Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Charles, Kelli., Administrators’ perceptions of the implementation of restorative
practices at selected urban elementary schools in Southeast Texas. Doctor of Education
(Executive Educational Leadership), May 2019, Houston Baptist University, Houston,
Texas.
The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the
implementation of Restorative Practices in selected elementary schools in southeast
Texas. Restorative Practices will generally be defined as a social science that studies
how to build social capital and achieve social discipline through participatory learning
and decision making (Wachtel, 2016). This study included six school-based
administrators who served in the roles of principals, assistant principals and counselors.
The research questions allowed for further investigation into Restorative Practices and
how students and teachers benefited from the implementation of weekly Community
Building Circles. Findings indicated the positive impact circles had on classroom culture,
as well as improved teacher-student relationships. This study provides administrators
with knowledge about how to implement Restorative Practices in a meaningful and
sustained way.
KEY WORDS: Restorative Practices, Circles, Restorative justice, Restorative justice in
schools, Social emotional learning, Classroom discipline, School discipline, Alternatives
to suspension, Zero tolerance policies, School-to-Prison-pipeline, Exclusionary discipline
practices, School culture, Classroom culture, Suspension
