Bethlehem, PA
Training of Trainers: Introduction to Restorative Practices and Using Circles Effectively
SaferSanerSchools: Whole-School Change Through Restorative Practices
The SaferSanerSchools™ program achieves 100% staff participation in restorative practices and reliably produces the following positive outcomes that start to occur at the outset of plan implementation.
Reduced
- Misbehavior
- Violence and bullying
- Suspensions and expulsions
- Teacher and student absenteeism
Increased
- Instructional time
- Safety
Improved relationships & attitudes among
- Students
- Staff
- Administrators
- Parents
What Educators Have to Say
“Restorative practices gave us tools and language to build a positive school community. It has significantly reduced office referrals, detentions and suspensions. Teachers have stronger relationships with students, and students feel more respected and heard. Most important, there is more time to focus on teaching and learning.”
Matthew Hornbeck, principal, Hampstead Hill Elementary School, Baltimore, Md.
“Restorative practices has made an enormous difference in the climate of my school. Our staff has learned practical and proactive strategies to manage classroom behavior, build a positive culture and hold students accountable in a way that leads to real and lasting behavior changes.”
Stephen J. Rodriguez, principal,
Pottstown High School, Pottstown, Pa.
“Restorative practices has been a tremendous help with the HP180 Program at Highland Park Community High School. The students have opened up about their behaviors and are really understanding how their negative actions affect themselves, their families and their peers. This is definitely the beginning of bringing about a change of the atmosphere in the entire high school. Restorative practices is an excellent tool for any and all school settings.”
Remele Penick, director, HP180 after-school and in-school suspension programs, Highland Park High School, Detroit, Mich.
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Proactive approach
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Cost-effective
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Based on communication & responsibility
Program Overview
Since 1999 the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), a graduate school with its training and consulting division based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has helped even the most challenging schools improve their teaching and learning environment through “restorative practices,” a proactive approach to positive school-wide behavior support based on communication and responsibility.
IIRP’s SaferSanerSchools™ program is a cost-effective way to achieve lasting whole-school culture change that builds relationships between students, staff and parents, improves student behavior, reduces violence and bullying and creates a sense of community.
IIRP provides a clear, comprehensive two-year school implementation program, unlike piecemeal efforts using varied approaches that lack an explicit focus. IIRP helps the school leadership and staff develop a customized plan based on its own needs and goals, organizes staff action groups and monthly follow-up phone meetings, delivers onsite training and consulting and assists with evaluation. Everyone on the school staff has a say and a role in implementation, thereby forging program sustainability.
Implementation: Year One
Distance Preparatory Activities
- IIRP team introductory sessions to schedule initial events
- Phone conferences with school administration and start-up team
- Customized web page for each school's direct access to IIRP online resources
- Baseline data collection of discipline records and other relevant information
Onsite Two-Day Startup Session
- Day One: Blueprint for whole-school change
- Day Two: Writing the plan for your school
Three Days of Onsite Staff Training
- Introduction to Restorative Practices — Basic restorative concepts and skills
- Using Circles Effectively — How to use circles for a broad range of behavioral and academic purposes
- Facilitating Restorative Conferences — How to facilitate structured meetings that effectively respond to wrongdoing
Follow-up Activities
- Monthly in-depth phone calls with each of the school implementation groups
- Onsite consulting days scheduled in consultation with school
- Ongoing evaluation of implementation progress and impact on discipline data
Resources Provided
- Speakerphone for conference calls
- Three books for all staff members for the three trainings
- Restorative question cards and posters
- IIRP globe "talking piece"
- IIRP restorative practices video and book library
Implementation: Year Two
Continuing Calls with Each of the School Implementation Groups
- Scheduled monthly or as needed to sustain implementation momentum
- Focus on deepening implementation of restorative practices to 100% of staff
Onsite Consulting Days
- Focus on skills refinement, increased sustainability and self-management
- Ongoing evaluation used to update criteria and inform consultation
Sustainability Plan
- Explicit planning for sustained implementation
- Institutionalizing and embedding restorative practices as part of school staff’s vocabulary and daily life
Training of Trainers
- Select group of staff who are trained to provide ongoing training for new hires
- School licensed and trained to utilize IIRP’s proprietary training materials, presentations, “scripts” and videos
Supplemental Opportunities
- Optional certification to formalize and publicize the school’s success
- School-centered restorative zone coordinated with local government and private agencies
- Restorative management and supervision training
Fall Intensive 2010
