How Restorative Practices Address Exclusionary Discipline and the School-to-Prison Pipeline
By Beth Hampson
In many schools today, discipline mirrors the criminal justice system of rules and punishment. The argument for using suspension and expulsion is that it makes schools safer by deterring misbehavior or removing offenders. In fact, exclusionary discipline has been shown to have the opposite effect, being detrimental to students, schools, and the wider community. In 2012 Massachusetts put into legislation Chapter 222 of the Acts of 2012 to address the growing belief that traditional school discipline needs to change. The Massachusetts Department of Education states the primary objectives of this new law as follows:
to limit the use of long-term suspension as a consequence for student misconduct subject to G.L. c. 71, §37H ¾ until other consequences have been considered and tried as appropriate, and
where exclusion from the classroom or school occurs for any type of disciplinary offense, to require schools to make education services available so the student has an opportunity to make academic progress while suspended or expelled.
Research has revealed that suspension for non-violent offenses, particularly repeated suspension, has a limited effect on improving behavior and adversely affects achievement. In addressing these findings, school leaders in Massachusetts and across the U.S. found that improving school climate through positive behavioral interventions, including restorative practices, resulted in much better outcomes for students. Not only do these alternative practices reduce suspensions, they also promote greater school safety and academic success. Despite progress being made as a result of the Chapter 222 mandate, disparities still exist in Massachusetts.
According to a 2012 study by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, being suspended just one time in the ninth grade is related to an increased risk of dropping out. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund explains that “funneling students out of school and into the streets and the juvenile correction system perpetuates a cycle known as the ‘School-to-Prison-Pipeline,’ depriving children and youth of meaningful opportunities for education, future employment, and participation in our democracy.” Furthermore, exclusionary school discipline practices have a disproportionate impact on students of color. Research shows that children of color are more likely to be referred out of the classroom and receive harsher punishment for their actions. Data from the Government Accountability Office, published in a 2018 article in Vox, shows that black students in K-12 schools are far more likely to be disciplined than students of other races.
Restorative Practices offer a significant paradigm shift away from rules and punishment to a school culture focused on people and relationships. Harm and misbehavior are seen as a violation of relationships, not a violation of rules. When this shift in thinking and practice happens in a school, there is greater attention to building, maintaining, and repairing relationships. When students are connected to peers and adults and feel physically and emotionally safe in their school environment, they are less likely to act out and are more likely to have better academic outcomes. Restorative Practices focus on the prevention of harmful or disruptive behavior through the use of Community Building Circles to create positive and supportive student-teacher and peer relationships. And, when harm or misbehavior does occur Restorative Conferences require that students reflect on, take responsibility for, and repair harm caused by their actions.
Regular Community Building Circles are critical to the success of these practices. In circle, teachers and students form positive bonds through storytelling, shared experiences and group problem-solving making classrooms supportive spaces in which students can engage in academically and socially productive ways. A 2007 study by Allan Allday and Kerri Pakurar found that when teachers took time to connect with inattentive students by name at the start of class the percentage of time those students spent engaged in the first 10 minutes of instruction rose from 45% to 72%. Holding regular circles provides a way for students and teachers to connect, learn about one another, celebrate similarities and differences, and develop meaningful relationships.
This approach to addressing discipline, harm or misbehavior offers an opportunity for reflection and learning. While Community Building Circles provide a foundation for the development of trust and connection, Restorative Chats and Conferences provide a structure for repairing broken relationships allowing students to move forward in a supported and positive way. The collaborative approach central to responding to harm and misbehavior through Restorative Practices requires a culture of trust that is fostered through ongoing Community Building Circles. This approach to discipline can foster a strong sense of both community and safety.
Not only do Restorative Practices offer an alternative to suspension in compliance with the Chapter 222 MA state mandate, they reduce behaviors that lead to suspension in the first place. The shift away from punishment and toward prevention through building strong connections and relationships, keeps kids in school, boosts overall achievement, and provides support and a learning opportunity when suspendable offenses do occur.