Restorative Practices utilizes techniques and strategies to prevent relationship damaging incidents from happening and repairing them if they do. Implementation of Restorative Practices in schools help improve the five main social and emotional learning skills: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Relationships Skills, Social Awareness and Responsible Decision Making. Together, Social and Emotional Learning and Restorative Practices are used to improve school climate by strengthening scholar-to-scholar, staff-to-staff and scholar-to-staff relationships.
Restorative Practices allow individuals to:
- Identify and manage their own emotions
- Address how someone else’s behavior has impacted them
- Use effective communication for problem solving
Restorative Practices looks like:
- Setting classroom agreements
- Community Building Circles
- Formal Conferences
As Restorative Practices grows in GRPS, it will include scholar-led conflict resolution, peer mediation and involvement of the community. By including scholars in the planning, discussion and resolution of negative situations, we are trying to move towards a safer, healthier community.
Restorative Practice Conference
A facilitated conference may be offered by GRPS as an alternative to a scholar discipline hearing following certain incidents of scholar misconduct. Conference participants include: Facilitator, offending scholar, his/her Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and possible support persons, victim(s), his/her Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and possible support persons and school administrators. The group comes together to talk through the incident, express feelings and develop conditions which the offender is then held accountable. An opportunity is provided for scholars and staff to reconcile and repair the harm caused by the incident. Out-of-school/program suspension time for the particular offense is lessened while collaboration and reintegration is promoted.
Conferences may be scheduled in the place of discipline hearings only when the following criterion has been met:
- Scholar offense is a Board of Education violation and not a state law violation
- Offending scholar has admitted guilt and taken full responsibility for the offense
- Offender, victim(s) and all respective Parent(s)/Guardian(s) have given informed consent
- School administrators have granted permission for the option.
