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

AbstractExclusionary discipline practices are frequently utilized in schools despite decades of research indicating their ineffectiveness (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, Citation2008; Losen & Skiba, Citation2010; Muñiz, Citation2021). 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, Citation2018; Losen & Martinez, Citation2020; Noltemeyer et al., Citation2015). 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.Keywords: Achievement gapdisproportionalitydiscipline equityexclusionary disciplineschool-based interventions Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 WOW is a three step research-informed strategy that can be used to create positive classroom environments: Welcome students, Own your classroom environment, and Wrap up class with the intention (Nese, Santiago-Rosario, et al., Citation2022).Additional informationFundingThe research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A180006 to the University of Oregon. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.Notes on contributorsIrin A. Pimentel-MannanIrin A. Pimentel-Mannan is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon. Her current research interests are prevention of school-to-prison pipeline, exclusionary discipline, alternatives to exclusionary discipline practice, and parent-child relationships and child behavioral outcomes.Joseph F. T. NeseJoseph F. T. Nese is a research associate professor at the University of Oregon. His current research interests are computer science, behavioral outcomes, exclusionary discipline, and positive behavioral interventions & supports to advance the systems used by educators to support data-based decision making and improve student outcomes.Alex NewsonAlex Newson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon. Her current research interests are equitable neuro-inclusive research methodologies, collaborative neurodiversity affirming, trauma-informed educator training and education, and the promotion and empowerment of disabled and neurodivergent educator and student lived experiences and perspectives.Rhonda N. T. NeseRhonda N. T. Nese is an assistant professor at the University of Oregon. Her current research interests are alternatives to exclusionary discipline, bullying and harassment prevention, addressing the impact of implicit biases on racial disproportionality in school discipline, implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practices, and online professional development for improving school-wide support systems.Jean KjellstrandJean Kjellstrand is an assistant professor at the University of Oregon. Her current research interests are impact of parental incarceration on children and the specific mechanisms through which risk is transmitted, and interventions to support incarcerated parents and their children both during the parents’ incarceration and reentry.