Browsing by Subject "Restorative Practices"
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Item Educators Perceptions of the Impact Restorative Practices Have on Classroom Management(2020-11-25) Davis, Alexandria; Rhoades, Thomas; Brennan, Sarah; Education; Masters of EducationStudies on the effectiveness of restorative practices have focused mainly on how implementation can improve student behavior. With proper training and implementation, educators can completely shift the climate of a school building. This is made possible by adopting a more authoritative discipline approach. An authoritative discipline approach focuses on establishing and mending relationships with students on a regular basis. In this particular study educators were surveyed in order to reveal their perceptions of restorative practices. It was determined that restorative practices have limited effectiveness on student behavior. Restorative practices have potential to be a great classroom management tool, but the lack of resources provided to educators.Item The Effect of Restorative Practices on Disruptive Behaviors(2019-05) Bland, Marie; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to determine the effects of restorative practices on disruptive student behavior. The measurement tool was minor incident reports (MIR) from the second and third quarter of the 2018-2019 school year. This study used a variant of a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design in which data was collected over a 5-week baseline and 5-week intervention period. The mean number of MIR under Restorative Practices (Mean = 6.92, SD = 4.07) was significantly lower than under traditional classroom management (Mean = 10.93, SD = 4.36) [t(3) = 5.59, p = .01]. Further research would be beneficial to see the effects restorative practices can have when it is implemented school wide and over a longer duration of time.Item The Effect of Restorative Practices on the Social-Emotional Impact of Frequent Transitions in Military Students(2021-05-06) Gruss, Courtney; Syed, Daniela; Waynant, Louise; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to determine the socioemotional impact of frequent transitions in military students who move frequently due to changes in their family’s military assignments. This action research study sought to determine how such transitions affect building friendships among these students. The children who participated in the study evaluated themselves using a Social and Emotional Competencies Questionnaire. The intervention involved four weeks of Restorative Practice focused on developing improved peer relationships. The results from the study indicated that participating in Restorative Practices increased the social-emotional development for military students and suggest that by implementing Restorative Practices during morning meeting, teachers can promote a positive social-emotional environment for military students as they move from school to school.Item The Effects of Community Circle Meetings on the Perceptions of Students' Feelings of Respect(2018-06-25) Conrad, Jennifer; Dwarte, Marquise; Quinton, Jan; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to survey the students’ perceptions of feeling respected in the school environment as a result of participation in classroom community circle meetings. The participants in this study were approximately 370 third, fourth, and fifth grade students in a public elementary school in Baltimore, Maryland. This study utilized a descriptive research design method where students were presented with a nine question survey in which they utilized a Likert scale to select a response of strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, or not sure to express their perception. Students were surveyed at the end of each marking period. Homeroom teachers conducted community circle meetings throughout each marking period. The findings of this study suggest that there was a minimally positive effect on students’ perceptions of respect as a result of community circle meetings.Item The Effects of Restorative Practices on Negative Student Behavior and Disciplinary Action(2020-07-20) Barrett, Andrew; Brager, Gary; Brennan, Sarah; Rhoades, Thomas; Sunshine, Phyllis; Miller, Natasha; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to determine if a novel, school-wide initiative known as Restorative Practices would influence student misbehavior. The measurement tool was the Office Disciplinary Referral written by a staff member when a student’s negative behavior is so egregious, it requires a consequence from an administrator. This study involved comparison of data from before implementation (SY2018), to information gleaned post implementation of Restorative Practices. Although there were fewer referrals, the study showed no significant statistical change between study groups. A number of mitigating factors may be attributable to the results. Further study addressing the long-term impact of Restorative Practices as well as research into the impracticality of traditional student discipline methods are warranted by this study.Item The Effects of Restorative Practices on Student Discipline(2020-05-04) Lustgarten, Joseph; Goucher College; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study is to determine if the use of Restorative Practices lowers discipline referral and suspension rates in school. The measurement tool was student discipline referrals from Quarter 4 of the 2018-2019 school year and Quarter 1 of the 2019-2020 school year, along with in-school and out-of-school suspension rates. This study uses a quasi-experimental design to determine the effects of restorative practices on student referral and suspension rates in school. The researcher analyzed the data using a one sample z-test. The mean numbers of student discipline referrals, in-school suspensions, and out-of-school suspensions under restorative practices (Mean =0.13, 0.03, and 0.07 respectively) were significantly lower than without implementation of restorative practices (Mean=0.46, 0.07, and 0.09 respectively). Further research would be beneficial to see the effect restorative practices can have when it is implemented over a longer duration of time.Item The Effects of Using Restorative Practices on Office Discipline Referrals(2018-07) Harris, Stephanie; Adams, Renard; Coit, Tammi; Masters of EducationThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using restorative practices on discipline referrals. Middle school like many other schools around the world has had a rising problem of disrespect, violence, and bullying among the students. To try and alleviate this growing problem, the administration of a public middle school in Baltimore County decided to use the intervention of restorative practices in addition to the already in place PBIS (Positive Based Intervention System). The main data source for determining discipline decisions in middle schools are office referrals. Research has shown that office discipline referrals are a valid source for determining a school’s behavior system. The sampling was the entire middle school population of 6th-8th graders of a public middle school in Baltimore County. This was a non-random convenience sampling. The results of the study show that the office referrals increased from quarter one to quarter three. There was a significant difference in the results between the quarters. The results did reject the hypothesis that there would be no difference. While there was a significant difference, that difference suggested that restorative practices did not influence office referrals.Item A Missing Factor in Addressing Disproportionate Discipline: Job-Embedded Professional Development in Restorative Practices for “First Responders”(2020-04-22) Coley, DeVeda; Cuddapah, Jennifer; Education; Organizational LeadershipDisproportionality in student discipline practices is a major concern for United States schools. African American boys are suspended from school more than their Caucasian counterparts. Suspensions equate to missed instructional time which can exacerbate the present achievement gap. Disproportionate discipline of African American boys has been addressed by some schools through the use of restorative practices by teachers to decrease suspensions. Yet, it is the staff who decide to suspend students who must also understand the gravity of their decision on disproportionality. In schools, those who respond to support calls when teachers have determined they need additional disciplinary support for a child, are first responder staff members. First responders are key decision-makers who make critical decisions about student discipline that can include suspension and, in some cases, expulsion. These decision-makers decide the fate of students daily, yet they receive little or no training in handling discipline situations. This study tracked the professional development of first responders in restorative practices. This action-research study, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data sources, explored the impact of a year-long Job-Embedded Professional Development experience (JEPD) in restorative practices for seven first responders with the primary goal of impacting the disproportionate discipline data of African American boys. Discipline data and support call logs from a pre-K–fifth-grade elementary school in a large Mid-Atlantic school system, as well as surveys and reflective journals completed by the first responders, were analyzed. Data showed that first responders’ actions, words, thinking, and knowledge changed following JEPD and that JEPD, using the premise of change theory, positively impacted first responders and that when first responder lacked a restorative environment, barriers impeded the implementation of restorative practices. These results and implications for future practice and research are discussed. This study highlights the importance of educational leaders who make decisions regarding discipline, provides suggestions for knowledge and application, and suggests practices for implementation. Study outcomes include an implementation guide and a model for JEPD using the premise of change theory. Elementary and secondary schools and entire school systems can use the results of this study to determine whether JEPD in the use of restorative practices comprise a strategy that will help address the disproportionality of suspensions/student discipline referrals in their schools.Item Reducing Classroom Disruption through Restorative Practices(2019-12-01) Zoschg, Theresa; Masters of EducationTrauma is an unfortunate reality in the lives of many students, and their behaviors in school reflect the past they have experienced with students responding aggressively to traditional discipline involvement from adults. Discipline as it has been traditionally used- suspending or expelling highly disruptive students- has not been effective in improving student behavior in classrooms. The study investigated the impact of discipline style on student disruptions. Participants were 52 diverse students in two sections taught by one teacher at a large public high school in the mid-Atlantic. Disruption totals were gathered for classes during traditional discipline use, and then both classes were instructed in a Restorative Practices method for improving interactions during conflict. Disruption totals were gathered again after students had time to practice the method. Data was gathered using a counter app on the teacher’s phone and based on a list of disruptive behaviors developed by the students in the respective classes. Analysis on the disruption totals before the intervention showed no significant differences between the sections, so all students were combined into one test group for analysis. Comparing the pre- and post-intervention disruption totals did not indicate a significant difference in student behavior, although anecdotal observations do demonstrate changes in the behavior of many students’ behavior. This research question may demonstrate different results with further study if a larger sample is used.Item Restorative Practices: Impact on Decreasing Disciplinary Referrals(2019-05-13) Gulley, Brandon; Masters of EducationThis paper explores sixteen published articles that report on School Discipline, The Impact School Discipline has on Academic Performance, and Restorative Practices. The purpose of this study examine how effective Restorative Practices are when implemented in school over a four-month period. The objective is to analyze the discipline data of a twenty-nine ninth graders to see if the implementation of Restorative Practices influences those students discipline dataItem Restorative Practices: Impact on School Discipline(2019-05) Mackell, Kion; Master of EducationFor years traditional discipline methods, such as Zero Tolerance policies, have not done anything to lower suspension and recidivism rates and have continued to widen the gap on consequences handed out between white and minority students. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of implementing Restorative Practice into schools in place of traditional methods – what effect would such an intervention have over a four-week period. The study seeks to answer the research question, how does Restorative Practices effect school discipline? The goal is to analyze the discipline data for a group of eight at-risk students and see if there has been a positive or negative change in discipline data after the four-week treatment period.