At the Great Schools Partnership, we believe that restorative practices in education (RP) promotes healthy school cultures by building a sense of belonging, fostering community, and promoting healing.

How can we foster belonging and inclusion so that every student feels valued and connected? What does it look and feel like when we value learning and growth for all members of our communities? In what ways can we hold space and listen deeply to each other? How do we demonstrate that all of our community members have worth and importance, even when they’ve made mistakes? How do we implement these practices systemically?

Restorative practices center these questions, providing foundational resources for schools and communities looking to shift systems, beliefs, and practices. The Great Schools Partnership restorative practices toolkit has been developed by skilled coaches in collaboration with school partners across New England. In it, there are the following restorative practices tools:

• Beliefs and behaviors
• A pulse-check
• Policy exemplar