This paper reports on a research project to determine how a combination of three interventions could prevent the racially disproportionate levels of exclusionary discipline taking place in a large, southeastern United States public school district, which is also apparent in national data trends for 2015-2016.
The research discussed in this report used a randomized controlled trial of three interventions in high schools, and a three-pronged intervention approach to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as an overall framework. Within the first prong, PBIS framework, multi-tiered intervention teams provided support for evidence-based practices; data-driven decision-making and classroom management skills training was also part of the study. For the second prong, restorative practices (RP) involved training and implementation of proactive community-building and circles to support relationship-building among students and staff in classrooms. For the third and final prong, culturally responsive instruction (CRI), involved training and practice in lesson design for Black male students and a brief training on implicit bias. The report states the project’s goals: intervention implementation; process evaluation; outcome evaluation; cost-benefit analysis, to estimate the net benefits to society minus the cost of the three-intervention model in schools based on academic, economic, and criminal justice outcomes for students; and dissemination of study findings and evidenced-based recommendations for future research, policy, and practice. Results of the process evaluation describe the staggered implementation of the three interventions and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the project timeline. The authors report the most striking finding suggests benefits of the targeted CRI intervention, though they note that more research on the three interventions at the high-school level is needed in order to understand their impacts.