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RESTORATIVE PRACTICES RESTORATIVE PRACTICES Zero Tolerance Zero Tolerance Presented by: Tajae Gaynor Westchester/Rockland Mediation Center of CLUSTER RAISING THE BAR ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT March 12, 2015

Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

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Page 1: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

RESTORATIVE PRACTICESRESTORATIVE PRACTICES

Zero ToleranceZero Tolerance

Presented by: Tajae Gaynor

Westchester/Rockland Mediation Center of CLUSTER

RAISING THE BAR ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

March 12, 2015

Page 2: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

Workshop Agenda

Zero Tolerance vs. Restorative Practices

- 5: Intro

- 15: Zero Tolerance

- 10: What are Restorative Practices?

- 10: Social Discipline Window

- 20: Restorative Practices Continuum

- 10: How could it have been handled?

- 5: Closing

Page 3: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

What is Zero Tolerance?

In 2006 the American Psychological Association published an evidentiary review

and recommendations report on the effectiveness of Zero Tolerance in Schools

Zero tolerance is a philosophy or policy that mandates the application of predetermined consequences, most often severe and punitive in nature, that are intended to be applied regardless of the apparent severity of the behavior, mitigating circumstances or situational context.

Future transgressions can be deterred by sending a strong message through punishment that no form of a given unacceptable behavior will be tolerated under any circumstance.

What is the central belief of Zero Tolerance?

Page 4: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

School suspension appears to predict higher future rates of misbehavior and suspension for students who are suspended.

What are the most frequent methods applied to prevent future transgression?

- Out of School Suspension- In School Suspension/detention

- Expulsion

How effective have these methods been in preventing future transgressions?

How do these methods impact our students?

While some students take the opportunity during suspension or expulsion to self reflect…

most students simply see these consequences as ineffective and unfair.

Page 5: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

Controversial applications of Zero Tolerance

March, 2002, Hurst, Texas. A bread knife was found in the back of a truck of a high school junior who had been helping his father take a load of possessions from his grandmother to Goodwill the previous weekend. The boy, an honors student and award-winning swimmer at the school, was expelled for one year to the Tarrant County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program. Said the boy’s father, “It’s crushing. That is for hard-core, violent youth” (Mendoza, 2002).

How else could this situation have been handled?

Page 6: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

As reported in the St. Petersburg Times (“Educational intolerance”, 2001), a 10 year old girl found a small knife in her lunchbox, placed there by the mother, for cutting an apple. She immediately gave the knife to her teacher, but was expelled from school for possessing a weapon.

Does the punishment fit the “crime”?

How else could this situation have been handled?

Page 7: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

The Denver Post (April 5, 2005, p. F1) reported that 15 students were expelled for a full year for watching a fight between two other students .

Denver Post reported on an 11 year old charged with theft for taking a lollipop from a classroom jar that he mistakenly thought was free. His case spent 14 months passing through the juvenile justice system.

Does the punishment fit the “crime”?

Does the punishment fit the “crime”?

Page 8: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

Relevant research in Juvenile Offending has found extensive evidence of developmental immaturity (Psycho-Social Immaturity) in adolescents.

Displayed in four areas:

•Poor resistance to peer influence

•Attitude towards and perception of risk

•Future orientation

•Impulse control

Developmental research indicates that certain characteristics of secondary schools are often at odds with the developmental challenges of adolescents.

Which Include:

Page 9: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

• The need for close peer relationships

• Autonomy

• Support from adults other than one’s parents

• Identity negotiation

• Academic self-efficacy

Increased reliance on more severe consequences for student infractions has increased referrals to the Juvenile Justice Systems for offenses historically handled by Schools; helping to create the reality we know to be the:

“School to Prison-Pipeline”

An adverse impact of Zero Tolerance…

Page 10: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

What are Restorative Practices?

Techniques and philosophies that can be applied in various contexts to support in both proactive and reactive ways.

The aim of Restorative Practices in Schools is to develop community and to manage conflicts and tensions by addressing the incidents, repairing harm caused and restoring relationships.

Restorative techniques range from informal (Affective Statements) to formal processes (Restorative Conferences)

Restorative Practices actively engage students in constructive processes and makes a clear distinction between punishment and natural consequences.

Page 11: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

Restorative Practices Continuum

Affective Statements

Affective Questions

Small Impromptu Conferences

Group of Circle

Formal Conference

Informal

Formal

Page 12: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

In 2014 the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued guidelines recommending that schools revise their discipline policies to move away from zero tolerance policies, which exclude large numbers of students with suspensions andexpulsions, often for minor infractions, and instead recommended the use of methods suchas restorative practices.

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/guiding-principles.pdf

Evidence of Effectiveness

Page 13: Restorative Practices vs. Zero Tolerance

Reference List

Costello, B., Wachtel, J., & Wachtel, T. (2009). The Restorative Practices Handbook: for Teachers, Disciplinarians and

Administrators. Bethlehem, PA. International Institute of Restorative Practices

Costello, B., Wachtel, J., & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative Circles in Schools: Building Communities and Enhancing Learning.

Bethlehem, PA. International Institute of Restorative Practices

Conoley, Jane.C., Graham, S., Reynolds, Cecil. R., Sheras, Peter., Skiba, Russell., &

Vasquez, Enedina Garcia. (2006).A report by the American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force. APA Counsel of Representatives.