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Can restorative practices bridge racial disparities in schools?

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Can restorative practices bridge racial disparities in schools?

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This resource is about the persistent racial disparities in California schools, where Black students face lower academic achievement and higher rates of exclusionary discipline than their White peers. It explores how restorative practices, which emphasize relationship-building, emotional development, and conflict resolution, can help mitigate these gaps by fostering community bonds, reducing misbehavior, and potentially improving academic outcomes.

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What happens From 10 to 25? Take on the role of an adolescent exploring new parts of life, encountering challenges, getting the guidance you need—and telling stories of discovery.

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Appreciative Inquiry: Improvement Groups 

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Appreciative Inquiry: Improvement Groups 

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Healing-Centered | Chicago Public Schools

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Healing-Centered | Chicago Public Schools

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Healing-Centered | Chicago Public Schools

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In Fall 2019, Chicago Public Schools, led by the Office of Social Emotional Learning, embarked on a long-term effort to transform CPS into a healing-centered district, recognizing that to achieve our five-year vision, we need to ensure collective wellness for all CPS students, staff, families, caregivers, and communities.

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Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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How White Caucuses Contribute to Racial Justice

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How White Caucuses Contribute to Racial Justice

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Going to the Root: How White Caucuses Contribute to Racial Justice

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Caucusing is a form of upāya—skillful means. To caucus is skillful because it reduces harm. For Buddhists, practicing harm reduction is a relative bodhicitta practice. In my experience of 24 years …

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Prototype Data Collection Tool - Google Jamboard

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LIBERATORY DESIGN mindsets and modes to design for equity

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LIBERATORY DESIGN mindsets and modes to design for equity

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Getting better together - kappanonline.org

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An elementary school uses improvement science to help students express and share their thinking.

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Getting better together

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Why Am I Always Being Researched? - Chicago Beyond

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Why Am I Always Being Researched?  A guidebook for community organizations, researchers, and funders to help us get from insufficient understanding to more authentic truth Download Guidebook “Pictured: Jonte” This guidebook is based on one singular premise: if evidence matters, we must care how it gets made. As an impact investor that backs the fight…Continue reading →

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Guide for Racial Justice and Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning 

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Guide for Racial Justice and Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning 

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Design Justice Network Guiding Principles 

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Design Justice Network Guiding Principles 

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Read the Principles — Design Justice Network

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This is a living document. Last update: summer 2018

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Equity Centered Community Design Field Guide

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Equity Centered Community Design Field Guide

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Learning Reimagined: Radical Thinking for Equitable Futures 

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Learning Reimagined: Radical Thinking for Equitable Futures 

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Our known systems, everyday routines and relationships have been radically disrupted.

This report, which came out of a partnership between Imaginable Futures and IDEO, sets out to capture the global disruption of our education systems and to offer an evidence-based vision of the future, that takes into account both the constraints and the opportunities of this historic moment.

While reports can feel like a sealed chamber, we've designed this as an open invitation for dialogue. Our hope is that we might collectively imagine a better future and begin thinking about what it will take to get there.

Download the report

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Learning Reimagined: Radical Thinking for Equitable Futures

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What if our learning systems could be redesigned to eliminate embedded inequities? Read our report Learning Reimagined: Radical Thinking for Equitable Futures.

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Could the Design of Your School Be Hurting Attendance?

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Could the Design of Your School Be Hurting Attendance?

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Chronic absenteeism-typically defined as a student missing school for at least 10 percent of the school year-has doubled since the start of the pandemic, according to an analysis by Attendance Works, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization.

Absenteeism is affected by a range of out-of-school issues, and schools have adopted comprehensive strategies to improve student attendance, from increasing student engagement to monitoring data and working with families.

In a Zoom interview with Education Week, Melissa Turnbaugh, a partner and the national education and innovation leader for architecture firm PBK, suggests that one way to think about improving attendance is by examining the quality of learning environments. PBK is one of the largest K-12 architecture companies, along with DLR Group, Huckabee Architects, Stantec, and VLK Architects, according to Building Design + Construction magazine. PBK has designed more than 1,200 new K-12 schools nationwide over the years, including Bellaire High School in the Houston Independent School District and the Jefferson Early Learning Center in the Alief Independent School District in Texas.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How does school design affect student attendance and learning?

Natural light has improved performance-it's really important to have natural light in our learning environments.

Air quality-there's been a lot of focus and research on air quality in schools. It not only helps with student performance. If you can provide an environment where people are healthy and safe, they want to come to school.

Outdoor learning: With us spending so much time in front of devices, it has been really hard, physically and emotionally, for everyone, especially students. As we look at the learning environment, historically we've thought of it within the walls of the school. Now we have the opportunity to think outside of the walls of the school and give kids access to nature, and that has proven to help behavioral issues and emotional health, physical health. The more time students, especially the younger ones, have access to outdoor space, the healthier they are.

