Gerlach, B., Tennant P., McKerlie K. (2018). Building Capacity for Restorative Discipline in Texas: An Evaluation of The Texas Schools Restorative Discipline Project. Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin
In 2018, the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) completed a multi-year evaluation of the implementation of restorative discipline practices in Texas schools and districts. TXICFW conducted the evaluation in partnership with the Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue (IRJRD). IRJRD, in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, undertook a project to train administrators and educators in school-based restorative practices to build capacity for state-wide implementation.
The trainings took place in all 20 Education Service Center (ESC) regions in the Texas. In total, IRJRD provided 40 statewide trainings in just over two years. The trainings sought to promote readiness, instill knowledge, and provide focus on the development and customization of restorative practices, with the aim of creating a whole-school climate change. Thus, the implementation evaluation explored the trends, initial perceived impacts, and barriers when introducing these practices to a school campus.
Overall, results demonstrated that the capacity has grown for implementing restorative practices at schools in Texas. Respondents indicated that despite the barriers, they remain optimistic about the potential impacts of these practices.
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Suggested Citation:
Gerlach, B., Tennant, P., & McKerlie, K. (2018). Building Capacity for Restorative Discipline in Texas: An Evaluation of The Texas Schools Restorative Discipline Project. Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin.