School‐Based Interventions for Reducing Disciplinary School Exclusion. An Updated Systematic Review

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I whakaputaina i:Campbell Systematic Reviews vol. 21, no. 4 (Dec 1, 2025)
Kaituhi matua: Valdebenito, Sara
Ētahi atu kaituhi: Gaffney, Hannah, Arosemena‐Burbano, Maria Jose, Hitchcock, Sydney, Jolliffe, Darrick, Sutherland, Alex
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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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022 |a 1891-1803 
024 7 |a 10.1002/cl2.70063  |2 doi 
035 |a 3290772883 
045 0 |b d20251201 
084 |a 265680  |2 nlm 
100 1 |a Valdebenito, Sara  |u Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 
245 1 |a School‐Based Interventions for Reducing Disciplinary School Exclusion. An Updated Systematic Review 
260 |b John Wiley & Sons, Inc.  |c Dec 1, 2025 
513 |a Journal Article 
520 3 |a ABSTRACT School exclusion—commonly referred to as suspension—is a disciplinary response employed by school authorities to address student misbehaviour. Typically, it involves temporary removal from regular teaching or, in more serious cases, complete removal from the school premises. A substantial body of research has associated exclusion with adverse developmental outcomes. In response, various school‐based interventions have been developed to reduce exclusion rates. While some programmes have shown promising effects, the evidence on their effectiveness remains inconclusive. This mixed‐methods systematic review and multi‐level meta‐analysis updates the previous review by Valdebenito et al.&#xa0;(2018), which included literature published between 1980 and 2015. The present update extends the evidence base by including studies until 2022. The primary aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of school‐based interventions in reducing disciplinary exclusions, with secondary aims focused on related behavioural outcomes including conduct problems, delinquency, and substance use. Systematic searches conducted between November and December 2022 yielded over 11,000 references for quantitative studies. Following title and abstract screening, 777 records were reviewed at full text by two independent coders. Thirty‐two studies met the inclusion criteria for meta‐analysis, comprising 2765 effect sizes from 67 primary evaluations (1980–2022) and representing approximately 394,242 students. Meta‐analysis was conducted using a multilevel random‐effects model with robust variance estimation to account for the nested structure of the data. Quantitative impact evaluations were eligible if they used a randomised controlled or quasi‐experimental design, included both a control group and pre/post‐test data, and used statistical methods to minimise selection bias (e.g., propensity score matching or matched cohort design). Studies were excluded if they exhibited substantial baseline differences between treatment and control groups. The qualitative synthesis explored implementation barriers and facilitators based on nine UK‐based process evaluations, identified through searches completed in September 2023. Process evaluations were included if they focused on the perceptions of stakeholders—teachers, students, or school leadership—within UK schools. Data collection followed two stages: initial selection based on titles, abstracts, and keywords, followed by full‐text review. Two independent coders applied inclusion criteria, extracted data, and resolved discrepancies with the principal investigators. All steps were documented to inform the PRISMA flow chart. To evaluate interventions reducing school exclusions, we conducted a multilevel meta‐analysis using robust variance estimation. We explored heterogeneity via meta‐regression (e.g., gender, intervention type), conducted sensitivity analyses for outliers and correlation structures, and assessed quality data using the EPOC, ROBIN‐I and CASP checklist for methodological quality. 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). Compared with the original 2018 review, which reported a slightly larger effect size, this update benefits from a broader evidence base and more advanced statistical modelling. However, the results for secondary behavioural outcomes were more limited: effects on conduct problems and delinquency were negligible or non‐significant, and the impact on substance use was small and not statistically significant. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane EPOC 2 tool (Higgins and Green&#xa0;2011) for randomised controlled trials and ROBINS‐I (Sterne et al.&#xa0;2016) for quasi‐experimental designs. Randomised studies generally exhibited lower risk of bias, while quasi‐experimental studies showed greater variability in quality. Four major themes emerged from the analysis. First, intervention format mattered: flexible, collaborative, and well‐structured interventions facilitated implementation, while outdated materials or content misaligned with local context impeded delivery. Second, consistency in school policies and practice enabled smoother implementation, whereas inconsistency acted as a barrier. Third, staff buy‐in—particularly among senior leaders—was essential for successful implementation, although resistance from more experienced staff was noted. Finally, perceived effectiveness played a motivational role: visible improvements in pupil behaviour supported continued engagement with the intervention. In summary, the updated review finds that school‐based interventions can modestly but significantly reduce school exclusions. While more serious disciplinary sanctions such as permanent exclusions and out‐of‐school suspensions appear less responsive, in‐school exclusion shows greater potential for reduction. Impacts on other behavioural outcomes remain limited. These findings suggest that targeted, context‐sensitive interventions supported by strong implementation strategies and whole‐school engagement are most likely to achieve sustained reductions in school exclusion. 
651 4 |a United Kingdom--UK 
651 4 |a England 
653 |a Meta-analysis 
653 |a Quantitative analysis 
653 |a Behavior 
653 |a Analysis 
653 |a Criteria 
653 |a Perceptions 
653 |a Intervention 
653 |a Systematic review 
653 |a Statistical methods 
653 |a Schools 
653 |a Sanctions 
653 |a Substance abuse 
653 |a Leadership 
653 |a Bias 
653 |a Teachers 
653 |a Estimation 
653 |a Children & youth 
653 |a Students 
653 |a Research design 
653 |a Data collection 
653 |a Suspension 
653 |a Statistics 
653 |a Teaching 
653 |a Titles 
653 |a Test bias 
653 |a Medical screening 
653 |a Effectiveness 
653 |a Resistance 
653 |a School exclusion 
653 |a Data quality 
653 |a Behavior problems 
653 |a Conduct disorder 
653 |a Minority & ethnic groups 
653 |a Inconsistency 
653 |a Implementation 
653 |a Selection bias 
653 |a Special education 
653 |a Risk assessment 
653 |a Academic achievement 
653 |a Discrepancies 
653 |a School based intervention 
653 |a Propensity 
653 |a Departments 
653 |a Child Role 
653 |a Special Needs Students 
653 |a Educational Environment 
653 |a Ethnicity 
653 |a Activity Units 
653 |a Program Implementation 
653 |a School Policy 
653 |a Discipline Policy 
653 |a Social Behavior 
653 |a Social Isolation 
653 |a Disproportionate Representation 
653 |a Educational Attainment 
653 |a Effect Size 
653 |a Government School Relationship 
653 |a Learner Engagement 
653 |a Secondary Education 
653 |a Meta Analysis 
653 |a Drug Use 
653 |a Expulsion 
653 |a Correctional Institutions 
653 |a Behavior Change 
653 |a Educational Needs 
700 1 |a Gaffney, Hannah  |u Clare Hall College, Cambridge, UK 
700 1 |a Arosemena‐Burbano, Maria Jose  |u Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 
700 1 |a Hitchcock, Sydney  |u Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 
700 1 |a Jolliffe, Darrick  |u Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London, London, UK 
700 1 |a Sutherland, Alex  |u Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 
773 0 |t Campbell Systematic Reviews  |g vol. 21, no. 4 (Dec 1, 2025) 
786 0 |d ProQuest  |t Sociology Database 
856 4 1 |3 Citation/Abstract  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3290772883/abstract/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3290772883/fulltext/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text - PDF  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3290772883/fulltextPDF/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch