Description
TitleRestorative practices and student well-being in urban schools
Date Created2019
Other Date2019-05 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (viii, 79 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionRacial disproportionality in school discipline and achievement has prompted researchers to investigate solutions that may narrow these gaps. Consequently, schoolwide programming, such as restorative practices (RP) and social-emotional learning (SEL), has been used as an alternative to exclusionary discipline practices and to build stronger relationships within classrooms and school buildings. Initiatives are predicated on the assumption that RP provides students with opportunities to develop their social and emotional competencies (i.e., self-awareness, empathy, and emotional and behavioral regulation). However, more research is needed to understand the association between restorative practices and (1) social emotional competencies, (2) grades, (3) educational attainment expectancies, and (4) exclusionary discipline. This dissertation examined the association between RP and self-reported positive (i.e., social-emotional competencies, grades, and educational attainment expectancies) and negative (i.e., behavioral referrals) outcomes in schools. Additionally, it examined whether students’ perception of the exposure to and participation in RP was associated with greater equity in exclusionary discipline across racial groups. The current study drew on survey data from 964 students in 4 urban Northeastern U.S. schools from the Spring of 2017. Using multiple regression and logistic regression, the study found the following: As hypothesized, students reporting greater exposure to RP also reported higher grades, higher social emotional competencies, expected to go further in school and received fewer exclusionary discipline practices than their peers that reported less exposure to RP. Also noteworthy was that RP exposure, more than community building circle participation, was associated with these positive outcomes. Finally, the study showed that Black students were more likely to receive exclusionary discipline than their peers. Even when accounting for exposure to and participation in RP, the link between being Black and exclusionary discipline remained. In other words, RP exposure and participation was not associated with greater racial equity in discipline.
NotePsy.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
LanguageEnglish
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.