Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

In response to the documented negative effects of exclusionary discipline practices on students and racial disproportionately in discipline rates, school districts around the country are implementing restorative justice programs (RJPs) that engage in alternative conflict resolution practices (in lieu of suspensions and expulsions) to repair harm from misconduct and build inclusive and equitable school environments. While school districts are committing considerable energy and resources to implementing RJPs, the evidence on these programs is sparse. The few existing studies have found positive effects on reducing disciplinary infractions and increasing positive relationships between students and teachers but these studies are not causal nor do they look at procedures for building school capacity for implementing RJ practices, which are crucial to the efficacy of such policies.

Our study leverages longitudinal data from 2008-09 to 2016-17 in a quasi-experimental research design to isolate the effects of RJ training on student suspension and attendance in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In May 2013, the LAUSD Board of Education allocated funds to train all 909 district schools on RJ practices by the 2019-2020 school year. Through this training, district leaders intended to reduce discipline rates and disproportionality in suspensions, improve school climate, and, ultimately, enhance behavioral (e.g., attendance and truancy) and academic outcomes.

LAUSD implemented a staggered and tiered implementation plan for training schools, grouping schools into five cohorts based on demonstrated need for training. Schools were prioritized to receive training in earlier cohorts if they enrolled students in secondary grade levels, had a track record of high suspension rates and disproportionality in suspensions, and served a large number of African American, special education, free and reduced price lunch, and English language learner students. In 2014-15, 153 Cohort 1 schools received training on Tier 1 RJ practices focused on building positive and inclusive school climates. The following year these schools began training for Tier 2 RJ practices focused on alternative strategies for conflict resolution and, by 2016-17, they received Tier 3 training on implementing strategies for reintegrating students who have been previously excluded from schools (e.g., dropouts, expelled or suspended students). During the 2015-16 school year, 139 Cohort 2 schools that had similar trends in suspensions as Cohort 1 schools (but lower suspension rates) began training for Tier 1 practices and completed combined training for Tier 2 and 3 practices by 2016-17.

We use a Comparative Interrupted Time Series (CITS) design to examine the effects of Tier 1 (2014-15) and 2 (2015-16) training for Cohort 1 schools (relative to Cohort 2 schools) on student suspensions and attendance. To explain our model results, we analyze student survey data on school climate during the intervention years to understand how RJ training may have influenced school context and disciplinary practices. Our findings will have implications for policies aimed at building school capacity to implement RJ programs and advance student equity.