Exclusionary Discipline Practices Research Articles

The Impact of the Missouri School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (MO SW-PBS) on Disciplinary Exclusions

The negative outcomes of exclusionary discipline practices on children and youth are well established. Fortunately, for the past two decades, research has demonstrated that pro-active instructional approaches and building supportive class and school environments can effectively promote student social, emotional, and behavioral well-being, especially when evidence-based practices are placed within a problem-solving multitiered system of supports such as school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). Recent work examining state-wide behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) initiatives, which include professional development and technical assistance to school leadership teams, has clearly documented that educators can reduce problem behavior and thereby reduce the need or use for exclusionary discipline practices. This study extends that body of knowledge by examining Missouri’s SWPBIS initiative over time and across grade levels. Using an extant data base, schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity were compared with nonimplementing schools over 11 school years. Results indicated that schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity had statistically significant lower rates of exclusionary discipline practices at the primary, middle, and high school level. Results are discussed within the context of past state-wide SWPBIS initiatives.

The long-term consequences of school suspension and expulsion on depressive symptoms

Exposure to exclusionary discipline has been tied to several deleterious outcomes in adulthood, including contact with the criminal legal system. While this work provides interesting insight into the long-term consequences tied to this form of school punishment, few have attempted to consider whether and how, exclusionary discipline practices, in particular, school suspension and expulsion shape mental health patterning over the life course. Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we contribute to this body of literature by examining whether exposure to school suspension or expulsion shapes depressive symptom trajectories from adolescence to adulthood. Results from our mixed-effects linear growth curve models demonstrate both forms of exclusionary discipline play a significant role in depressive symptom trajectories. We find suspended and expelled youth exhibit significantly higher depressive symptoms in adolescence when compared to their counterparts with no history of suspension or expulsion. Results also show age variation in depressive symptom trajectories by history of exposure to exclusionary discipline. Specifically, results show the depressive symptoms gap between disciplined and non-disciplined youth slightly dissipates as youth age into early adulthood, but as individuals begin to transition out of this stage of the life course, the gap in depressive symptoms widens substantially. Results carry implications for how punitive disciplinary practices in schools shape mental health from adolescence to adulthood.

Site and Provider Characteristics Associated with the Use of Exclusionary Discipline in Minnesota Early Care and Education Sites

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The present study examined site and provider characteristics that may be associated with use of exclusionary discipline in center- and home-based childcare sites (N = 320). Higher numbers of suspensions and expulsions occurred at center-based sites and at sites with greater percentages of children of color. Furthermore, sites that received professional support services expelled more children. At the provider level, expulsions were higher among providers who had fewer years of experience, endorsed elevated levels of burnout, and received professional support services. Classroom suspensions were higher among providers who had earned an associate degree or higher and who rated developmentally appropriate and culturally inclusive practices as less important. Practice or Policy: Organizational, state, and federal policies that limit and regulate exclusionary discipline practices may reduce inequities affecting young children of color. Furthermore, it is important to increase access to training that will enhance providers’ knowledge of developmentally appropriate and inclusive practices and reduce burnout, particularly for less experienced providers and providers at center-based sites. Increased monitoring of early childhood suspensions (rather than only expulsions) can help align resources with childcare sites in need. Longitudinal studies evaluating the effects of policies and interventions that reduce suspensions and expulsions are needed.

Racial Bias in School Discipline and Police Contact: Evidence From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Social Development (ABCD-SD) Study

