Most schools have established increasingly punitive disciplinary policies in response to recent school violence. However, some schools have embraced restorative justice practices. These include the statewide school system in Minnesota, 15 schools in the Denver metropolitan area, and a small group of 6 alternative facilities in southeastern Pennsylvania. Information collected from published reports and telephone interviews revealed that these three sites share a common philosophy, although some practices and interests diverge. The sites have different titles for their restorative experiences and differ in their commitments to the philosophy of restorative justice. The schools in Denver and Minnesota use restorative practices mainly as a formal way of resolving differences. In contrast, the principles of restoration and reintegration are more central and all teachers and counselors in the Pennsylvania schools have received training in restorative justice. Areas that are especially problematic for implementation of restorative justice are the amount of time required for restorative justice programs in comparison to traditional sanctions, plus resistance from outside and within the school community. However, school communities can use this approach to address drug and alcohol problems; this approach may offer an alternative to zero-tolerance policies. 32 references (Author abstract modified)