Date Approved

6-30-2025

Embargo Period

6-30-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D. Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Cecile Sam, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Ane Turner Johnson, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Shelley Zion, Ph.D.

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

Restorative Practices are gaining popularity as the primary form of handling student discipline. In the past, school districts have heavily relied on exclusionary practices, such as suspension and expulsions. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore and understand how educators make sense of restorative practices in an urban intermediate school serving students in fourth to sixth grade. The guiding framework for this study was Sensemaking Theory. Sensemaking theory helps researchers to understand how participants make sense of their experiences. Ten teachers, from an urban intermediate school, participated in this study through semi-guided interviews, observations, and document collection. According to the data, the participants in this study had a positive experience with restorative practices. Due to the disruption of redistricting, it took around three years for the teachers to see changes in student behavior. The practice recommendations are for educators to involve the voices of parents and students. As the staff of ABC Intermediate School collaborated, they can create a strong environment for restorative practices by working with parents and students.

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