A new book from ASCD Publications, How to Create a Culture of Achievement in Your School and Classroom, by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Ian Pumpian, includes a section on restorative practices, largely informed by the IIRP book, The Restorative Practices Handbook for Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators.
This portion of the book challenges the effectiveness of traditional punishments and affirms the restorative approach to classroom discipline issues. Spelling out the restorative philosophy and basic practices, the segment outlines both proactive and reactive processes, including affective questions, impromptu meetings and circles. It also stresses the importance of involving the whole school in implementation, stating, "We believe that this practice needs to be institutionalized, and not just used occasionally by a few people, for it to truly impact the school community."
ASCD, founded in 1943 (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an "educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner with 150,000 members in more than 145 countries."
We're pleased to see restorative practices communicated to such a wide audience of educators.
ASCD is also the publisher of the professional journal, Educational Leadership, which published an article in September 2011 on restorative practices: Building Safer, Saner Schools.