Black youth are disproportionately exposed to school exclusionary discipline. We examined the impact of race on age at the onset of school disciplinary actions and police contact, and the rate of receiving increasingly severe disciplinary actions. Youth (N= 2,156) and their caregivers participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Social Development (ABCD-SD) study reported on the occurrence and timing of disciplinary events and youths' demographics, delinquency, and neighborhood conditions. Experiences of exclusionary discipline were analyzed using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. Black youth reported significantly higher rates of almost all disciplinary events compared to White youth. In logistic regression and Cox models, Black youth experienced higher risk for exclusionary discipline and police contact (odds ratios from 2.47 [detention] to 5.16 [sent home]; hazard ratios from 1.36 [detention] to 4.71 [expelled]), even after adjusting for sex, delinquency, neighborhood conditions, and the interaction between race and sex. Black youth who received detention and suspension were at higher risk for additional, more severe school discipline than were White youth. Consistent with a racial bias in exclusionary discipline practices and policing, Black youth, particularly Black male youth, were at a higher risk for experiencing almost all disciplinary outcomes and at younger ages than White youth, after controlling for delinquency, sex, and neighborhood factors. Compared to White students, school detention and suspension status predicted an accelerated cascade of school discipline outcomes for Black students, suggesting racial disparities in how the severity of school discipline escalates over time. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list.

Missing Out: Kindergarten Teachers’ Reports of Soft Exclusionary Discipline Practices

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Students perceived as struggling to regulate their emotions and behavior are at risk for experiencing classroom and school exclusion beginning in preschool. In this preliminary and exploratory secondary data analysis study, we examined teachers’ self-reported use of classroom-based soft exclusionary discipline practices with kindergarten students whom they perceived as displaying the lowest self-regulation and social skills. In a sample of 2,053 teachers and 40,771 kindergarten students, teachers reported on their use of five soft exclusionary discipline practices and rated students’ self-regulation and social skills in the fall of the kindergarten year. Teachers reported variability in their use of soft exclusionary discipline practices with some practices being used multiple times per day by some teachers. Most variability in the use of these practices was at the teacher (rather than the school or district) level. Teachers reported using certain soft exclusionary discipline practices (break outside classroom, losing free time, and limit talking) more frequently when the racial composition of students they rated as having the lowest self-regulation and social skills included more Black students. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight the importance of better understanding the range and types of exclusionary discipline practices used with young students, and which children are most likely to experience them.

Exploring disproportional use of exclusionary punitive practices by disability group: Evidence of higher disproportionality in low‐SES Chilean students with ADHD

AbstractAlthough inclusive education policies conflict with punitive discipline measures, inclusion in mainstream schools may coexist with or allow such exclusionary punitive discipline. In Latin America, however, there is scarce research on how punitive measures are distributed, and if and how they affect students with disabilities enrolled in regular school settings. The purpose of this study was to characterize the occurrence of punitive exclusionary practices among students with disabilities enrolled in mainstream schools. We analysed reports from a national sample of Chilean students (N = 447,697) and parents on the frequency of punitive exclusionary discipline practices to identify the contribution of individual, classroom and school factors to student exclusion from general education settings. Individual characteristics included different disability groups. Multilevel logistic regression results consistently showed that students with ADHD were more likely to receive disciplinary exclusions, both in primary and in high school, with an odds‐ratio increase from 30% to nearly 150%, with higher rates for low‐SES students with ADHD. These findings suggest that in Chile, student‐level factors of gender, class and disability are strongly associated with exclusionary punitive discipline in schools. We discuss the intersectional dynamics of gender, class, race and disability in disciplinary processes of exclusion.

Addressing violence against educators: What do teachers say works?

School personnel safety and well-being have received increased attention via national outlets; however, research is limited. The current investigation is the first to examine the reported use and perceived effectiveness of commonly used school-based intervention approaches for addressing school violence, specifically violence against teachers in U.S. schools. A sample of 4,471 prekindergarten-12th grade teachers was asked to rate the use and perceived effectiveness of common school-based approaches, namely exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions), school hardening (e.g., metal detectors, school police), prevention (e.g., school climate improvement, social-emotional learning, classroom management), and crisis intervention practices (e.g., de-escalation, physical restraint) to address verbal/threatening, physical, and property violence against teachers. Findings revealed that teachers rated prevention practices as most effective in reducing violence against teachers. The use of exclusionary discipline and crisis intervention practices at school was positively associated with all three forms of violence. Ratings of the effectiveness of specific practices were associated with lower likelihoods of verbal/threatening (i.e., hardening, prevention), physical (i.e., exclusionary discipline, hardening, prevention), and property (i.e., hardening) violence. Implications for school practice, research, and policy are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Addressing discipline equity: the Inclusive Skill-Building Learning Approach (ISLA) an alternative to exclusionary discipline

