Restorative Practices

Restorative Circles provide a safe and structured space for participants to understand what happened, express how they have been affected, and create a written agreement to repair the harm and prevent the incident from happening again.

Endorsed by both the US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice, restorative practices are a promising method for reversing these trends. In Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: A Research Review Trevor Fronius and colleagues report on their literature review of 89 reports and studies on US school Restorative Justice programs. They found strong correlations between implementation and decreased exclusionary discipline, harmful behavior, absenteeism, and truancy.

The school is committed to the use of restorative practices. In order to foster classroom social justice, teachers must first build a safe, encouraging place where students can speak about their experiences and beliefs. Furthermore, The Skylight School for Justice specifically rejects carceral pedagogies that are punishment focused, stamp out student self-worth, and over-police trivial behaviors.80

Tier 1: Community Building (Prevention/Relate)

Tier 1 is characterized by the use of social emotional skills and practice (classroom circles) to build relationships, create shared values and guidelines, and promote restorative conversations following behavioral disruption. The goal is to build a caring, intentional, and equitable community with conditions conducive to learning.

Tier 2: Restorative Processes (Intervention/Repair)

Tier 2 is characterized by the use of non-punitive response to harm/conflict such as harm circles, mediation, or family-group conferencing to respond to disciplinary issues in a restorative manner. This process addresses the root causes of the harm, supports accountability for the offender, and promotes healing for the victim(s), the offender, and the school community.

Tier 3: Supported Re-Entry (Individualized/Re-Integrate)

Tier 3 is characterized by 1:1 support and successful re-entry of youth following suspension, truancy, expulsion or incarceration. The goal is to welcome youth to the school community in a manner that provides wraparound support and promotes student accountability and achievement.