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Abstract. Although the association between school suspension and deleterious outcomes is widely acknowledged, policy and practice need to be informed by an evidence base derived from multiple studies revealing consistent trends. This meta-analysis aims to address this void by examining the degree to which different types of school suspensions (in-school versus out-of-school) are associated with both academic achievement and school dropout, while concurrently examining study or participant characteristics that moderate these relationships. Data sources included peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies from 1986 - 2012 obtained via bibliographic databases. A meta-analysis was conducted on 53 cases from 34 studies. The results revealed a significant inverse relationship between suspensions and achievement, along with a significant positive relationship between suspensions and dropout. Furthermore, study or participant characteristics and type of suspension significantly affected the relationship between suspensions and the outcome variables. Implications for policy, practice, and research are emphasized.
Exclusion from school is by no means a new educational practice. Although it has been used in various forms throughout the history of U.S. schooling, the use of suspensions as a deterrent for misbehavior increased widely beginning in the 1970s (Losen & Skiba, 2010). Whereas the term expulsion refers to the more permanent removal of a student from the school by the superintendent, the term suspension generally refers to the denial of school attendance for a specific amount of time that may be 10 days or less. Although suspension most often refers to out-of-school suspension (OSS), there also has been an increasing trend toward in-school suspension (ISS). ISS often involves the student being removed to a separate classroom for at least a full day, where he or she must complete work and cannot participate in mainstream activities alongside peers (Hyman, 1997).
The rationale undergirding both OSS and ISS use is that these practices will serve as punishment, decreasing the likelihood of future negative behaviors. However, some students may actually find the conditions of school more punishing than removal (Hyman, 1997). Although there is evidence of negative outcomes associated with suspension, it is unknown how much they affect academic achievement and school dropout. In addition, the relative impact of study design and participant characteristics on the relationship between school suspension and the outcomes is unclear. This study aims to use...