Duval for Change

Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) proposes to implement a comprehensive Whole-School Restorative Practices (WSRP) model to transform the climate at 10 high-risk Duval County schools—called Duval for Change. WSRP is a strategy employed as an alternative to traditional punitive disciplinary practices which provides collaborative resolution to student disciplinary infractions and builds community with preventative measures that ultimately prevent violence in schools, reduce disciplinary infractions, and reduce re-offense. This project will create safer, heathier, and more positive learning spaces for an estimated 8,000 low-income and disadvantaged students in the greater Jacksonville area. This project addresses both OJJDP goals: (1) reduce the incidence of school violence through improved school safety and climate and (2) prevent youth violence, delinquency, and victimization in the targeted community. The project also projects to promote racial equity and the removal of barriers to access and opportunity for communities that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality. This approach includes five key components: 1) Foundational Training, 2) Advanced Training, 3) School Coaching, 4) Train-the-Trainer/Train-the-Coach, and 5) Family and Community Engagement. The project will target schools where students are at higher risk of disciplinary action, including alternative school settings, schools with populations of students disproportionately referred, and secondary schools which tend to have higher rates of infractions. The project is expected to ultimately prevent violence in targeted schools, reduce disciplinary infractions, and reduce re-offense.