Restorative Practices

At Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), Restorative Practices (RP) is a social science framework that shifts the focus of school discipline from punishment to connection. Instead of simply enforcing rules and penalties, restorative practices focus on building strong school communities, repairing relationships when harm has occurred, and fostering a sense of shared responsibility.

The core philosophy is simple: students are more cooperative, more productive, and more likely to make positive behavioral changes when those in authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them. By training our educators to use affective language, fair process, and proactive circles, we cultivate inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe classrooms.

Restorative Practices (RP) at PPS

What Does Restorative Practices Look Like in a School?

Throughout the school day, restorative practices shape how students and staff interact, resolve conflicts, and build community. Instead of relying on traditional, punitive discipline, a restorative school environment focuses on connection, accountability, and communication.

In the classroom and around the building, students will regularly experience these core restorative elements embedded directly into their daily routines:

Proactive Circles: Students regularly gather in circles to build community, share perspectives, and discuss positive behaviors that benefit the classroom. Sitting in a circle ensures every student is seen, heard, and valued as an equal member of the community.

Affective Statements: Staff use intentional, feelings-based language to express the real impact of a student's behavior. For example, instead of a standard reprimand for tardiness, a teacher might say, “I’m concerned when you miss the start of class because I have to pause instruction to catch you up, which reduces active learning time for you and your peers.”

Restorative Questions: When challenges or conflicts arise, educators ask targeted, open-ended questions that invite students to reflect on their choices. You will hear questions like, “What were you thinking at the time?”, “Who has been affected by what happened?”, or “What do you think you need to do to make things right?”

Making Things Right: Rather than just receiving a penalty, students are guided to identify the ripple effects of their actions. They collaborate on meaningful solutions to repair any harm done, heal relationships, and restore balance to the classroom community.

According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), students are happier, healthier, and more likely to make positive behavioral changes when those in positions of authority do things with them, rather than to them or for them.

What Does Restorative Practices Look Like at Pittsburgh Public Schools?

At Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), we prioritize a proactive approach to student support. We begin by setting high expectations for our students, coupling those standards with robust social-emotional supports and clear lines of communication.

To ensure high-quality, consistent execution across all school buildings, the Office of Student Support Services (OSSS) utilizes a rigorous, data-driven implementation framework centered on three main pillars:

Standardized Staff Training: All staff are expected to participate in professional learning. All staff must successfully complete Introduction to Restorative Practices (covering fundamental relationship-building and fair process) as a non-negotiable prerequisite before they can advance to Using Circles Effectively.

Weekly Proactive Circles: Every participating PPS school embeds a "one proactive circle weekly" expectation directly into its instructional schedule. To support our teachers in meeting this benchmark, the district equips them with a Suggested Circle Prompts featuring culturally responsive, age-appropriate prompts mapped out for every single month of the school year.

Restorative Reintegration

When a student faces an extended absence due to a suspension, alternative education placement, hospitalization, or adjudication, returning to school can feel overwhelming. Restorative Reintegration is our district-wide protocol designed to ensure that no student walks back through our doors without a team, a plan, and a supportive community ready to catch them.

A Reintegration Meeting is a structured, collaborative discussion held before or immediately upon a student's return. Rather than rehashing past events or penalties, this meeting focuses entirely on the future. The student, family, school counselors, community partners, and administrators come together to co-create an individualized reentry plan that addresses academic catch-up, emotional well-being, and social adjustments.

To ensure no student falls through the cracks, PPS enforces an ironclad "Two-Line" Data Rule: for every suspension entered into our Student Information System, there must be a corresponding, documented reentry meeting logged in our centralized digital application. Once finalized, this plan is integrated directly into the building's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for ongoing progress monitoring.

How Can Parents & Guardians Get Involved?

True restoration cannot happen without the voice, insight, and partnership of families. We view parents and guardians as the absolute core experts on their children, and your active collaboration helps bridge the gap between school culture and home life.

There are two primary ways to partner with Pittsburgh Public Schools: practicing restorative approaches at home, and actively participating in your child's school-based support team.

Practicing Restorative Strategies at Home

You can reinforce the district's restorative model within your own household by utilizing these daily approaches:

Establish Clear Expectations: Ensure your children have a clear, shared understanding of positive behaviors, boundaries, and expectations within the household.

Develop Conflict Resolution Strategies: Create a safe space at home to handle disagreements constructively, focusing on communication rather than immediate punishment.

