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Restorative Practices Resources

Resources: Restorative Practices in Schools

The resources reflected below include information available at no cost as well as resources that can be purchased. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a representation of some that may be useful for interested educators. There are many additional restorative practices resources available in online and off-line formats. Feel free to contact C-DRUM with specific questions or requests for additional information on training and implementation at cdrum@law.umaryland.edu

Handbooks

Worksheets For Planning

For Implementation and Training

Articles

Books

  • Circle Forward: Building a Restorative School Community by Carolyn Boyes-Watson and Kay Pranis
  • Circle in the Square, Building Community and Repairing Harm in School by Nancy Riestenberg
  • The Little Book of Circle Processes – A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking by Kay Pranis
  • The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools – Teaching responsibility; creating caring climates by Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz and Judy Mullet
  • Restorative Circles in Schools, Building Community and Enhancing Learning by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel
  • The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators by Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel
  • Teaching with Mind and Heart: Affect in the Restorative School by Graeme George

Maryland Schools

Webinars

Videos

  • Schools Resolve Conflicts By Getting Kids To Talk Things Out:
    This highlights the positive impact some New York City Schools are seeing with restorative justice.
  • Restorative Approaches to School Conflict Management:
    The Center for Dispute Resolution at Maryland Carey Law (C-DRUM) partnered with Callaway Elementary School in western Baltimore City in the implementation of restorative practices. The focus was in providing teachers and administrators with conflict management strategies designed to increase student engagement in school, lower suspensions and expulsions, and improve overall school climate. This project was generally funded by the Charles Crane Family Foundation.
  • Second Chances : School Profiles
  • Second Chances: Robert Murphy Intro
  • Restorative Circles
  • Community Conferencing and Daily Rap
  • Rita Pierson TED Talk: Every Kid Needs a Champion
  • From Hostility to Harmony:
    A group of teenage girls in Albany, New York, had recently fought each other in a violent brawl. The International Institute for Restorative Practices videotaped a facilitated restorative circle involving the girls (friends since childhood), their family members and supporters. This short film telescopes the remarkable transformation that takes place as all individuals in the circle are given a chance to freely express their feelings about what happened between them. Before the circle process begins, the room is heavy with belligerence and anger. By the time the circle ends, the mood has changed to hopefulness and affection, and the participants have moved From Hostility to Harmony. (4:30 minutes)
  • Introducing Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth:
    The nonprofit organization Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth underscores the shift from punitive to restorative in this segment focused on urban high school youth at McClymonds High School in Oakland.
  • Restorative Justice Introduction: Overview of the circle
    When a high school football player in Lansing, Michigan finds himself in a serious conflict, restorative conferencing provides a mechanism all concerned to address accountability, empathy, respect and justice (5:45 minutes)
  • Restorative Justice: It’s Elementary:
    This video contrasts a punitive approach to a restorative approach at the elementary level in Lansing, Michigan, with an emphasis on developing social emotional skills. (5:23 minutes)
  • Restorative Justice (RJ) in Schools:
    When a student has money stolen from her locker, a restorative conference is used to provide a means of productively addressing the conflict at Montebello High School, Colorado. The data reflects a reduction in suspension and expulsion rates by 30% through Restorative Justice. (6:36 minutes)
  • Restorative Resources - Restorative Justice in Schools:
    School suspensions and RJ have different messages and focus. Video about building relationships, teachers talking, mixed with facts in power point. High School students talking about their experiences and the different outcomes – focus on healing and accountability. (10:46 minutes)
  • Restorative Welcome and Re-entry Circle:
    Filmed at Bunche High School in Oakland, this video conveys the critical importance of re-integration when a student has been removed, in this case returning from prison. The film was made in collaboration by Oakland Unified School District and Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth.
  • San Francisco Unified School District – Restorative Practices; Student Voices: (reflecting a broad range of ages, etc.)
    San Francisco Unified School District has rolled out a District-wide implementation of Restorative Practices in dozens of schools. Restorative Practices is based on the assumption that students respond better when things are done WITH them rather than TO them. Students exposed to Restorative Practices reflect on how they feel regarding the use of Restorative Circle in the classroom. (3:57 minutes)
  • The Transformation of West Philadelphia High School: A Story of Hope: (International Institute for Restorative Practices Grad School). Teachers and student talk about their experiences and the great results using RJ circles.
    This video from the International Institute for Restorative Practices includes interviews with staff and students of West Philadelphia High School, which was on Pennsylvania's "Persistently Dangerous Schools" list for six years, but has improved immensely, due to strong administrative leadership and the implementation of restorative practices. (9:04 minutes)
  • Using Dialogue Circles to Support Classroom Management:
    Edutopia provides a brief example of dialogue circles at Glenview Elementary School in a diverse population in Oakland, California. The teacher demonstrates how she uses mindfulness to begin circles. This 4 minute segment includes students collaborating to resolve conflict around issues such as bullying and disrespect.
  • School Climate:
    This video highlights Baltimore County Public School's work in introducing restorative practices in their school communities.

Websites

  • Minnesota Department of Education: Restorative Practices
    The Minnesota Department of Education helps schools develop programming, curricula and intervention practices to create safe schools by teaching social skills, building positive school climate, and repairing harm when it happens. Restorative practices can be used to hold students accountable for harm and address the needs of students or staff harmed and the school community.

  • San Francisco Unified School District
    San Francisco has embraced the implementation of restorative practices since 2014 when it supported this philosophy and focused on building capacity as an extension of School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support at all schools. This site provides a wide range of resources including videos, brochures, and training materials.

  • RP for Schools developed by Graeme George, Brisbane, Australia