Transforming School Climate and Culture Through Restorative Practices

Presenters

• Dr. Tiffany RichardsonFollow
• Andrea Smith-WardFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

Ed.D

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2016

First Presenter's Field of Study

Ed. Leadership and Administration

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Capella University

First Presenter's Institution

Mercer University

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Dr. Tiffany Richardson is an award-winning principal and accomplished K–12 educational leader with more than 21 years of experience transforming school climate, culture, and student achievement. Recognized nationally by the White House for her advocacy in STEM education, she has led successful districtwide initiatives and implemented Restorative Practices that significantly improved student behavior, engagement, and staff retention. Dr. Richardson is known for her relational leadership, data-driven decision-making, and commitment to creating inclusive, supportive school environments where all scholars can thrive. She continues to serve as a respected voice in school improvement and restorative leadership.

Second Presenter's Institution

University of GA

Second Presenter’s Email Address

andrea.smithward@newton.k12.ga.us

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

Master's Degree

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2014

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Ed. Leadership

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

GA State University

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Andrea Smith Ward is the Assistant Principal for Restorative Practices at Live Oak Es. With a passion for fostering positive school climates, she specializes in implementing restorative strategies that improve student behavior, enhance relationships, and support academic success. Andrea is committed to creating inclusive, equitable learning environments where all students feel valued and empowered. She has extensive experience in student support, conflict resolution, and professional development, helping staff and students embrace restorative practices as a transformative approach to school culture.

Location

Westbrook

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Restorative Practices

Relevance to Primary Strand

Alignment to the Restorative Practices Strand

This proposal directly aligns with the Restorative Practices conference strand by demonstrating how restorative approaches serve as the foundation for building strong school climate, improving student behavior, and fostering meaningful relationships between scholars and staff. The session emphasizes the essential components of Restorative Practices—community-building circles, restorative conversations, repair-of-harm processes, and relational accountability—and shows how these practices transform daily interactions within a school.

The session connects to the strand by:

• Centering relationships as the foundation of school culture, which is a core principle of Restorative Practices.

• Highlighting practical restorative strategies that support behavioral improvement and emotional regulation.

• Showing how restorative systems reduce punitive discipline, leading to safer, more inclusive learning environments.

• Demonstrating alignment with MTSS-B, SEL, and whole-child frameworks, which strengthens restorative implementation.

• Providing real school-based evidence of success, showing measurable improvements when Restorative Practices are embedded schoolwide.

• Emphasizing student voice, ownership, and accountability, which are essential outcomes of a restorative school culture.

The proposal also offers a leadership perspective, guiding administrators and climate teams on how to sustain restorative systems with fidelity. Through hands-on activities, case studies, and implementation tools, the session fully supports the goals of the Restorative Practices strand by equipping participants with actionable methods to create relational, supportive, and restorative school environments.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Climate and Culture

Brief Program Description

This session explores how Restorative Practices can transform school climate and culture by strengthening relationships, improving communication, and reducing disruptive behaviors. Dr. Tiffany Richardson, an experienced principal and expert in restorative implementation, will share practical strategies for building community through circles, restorative conversations, and proactive culture-building systems. Participants will learn how Restorative Practices shift schools from punitive approaches to supportive, relationship-driven environments where students take ownership of their actions and feel connected to staff. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to enhance behavior, engagement, and overall school climate.

Summary

Across the nation, schools are striving to strengthen climate, culture, and student behavior amid increasing social-emotional needs and complex classroom challenges. Many campuses rely on traditional, punitive disciplinary systems that address the symptoms of misbehavior but not the underlying causes. Restorative Practices offer a powerful, research-based alternative—one that builds relationships, fosters accountability, and creates school environments where students feel valued, connected, and supported. This session, led by Dr. Tiffany Richardson, an award-winning principal and recognized leader in restorative implementation, will demonstrate how Restorative Practices can transform the culture of an entire school community.

Drawing from more than two decades of leadership experience, Dr. Richardson will illustrate how her school successfully integrated Restorative Practices to reduce discipline referrals, increase positive student behavior, improve teacher–student relationships, and elevate overall school climate. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the core components of Restorative Practices, including community-building circles, restorative conversations, reflective agreements, repair-of-harm processes, and proactive culture systems that align with MTSS-B, SEL frameworks, and district discipline expectations.

The session will highlight real examples, data, and outcomes from schoolwide implementation, showing how students develop emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, and ownership of their actions when restorative structures are consistently practiced. Attendees will explore practical, high-impact strategies for strengthening staff capacity, shifting mindsets, and creating daily systems that nurture connection and belonging. Through hands-on activities, participants will experience restorative techniques firsthand and reflect on how these practices can be embedded into their own school environments.

By the end of the session, leaders will leave with actionable tools, implementation guidance, and a clear roadmap for integrating Restorative Practices to enhance behavior, culture, and student engagement. This session is ideal for principals, assistant principals, climate and culture teams, counselors, and educators committed to building equitable, relationship-centered schools where all students can thrive.

Evidence

Evidence of Impact

Restorative Practices are supported by a growing body of research demonstrating their effectiveness in improving student behavior, strengthening relationships, and enhancing overall school climate. Schools that implement Restorative Practices with fidelity consistently report measurable improvements. Research from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) shows significant reductions in suspensions and discipline referrals, alongside increases in student engagement and feelings of connectedness. Multiple districtwide case studies—including large urban systems—have documented decreases of 30–60% in out-of-school suspensions within the first year of implementation.

In my own school, the adoption of Restorative Practices has produced notable gains:

• Discipline referrals decreased as students learned to self-regulate, problem-solve, and repair harm through restorative conversations and agreements.

• Student behavior improved, with fewer classroom disruptions and increased respect between students and staff.

• Teacher–student relationships strengthened, leading to higher levels of trust, improved classroom management, and more positive interactions.

• School climate ratings increased, with students reporting that they felt more supported, valued, and connected to their learning environment.

• Staff retention and morale improved, as teachers felt equipped with tools to address behavior proactively rather than reactively.

Additionally, research aligned with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) frameworks shows that when schools focus on relationship-building and restorative responses, students demonstrate higher levels of empathy, cooperation, and academic engagement. These evidence-based outcomes reinforce that Restorative Practices are not simply a discipline strategy—they are an impactful culture-building approach that transforms the school environment.

Collectively, the national research and site-based results demonstrate that Restorative Practices lead to safer, more inclusive schools where students thrive socially, behaviorally, and academically.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to understand how Restorative Practices improve student behavior and support a positive, sustainable culture.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to Implement structures that build strong relationships and reduce discipline incidents

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to 4. Develop an action plan to introduce or enhance Restorative Practices within their own schools.

Start Date

6-1-2026 1:00 PM

End Date

6-1-2026 2:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Richardson, Dr. Tiffany and Smith-Ward, Andrea, "Transforming School Climate and Culture Through Restorative Practices" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 14.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/14

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.