ImpromptuConference
Circles
Formal Conference
Restorative Practices Continuum
Small impromptu conferences• Small impromptu conferences are most effective for solving a
problem quickly when a limited number of school community members are involved.
• This tool is built upon affective questions and is extremely helpful in de-escalating small problems before they become disruptive to the learning environment.
• Small impromptu conferences can be used (but not limited to) the hallway, lunchroom or playground; where students often engage with peers in an informal setting.
Restorative Questions
Restorative questions to respond to challenging behavior:• What happened? • What were you thinking about at the time? • What have your thoughts been since? • Who has been affected by what you did? • In what way have they been affected? • What do you think you need to do to make things right?
Restorative Questions to help those harmed by others actions: • What did you think when you realized what had happened? • What have your thoughts been since? • How has this affected you and others? • What has been the hardest thing for you? • What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
Example, a teacher approaches two students who are yelling at one another on the playground.
Step 1- Affect statement/ question.
Teacher says, "I was really concerned when I saw you screaming at each other.” “I was worried things would get out of control.”
What happened?"
Step 2-Allow each student to reflect on how he/she added to the conflict.
After each student responds, the staff member might continue by using restorative questions such as , "What was your part in what happened?"
Although each of the students might have a tendency to blame each other, the staff member would continue to guide the conference by saying. "We're talking about just you, what was your part in this?“
Step 3- Students are given an opportunity to say what can be done to resolve the problem.
The teacher would ask, "What can each of you do to make this better?“
Step 4 (optional)- Create an opportunity for follow up with the students.
Teacher might ask, What is one thing each of you will do differently now to make sure this doesn’t happen again? Which one of you can come by my classroom at the end of school today to le t me know how it went?
By using affective questions students are heard, asked to examine how they contributed to the conflict, as well as provide input on how to resolve the issue. The staff member serves as a mediator in a problem solving session rather than a dictator of rules.
Our role play of a more typical interaction versus a small impromptu conference
Reflections on role plays
• How might racial and cultural dynamics impact how the conference unfolds?
• How were restorative questions different than typical approaches?
• Could you imagine restorative questions changing the tenor of problem-solving in the school? (parent-teacher conflict? Staff conflict?).
From anecdote to evidence
International Research• Scotland
• England
• Wales
• Canada
• Hong Kong
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Brazil
For more details see: Schiff, M. (2013). Dignity, disparity, and desistance: Effective restorative justice strategies to plug the “school to prison pipeline.”
Single case studies reducing discipline incidents
Example: West Philadelphia High School (pre-RP 2006-2007; post-RP 2007-2008)
From Lewis, S. (2009). Improving School Climate: Schools Implementing Restorative Practices.
Oakland Unified School District
2011-12 2012-20130
5
10
15
20
25
30
Suspension rates by student race/ethnicity
BlackLatinoWhite
% s
usp
en
ded
on
e o
r m
ore
tim
es
Jain, S., Bassey, H, Brown, M. A., & Kalra, P. (2014). Restorative Justice in Oakland Schools. Implementation and Impacts.
Recent findings from the Denver Public Schools
71
Restorative Conference,
Circle, orMediation
Lower chance of
future discipline referral
Rigorous statistical analyses accounted for: race, gender, income, ELL status,disability status, severity and frequency of referral.
Conference students had a significantly lower odds of receiving office discipline referrals (OR = .22, p <.001) and suspensions (OR = .57, p <.001) in the second semester.
From: Gregory, A., Anyon, Y., Farrar, J., Jenson, J. M., McQueen, J., Downing, B., Greer, E. & Simmons, J. (manuscript under review). Implementing restorative interventions and reducing future discipline sanctions in a large urban school district.
Denver Public Schools
2011-12 2012-20130
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Suspension rates by student race/ethnicity
BlackLatinoWhite
% s
usp
en
ded
on
e o
r m
ore
ti
mes
Anyon, Y. Jenson, J. M., et al., (2014). The persistent effect of race and the promise of alternatives to suspension in school discipline outcomes, Children and Youth Services Review.
On-going federally-supported randomized controlled trials
• North Carolina:• A Group Randomized Trial of Restorative Justice
Programming to Address the School to Prison Pipeline, Columbus County Schools, NC
• Pennsylvania: • Pursuing Equitable Restorative Communities, Pittsburgh, PA
•Maine: • Randomized Controlled Trial of Restorative Practices in Maine
Research needs to go beyond discipline records…
•Attendance
•Achievement
•Engagement
•Sense of community
•Positive interactions amongst students and staff
RJ in Oakland, CA
Fidelity of implementation matters!
