Nese, Rhonda N. T.Bastable, EoinGion, CodyMassar, MichelleNese, Joseph F. T.McCroskey, Connor2020-06-112020-06-112020Nese, R. N. T., Bastable, E., Gion, C., Massar, M., Nese, J. F. T., & McCroskey, C. (2020). Preliminary analysis of an instructional alternative to exclusionary discipline. The Journal of At-Risk Issues, 23(1), 1-14.https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2536637 pagesDecades of research have shown that exclusionary discipline practices are not only ineffective for changing student behavior, they lead to worse social, behavioral, and academic outcomes for students. This article explores the findings from a pilot study of the Inclusive Skill-Building Learning Approach (ISLA), an instructional alternative to exclusionary discipline practices. The purposes of ISLA are to improve student social and behavioral problem-solving, teacher and administrator practices, and student-teacher relationships while also reducing lost instructional time for student excluded from their learning environment. Results from the pilot indicated that implementation of ISLA was associated with reductions in exclusionary discipline practices (Cohen’s h effect sizes ranged from .06 to .18 across schools and outcomes), and a substantial decrease in instructional minutes lost (~ 92%). Educational staff also reported favorable impressions of the intervention. Practical and conceptual implications, limitations of this study, and directions for future research are further discussed.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USStudentsSchool disciplineTeacher-student relationshipsClassroom managementArticle