Giving Compass' Take:

• RAND Corporation conducted two studies on restorative justice practices at the middle school level and found only a small negative impact on academic outcomes. However, the schools that received more support by their district leaders were able to implement the practices with more success. 

• Implementation does impact the effectiveness of restorative justice practices. What are some of the barriers for district leaders to be able to support this discipline style?

• Read about why restorative justice is more than just reducing suspensions. 

Middle school is a time when youths experience many changes physically and socially and can be exposed to drugs, sex, bullying, and other risks that can influence health, development, and, ultimately, the quality of their lives. During this high-risk time, it can be especially important for youths to have strong relationships with adults and peers and feel connected to their schools.

Two RAND Corporation studies recently evaluated the use of restorative practices to strengthen relationships between students and teachers to build that connection to school.

Overall, the negative impact on academic outcomes was not large. The average student in the study district scored at the 37th percentile of the state distribution; restorative practices would reduce this to the 35th percentile. However, the negative impact was almost completely experienced by students in schools with predominantly African-American students, increasing the district's racial achievement gap from 15 to 18 percentile points.  Of note, the negative impact on achievement was worse in schools that did not reduce suspensions, suggesting that it had more to do with the difficulty teachers had in meeting all the demands on their time than with disruption by students who otherwise would have been suspended.

There are several reasons these two studies might draw different conclusions. Schools in the first study were scattered throughout the state; in the second study, the schools were all within one district and received support from district leaders. Thus, schools in the second study arguably had better support for implementation, given the roles played by district leaders, which could have resulted in better implementation in these schools and thereby better outcomes. The first study centered on a rural state where suspension rates were low; the second study focused on an urban district with higher suspension rates.

But without clear expectations and strong support, teachers and staff might not feel equipped to use the practices to build stronger relationships. This could be a missed opportunity to help middle school students avoid risky behaviors during this critical time in their lives—and to have a healthier and more productive future.

Read the full article about restorative justice practices by  Joie D. Acosta, Catherine H. Augustine, Matthew Chinman, John Engberg at RAND Corporation.