By Clay Shumate · Updated September 2026
Restorative practices are often described as the opposite of punishment. That framing causes trouble. Done well, a restorative approach asks more of a student than a detention does, not less. The student has to face the person they affected, explain what happened and help set it right.
Before bringing restorative practices into a classroom or a school, it helps to know what the strongest research actually found, including the parts that don't make it onto posters.
At the core is a structured conversation. Instead of only asking "What rule was broken, and what's the penalty?", the adults ask a different set of questions: What happened? Who was affected, and how? What needs to happen to make it right? Circles, restorative conferences and short hallway conversations all use versions of those questions.
One of the most rigorous studies is a randomized trial in Pittsburgh Public Schools by RAND, published in 2018. Its findings were mixed, and all of them matter. (1)
Suspensions fell. Suspension rates in restorative-practice schools dropped by 36% compared with 18% in comparison schools, with larger reductions for African American students, students from low-income families and female students. The reductions were concentrated in elementary grades.
Teachers saw a better climate. Teachers in participating schools reported improvements in classroom management, leadership and teaching conditions.
Academics did not improve. Academic outcomes didn't get better, and in grades 6–8 they got worse. Suspension rates in the middle grades didn't change.
For secondary teachers, that last point is the one to sit with. Restorative practices aren't a shortcut to achievement, and the middle grades result is a reason to implement carefully, not to assume success.
Clear expectations. Students need to know the standard before a conversation about falling short of it makes sense.
Consequences that fit. A restorative conversation can be the consequence, or it can sit alongside one. It shouldn't replace safety measures when someone is at risk.
Time and training. A circle run without preparation can embarrass a student or let the loudest voice take over.
Use the questions in small moments. "What happened? Who did that affect? What would make it right?" works in a two-minute hallway conversation.
Separate the person from the behavior. Be clear that the action was a problem and equally clear that the student belongs in your room.
Make repair concrete. An apology, fixing what was damaged or making up lost class time is more meaningful than a vague promise to do better.
Follow through. Check back a few days later. Repair that nobody follows up on usually fades.
For a fuller treatment, including how to tell whether the approach is actually working in your building, see Elevate the Norm's guide to restorative practices in schools, with accountability built in.
They don't have to be. Facing the person you affected and doing the work of repair is often harder for a student than serving a detention.
They can, but the evidence for older grades is less clear than for elementary grades. Start small, measure what happens and adjust.
Fall back on the school's standard consequences. A restorative conversation only works when the student is willing to take part honestly.
Augustine, C. H., Engberg, J., Grimm, G. E., Lee, E., Wang, E. L., Christianson, K., & Joseph, A. A. (2018). Restorative Practices Help Reduce Student Suspensions. RAND Corporation research brief.
Clay Shumate
Clay Shumate is a certified secondary Social Studies teacher in the public schools of West Alabama, with seven years of classroom experience, a B.A. in History, and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education. He writes about project-based learning, student responsibility, respect, and practical ways to hold young people to a higher standard while giving them room to learn from mistakes.