Which data should be tracked to evaluate restorative practices?

• A. Attendance and test scores
• B. Data on the outcomes of restorative interventions and suspension rates
• C. Preferences for school lunch
• D. Grading policies

Answer: (B)

Measuring the effectiveness of restorative practices relies on data that reflect both the results of the restorative work and its impact on school discipline. The best data are the outcomes of the restorative interventions themselves—whether the agreements were fulfilled, relationships were repaired, and behavior improved—and suspension rates, which show whether the approach is reducing the use of exclusionary discipline. This combination directly indicates whether restorative practices are producing meaningful changes in behavior and in the school’s disciplinary climate. Other data, like attendance and test scores, are broader metrics that can be influenced by many factors and don’t specifically reveal how well restorative work is functioning. Lunch preferences are unrelated to restorative efforts, and grading policies don’t measure the effectiveness of the restorative process.