Theses and Dissertations Collection

Public education in the United States is moving away from zero-tolerance policies to restorative approaches to address school discipline. The number of students experiencing removal from their educational opportunity via exclusionary discipline (suspensions and expulsions) is increasing at an alarming rate. Communities across the nation are calling for a change in discipline practices. This shift in school climate, away from the punitive, and toward embracing a restorative environment is occurring. Research on restorative practices has been primarily quantitative in nature, there are limited qualitative studies on the implementation process and outcomes from school districts shifting to a restorative mindset. This study examines the perceptions of high school administrators in a mid-sized urban school district on the theory of restorative approaches, the experiences they encounter in the implementation and outcomes as they shift from zero-tolerance to restorative practices. The research is grounded in a phenomenological lens to develop emergent themes about the administrator’s experiences over the past several years as the district implemented restorative practices into the schools. This study informs our understanding of the lived experience of administrators as they are tasked with changing the mindset of their respective school staff to a restorative approach and a call for more research to include empirical studies to support and guide schools as they navigate the shift in school culture and community.

Keywords: community building, exclusionary discipline, phenomenology, restorative approach, restorative justice, restorative practice, secondary level, zero-tolerance policies