An article on restorative practices in schools appears in the May 17, 2005, edition of School Board News, published by the National School Boards Association, a nonprofit federation of state associations of school boards that represents about 15,000 local school districts throughout the United States. The report, by Carol Chmelynski, covers restorative initiatives across the US, including PEASE Academy, a school in Minnesota for students recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, a pilot program in six Wisconsin school districts and the IIRP's SaferSanerSchools program.

The January 2005 edition of MetroKids Magazine features an article on SaferSanerSchools, the IIRP program implementing restorative practices in schools. The story, by Ann L. Rappoport, Ph.D., includes interviews with school administrators who are excited about the positive effect restorative practices are having on discipline and school culture. In the article, Dr. Francis Barnes, former school district superintendent, now Pennsylvania (U.S.A.) Secretary of Education, commended restorative practices as "a set of practical responses to student behavior and proactive strategies that strengthen accountability and improve school culture." Read the article here.

The IIRP, via its SaferSanerSchools program, is providing training and consulting to Community Prep High School, a public school in New York City for young people just out of juvenile detention. Said Mark Ryan, Community Prep principal, "Restorative practices helped Community Prep High School become a safe community, a place where students can make real, meaningful changes in their lives." Community Prep was recently featured in a July 25, 2004 New York Times article. An eForum article about Community Prep and IIRP's collaboration IIRP here.

Education World, a widely-read, highly-regarded online journal among educators, has published an interview with IIRP president Ted Wachtel. In the interview, Wachtel describes IIRP's SaferSanerSchools program, which is bringing restorative practices to public schools. He also provides an overview of SaferSanerSchools training programs and an explanation of the theory of restorative practices. Read the interview here.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, one of the leading newspapers in the United States, has published an article about the IIRP's SaferSanerSchools program, which is implementing restorative practices in schools. Inquirer education reporter Susan Snyder visited pilot schools in southeastern Pennsylvania, where the SaferSanerSchools program is in effect, interviewing students, teachers and administrators, all of whom seemed to appreciate how restorative practices had helped to improve their schools' climates, creating a more positive culture and substantially improving student behavior. Read the article and the Letter to the Editor from IIRP President regarding Palisades High School.