Bringing Restorative Practices to Schools Across the Country

On May 11, 2026, researchers, students, educators, and advocates gathered at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., to discuss how restorative practices in schools can support students’ social-emotional growth. 

Organized by Bloomberg Professor of American Health in the Department of Mental Health, Tamar Mendelson, the event focused on a new policy toolkit, “Connected and Thriving: A Policy Toolkit for Expanding the Use of Restorative Practices in School Districts,” which assessed discipline practices across 20 states and Washington, D.C., shared a model policy for school leaders, and provided advocates with sample questions for student-facing interviews.  

Beyond learning the basics of math, reading, and writing, students across the country have the opportunity to develop strong social-emotional skills, such as self-regulation, empathy, and accountability, that are essential for a healthy transition into adulthood. Yet schools often struggle to support student social-emotional growth, in part due to punitive disciplinary approaches and a focus on discipline over community building. 

Restorative practices teach individuals how to communicate clearly, strengthen relationships, and create a community where all members are valued. Originating in Indigenous cultures, restorative practices have been adapted for use in K-12 education in the U.S. and other countries to improve school climate and student success. As of 2021, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 59% of public schools and 72% of charter schools nationwide had implemented some form of restorative practice, yet many of these programs struggle to take off, and very few of them include student voices in their development. 

Following opening remarks, attendees heard from students and educators whose schools have embraced restorative practices. Across every panel discussion, one message remained clear: to build a strong and sustainable restorative practices system, school leaders must include student voices at every stage of the process. 

Airick Journey “AJ” Crabill, Senior Coach at Effective School Boards and Director of Governance at the Council of the Great City Schools, noted, “When you walk into a school that has been using restorative practices for a few months, you may notice more smiles and more friendships forming in the hallways. But when you walk into a school that has invested in building restorative practices sustainably—and has engaged students to their fullest potential—you see communities being built and bonds being formed that can last a lifetime.” He added, “I hope every child has access to this in the years ahead, but making that vision a reality will take work.” 

Attendees also heard from district leaders across the country who have successfully shifted school culture to adopt restorative practices. David Yusem, Restorative Justice District Coordinator for the Oakland Unified School District, echoed Crabill’s sentiment, saying, “Trying to measure the impact of restorative justice is like trying to measure AI consciousness with a wooden ruler. Instead, when I walk into a school, I ask: Do I feel love? Do I see smiles? That’s when I know we’re doing something right.” 

Supported by the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, the Connected and Thriving policy toolkit was designed to help advocates and school leaders build strong restorative practice-based systems to improve the mental health of young people across the country. The toolkit includes model policies for school leaders, an assessment of policies across 20 school districts and states, and data-driven coalition-building strategies, lowering the barrier for advocates who want to act but may not know where to begin.