What Is RP?

Restorative Practices are a way of building connections, showing curiosity and compassion, and collaborating with all parties. It's a way to acknowledge in a non-judgmental manner what is happening, and when things go wrong, to increase accountability and to restore trust and rebuild relationships. In schools, it is a shift from an authoritarian approach (rules and punishments happening "to" a student) to a collaborative approach (guidelines and consequences being decided "with" students), where all parties acknowledge that they have responsibility for education.

Here is a 2-minute cartoon explaining RP:

From the Center for Restorative Process, Teaching Restorative Practices with Classroom Circles

Feeling connected to the school community has been found to be the most important protective factor to decrease a number of undesirable activities, including violence, substance use, and school absenteeism. Students are more likely to feel connected to school when they see the school's staff dedicating their time and emotional support to students. Studies have shown that in schools with a punitive discipline system students are less likely to feel connected.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2009.

9th graders at EFHS create a centerpiece for their community-building Circle in 9th Grade Academy

Centerpiece for an academic Circle in Spanish 1. The Circle Guidelines are written in both English and Spanish.

Graphic from the California organization Fix School Discipline

Image from Oakland Unified School District

Three Tiers of Restorative Practice

Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice can be used in many ways in schools. It is a way to build a sense of community and ensure that everyone feels they play an important role in our school's community. There are three "tiers" of Circles that may happen in schools.

Tier 1

Tier 1 Circles are used throughout school as a way to build community and belonging. At EFHS, some teachers are starting to use Circles to review course content or find out what students already know about a new topic. As one freshman said after participating in a Circle, "It really pushed people out of their comfort zone. Students participated who don't usually raise their hand in class."

We have also had Circles in Advisory, at team practices, and at faculty meetings.

Tier 2

If an incident occurs at school, we get together in a Circle to address the situation and try to repair the harm. These Circles can take many forms, from entire class circles to small conferences. Sometimes, these Circles are a way for the person who was harmed to talk to the person who caused the harm in a safe space. These types of Circles are highly structured and voluntary. Towards the end of the Circle, agreements are reached on how to repair the harm, encourage change, and come up with solutions to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Tier 3

Tier 3 Circles are a way to support students as they re-enter the school after an extended absence or after an out of school suspension. This supported transition helps students remember that they are part of a school community that cares about them and wants them to feel included.

The Restorative Justice Committee (RJC) is a group of faculty and students who get together to address and repair harms in our community. The Vice Principal of EFHS describes the work the RJC has been doing for the past couple years this way, "Typically, after an incident occurs, a student at EFHS can choose between traditional discipline (like a lunch detention) and a circle. In these Tier 2 circles, student members of the RJC lead a series of questions about what happened, who was affected and how to make things right."

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