Code for: From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice in Schools

School districts historically approached conflict-resolution from the perspective that<br>suspending disruptive students was necessary to protect their classmates, even if this<br>caused harm to perceived offenders. Restorative practices (RP) – focused on reparation,<br>accountability, and shared ownership of disciplinary justice – are designed to address<br>undesirable behavior without harming students. We study Chicago Public Schools’<br>adoption of RP and find that suspensions and arrests decreased, driven by effects for<br>Black students. We find null effects on test-score value added, ruling out meaningful<br>average declines. We estimate a 15% decrease in out-of-school arrests, consistent with<br>RP substantively changing student behavior.<br><br>