REPAIRING, RECONCILIATION AND
REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS:
OUR JOURNEY IN DEVELOPING A
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MODEL
Monday, April 14, 2014
Aracely Canchola, School Social Worker
Taya Kinzie, Dean of Students
Jerry Kosiba, Senior ETHS Student/Peer Juror
WORKSHOP AGENDA
I. What is Restorative Justice? A. Restorative Justice in Evanston
II. Restorative Justice at ETHS A. Peer Jury and Peace Circles
B. What has worked? What hasn’t worked yet?
III. Alternative to suspensions at ETHS A. U.S. Dept. of Education and Dept. of Justice
Mandate
B. ETHS Data on Discipline
C. Skill building Interventions
GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER
Turn to your neighbor:
1) Favorite cereal
2) Most embarrassing moment
3) What people say is your greatest
strength
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
A four-year (9-12), comprehensive high school
65-acre campus in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago along the
Lake Michigan shore.
Est. in 1883 and serves the city of Evanston and a small portion of
the neighboring village of Skokie for a total district population of
approximately 78,000.
Home to Northwestern University and Oakton Community College
An ethnic, economic, racial, and cultural diversity that is reflected
in the student body.
250 certified staff members, a majority of whom have a Master’s
degree or beyond.
Nationally ranked in top 2 percent of high schools (sources: U.S.
News & World Report and Washington Post, April 2013
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT ENROLLMENT as of September 30, 2013
Total number of students: 3,120
Seniors 668, Juniors 720, Sophomores 751, Freshmen 822
Special Education Enrollment: 348
Low-Income Enrollment 41.4%
Racial breakdown: more than half are students of color
American Indian 0.3%
Asian 3.9%
Black or African American 30.9%
Hispanic/Latino 16.6%
Native Hawaiian 0.1%
Two or more races 4.8%
White 43.4%
Data reflects federal race and ethnicity reporting categories.
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
13 School Counselors
8 School Social Workers 4 grade level
3 special education
1 student assistance program
4 Deans by grade level
3 School Psychologists
Grade-level student-support teams
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
Commitment to equity
Commitment to student voice
Making each connection count. Building relationships at
all levels
Restructuring the building leadership team
District Equity Leadership Team
Courageous Conversations with staff
Collaborative Action Research for Equity teams
PBIS
SOAR
Multi-disciplinary grade-level student-support teams
Multi-disciplinary Discipline Committee
EVANSTON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL
ETHS is committed to equity because excellence for all
students requires equity. This commitment will be
achieved by:
Providing all students with resources, opportunities, supports and
interventions to ensure that they achieve their full potential.
Giving students what they need to maximize their learning and well
being.
Assuring that all ETHS staff members actively continue to examine
and eliminate institutional beliefs, policies, practices, and teaching
that perpetuate racial disparities in achievement.
Preparing all students to succeed in a multi-cultural society by
teaching the contributions and viewpoints of all people.
Raising the achievement of all students while eliminating the racial
predictability of achievement.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Social justice movement which seeks to engage those who are harmed, those who cause the harm, and their affected communities
In search of solutions that promote repairing, reconciliation and the rebuilding of relationships.
Seeks to build partnerships to reestablish
mutual responsibility for constructive responses to wrongdoing within our community.
Balanced approach that considers the needs of the
victim, offender, and community in a process that preserves the safety and dignity of all.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE EVANSTON
Mission Statement RJE is a volunteer advocacy group which promotes
and supports restorative justice activities in the community. By promoting understanding of the
impact and responsibility of actions and providing a safe place for difficult conversations between
community members, RJE supports respectful and nonviolent solutions which build strength, unity, and
respect throughout Evanston.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE EVANSTON
Background
In 2007, a youth conflict over a girl threatened to escalate into neighborhood violence. Restorative justice practitioners gathered parents in circles to talk through the problem. This seemingly intractable conflict quickly ended. The experience inspired citizens to learn more and to institutionalize this practice of meeting in circles by collaborating with the police department and schools. Today, RJE is a volunteer advocacy community group working to make Evanston a community where neighbors address crimes and conflicts with respect and responsibility.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE @ ETHS
Initial conversations began in spring 2007 to discuss alternatives to conflict resolution among students
Former ETHS Director of Safety and Retired Evanston Police Chief, Frank Kaminski, advocated for restorative justice practices at ETHS
National and local programs were researched, site visits to CPS schools
Input sought from Deans, Social Workers, and students
PEER JURY PURPOSE
To provide a positive outlet in which students
can resolve school related conflicts with the
assistance of their peers and avoid a possible
suspension. Together, students negotiate an
equally acceptable resolution to their conflict
through the creation of an agreement which
seeks to transform the negative behavior into
a positive goal.
