Assessing the Implementation and Impact of Restorative Practices within a Multicomponent School Safety Approach

The Urban Institute proposes a four-year, mixed-methods, multi site study incorporating participatory action research to assess the implementation and impact of restorative practices in promoting school safety and well being. Restorative practices represent a novel and understudied approach to school safety, one that differs notably from the more common punitive policies found within many school districts. Understanding how this approach is adopted, especially alongside more traditional security approaches and staff, and what impact it has, provides valuable information to schools hoping to chart a path away from the punitive past. To study this, we will focus on implementation of restorative practices in two sites: Columbus City Schools in Ohio and Montclair Public Schools in New Jersey. These sites, representing a large urban district in the Midwest and a small suburban district in the Northeast with varied approaches to school safety, offer two distinct settings in which to study the implementation and impact of restorative practices. The study will include analysis of restorative policies and practices across and within both sites, descriptive and quasi-experimental analysis of administrative and survey data, interviews with school personnel, focus groups with parents and students, and the development of resources to inform school safety policy and practice. This work will be guided by a School Research Team (SRT) in each district that consists of staff and students to ensure the study is informed by those most involved in day-to-day school safety functions. By evaluating different approaches to incorporating restorative practices into multicomponent school safety plans, this study aims to understand perspectives on the integration of restorative practices into existing school safety approaches; explore how restorative practices can enhance school climate and support the safety of students and staff; and provide actionable information for districts to implement or expand restorative practices. This work has the potential to provide valuable information about how restorative practices address safety, how schools can successfully integrate them into their multicomponent school safety approaches, how district-specific facilitators and barriers affect implementation, and the implications for racial equity.