Restorative Practices Coordinators in K-12 Education: An Exploratory Study
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Date
2021-09-13
Authors
Goodrich, Deanna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Restorative practices (RP) have been shown to decrease the number of suspensions and expulsions being used in schools and increase positive school climate and culture, thus reducing the negative effects on students’ personal and academic achievement (Losen, 2015; Skiba et al., 2000, 2015). RP is still relatively new in the K-12 setting, however, and the implementation is sporadic and slow. Many districts have created staff roles, such as RP Coordinators, to assist in implementation of practices, yet there is minimal research and guidance on how the role should be utilized within schools. In this mixed methods dissertation, the role of an RP Coordinator in a large urban school district was examined. Findings indicate that how the school district promotes the role to be used in schools is not the current reality. Despite district and school leader investment in implementation (both critical to the fidelity of the RP work), the roles of the RP Coordinators were undefined in the job descriptions provided, leading to unclear understanding of how people in these positions should be utilized day to day in schools. With the large variation in use coupled with low pay, equity concerns have surfaced. Recommendations for the use of RP roles in school are provided to improve practice and guide further research.
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Keywords
coordinator, education, justice, k-12, practices, restorative