Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Criminology and Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Dr. Tara N. Richards

Abstract

As more studies highlight the harmful and disparate impacts of exclusionary discipline for students, schools and school districts are increasingly implementing alternative discipline approaches like restorative justice (RJ). To understand the state of school district policies incorporating RJ in discipline and how these policies inform school discipline practices, I conducted a content analysis of 122 district policies. I also assessed whether districts with RJ discipline policies are associated with reduced rates of exclusionary discipline, or indirectly associated through reduced criminal offenses and/or harassment. Further, I investigated whether these RJ policies are associated with reduced rates of exclusionary discipline for student populations disproportionately excluded (i.e., Black students and students with disabilities). Data from 122 U.S. school districts and 2,016 public schools from the Civil Rights Data Collection for the 2017 through 2018 school year were assessed using negative binomial generalized linear mixed models with an offset for school enrollment populations. Content analysis results indicate nearly 40% of districts incorporated RJ into discipline policy, but that policies did not consistently define RJ or provide detailed guidance to schools for implementation. Quantitative findings suggest school-level, more so than district-level, factors are strongly associated with school outcomes. Having a district-level RJ policy was not significantly associated with reduced exclusionary discipline for any students or offenses. Higher quality RJ policies were associated with reduced rates of race- and disability-based harassment allegations, but not with overall harassment or sex-based harassment. Implications for policy and implementation processes to improve successful integration of RJ responses in school discipline practices are discussed.

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