Abstract:
Decades 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.