Promising Practices - Restorative Justice, Restorative Practices and MTSS

This episode focuses on essentials of building positive culture in a school learning community and in the classroom using proactive and preventative measures. Restorative Practices which continue to evolve from the field of Restorative Justice are built on community building and promoting pro-social behaviors through inclusive practices that invite communication and agency amongst members of the community. When Restorative Practices are practiced with fidelity throughout a school learning community it has potential to have impact on school culture, climate and tone. The restorative process, which was adapted to reduce removals, referrals to for detention or other consequences such as suspension can reduce incidents in schools. When students are empowered, but at the same time held accountable for behavior there is a different dynamic than one in which discipline is imposed from top-down. Restorative discipline is not meant to uproot a school discipline system or undo the school discipline code.  It is meant to work with a larger behavioral health system within a school. Please listen to find out how the restorative process can be integrated with Tiers I and II of PBIS or MTSS. As a side note, there is a great deal of content and research that went into this podcast, however more detail is best covered in a publication. I hope for means of sharing this in the near future.

References
 Watchtel, T. (2005), Social Discipline Window