School-based interventions produce a small but statistically significant reduction in school exclusion¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · no dated study recorded · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 Across 67 primary evaluations, school-based interventions were associated with a small but statistically significant reduction in school exclusion (SMD = 0.104). → meta-main

Evidence¶

meta-main¶

Valdebenito, S., H. Gaffney, M. J. Arosemena‐Burbano, S. Hitchcock, D. Jolliffe, and A. Sutherland. 2025. “School‐Based Interventions for Reducing Disciplinary School Exclusion. An Updated Systematic Review.” Campbell Systematic Reviews 21: 1–96. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.70063

q3 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r3

Multilevel random-effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation of 32 studies comprising 2765 effect sizes from 67 primary evaluations (1980–2022), representing approximately 394,242 students; pooled SMD = 0.104, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.17, p < 0.001, a "small but statistically significant reduction in school exclusion".

"Findings indicated that school‐based interventions were associated with a small but statistically significant reduction in school exclusion (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.104; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.17; p < 0.001)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Interventions are more effective for general suspensions and in-school exclusion than for severe sanctions such as permanent exclusion and out-of-school suspension — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The 2018 review reported a larger pooled effect (SMD = 0.30) that was not sustained at longer-term follow-up — related
• Implementing PBIS with at least Tier 1 fidelity showed no statistically significant effect on school disciplinary exclusions during the 2020–21 pandemic year — related
• Schools implementing all three PBIS tiers with fidelity had significantly fewer students with OSS, fewer days missed from OSS, and fewer OSS incidents than matched non-PBIS schools during 2020–21 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim