Michigan Department of Education Segment 11: Implementation Resources

Michigan Department of Education
Segment 11: Implementation Resources
The RJ world
is blooming
with new
visions and
cultures!
Here is a
look at what
other
communities
are
developing
so you can
learn from
their efforts
and
experiences.
Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is home to the
Howard Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice. RJ
Pioneer, Howard Zehr, is still on the forefront of the RJ
evolution. Read the new books he’s authoring, follow
his blog, or take an on-line class from him! Find out
more and take advantage of the resources EMU offers
at http://www.emu.edu/ or visit the Zehr Institute at
http://www.emu.edu/cjp/restorative-justice/.
EMU is home of the
Zehr Institute for
Restorative Justice—
Center for Justice &
Peace building.
Education Professor,
Kathy Evans, PhD is
embedding RJ into the
curriculum for
preparing teachers to
teach. She envisions a
restorative school
culture as three
overlapping elements.
Building &
maintaining
healthy
relationships
Creating just
and equitable
learning
environments
for all
students
Repairing
harm &
transforming
conflict
Kathy Evans, PhD ,
Assistant Professor of Education at EMU.
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RJOY works to interrupt the cycles
of youth violence and
incarceration by promoting
institutional shifts toward
restorative approaches that
actively engage families,
communities, and systems to
repair harm and prevent reoffending.
Operating in Oakland California
schools since 2005, RJOY and
Dr. Davis have become models for
RJ implementation in schools.
Check out their website at
http://rjoyoakland.org/ for more
resources, including great videos
on RJ.
RJOY operates a three tiered RJ practice, as explained by Co-Founder
and Executive Director, Fania Davis, PhD. (Following graphic designed from
her description.)
Facilitated by highly trained
& experienced personnel.
Facilitated by RJ coordinators
or administrators in charge of
discipline.
Entire staff uses as
ongoing part of
restorative culture.
Re-entry
Circles
Conflict Circles & Conferences
Community-building Circles & Restorative
Conversations
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Cofounder and
Executive Director,
Restorative Justice for
Oakland Youth, Fania
Davis’ blog on edutopia
offers:
8 Tips for Schools
Interested in
Restorative Justice
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This practical, concise
essay lays out essential
steps in integrating
restorative practice into
school environments.
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Restorative Practices:
Fostering Healthy
Relationships & Promoting
Positive Discipline. A
Guide to Educators is a
collaborative guide to
understanding and tool kit
for integrating RJ into
schools. Its authors
represent an impressive
array of educators and
Human and Civil Rights
advocates. It’s accessible
at:
http://www.otlcampaign.o
rg/restorative-practices
The U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear
Colleague letter titled How to Administer
School Discipline Without Discriminating
January 4, 2014. Its accompanying resource
guide identifies three guiding principles for
policymakers, district officials, school leaders,
and stakeholders to consider as they work to
improve school climate and discipline:
◦ Create positive climates and focus on prevention;
◦ Develop clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations
and consequences to address disruptive student
behaviors; and
◦ Ensure fairness, equity, and continuous improvement.
Available at
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/schooldiscipline/guiding-principles.pdf, it also identifies
applicable action steps and relevant research and
resources for each guiding principle.
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Here is a scholarly evaluation of
an RJ program integrated into a
middle school in Oakland,
California. It offers guidelines,
suggestions for best practices,
and evaluations of aspects of the
RJ program.
Note that page 23 begins a
section titled Considerations for
Schools Wishing to Implement
Restorative Justice. It offers
lessons learned and things to
consider as you integrate RJ into
your school community.
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/11-2010_Schoolbased_Restorative_Justice_As_an_Alternative_to_ZeroTolerance_Policies.pdf
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Teaching Tolerance web
site has some resources
from a whole-school
implementation toolkit to
conversation starters in
circle.
Many of its programming
materials are designed for
different ages.
http://www.tolerance.org
/toolkit/toolkitrestoring-justice
The website also offers an
excellent article from its
Summer 2014 newsletter. The
article, called Restoring
Justice, explains how the
Bronx Design and Construction
Academy (BDCA) uses an RJ
discipline model with support
from Educators for Social
Responsibility. It offers a
deeper look at how the school
has fully integrated RJ into its
culture and the lives of its
students. Find it at
http://www.tolerance.org/magazi
ne/number-47-summer2014/feature/restoring-justice
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Formerly Educators for
Social Action, Engaging
Schools is a non-profit
organization that works with
secondary school educators
to help them create a
schoolwide community of
learning that integrates
academic, social, and
emotional development —
and prepares each and every
student to succeed.
