As suspension numbers drop, Durham Public Schools credits restorative practices

As Durham Public Schools prepare for year-round schools to restart next week, the district is highlighting its recent success in student behavior metrics.

Data presented to the Durham Public School Board earlier this year shows a decrease in suspensions, and the district is crediting its focus on restorative practices.

Dr. Laverne Mattocks-Perry is the Senior Executive Director for Student Support Services at DPS.

She said in 2015, the district began researching restorative practices, and they began implementation in 2018.

“Restorative practices in the school setting is more around really anticipating the need for strong relationships, because as in our schools, we can anticipate that there will be times where there will be discipline and conflict, and you utilize those strong relationships that you've been building 80% of the time to address those small times, those small fractions of the time where you'll have a need to engage in some restorative practices around repairing harm or rebuilding a relationships,” Mattocks-Perry said.

Mattocks-Perry explained with restorative practices, student voice and accountability are important.

“We have increased our resources allocation to Restorative Practice Coordinators. We also have restorative practices refreshers and ongoing professional learning,” Mattocks-Perry said. “We also have increased our alternatives to suspension."

The data showed success so far. During a presentation in January, Research and Accountability Director Al Royster told the School Board the number of incidents in schools is down significantly.

He discussed preliminary numbers comparing 2021-2022 to 2024-2025.

“There’s a difference of about 5,811, which is a 29% reduction,” Royster said. “That's the lowest in four years.”

DPS also decreased its suspension numbers this school year, particularly for Hispanic students and students with disabilities.

"The year-over-year data shows that we are making progress,” Royster said.

North Carolina DPI data has repeatedly shown Black students are suspended at a higher rate than their peers; that's still true statewide and in Durham.

WRAL asked DPS how restorative practices are helping close that gap.

“Restorative practices work really well in places where there are larger communities of people with lots of diversity: diverse needs, diverse languages, diverse cultures,” Mattocks-Perry said. “It provides a common language, a common approach so that it slows adults down. It slows students down to say, okay, we have a fair process by which we talk about all the things that occur in our community."

DPS revised its student code of conduct to emphasize restorative practices, laying out approaches for administrators. The district has also added Restorative Practice Centers in certain schools.

“It replaces our traditional in school suspension. Sometimes there is a need for a cooldown period, a reflection period, but there's also a need to reinforce social emotional learning competencies and self-awareness and decision making,” Mattocks-Perry said.

You can view your district’s most recent NC DPI data here.