Vickie Shoap - Part of the Youth-Nex Conference: Youth of Color Matter: Reducing Inequalities Through Positive Youth Development #YoCM15 Panel 5 - RESTORING JUSTICE IN OUR SCHOOLS: POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES TO THE DISCIPLINE GAP Youth of color are disproportionately suspended from school, causing youth to miss critical time of instruction, evoke feelings of hopelessness, and contributing to the “school to prison pipeline.” This panel considered what research and practice tell us about dismantling the pipeline and promoting positive developmental outcomes for youth of color with a focus on youth-centered principles of restorative justice.

1. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
IN FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Vickie Shoap
Restorative Justice Specialist II
FCPS Special Services, Student Safety and Wellness Office
vrshoap@fcps.edu
571-423-4278
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2. Fairfax County Virginia
 Population: 1,137,538 Borders Wash. DC
 10th largest public school system in the US
 FCPS includes 244 schools and centers
 200,000 students, 1 out of 6 residents are
FCPS students
 24,611 full time staff
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3. FCPS Diversity
 Students from over 175
countries.
 10% African American
 24.6% Hispanic
 19% Asian American
 40% White
 48 alternative learning
and special needs sites.
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4. What is Restorative Justice?
 A philosophy that looks at crime and
wrongdoing as relational.
 Restorative practices are relationship building
skills that grew from the principles of RJ.
 People and relationships are the focus of a
restorative approach to prevention and
discipline.
 Degrees of responsibility in wrongdoing.
 Reasonable consequences are created by
offending student and those most harmed.
 Victim centered process of justice.
 Evidence based alternative to suspension and
expulsion.
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5. Principles of Restorative Justice
All FCPS Applications
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Focus on the harms of wrongdoing more than on
the rule or law that has been broken.
Empower victims and show equal concern for
their needs in the discipline process.
Support students who have harmed others while
encouraging them to take personal responsibility
for their actions and understand, accept and carry
out their obligations.

6. Principles of Restorative Justice
All FCPS Applications
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Provide opportunities for dialogue between students
who have harmed others and those most affected by
the wrongdoing. Participation is always voluntary.
Involve and empower the affected community
through the process of justice.
Encourage collaboration and reintegration, rather
than punishment and isolation.
Show respect to all parties involved in wrongdoing
and involve all equally.

7. Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice
in FCPS
Restorative practices
are skills often utilized in
formal restorative justice
processes that may also
be used in classrooms to
build relationships, create
connections and prevent
harm and violence before
they occur.
A restorative justice
conference is a formal
victim-centered
process for responding to
harm and wrongdoing.
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8. Restorative Discipline Paradigm Comparison
Traditional
 Offensive behavior means
breaking the rules.
 Administrators determine
outcome
 Focus is on offending student
 Can produce defensiveness
 Accountability means ‘taking
your medicine’
Restorative
 Offensive behavior means
violating people and relationships
 Everyone impacted by incident
determines outcome
 Focus is on those impacted
 Encourages honesty
 Accountability means taking
personal responsibility for actions
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9. Restorative Practice Questions
I Statements Restorative Questions
“It makes me uncomfortable when I hear
you tease others.”
What happened?
“I am frustrated that you are not listening
to me.”
What were you thinking about at the
time?
“I get upset when you talk and joke when
I am teaching.”
Who is being affected by your
behavior?
“I was shocked to see you act like that.”
What impact has this incident had on
you?
“I think you should apologize!”
What do you think you need to do to
make things right?
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10. FCPS Portrait of a Graduate
and Restorative Justice
• Deep listening, reflection and personal communication skills
are modeled and taught through direct engagement.
• An RJ process is a collaborative process that seeks to involve and
engage people in decisions that affect their lives.
• The basic premise of RJ is that strong relationships with
adults and other students are fundamental to learning
and resilience.
• The circle process teaches social-emotional skills such as
empathy, compassion and cultural awareness.
• RJ is primarily a structured and reflective problem-solving
process.

11. Continuumofrestorativepractices(RP)andrestorativejustice(RJ)applicationsinFCPS
Requires training &
certification to facilitate
Restorative Justice Conference:
SR&R violations, student/student,
student/staff, parent/staff, etc…
Available to all schools
Middle School Restorative Behavior Program:
RP questions, deeper reflection activities and
engagement, circles and RJ discipline conferences
Circles, Preventative:
Attendance groups, minor disputes, escalating conflicts, bullying
education, teaching conflict resolution skills
Available to all schools
Restorative Practices in the Classroom:
RJ philosophy and language for classroom management
Available to all schools
Can be used by all
with training

