While some schools see themselves as already engaging in restorative practices, the following guidelines serve as a means of assessing where a particular campus or administrator operates within the restorative continuum.
Restorative Discipline is a philosophy and system-wide intervention that places relationships at the heart of the educational experience.
The goal of Restorative Discipline is to change the school climate rather than merely respond to student behavior.
Restorative Discipline requires a top down commitment from school board members and administrators.
Restorative Discipline uses a whole school approach. All administrators, teachers, all staff, and students should be exposed to and/or trained in restorative processes with periodic boosters.
Restorative Discipline engages parents/caregivers as integral members of restorative conferences and circles.
Restorative Discipline uses an internal leadership response team to spearhead the implementation and help support necessary dialogue.
Restorative Discipline calls for an outside restorative justice coordinator to serve onsite.
Restorative Discipline has a data system to analyze trends and inform early interventions.
Restorative Discipline focuses on the harms, needs and causes of student behavior, not just the breaking of rules and dispensing of punishment.
Restorative Discipline places a fundamental attention on harm and the subsequent needs of the victim.
Restorative Discipline places an emphasis on meaningful accountability in matters involving harm and conflict.
Restorative Discipline takes time. It is dialogue driven and rests on the steady establishing and deepening of relationships.
Restorative Discipline calls for collaboration with community-based restorative justice programs, local businesses, and agencies that serve youth, including community and faith-based programs, law enforcement, and public health and mental health entities, local Community Resource Coordinating Groups, justice system representatives and other stakeholders.
