How Principals’ Knowledge and Experiences Inform Their Use of Restorative in Lieu of Exclusionary Practices

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences and knowledge that informed the decision-making of nine principals from a large midwestern urban district who shifted from implementing mainly exclusionary to restorative practices. Framed by Lederach's conflict transformation theory, the research question was: What knowledge and experiences informed school principals’ shifts toward a commitment to restorative practices? Analysis of semi-structured interviews yielded two themes: (1) The importance of professional development and (2) Shifting from punitive toward student-centered thinking. Findings and implications shed light on how to best support principals to shift their lenses towards restorative practices in schools.