Building Walls Between Schools and the Justice System District Profile: Riverhead Central (N.Y.)

To combat the over-reliance on in- and out-of-school suspensions, the district moved to a restorative practice model that includes social workers and psychologists as part of the three-year implementation strategy.

The district noticed large numbers of in- and out-of-school suspensions in 2019. To combat the over-reliance on in- and out-of-school suspensions (ISS and OSS), the district moved to a restorative practice model that includes social workers and psychologists as part of the three-year implementation strategy. Although the district still utilizes progressive discipline, its reliance on it has decreased.

The first round of 50 staff members was trained in summer 2021 and implementation began in the 2021-2022 school year. Training consisted of three full days of comprehensive training focused on change in language and processes towards students. The 50 trained staff members represent all of the schools in the district, and they were tasked with “planting the seeds of restorative practices in each building” and with creating a culture of care and healing as they look to the root causes of student behavior. This is built upon the district’s recognition of students’ need for respect.

They are also working with students to be more self-reflective to figure out their own “why’ as part of positive self-advocacy to manage their behavior. Students take responsibility, articulate the wrong of their actions and determine next steps to avoid future infringement. Often, conflict is associated with miscommunication, creating an importance on helping students reflect and respond. Restorative practice is implemented in the classroom and afterschool activities, as facilitators utilize restorative circles. In contrast to school detention or ISS, restorative circles create a new line of communication among students and facilitators.

The district has noticed the power of language shifts regarding discipline and how the student interprets its value. Overall, the district wishes to differentiate the roles of a facilitator from those of a social worker. New restorative practices teams will be trained each year with full implementation set to occur in the 2023-2024 school year.

With a concentration on improvements through quality evaluation and professional development, the district mantra is “People, not programs.”