Restorative Practices
Educational Services | Programs and Resources
Restorative Practices at DNUSD
Restorative Practices (RP) provide a framework for building strong relationships, resolving conflicts, and fostering a positive school climate. At DNUSD, we are committed to implementing RP to create a supportive environment where students and staff work together to maintain a culture of respect, responsibility, and repair.
What Are Restorative Practices?
Restorative Practices focus on proactive relationship-building and conflict resolution rather than punitive discipline. This approach helps students develop social-emotional skills, strengthens school communities, and reduces disciplinary actions that remove students from learning environments​.
Why Use Restorative Practices?
Traditional discipline methods often rely on punitive measures that do not address the root causes of behavior. RP helps students:
- Understand the impact of their actions
- Take responsibility for their behavior
- Work towards repairing relationships
- Improve overall school climate and reduce conflicts​.
Key Elements of Restorative Practices
- Community Circles: Regular meetings where students and staff discuss concerns, build relationships, and develop social-emotional skills.
- Restorative Conversations: A structured way to address conflicts by focusing on understanding and resolution.
- Mediation and Conferencing: A process that brings together those affected by conflict to develop meaningful resolutions.
- Repairing Harm: Instead of punitive measures, students engage in actions that restore relationships and the school community.​
Use the guide below to learn more about Restorative Practices at DNUSD