A teacher recently explained:
“…So many initiatives came our way. So it’s hard to know what to prioritize…once you leave a training you get in your classroom and there’s so much that they expect from you.
…We have a training and maybe that next week teachers will go in and use those circles. Then it gets lost...”
(Korth, 2015)
Post training excitement!
Admin
. Sup
port fo
r RP
Org. R
esou
rces
for R
P
RP Fi
t with
Sch
ools
RP Use
fuln
ess w/S
tude
nts
Like
ly to
Use
RP
Elem
ents
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
8%16%
8% 10% 14%
92%84%
92% 90% 86%
DisagreeAgree
(N = 50)
Most feeling prepared…
Strongly/Somewhat disagree
Strongly/Somewhat agree
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
21%
79%The training really helped me learn RP
(N = 77)
BUT….a year later close to half of respondents reported that they had not facilitated any circles throughout the school year
44%
15%
31%
8% 2%none
one
two to ten
eleven to thirty
one hundred
How restorative practices are implemented matters!
Restorative
Approaches
Outcomes
Fidelity of Implementati
on
A multi-faceted model of fidelity
Three domains:
• DELIVERY- How well is the program delivered?
• RECEIPT- How well is the program received?
• ENACTMENT- To what extent do participants enact what was learned?
See: Schulte, A. C. Easton, J. E. & Parker. J. (2009). Advances in treatment integrity research: Multidisciplinary perspectives on the conceptualization, measurement, and enhancement of treatment integrity. School Psychology Review, 38, pp. 460-475.
• Draws from Dane & Schneider (2008)
First domain of fidelityDELIVERY
DELIVERY
Adherence:
What proportion of the component parts of the restorative approaches were implemented?
Adherence example from:
Staff self-report checklist
Observer checklist of circle essentialsCircle Format: Students are sitting or standing in a circle Obstacles and barriers are removed from the inside of the circle to
promote connection Centerpiece is in place Talking piece is present Circle agreements are established Opening ceremony occurs Closing ceremony occurs
(Morningside Center, Gregory, A., & Green, C., 2015)
First domain of fidelity
DELIVERY
Dosage/exposure:
How many teachers facilitating circles and how often?
How many conferences offered?
Quality: To what degree are the restorative practices implemented in a high quality manner?
Example of measuring quality
• RP-Observe
• Observers rate the Structure, Support, and Student Voice in proactive/responsive circles and restorative conferences
Gregory, A, Gerewitz, J., Clawson, K., Davis, A., Korth, J. & Schotland, M. (2014).
RP-Observe Indicators of Quality
Structure
Support
Student Voice
Respect and Responsiveness (Staff-Student & Student-
Student)
Relevancy
Autonomy
Risk-taking
Problem-Solving
CircleRules/agreements
Second domain of fidelity
RECEIPT
Participant responsiveness:
To what extent are participants authentically engaged during implementation ?
The Queensland Education Department (1996) followed 300 participants through 31 formal restorative conferences.
Restorative
Conference
Reports of behavioral improveme
nt. Low re-referral.
90% had a chance to “have their say”
(voice)
80% 0f “wrongdoers”
“were affected by the emotions of those who had been hurt and
this made them feel bad.”
(perspective-taking)
Third domain of fidelity: Enactment
ENACTMENT
Participant generalization:
To what extent are participants able to apply skills to new contexts?
Participant generalization:
• Through the Minneapolis Public Schools, students at risk for expulsion participated in family group conferences (N = 83).
• Because of their participation in conferences:
• 75% of students reported that they understand the impact of their behavior on people around them.
• 61% said they learned how to solve problems non-
violently.
(McMorris, B.J., Beckman, K.J., Shea, G., Baumgartner, J., & Eggert, R.C. (2013).Applying Restorative Justice Practices to Minneapolis Public Schools Students Recommended for Possible Expulsion: A Pilot Program Evaluation of the Family and Youth Restorative Conference Program)
Participant generalization
• Describing his use of the restorative questions outside of school, a Latino male student said,
• “…even outside of here - you have it in your head, I’ve done that like 5 times already. I got into trouble and I did the questions right there in my head. They look at me like ‘What?’ but I’m like ‘Aw nothing, I’m just doing the (restorative) questions.’” (Clawson, K., 2015).