12. Student Led Restorative Justice
 Thomas Jefferson High School Student Honor
Council, 2 Teacher Advisors (2015-16, 3rd year).
 RJ Conferences facilitated by RJ trained and
certified students for academic integrity
discipline issues: cheating, plagiarism etc.
 Requirements for training and certification
same as FCPS staff.
 This year students are training a second high
school Honor Council and staff.
 Webinar: Eastern Mennonite U. Zehr Institute
For Restorative Justice: Student Led RJ in Fairfax County
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13. Fairfax County Collaborative Agency
AAP-Alternative Accountability Program
FCPS
Juvenile
Court
NVMS
(local service
provider)
Neighborhood &
Community
Services
POLICE
SRO’s
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14. Fairfax County Collaborative Agency
AAP-Alternative Accountability Program
 Divert students arrested and/or charged by
police for incidents that occur at school or on
school property to an RJ process.
 Divert youth arrested in the community to an
RJ process.
 Voluntary. Parents must agree.
 Youth has no prior charges.
 No court connection, no record.
 2nd year, 100% compliance with agreements.
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15. Restorative Justice Team
Assistant Superintendant Special Services, Dr. Jane Lipp
Director Intervention & Prevention, Dr. Mary Ann Panarelli
Coordinator Student Safety and Wellness Office, Clarence Jones
Restorative Justice Specialist II
Restorative Justice Specialist I
5 Restorative Behavior Intervention Teachers (RBIT’s):
(2 ED backgrd & Spec. Ed Certified, 2 Multi Lingual, 2 art certs.)
Northern Virginia Mediation Service (non-Profit provider)
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16. Restorative Justice Training in FCPS
(number of FCPS staff trained up to year 4 of implementation in red)
 Level 1 Orientation Training (1700)
(RJ 101, pre-requisite for all trainings)
 Level 2 Facilitator Training (500 staff, 8 student)
 Level 3 Advanced Facilitator Training (26)
(Level 2 Certified Staff Only)
 Attendance Circle Training (65, new in 2014-15)
 Restorative Practices In The Classroom
Training For Teachers: Trainings and Extended
Academy Class (185, new in 2014-15)
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17. Why do we need a new discipline paradigm?
(Information we share with FCPS administrators.)
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 Repeat suspensions in middle school triple the probability of later
involvement with the justice system. (US Dept. of Education, US
Dept. of Justice 2012).
 One suspension reduces a students trajectory toward graduation by
20%. (US Dept. of Education, US Dept. of Justice 2012).
 There is no evidence that poor and minority kids misbehave any
worse that children from other socioeconomic backgrounds.
(Skiba/Williams 3.14).
 U.S. spends $10, 995 to educate one student per school year.
(Nat’l Ctr. for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education 2012)
 U.S. spends $87,981. to process and confine a juvenile offender for
one year. (Justice Policy Inst., The Costs of Confinement: Why Good
Juvenile Justice Policies)

18. Challenges: Myths of Restorative Justice
Magic pill
aka..butterflies
and unicorns
Can be used for
any situation
Soft on
wrongdoing
You just have to
say you’re sorry.
Offenders avoid
consequences.
Only for minor
wrongdoing and
first-time
offenders
Substitute for
the existing
system of
justice and
discipline
Takes too much
time
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19. Implementation Year 4
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0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1st Semester 2013-2014 2nd Semester 2013-
2014
1st Semester 2014-2015 2nd Semester 2014-
2015
Growth in # of Referrals 2013-2015
High School Referrals
Middle School Referrals
Elementary Referrals

20. Referrals to RJ 2014-15
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0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Nature of Incident
NumberofReferrals
Primary Nature of Referral 14-15
Fight
Escalating/Ongoing Conflict
Disrespect/Defiance
Bullying
Harassment
Theft
Cyber Warfare
Threat Verbal/Cyber
Sexual Harassment
Other
Inappropriate use of cell phone
Cheating
Assault on Staff

21. Analysis of Referral Outcomes
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0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
17%
17%60%
3% 3%
#ofStudentsServed
# of Students Served
# of Students by Referral Outcome
417 Students Represented
*Does not include students from cases in-progress
Circle/Conference
Referral Only
Preconference Only
Seminar Only
Circle/Conference + Seminar

22. RJ Referrals Participants
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77% of all Referrals
17% of all Referrals
6% of all Referrals
Conflict Type 2014-2015
Student vs. Student
Student vs. Staff
Other

23. Early Data
 Very low recidivism for offending students
(2013-14, 4-8%).
 Victims and parents of victims report 100%
satisfaction with RJ process and outcome.
 Administrator reports indicate no further
involvement with discipline for majority of
students participating in RJ.
 Students asking for RJ circles to prevent
violence and stop ongoing conflict.
 Climate Point: “No longer cool to reject RJ”
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