Effects of an Alternative to Suspension Intervention in a Therapeutic High School

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

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.