UCLA

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study examined the use of Restorative Justice practices from a sample of three public urban high school settings in the west coast of the United States to gather data on the impact of such practices on disciplinary outcomes for African American and Latino males with disabilities. The three school sites were identified as high poverty school sites with a majority of students served through Title-I funding. The research design consisted of interviews (n =16), survey data analysis (n = 140), and a review of public documents which were triangulated to answer three research questions. Participants in the sample included school and district administrators, teachers, counselors, and teachers-on-assignment. The interview design intended to find themes that answered the three research questions related to how the use of Restorative Justice practices impacted disciplinary consequences for African American and Latino males with disabilities. Findings were organized into several themes which included: resources and expectations, vision and communication, agency and teamwork, and data-driven decisions. Findings indicated that the majority of staff sampled from the three schools believed that using Restorative Justice practices resulted in a decline in the use of zero-tolerance disciplinary responses, such as referrals to suspension, expulsion, or school citation. Findings also supported the conclusion that Restorative Justice practices had contributed to improved staff and student communication and helped strengthen relationships between adults and students on campuses.