Explore its website for at
http://engagingschools.org/ for
resources and training
opportunities.
Their book,
Getting
Classroom
Management
Right, is
featured in the
Teaching
Tolerance
article
mentioned
above.
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Prison Fellowship International, Restorative
Justice site has information, articles, and
syllabi from RJ-themed classes at
universities across the United States and
Canada. The scope of the information goes
beyond school-based RJ practices.
Visit it at http://www.restorativejustice.org/
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The University of Minnesota Center for Restorative
Justice and Peacemaking is an excellent source for
international peacemaking and mindfulness in the
world.
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Dr. Mark Umbreit directs the center and has authored
numerous books and resources on RJ in the world.
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View the center’s website and explore its resources at
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ssw/rjp/
Pioneers in integrating RJ into schools, the Minnesota Dept. of
Education has wonderful resources, studies and more on it website,
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/index.html
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Nancy Riestenberg,
School Climate Specialist
for the Minnesota Dept.
of Ed has been a driving
force behind restorative
justice practice in
schools for over a
decade. She is an RJP
expert and excellent
resource. Contact her at
[email protected]
Kara Beckman, Barbara McMorris
and Amy Gower of the University of
Minnesota Healthy Youth
Development, Prevention Research
Center, authored Restorative
Interventions Implementation Tool
Kit. It provides comprehensive
resources for implementing
restorative justice practices into
schools, from assessing readiness
to evaluating school climate and
intervention effectiveness.
In this, her first book, Nancy Riestenberg
writes warmly and with long experience
about the challenges facing school
communities and how restorative
measures—specifically Circles—create a
safer space for learning and development
for all. Using stories direct “from the
hallways,” she brings heart to subjects
that are often divisive and controversial:
bullying and other violence, suspension,
drug use, staff conflicts, and more.
Throughout the book, Nancy’s focus is on
strategies that actually work for the whole
school community: students, parents,
administrators, teachers, and the
community in which they live.
http://www.livingjusticepress.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=
{9A76A209-B9C0-4E94-886F-30918D80E3FB}&DE=
Circle Forward is a resource guide designed to help
teachers, administrators, students and parents incorporate
the practice of Circles into the everyday life of the school
community. This resource guide offers comprehensive
step–by-step instructions for how to plan, facilitate and
implement the Circle for a variety of purposes within the
school environment. It describes the basic process,
essential elements, and a step-by-step guide for how to
organize, plan, and lead Circles. It also provides over 100
specific lesson plans and ideas for the application of
Circles in the following areas of school life:
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Learning and establishing a Circle practice
Establishing and affirming community norms
Teaching and learning in Circle
Building connection and community
Promoting social-emotional skills
Facilitating important but difficult conversations
Working together as adults
Engaging parents and the wider community
Developing students as leaders in peer Circles
Using Circles for restorative discipline
http://www.livingjusticepress.org/index.asp?Ty
pe=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B33EC0E83-CD69-4255BCD5-298AD3846FF6%7D
Schools can contract with the International Institute for
Restorative Practices (IIRP) to provide a comprehensive
two-year school implementation program that:
◦ helps the school leadership and staff develop a customized plan
based on its own needs and goals
◦ organizes staff “professional learning groups” and regular
follow-up phone meetings
◦ delivers onsite professional development and assists with
evaluation
◦ selects and trains several staff as professional development
instructors to ensure program sustainability
The IIRP’s Safer, Saner Schools website at
http://www.safersanerschools.org/ provides more
information.
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Empathy plays a significant
role in the restorative
justice experience, and in
child development for
healthy, socially adept
adults.
The Ashoka organization
has compiled a guide to
building empathy in
schools which includes
numerous activities and
recommendations for
educators.
Download the Toolkit for
Promoting Empathy in
Schools PDF for free.
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Instead of a closing activity for this segment,
commit as a group to exploring these and
other sources of information on establishing
the restorative justice paradigm at your
school.
RJ use is expanding exponentially worldwide, so watch for new videos and studies,
articles and stories that can inspire you to
change lives with its powerful philosophy,
principles and practice!