Study: 88826

Single Study Review

Review Details

Reviewed: April 2021

At least one finding shows moderate evidence of effectiveness

At least one statistically significant positive finding

Meets WWC standards with reservations

For:

Single Study Review (findings for International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program)

Using:

Rating:

Meets WWC standards with reservations because it is a compromised cluster randomized controlled trial, but it satisfies the baseline equivalence requirement for the individuals in the analytic intervention and comparison groups.

This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.

Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Findings

School Climate outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index
Tripod Trust scale score	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 17,661 students	-0.01	0.17	No	--
Tripod Peer support scale score	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 17,661 students	-0.10	0.14	No	--
Show Supplemental Findings
Tripod Bullying scale score	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 6-12; 7,832 students	-0.16	-0.04	No	--
Tripod School Climate scale score	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 6-12; 7,762 students	-0.02	-0.04	No	--

Secondary school attendance outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Absences	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 7-8; 2,625 students	11.39	11.29	No	--

Student engagement in school outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.40	0.57	Yes	2
Show Supplemental Findings
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 10-12; 2,245 students	0.47	1.07	Yes	10
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-5; 4,070 students	0.22	0.36	Yes	6
Suspended during school year for reasons other than violence or weapons	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.09	0.13	Yes	3
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Black; 4,467 students	0.62	0.83	Yes	3
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Economically disadvantaged; 4,941 students	0.56	0.78	Yes	3
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Students without IEPs; 7,182 students	0.38	0.57	Yes	3
Number of out-of-school suspensions	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.20	0.30	Yes	2
Suspended two or more times during the school year	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.05	0.07	No	--
Suspended during school year	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.12	0.17	No	--
Suspended during school year for violence or weapons	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 2-12; 8,940 students	0.05	0.07	No	--
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Male; 4,511 students	0.52	0.63	No	--
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Students not economically disadvantaged; 3,999 students	0.23	0.27	No	--
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	White; 3,272 students	0.21	0.19	No	--
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Students with IEPs; 1,758 students	0.52	0.58	No	--
Days lost due to out-of-school suspension	International Institute for Restorative Practices SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change Program vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Grades 7-8; 2,625 students	0.56	0.62	No	--

Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Sample Characteristics

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.

Female: 50%
Male: 50%
Urban
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Pennsylvania

Race
Black		50%
Other or unknown		13%
White		37%

Study Details

Setting

The study took place in 44 public schools in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Study sample

The study included youth in grades 2-12 and examined outcomes for up to 17,661 students assigned to 537 teachers in 44 schools. In the study sample, 50 percent of students were Black, 37 percent were White, and 13 percent were of unspecified race. The sample was evenly split between male and female students (50 percent each). Twenty percent of youth had an Individualized Education Plan, and 55 percent were certified by the state as economically disadvantaged.

Intervention Group

The intervention is a schoolwide restorative practice termed Pursuing Equitable and Restorative Communities (PERC). Pittsburgh Public Schools teamed with International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) to implement the IIRP’s SaferSanerSchools™ Whole-School Change program. The program aims to build a positive school environment and respond constructively to disruptions with the goals of improving attendance and rule adherence, reducing racial disparities in suspensions, reducing juvenile justice involvement, and improving school safety. The program includes 11 essential elements which focus on improving communication among students and between students and school staff, inculcating a sense of responsibility, and welcoming students back into the community after suspensions. The intervention as assessed in the study spanned two school years.

Comparison Group

The comparison condition was business as usual, which may have included restorative practices according to the study authors.

Support for implementation

Staff in schools that implemented PERC received four days (two of which were mandatory) of professional development provided by IIRP. IIRP also distributed books and other supporting materials on restorative practices, and each principal was assigned a coach who conducted monthly phone check-ins and bi-annual visits. School staff were also asked to attend monthly staff professional learning groups.

Can Restorative Practices Improve School Climate and Curb Suspensions? An Evaluation of the Impact of Restorative Practices in a Mid-Sized Urban School District. Research Report. RR-2840-DOJ