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.   

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