PEER JURY, A.K.A. “KIT VOICE”
Peer Jury is an alternative to suspension
program that keeps students in school
Students resolve school related conflicts with
the assistance of their peers in positive ways
Turns negative experiences into positive
goals
WHY IS IT BETTER THAN
SUSPENSION?
When a student is suspended he/she misses
instructional time
Peer Jury actually deals with the issue, and
connects the issue to the agreement
Students can relate to their peers
Students can influence each other in positive
ways
CHOOSING PEER JURY
A behavior referral for a student is sent the
student’s Dean
The Dean offers the referred student a
typical consequence or Peer Jury
The referred student chooses whether or not
to go to Peer Jury, including signing an
agreement
Peer Jury is always a choice; it is never
forced upon the referred student
PEER JURY PROCEDURES
I. Introductions:
Sitting in chairs in a circle
Everyone introduces themselves
Introduce Advisor and explain role
II. Explanation of Purpose:
We are not here to judge or punish
We are here to understand your situation and help you
understand the harm caused by your actions
We are here to agree on an alternative solution
III. Guidelines
We will respect each other
We will listen
We will discuss confidentiality and it’s limitations (sign
agreement)
PEER JURY PROCEDURES
IV. Sharing of information:
Ask student to describe what happened
Present the other side of the story (juror or referral
source)
V. Restoration of justice:
Assist student in taking accountability
Role as surrogate victim—representing other students
(community), teachers and using victim interviews
Ask student for ways to restore justice and make up for
harm
VI. Agreement:
Specific, Attainable, Measurable (S.A.M.)
Determine who will do the follow up
THE AGREEMENT
The agreement is the final part of a jury and is the alternative to
suspension.
The referred student and jurors will develop a solution to repair
the harm done.
The agreement must be specific, attainable, and measurable or
S.A.M.
Follow Up Juror
The referred student will choose a juror to follow up with him
or her on an agreed date, time, and location to ensure that the
agreement has been completed
The follow up juror will then let the Peer Jury coordinator
know whether or not the agreement has been completed
If the agreements not completed or if we cannot come to an
agreement, the referred student is sent back to the dean.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is discretion in keeping secret
information private. It is the ethical principle or legal
right that a professional will hold secret all
information pertaining to their client.
For a peer juror, that means no information can be
disclosed about our cases.
Confidentiality is important because it forms a basis
of trust between the jurors and the referred student.
If the referred student trusts the peer jurors, they
will be more open to disclosing information
important to understanding their case.
WHEN CAN CONFIDENTIALITY BE
BROKEN?
When a student:
Is hurting themselves
Is hurting others
Is being hurt
PEER JURY DATA
2007-
2008 2008-
2009 2009-
2010 2010-
2011 2011-
2012 2012-
2013 Sept-
March
# of Cases Heard 62 60 82 67 86 49 63
# of Referred Students
who Participated 66 60 66 62 72 44
Completed
Agreements 50 55 78 63 83 43
Unsuccessful
Agreements 6 3 4 4 3 6
# of Suspension days
saved 163 96 111 115 138 50
66 (Sept-Jan)
PEER JURY DATA
2007-
2008 2008-
2009 2009-
2010 2010-
2011 2011-
2012 2012-
2013 Sept-
March # of Referred Students who Participated 66 60 66 62 72 44
Female 47% 28% 48% 37% 50% 39% 26%
Male 53% 72% 52% 63% 50% 61% 74%
Freshmen 15% 17% 68% 21% 4% 11%
Sophomores 53% 15% 9% 58% 35% 7%
Juniors 30% 20% 9% 18% 50% 14%
Seniors 2% 48% 14% 3% 11% 68%
PEER JURY DATA
2007-
2008 2008-
2009 2009-
2010 2010-
2011 2011-
2012 2012-
2013 Sept-
March
# of Referred Students who Participated 66 60 66 62 72 44
Alaskan/ Native American Data not collected.
6.5% 0 7% 0
Asian 3% 2.8% 0 0%
Black 65% 69% 68% 50%
Multi-Racial 6.5% 2.8% 5% 1%
White 19% 17% 18% 34%
Hispanic/Latino 0 8.4% 2% 14%
Native-American 0 0 0 1%
PEACE CIRCLES
Rooted in indigenous traditions and practices
that emphasize healing and learning together
Creates a safe, non-judgmental, non-
confrontational space to process and talk
through a problem and develop a solution
collaboratively
Allows the opportunity for each person to
speak, without interruptions
PEACE CIRCLES PROCESS @ ETHS
If Dean and Social Worker determine Peace Circle is appropriate:
Deans
Notify parents; explain the process to parents and students
Obtain voluntary consent to participate in Peace Circle from parents
and students
Obtain brief summary of agreement after having met in circle.
