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Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an alternative to suspension intervention on students' subsequent major referrals. The intervention included activities designed to teach social coping strategies as well as mediation to resolve interpersonal conflicts. The intervention was implemented in a therapeutic high school, and the sample consisted of 31 students who accrued at least one major referral for physical violence or drug-related offenses. Archival office discipline referral data were collected and analyzed using a posttest-only nonequivalent control group design. The results suggest that, among students with two referrals, the intervention may lengthen the amount of time between referrals, and participation in at least one intervention session may reduce the likelihood of a subsequent referral.
Author Notes
Claudia Hernandez-Melis is a School Psychology PhD student at Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests include preventive and positive approaches to school discipline, the overrepresentation of students of color and students with disabilities in exclusionary discipline, and alternatives to suspension.Pamela Fenning is a professor of School Psychology at Loyola University Chicago and a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. Her research interests focus on addressing disproportionality in school discipline, alternatives to suspension, and high-risk behaviors in adolescents.Elizabeth Lawrence is a nationally certified school psychologist currently practicing in an elementary school in Niles, Illinois. Her research interests focus on discipline practices in school and implementation of Multi-Tier Systems of Support.