As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This qualitative, phenomenology study draws specifically on elementary-aged students with disabilities, exploring students’ perceptions of acceptance and belongingness in classrooms that utilize RP. Data collection methods include individual and focus group interviews and observations to gain student perspective of feelings of belongingness and acceptance within their classroom community. Data from these research methods were triangulated and themes of effortless friendships, positive classroom climate, belonging and relationships, and social skills emerged. The findings from this study have implications for equity focused intervention practices for elementary students with disabilities.
","abstract_html":"<p>As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This qualitative, phenomenology study draws specifically on elementary-aged students with disabilities, exploring students’ perceptions of acceptance and belongingness in classrooms that utilize RP. Data collection methods include individual and focus group interviews and observations to gain student perspective of feelings of belongingness and acceptance within their classroom community. Data from these research methods were triangulated and themes of effortless friendships, positive classroom climate, belonging and relationships, and social skills emerged. The findings from this study have implications for equity focused intervention practices for elementary students with disabilities.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["shirley, katrina"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Albert Jimenez","Dr. Chinasa Elue"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-05-16T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-05-16T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:44:06Z","subjects":["restorative practices","disabilities","relationships","elementary","belongingness","Disability and Equity in Education","Early Childhood Education","Educational Leadership"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/37","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Albert Jimenez","Dr. Chinasa Elue"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["shirley, katrina"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["restorative practices","disabilities","relationships","elementary","belongingness","Disability and Equity in Education","Early Childhood Education","Educational Leadership"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/37"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This qualitative, phenomenology study draws specifically on elementary-aged students with disabilities, exploring students’ perceptions of acceptance and belongingness in classrooms that utilize RP. Data collection methods include individual and focus group interviews and observations to gain student perspective of feelings of belongingness and acceptance within their classroom community. Data from these research methods were triangulated and themes of effortless friendships, positive classroom climate, belonging and relationships, and social skills emerged. The findings from this study have implications for equity focused intervention practices for elementary students with disabilities.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Connection Before Correction: The Impact of Restorative Practices on Students with Disabilities"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Albert Jimenez","Dr. Chinasa Elue"],"dc:creator":["shirley, katrina"],"dc:description.abstract":["As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This qualitative, phenomenology study draws specifically on elementary-aged students with disabilities, exploring students’ perceptions of acceptance and belongingness in classrooms that utilize RP. Data collection methods include individual and focus group interviews and observations to gain student perspective of feelings of belongingness and acceptance within their classroom community. Data from these research methods were triangulated and themes of effortless friendships, positive classroom climate, belonging and relationships, and social skills emerged. The findings from this study have implications for equity focused intervention practices for elementary students with disabilities.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/37"],"dc:subject":["restorative practices","disabilities","relationships","elementary","belongingness","Disability and Equity in Education","Early Childhood Education","Educational Leadership"],"dc:title":["Connection Before Correction: The Impact of Restorative Practices on Students with Disabilities"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:44:06Z"}