Being heard: how a listening culture supports the implementation of schoolwide restorative practices

ABSTRACT

Schoolwide restorative practices (SWRPs) are intentionally designed to create safe spaces for caring dialogue, where students and adults alike speak honestly and openly with each other. Data presented in this article were derived from a larger mixed-methods multi-site case study of two Oakland Unified School District middle schools that had adopted SWRPs and provide support for addressing the questions: (a) How do principals, teachers, staff and students perceive being heard in middle schools that have adopted SWRPs; and (b) How does a listening culture contribute to creating a positive, healthy relational ecology that supports schoolwide change and reform efforts? This study provides evidence that a listening culture built on relational trust can contribute to a positive relational ecology that supports members of a school community as they go through the challenging and sometimes difficult process of changing their school culture.

KEYWORDS:

• Restorative justice
• relational trust
• school discipline
• student voice
• teacher voice
• school reform

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in the United States refers to schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families as Title 1 schools. Schools with this designation are often eligible for additional funding from the federal government to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Middle schools typically house three grade levels, grades six to eight, which include children aged eleven to fourteen.