School-wide interventions for reducing disciplinary exclusion from mainstream secondary schools: A systematic review

Abstract

AimThis systematic literature review aims to explore the effectiveness of school-wide interventions in reducing disciplinary exclusion from mainstream secondary schools.RationaleIn England, head teachers have government support to use exclusion as a disciplinary sanction if deemed necessary (Department for Education, 2017a). Research has suggested that disciplinary exclusion is associated with an array of negative long-term outcomes; despite this, the latest statistics indicate that the rate of fixed period exclusions are increasing in England.MethodThe seven-stage systematic review process described by Petticrew and Roberts (2006) was employed. A database search, grey literature search, hand search and reference harvesting were carried out, yielding five studies forin depth review. The EPPI Centre Weight of Evidencetool(Gough, 2007) was used to assess study quality.FindingsAll studies were conducted in the USA; four studies implemented School-Wide Positive Behaviour Intervention and Supports, and the remaining study implemented a restorative approach. Most studies reported a small effect of the intervention on reducing exclusions.LimitationsAll studies were conducted in the USA and differed considerably, possibly compromising the generalisability of the findings and making reliable comparisons difficult.ConclusionsSchool-wide interventions may contribute to a reduction in exclusions in mainstream secondary schools, however the evidence is not clear. Further research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn regarding what type of intervention should be implemented.