Then there are different factors that are really important about the environment itself. If students can feel like they have ownership of a space and they can make it their own, they're more engaged and that engagement turns into attendance, turns into improved test scores.

What about designing schools for teacher retention?

So often our designs have been historically focused solely on students, but for the teachers, this is their workplace and this is a place where they are spending their careers. Now, there's a big focus on creating an environment that feels like a workplace for teachers, so that they have not just teachers' lounges, but they might have places where they can go and have retreats, whether that be inside or outside. There's also a lot more teacher collaboration spaces, and understanding that they don't want to be in isolation, that they need space to gather and collaborate together, whether it be academic or personal, so that they have those connections.

Schools have limited budgets. What can they do to improve school design with what they already have?

There are some small things that can be done with big impact. Natural light is one. Furniture-maybe you can start manipulating furniture so that you're giving more flexibility within the classroom for the teacher or the students to create and transform their learning environment.

I think one of the reasons I'm such a huge fan of outdoor learning is it's the most economical square footage. It doesn't have to be this huge investment. It can be something that's fairly economical. The physical act of just going outside and having access to light and nature and air and bird sounds-all of that is a pretty low-hanging fruit and can be really helpful.

There are a lot of organizations that have a heart and hunger to give kids an opportunity, so finding those kinds of public-private partnerships, where it might be that the automotive dealership down the street is sponsoring an automotive lift [for a career-technical education class], or it might be that an environmental group would help with the gardens. It's not going to probably build a brand new school, but on some of these micro-modifications, it might really help and I think that's the exciting piece that is underutilized that we can really take advantage of.

How can schools balance school safety with other parts of a school's design that enhances student motivation and learning?

There was a period in time where historically schools were designed very safe, but they were not good for learning-it had no windows, it had really kind of sterile environments. So it is really important to find this balance of environments that are safe, physically but also emotionally.

There are different layers. We start with the exterior. We're using and leveraging technology with door locks and access control, but we don't want to wall off and close all the windows because of all the benefits of windows and natural light. The play spaces and the outdoor learning is behind fences or it's in a more enclosed courtyard.

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Could the Design of Your School Be Hurting Attendance?

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An expert argues that one way to improve student attendance is to do a better job designing schools.

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10 Drivers of Engagement You Can Use Right Now 

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10 Drivers of Engagement You Can Use Right Now 

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6 Steps To Cultivate Greater Empathy in Teaching

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6 Steps To Cultivate Greater Empathy in Teaching

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This article tells about how teaching empathy is not a passing trend but a crucial element of education. It fosters academic success, cooperative learning, and safer school environments. Empathy involves understanding and sharing others' emotions, and it can be taught. This article explores why schools should focus on empathy, its benefits, and how to cultivate it in the classroom.

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6 Steps To Cultivate Greater Empathy in Teaching _ GCU Blog.pdf

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This toolkit helps teachers cultivate empathy and kindness in their students. The toolkit provides a foundation for empathy, including the importance of supportive relationships, modeling, and a positive physical environment.

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BE FEARLESS BE KIND - AN EMPATHY TOOLKIT.pdf

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Why Empathy? A Case for Promoting Empathy in Schools

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Why Empathy? A Case for Promoting Empathy in Schools

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This article tells how Empathy is crucial for success in today's interconnected and rapidly changing world. It fosters communication, collaboration, and leadership, enabling problem-solving and relationship-building.

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Teaching Empathy Not Only Benefits Classroom Culture - It can Raise Tests Scores.

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Teaching Empathy Not Only Benefits Classroom Culture - It can Raise Tests Scores.

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In the article “Empathy for the ‘A’”, Ruth Wilson explores the idea that teaching empathy in schools can improve students' academic performance. Many educators prioritize academics and skills over attitudes and relationships, believing that there is not enough room in the curriculum for both. However, research suggests that teaching empathy can actually boost academic achievement.

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TEACHING EMPATHY NOT ONLY BENEFITS CLASSROOM CULTURE—IT CAN RAISE TEST SCORES.pdf

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This document focuses on the importance of building positive relationships between teachers and students. The author emphasizes that positive student-teacher relationships are crucial for student achievement, and offers suggestions for how teachers can improve these relationships.

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This document focuses on the importance of positive teacher-student relationships as a fundamental aspect of effective classroom management. It highlights that these relationships are built on trust, respect, and empathy, and contribute to creating a safe and supportive learning environment where students feel understood and appreciated.

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Classroom Management Explainer: Positive Teacher–Student relationship - AERO.pdf

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Classroom Management Resources User Guide 

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Classroom Management Resources User Guide 

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This document is a user guide for classroom management resources developed by the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). The resources aim to equip teachers and school leaders with evidence-based strategies to create safe, supportive, and effective learning environments.