Exclusionary discipline practices are frequently utilized in schools despite decades of research indicating their ineffectiveness (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; Losen & Skiba, 2010; Muñiz, 2021). Research shows that removing students from the classroom does not change student behavior, is administered disproportionately to historically marginalized and minoritized groups, and is linked to the school-to-prison pipeline and lower academic achievement (Barnes & Motz, 2018; Losen & Martinez, 2020; Noltemeyer et al., 2015). This study explores the impact of the Inclusive Skill-Building Learning Approach (ISLA), an instructional and restorative alternative to exclusionary discipline practices, on discipline disproportionality. Pre-intervention, implementation, and post-intervention discipline data for 6th through 8th grade students were collected to understand the relation between ISLA and disproportional discipline data by race and gender. The findings suggest that ISLA is an effective tool for reducing overall in-school and out-of-school suspension rates as well as the risk indices for out-of-school suspensions for students of color, yet there is still a need for intervention adaptations to address specific disparities in exclusionary discipline practices. Research findings, study limitations, and implications and directions for future research and practice are further discussed.

Essential elements of infant and early childhood mental health consultation: Inside the black box of preschool expulsion prevention

Exclusionary discipline practices differentially harm young children of color. As early childhood education systems seek to close these gaps to ensure all young children have access to high quality early learning experiences, the field requires more evidence-based approaches that can be scaled and replicated. Infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) has been associated with lower rates of preschool expulsion; but the field lacks clear guidance on the essential elements of high quality IECMHC. Without such guidance, researchers cannot build a credible evidence base for the causal link between IECMHC and exclusionary discipline. An interdisciplinary research team, with support from the national Center for Excellence in IECMHC, led a consensus-building process to identify the essential activities of IECMHC as implemented across settings. The three-stage Delphi Process resulted in a list of five essential elements and 26 activities that define IECMHC and make concrete its emphasis on relationships and equity. This greater clarity around the activities of IECMHC can help inform future research and evaluation, as well as workforce and professional development.

The discipline gap in context: The role of school racial and ethnic diversity and within school positionality on out-of-school suspensions

Disparities in exclusionary discipline practices are well-documented; however, variation in Black students' disciplinary experiences across different racial and ethnic school compositions remains understudied. Utilizing a state-wide dataset (N = 769,050 students in J = 1296 schools), we examined student- and school-level factors that contribute to suspensions for Black students across schools with varying racial and ethnic diversity. Consistent with prior research, we found that Black students were disproportionately suspended more often, for more days, and more likely for soft offenses. We also found that students in majority Black schools (i.e., those where >50% of the students were Black) had the highest unadjusted rates of suspension. However, when controlling for multiple other student- and school-level characteristics, including overall suspension rates, we found that Black students attending majority White schools had a higher adjusted risk of suspension than in majority Black or heterogenous diverse schools, suggesting higher rates of differential treatment in White majority schools. We discuss the implications of these results and the role school psychologists play in supporting professional development, training, and data-based decision making to reduce disproportionality.

Early Adverse Childhood Experiences and Exclusionary Discipline Practices in Middle Childhood

Previous articleNext article No AccessEarly Adverse Childhood Experiences and Exclusionary Discipline Practices in Middle ChildhoodHyunji Lee, Lisa Schelbe, and Mary Elizabeth RauktisHyunji Lee Search for more articles by this author , Lisa Schelbe Search for more articles by this author , and Mary Elizabeth Rauktis Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research Just Accepted Published for the Society for Social Work and Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/724553 Views: 23Total views on this site HistoryAccepted February 01, 2023 © 2023 Society for Social Work and Research. All Rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Examining the Association between Racial Disparities in Exclusionary Discipline Practices and Academic Gains

Previous literature reported that Black students receive out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) and expulsions at disproportionately higher rates and have lower test scores than White students. This study provides recent evidence on the relation between racial disparities in discipline and in achievement, with particular focus on achievement gains, in schools across the nation. We link school-level discipline data in 2017–2018 from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) to student-level assessment data from NWEA. Leveraging assessment data in the fall, winter, and spring for 1,308,004 students in grades 6–8 in 6,841 schools, this is the first study to estimate the association between exclusionary discipline and within-year academic gains. We report two main findings. First, Black-White suspension gaps and achievement gaps persist (correlation= .15 for math, .19 for reading) in the vast majority of schools in 2017–2018 despite the announcement of many reforms in school discipline practices. Second, Black-White disparities in exclusionary discipline rates are associated with lower learning rates during the school year for Black students in math but there is no association for reading. These findings point to discipline disparity as a key factor contributing to the expansion of Black-White achievement gaps during the school year reported in the extant literature.

The Ecosystem of Racial Inequalities in Discipline in Early Childhood Education

Preschool children are suspended and expelled at a rate greater than school-aged youth, and exclusionary discipline practices are further inequitable across racial and ethnic groups. Denied the documented benefits of early childhood education, Black students are disproportionately excluded from US educational institutions beginning in early childhood, effectively preserving and reproducing racial inequities. Black students, especially boys, are the most likely to lose access to schooling due to exclusionary discipline. The disparities are dehumanizing and detrimental to students’ opportunities to learn, as early educational experiences greatly influence development and future outcomes. Although there is a plethora of evidence concerning the significant role of space, place, and relationships in early childhood education, less is understood about how these act independently and interact to create racial and ethnic disparities in discipline within preschools. In this conceptual paper, we argue that decolonizing early childhood education requires a novel approach in how we think about racial inequalities in discipline that centers the conversation on context and incorporates the interrelated frameworks of geography of opportunity, ecological systems theory, and the youth control complex. Children’s interactions with adults in school are situated in a particular space and place and within a complex nexus between the school, home, and neighborhood contexts. It is imperative to decolonize geographically stratified classroom management, manifested through exclusionary school discipline of young children, for the possibility of more equitable educational opportunity.

The Racial Pandemic: Positive Behavior Intervention Support as an Asymptomatic Carrier of Racism

In an attempt to close the discipline gap, school systems have replaced traditional exclusionary practices with alternative interventions such as Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). PBIS, as an alternative to exclusionary discipline practices, does little to help historically oppressed youth, specifically, because it denies the presence and value of race. This attempt to be race-neutral results in racist discipline outcomes. PBIS presents harmful outcomes for early childhood and elementary-aged children, as it normalizes children to the disciplinary structures that result in high school dropouts and other negative outcomes for older youth. Exploring this program aids in understanding the limitations of color-evasive policies in education and society at large. In this article, the authors explore failings of PBIS and argue for the adoption of color-conscious approaches that engage in co-construction of pedagogy, curriculum, accountability norms, and expectations (Milner et al., 2018).

Classroom Management #Karen: What Can Educators Learn From a Meme?

Much has been written about how race and the demographic mismatch of mostly white teachers teaching mostly Black and brown students has contributed to the over-disciplining of this same population of students. Further, research has shown that when students have teachers of the same race they are less likely to experience exclusionary discipline practices. While recent studies have considered the role of gender, along with race, in school discipline, the focus remains primarily on the gender and race of the students, with fewer studies considering specifically what it might mean for school discipline that U.S. teachers are mostly white women. This paper takes up that focus and applies the recent #Karen meme to an analysis of the school discipline gap, ultimately offering implications for education practitioners and researchers.

Exclusionary discipline practices and their relation to Chilean students' perception of school climate practices.

One of the challenges of school climate policies has been to promote dialogical conflict resolution by reducing punitive practices and encouraging student participation. However, exclusionary punitive practices are still being used, and in Chile, they are considered acceptable forms of conflict resolution. In this study, we analyzed the association between students' reports of punitive and democratic school climate in a sample of 2459 eighth graders (mean age = 13.56, SD = 0.84) from 128 Chilean schools. Multilevel analyses showed that a higher perception of punitive practices and higher academic performance were associated with a higher perception of an inclusive, democratic, and peaceful school climate. The perception of a higher school-level frequency of punishment was associated with a higher perception of an inclusive and democratic school climate. We discuss the implications of these findings for an authoritarian school culture.

