Reframework of School Discipline Policies

How might we reimagine and reframe current school discipline policies for PPSD in order to create safer, more engaging schools where all members of the learning community feel a sense of belonging, empowerment, and responsibility?

Type of School

N/A

Grade Level

K-12

Location

Providence, RI

Project Team

jessedelauder

Blake
Kast

phyllisshirleytrelli

dpatel

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Define

A clear, human-centered and open-ended design challenge

Design Challenge

Explore

A new understanding of your design challenge

Key Observation

- Talked to teachers about the challenges they encountered trying to implement restorative practices at the classroom level. - Conducted 2 one-on-one interviews with high school students in Providence about their experiences with expulsion and detentions at their schools. - Facilitated a focus group discussion about restorative justice with high school students at Juanita Sanchez High School, and co-facilitated (with Phyllis) another focus group discussion with Young Voices youth from different high schools across Providence. - Observed Code of conduct meeting for PPSD where teachers, admin and community partners were present.

Exploration Plan

Reach out to various stakeholders to get their opinion on the current school disciplinary policies and how they can be improved to better support our students.

Reflect

A clear direction for solving for your design challenge

Design Principles

1. Must facilitate community and trust building
2. Authentically facilitate vertical and horizontal collaboration
3. Must honor everyone's emotions and experiences
4. Acknowledging systemic limitations to move forward
5. Must engage youth voice in process
6. Practical and iterative and meaningful to everyone

Imagine

An exciting idea that will positively impact people's experiences

Concept Summary

CIRCLE: Collaborative Intervention (for) Restoring Community Learning Empowerment CIRCLE- partnership between community based organizations (CBOs) and schools to facilitate meaningful restorative experiences and implements a student led behavioral tribunal after school. Important components: - reframing the idea and concept of detention - shift responsibility from school to CBO - ensure strong and consistent communication

The New Experience

The end goal of this concept: The creation of a trained, school-based behavior team.

Play

A prototype of your idea that has been tested and validated

Solution Evolution

What to change: - receiving explicit feedback on what parents specifically want (possibly implement a parent training academy to keep parents in the loop about our new framework) - What works? - growth potential - community/parent buy-in

Transform

A meaningful solution and new problem-solving approach

Next Steps

- well-attended councils - reduced rates of detention/suspension - full-integration of practices into school day - reducing/eliminating - engaged, supported studented and teachers in classroom - community that is supportive - an individual feels responsible to a sense of belonging to that community Short-term: - facilitating a partnership between one school and one CBO Personal stories: - A kid who acts out a lot ends up in CIRCLE, finds success there through capacity building and accountability, moves on to be a part of student tribunal, from there moves on to co-faciliate parent training, then becomes successful in life.

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