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Classroom Management Resources User Guide - AERO.pdf

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This document focuses on relationship-building strategies for educators and students. Positive relationships are foundational for student success, creating positive classroom environments, implementing trauma-informed practices, and improving academic achievement. The brief outlines ten strategies educators can use to strengthen relationships in their classrooms, both in person and virtually.

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Relationship-Building Strategies for the Classroom - OSSEpdf

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Stories from the Field - Building strong teacher-student relationships in the classroom (Storytelling))

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Stories from the Field - Building strong teacher-student relationships in the classroom (Storytelling))

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This document focuses on the importance of building strong teacher-student relationships and provides strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms. Research has shown that positive teacher-student relationships have a significant impact on students’ social-emotional development, academic performance, and overall well-being.

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Stories from the Field - Building strong teacher-student relationships in the classroom.pdf

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Strategies to Build Relationships with Students

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Strategies to Build Relationships with Students

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This document focuses on strategies educators can use to build relationships with their students. Positive relationships between teachers and students are linked to improved school performance, and can buffer the negative impacts of chronic stress, particularly for students who have experienced adversity.

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Strategies to Build Relationships with Students - WestEd.pdf

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Defining Our Problem of Practice -- How Might We?

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Defining Our Problem of Practice -- How Might We?

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Defining Our Problem of Practice -- How Might We? - Google Jamboard

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The Power of Empathy Interviews in Family Engagement

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The Power of Empathy Interviews in Family Engagement

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The Power of Empathy Interviews in Family Engagement

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At the height of the pandemic, educators in one district turned to empathy interviews to learn more about families’ needs. They aren’t turning back now.

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Empathy Interview Questions (Working Draft)

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Empathy Interview Questions (Working Draft)

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Empathy Interview Questions (Working Draft)

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Five norms to consider for preparing for an empathy interview

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Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. Research suggests that people differ in the extent to which they experience empathy. So how empathic are you? Take our quiz to find out.

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How well do you feel and understand what others are feeling?

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Because it helps us understand the perspectives, needs, and intentions of others, empathy is a building block of morality and a key ingredient of successful relationships.

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Empathy is the quality of being in tune with the emotions of others. Sometimes the term empathy refers to the ability to imagine and understand how other people might be thinking or feeling (what researchers call cognitive empathy or perspective-taking); other times it indicates the capacity to sense others' emotions and experience feelings that mirror theirs (referred to as emotional or affective empathy).

A white teacher whose racial and economic background differs from most of his students recognizes that his ability to empathize with his students may be limited. To grow his empathy, he takes the time to get to know his students on a personal basis by asking them about their interests, their families, their hopes and dreams. He also makes an effort to spend time in the community where students live, which helps him to question his assumptions about his students, and ultimately see the tremendous strengths that they are bringing to the classroom.

Though empathy alone does not guarantee positive behavior-in fact, if other social-emotional skills are lacking, empathy can be overwhelming and counterproductive -it is often considered a vital foundation of morality and prosocial (kind and helpful) action. Empathy is what enables us to extend beyond our own point of view and truly care for each other.

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Empathy for Adults | Greater Good In Education

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Empathy is the quality of being in tune with the emotions of others. Sometimes the term empathy refers to the ability to imagine and understand how other people might be thinking or feeling (what researchers call cognitive empathy or perspective-taking); other times it indicates the capacity to sense others' emotions and experience feelings that mirror theirs (referred to as emotional or affective empathy).

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How to Let In New Perspectives (The Science of Happiness Podcast)

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How to Let In New Perspectives (The Science of Happiness Podcast)

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With the U.S. election swiftly approaching, the political divide can feel overwhelming. But what happens when we recognize the limits of our knowledge?

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How to Let In New Perspectives (The Science of Happiness Podcast)

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With the U.S. election swiftly approaching, the political divide can feel overwhelming. But what happens when we recognize the limits of our knowledge?

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Try this practice to encourage greater empathy, perspective, and understanding among students.

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Drawing as a Way to Manage Emotions

Students take a few minutes to draw anything they like, learning an emotion regulation strategy that can help shift unpleasant emotions to calmer, more pleasant ones.

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Students identify, reflect, and create art that depicts a time when they settled a disagreement with someone else, practicing perspective-giving and taking skills.

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Learn how different perspectives result from different backgrounds, building acceptance and valuing differences. Try this practice with upper elementary, middle school, and high school students at the beginning of the school year to help build a trusting classroom climate and to cultivate positive student relationships.

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Numerous studies have shown that perspective-taking—or actively considering another person’s point of view—is a powerful method for bridging divides between people of diverse backgrounds.

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Bridging Differences program has identified key skills and strategies for bridging divides like politics, race, and religion. The Playbook outlines 14 core skills, explaining how to practice them, when they’re useful, and provides supporting research and resources for further learning.

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Empathy In Action - Storied Reflection - Google Jamboard

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