Engage in Restorative Dialogue: When behavioral challenges or family conflicts arise, use open-ended, restorative questions to prompt reflection. Try asking: “How do you think your choice affected the rest of the family?” or “What was going through your mind when that happened?”

Guide Your Children to Make Amends: Instead of just issuing a penalty, work together with your children to figure out how they can actively repair harm when mistakes are made, reinforcing healthy and resilient family relationships.

Participating in Restorative Reintegration

If your child is returning to school following an extended absence, suspension, alternative placement, or medical leave, your active participation in their Restorative Reintegration Meeting is vital to their success.

Why Your Participation Matters:

A Unified Front: When students see their families and school leaders collaborating in a circle, they feel more secure, valued, and accountable.

Expert Insight: Your input helps us understand your child's specific strengths, potential stressors, and any external resources or schedule changes that might affect their return.

Shared Ownership: Together, we outline achievable goals for attendance, behavioral supports, and academic milestones, ensuring you are fully informed and empowered at every step.

What to Expect as a Parent:

Direct Outreach: A school counselor, social worker, or building administrator will contact you to schedule the reintegration meeting at a mutually convenient time.

A Collaborative Circle: You and your child will be invited to openly share your perspectives, concerns, and goals for the upcoming school term in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

An Actionable Copy: You will leave the meeting with a copy of the finalized student support plan, including designated point people at the building level who are responsible for checking in on your child weekly. Once completed, this plan is integrated directly into the building's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to guarantee ongoing progress monitoring.

The lessons learned through Restorative Practices apply to all aspects of life. By practicing these techniques at home and partnering closely with school leadership, we provide our students with a lifelong toolkit they can use to navigate conflict, build deep accountability, and make amends as they progress through school, the workforce, and adult communities.

Our Commitment to Discipline Equity: By prioritizing rigorous, data-monitored restorative reintegration over simple exclusion, Pittsburgh Public Schools keeps its focus exactly where it belongs: on healing, maintaining instructional time, and protecting student success.

Pursuing Equitable Restorative Communities (PERC)

Pittsburgh Public Schools was awarded a $3 million dollar grant over three years from Department of Justice through Comprehensive Safe Schools Initiative in October 2014. The implementation partner for the study was the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), and the research partner was RAND.

On December 27, 2018, RAND released “Can Restorative Practices Improve School Climate and Curb Suspensions: An Evaluation of the Impact of Restorative Practices in a Mid-Sized Urban School District," which highlights the implementation of restorative practices as part of Pursuing Equitable and Restorative Communities (PERC) in PPS during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Report findings show on average suspension rates and racial disparities in suspension rates were reduced in PERC schools due to restorative practices. Additionally, RAND shared success with building capacity for restorative practices within the District, teachers reported improvements in their school’s climate, and teachers reported high buy-in for restorative practices.

The report also includes some recommendations for other school districts seeking to implement restorative practices, as a result of the work done in Pittsburgh over the past three and a half years. As Restorative Practices has expanded to all schools, the District is continuing to provide training, professional development, resources, coaching, and support with integrating restorative practices more fully into the school day.

A very special thank you to the principals, teachers, and staff of the 22 PERC schools for their work, which now serves as a model for school districts across the country.

Download the full RAND Report: Can Restorative Practices Improve School Climate and Curb Suspensions?

The 22 schools randomly selected as PERC schools were:

K-5 & K-8 Schools

Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5
Pittsburgh Banksville K-5
Pittsburgh Beechwood K-5
Pittsburgh Concord K-5
Pittsburgh Faison K-5
Pittsburgh Greenfield K-8
Pittsburgh Langley K-8
Pittsburgh Linden K-5
Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8
Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8
Pittsburgh Minadeo K-5
Pittsburgh Morrow K-8
Pittsburgh Phillips K-5
Pittsburgh Spring Hill K-5
Pittsburgh West Liberty K-5
Pittsburgh Westwood K-5

6-8 Schools

Pittsburgh Allegheny 6-8
Pittsburgh South Brook 6-8
Pittsburgh South Hills 6-8
Pittsburgh Sterrett 6-8

6-12 Schools

Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy 6-12

High School

Pittsburgh Brashear High School

Restorative Practices is not unique to Pittsburgh Public Schools. It is used successfully on college campuses, in the world of business, in counseling and social work, and the criminal justice system.