ADMINISTRATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AT SELECTED URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

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