The relation between teacher and child race, teacher perceptions of disruptive behavior, and exclusionary discipline in preschool

In preschool, Black children are overrepresented in percentages of children suspended or expelled. Teachers' perceptions of and responses to children displaying disruptive behavior may be different depending on the race of the teacher and child. Although teacher-child race match is associated with a number of outcomes in K-12 students, research examining these links in preschool is limited. This study examined whether teachers' reported trajectories of children's disruptive behavior and use of discipline practices varied depending on teacher and child race in a sample of 349 preschoolers and their 144 teachers. Results indicated that teacher and child race were associated with teachers' ratings of children's disruptive behavior and reported use of exclusionary discipline practices.

Strengthening MTSS for Behavior (MTSS-B) to Promote Racial Equity

Despite widespread implementation of multitiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B), evidence of racial discipline disproportionality persists. We argue MTSS-B must prioritize racial equity and healing in schools. We first discuss how discipline has centered Whiteness, providing a brief history of relevant events and sociopolitical forces that have maintained a reliance on exclusionary discipline practices with a primary focus on out-of-school suspension to oppress youth of color, specifically Black students. Then, we describe the harm exclusionary discipline has caused the Black community by synthesizing counter-storytelling. Finally, we propose ways to strengthen MTSS-B to promote racial equity with a primary focus on supports to adults in the systems in which oppression is maintained. We propose school psychologists can (a) empower students, families, and communities to engage in authentic partnerships, (b) advocate to educational leaders, (c) coordinate transformative staff professional development, and (d) support teachers to create inclusive and healing classroom communities. We frame these suggestions within an ecological–behavioral paradigm that considers root conditions of harm. Impact Statement Discipline in U.S. public schools has long been rooted in White centrality, and exclusionary practices (e.g., out-of-school suspension) have caused harm to individuals, particularly in the Black community. School psychologists are poised to strengthen the design and delivery of behavior supports provided in schools to center racial equity and address this sustained harm. School psychologists must focus on providing supports to adults (e.g., educators) in the systems in which oppression is maintained to propel change.

Examining the Social Validity of a Universal Intervention for Reducing Exclusionary Discipline through Stakeholder Voice

Exclusionary disciplinary practices are utilized in schools despite limited benefits and associated negative student outcomes. Alternative strategies, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, reduce exclusionary discipline practices, though research is limited in secondary settings. This study examines how student and school staff input was utilized throughout the iterative refinement of the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), an intervention to reduce exclusionary discipline practices in middle school through instructional and restorative practices. Intentional stakeholder involvement was hypothesized to impact acceptability and fidelity of implementation, critical for achieving intervention outcomes. Data across a two-year mixed methods approach indicate that engaging stakeholders throughout implementation enhanced fidelity. Quantitative findings demonstrate better understanding of stakeholder experiences. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Improving a universal intervention for reducing exclusionary discipline practices using student and teacher guidance

AbstractExclusionary discipline practices have a direct negative impact on individual students, schools, and society at large. To improve equity and cultural responsivity, active efforts to assess the contextual fit of effective strategies are necessary. The following study describes the Inclusive Skill‐building Learning Approach (ISLA), an intervention designed to support school staff in carrying out preventative strategies and outlines instructional responses for educators and office staff. Additionally, an iterative approach to inform changes was used as part of the development process of ISLA. This paper aims to capture and incorporate the voices of students and staff using multiple methods to seek feedback for refining the quality, feasibility, and contextual fit of the ISLA intervention in middle schools. A total of 53 school staff provided feedback on the ISLA intervention. Further, Design Team members (n = 26) participated in semi‐structured interview meetings to inform changes to ISLA. Last, student participants (n = 23) engaged in focus groups that were transcribed and coded via an independent co‐coding strategy. The findings provide support for preventative school‐based interventions that use alternatives to exclusionary discipline, as well as strategies for improving the ISLA intervention.