Participant generalization
• A White male high school student explained,
“(I learned) like how to handle a situation if it comes up next time, like taking action steps for how to fix a problem… Like cause and effect… Now I generally handle them in a more respectful way, just talking to the person…” (Clawson, K., 2015)
Participant generalization
• An African American female high school student noted:
“I actually learned how to listen and after having a few one-on-ones with the same person it just clicks in my head…I learned how to express myself and tell how I really feel before I get mad…”
(Clawson, K., 2015)
Social and Emotional Learning for STAFF AND STUDENTS • Self-awareness: Students’ ability to accurately recognize their own emotions/thoughts
and how their emotions/thoughts influence their behavior.*
• Self-management: Students’ ability to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.*
• Social awareness: Students’ ability for perspective taking and empathy with others of diverse cultures and backgrounds in their family, school, and community.*
• Relationship skills: Students’ ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.*
• Responsible decision-making: Students’ ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions.*
• Cultural competence: Skills, knowledge, and beliefs that facilitate successful cross-cultural interactions.
* The core five social emotional learning competencies as identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2013). See: http://www.casel.org
Denver Public Schools (DPS)
In your DPS training manual
• Post-conference survey ratings of student participants:• Expressed feelings in an appropriate manner
• Showed they understood the feelings of others involved
• Used good listening skills
• Showed ability to control anger
• Clearly stated goals for repairing the harm
• Tone of voice, eye contact, body posture showed respect for others in the circle
Implementation fidelityDELIVERYDimension Definition Example using
Restorative Approaches
Adherence Proportion of elements implemented
Implemented appropriate parts of a conference or circle
Exposure/Dosage Duration & Frequency of implementation
Weekly Restorative Circles? How many teachers facilitating circles? How many conferences offered?
Quality Skill of implementation Quality ratings of restorative circles/conferences
Implementation fidelityRECEIPT
Dimension Definition Example using Restorative Approaches
Participant exposure or dose
Amount of the program received by each student
How many referred students participated in a conference?
Participant comprehension
Extent of participant’s understanding of what was implemented
Exit slips: Students reports about the conference process.
Participant responsiveness
Extent to which participants engaged during implementation (or found it relevant)
Observed authentic/positive engagement in the conference/circle.
Implementation fidelityENACTMENT
Dimension Definition Example using Restorative Approaches
Participant mastery Extent to which participants are able to use skills introduced during the program itself
Observed use of SEL skills or answering the restorative questions during conferences.
Participant generalization
Extent to which participant are able to apply skills to new contexts
Student self-reported use of problem-solving and repairing harm in school, neighborhoods, and home.
For consideration in YOUR schools :
• What is feasible in terms of measuring fidelity in your schools?
Describe how you might measure (in a feasible/efficient manner) from the fidelity domains :
• DELIVERY- How well is the program delivered? • Dosage/exposure?
• RECEIPT- How well is the program received?• Participant responsiveness?
• ENACTMENT- To what extent do participants enact what was learned? • Participant generalization?
Implementation supports
Program implementation and evaluation
RestorativeApproaches
Fidelity of Implementation Outcomes
Implementation supports;
Administrator leadership
High quality staff training
“Sit and get” workshops are not enough
•We can increase knowledge, but changing behavior is harder.
•We need high quality implementation supports.
What do we know from “implementation science”?
Implementation supports:
• Modeling and Practice
• Performance feedback (Coaching)
• Professional Learning Groups
• Positive reinforcement (shine a light on success)
• Administrator leadership and communication of RP as a priority
• Build “in-house” capacity (e.g., key opinion leaders, lead teachers)
See: Forman, S. G. (2015). Implementation of mental health programs in schools: A change agent’s guide. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Fairfax County Public Schools
Part 5: Sample policy reform
Conclusion from our five part workshop
Part 1: Urgency: National and state trends in school discipline
Part 2: On-line PD on relationship building
Part 3: Strengthening instruction as prevention (coaching model)
Lunch
Part 4: The promise of restorative approaches to discipline
Part 5: Sample policy reform
Online Resources for Restorative Practices
Introducing Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtdoWo1D3sY
Restorative Justice Student Facilitators: Tier One. Community Building Circle: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKhcQrLD1w
Restorative Justice Helps At Risk Kids in West Oakland NBC Bay Area: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSObF8hW5DY
Restorative Welcome and Re-entry Circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJ2GPiptvc
Restorative Justice Circle: http://vimeo.com/37746907
From Hostility to Harmony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQWNyS4QSao
International Institute of Restorative Practices http://www.safersanerschools.org/
Other resources: Council of State Governments
Other resources: African American young men commenting on their experience of school and race• http://
colorlines.com/archives/2014/05/life_cycles_of_inequity_a_colorlines_series_on_black_men.html
• Produced by ColorLines
• End at 5.45 minutes