Social Workers
Meet with deans in an effort to understand all facts associated with
the situation
Determine how to define “community” for the specified case (i.e.
larger community or school community)
Invite appropriate participants (not to exceed 2:1)
Using Restorative Justice philosophy and practices, facilitate, co-
facilitate, or arrange a circle which results in an agreement
Return brief completion report with general details of agreement to
deans
U.S. D.O.E. & U.S. D.O.J.
JANUARY 2014
2014 Guidelines to address school
discipline, disproportionality and climate
Schools’ legal obligations under federal law to
administer discipline without discriminating on
the basis of race, color and national origin, while
also addressing exclusionary practices for students
with disabilities.
1.Climate & Prevention
2.Clear, Appropriate & Consistent Expectations
and Consequences
3.Equity & Continuous Improvement
ETHS SUSPENSION JOURNEY
Use of 5 alternative to suspension programs
at ETHS
Since 2009-2010 there has been a consistent
reduction in the number of days and
number of students suspended
2009-2010 = 1,503 suspension days, down
to 2012-2013 = 971 suspension days, 35%
decrease
2009-2010 = 470 students with
suspensions, down to 2012-2013 = 351
students with suspensions, 25%
decrease
ALTERNATIVES TO SUSPENSION & ALC
5 Alternatives to Suspension at ETHS:
Peer Jury
Students Under the Influence (SUI)
Violence Intervention Program (VIP)
Brotherhood Empowerment Program (BEP)
Sisterhood Empowerment Program (SEP)
from 1st
semester (Sept. 2013-Jan. 2014)
Alternative Learning Center (ALC):
in Supported Learning Environment
(Sept. 2013-Jan. 2014)
STUDENTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE (SUI)
Purpose: This program offers an appropriate
substance abuse intervention to meet the student’s
specific needs. Acceptance and completion of the
program will abridge suspension days.
Parent/guardian participation is required.
Process:
Deans ask student/family if they are open to
addressing/making changes in their substance use. If
the family agrees, the dean will offer SUI. If the family
does not agree to participate in such an intervention,
the abridged suspension will not be offered.
Referral is sent to our Student Assistance Program
School Social Worker.
STUDENTS UNDER THE INFLUENCE (SUI)
PEER Services, a community agency founded
in 1975 to improve the quality of life for
individuals and families in local communities
by working to eliminate substance abuse. This
includes providing treatment specific to
substance abuse, dependence, or addiction.
1st Offense: 3 days of suspension (7 days held in abeyance), completion of
(SUI), and social probation.
Additional Offenses: 5 – 10 days of suspension, completion of SUI, social
probation, and possible referral to the Board of Education for
expulsion.
VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM (VIP)
Facilitated by the James B. Moran Center,
whose mission is to provide integrated legal and
social work services to low-income Evanston youth
and their families to improve their quality of life at
home, at school, and within the community.
The goal of the VIP program is to provide
Evanston youth and their families with the tools to
refrain from engaging in potentially delinquent
behavior, the support to successfully emerge from a
challenging situation and the ability to return to the
school environment as productive students
contributing positively to the school community.
VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Data from 11/2012-5/2013: total of 35 students
participated.
F M Asian Black Latino Multi White
21 14 0 30 4 1 0
Total Number of students with 3 or less subsequent suspensions 23 66%
Total Number of students with 2 or less subsequent suspensions 20 58%
Total Number of students with 1 or less subsequent suspensions 19 54%
Total Number of students with zero subsequent suspensions 16 46%
Total Number of suspension days saved with VIP 90
Total Number Did Not Complete Program 2
Total Number Did Not Begin 3
BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD
EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS
(BEP AND SEP)
Alternatives that can be used to reduce or
eliminate the number of suspension days
The programs focus on addressing the needs of all
students
Its participants engage in a holistic approach to
deal with issues which hinder their academic and
social-emotional success
Two separate groups facilitated by social workers
BROTHERHOOD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (SEPT 2013-MARCH 2014)
Program participation level
Program participation status totals Black White
Multi-racial Asian Latino
Number of suspension days saved
with VIP
Students referred 18 15 1 1 0 1
Students completed 7 6 0 0 0 1
44 Days
saved
(Sept.
2013-Jan. 2014)
Students in progress 5 3 1 0 0 1
Refused or did not complete program
6 6 0 0 0 0
SISTERHOOD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (SEPT 2013-MARCH 2014)
Program participation level
Program participation status totals Black White
Multi-racial Asian Latino
Number of suspension days saved
with VIP
Students referred 16 15 0 0 0 1
Students completed 10 9 0 0 0 1
36 Days
saved
(Sept.
2013-Jan.
2014)
Students in progress 5 5 0 0 0 0
Refused or did not complete program
1 0 0 0 0 1