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The story of a model restorative school: creative response to conflict at MS 217 in Queens, NY

Priscilla Prutzman (Priscilla Prutzman, Elizabeth Roberts and Tara Fishler are all based at the Creative Response to Conflict, Suffern, New York, USA)
Elizabeth Roberts (Priscilla Prutzman, Elizabeth Roberts and Tara Fishler are all based at the Creative Response to Conflict, Suffern, New York, USA)
Tara Fishler (Priscilla Prutzman, Elizabeth Roberts and Tara Fishler are all based at the Creative Response to Conflict, Suffern, New York, USA)
Tricia Jones (Tricia Jones is Professor at the Department of Communication and Social Influence, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and Director of the Center for Conflict Management and Media Impact, Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research

ISSN: 1759-6599

Article publication date: 26 April 2022

Issue publication date: 12 October 2022

273

Abstract

Purpose

Restorative practice programs in the USA and Western elementary and secondary schools have been the focus of intensive, large scale field research that reports positive impacts on school climate, pro-social student behavior and aggressive behavior. This paper aims to contribute to a gap in the research by reporting a case study of transformation of an urban middle school in a multi-year implementation of restorative practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports how Creative Response to Conflict (CRC) supported the transformation of Middle School 217, in Queens, NY, from a school with one of the highest suspension rates in New York City to a model restorative school. CRC’s model, which incorporates the themes of cooperation, communication, affirmation, conflict resolution, mediation, problem-solving, bias awareness, bullying prevention and intervention, social-emotional learning and restorative practices, helped shift the perspective and practice of the entire school community from punitive to restorative.

Findings

Implementation of a full school advisory program using restorative circles for all meetings and classes and development of a 100% respect program committing all school community members to dignified and respectful treatment aided the transformation. Key to MS 217’s success was the collaboration of multiple non-profit organizations for provision of peer mediation training, after-school follow-up work, staff coaching and preventative cyberbullying training through the Social Media-tors! Program.

Research limitations/implications

Challenges to the restorative practices implementation are reviewed with attention to the implementation online during COVID-19.

Originality/value

Next steps in the program post-COVID are articulated as a best practice model for other schools interested in adopting MS 217’s commitment, creativity and community-building to become a model restorative school.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

CRC is grateful to the entire Middle School 217 community – students, teachers, staff and administrators – for their warm welcome, open-mindedness and hard work on the journey to becoming a restorative school. The authors thank the NYC Department of Education and ACR/JAMS for funding their work at the school.

Citation

Prutzman, P., Roberts, E., Fishler, T. and Jones, T. (2022), "The story of a model restorative school: creative response to conflict at MS 217 in Queens, NY", Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 346-362. https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-02-2022-0690

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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