A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship between In-School Suspension and the Disruptive Classroom Behavior of Students with Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

This study examined the effects of three types of in-school suspension programs on disruptive classroom behavior as well as the impact of classroom management techniques on assignment to in-school suspension. The participants were 36 students (ages 12–17) with behavioral or emotional disorders who were enrolled in a residential school for adolescents. There were four intervention phases. In the Timeout1 intervention, students (n = 17) served a 15-minute timeout. In the Timeout Plus Academic Task intervention, students (n = 19) served a timeout and completed an academic assignment. In the Problem-Solving intervention, students (n = 10) completed a problem-solving task pertaining to their in-school suspension assignment. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed no reliable differences in the in-school suspension rate or disruptive classroom behavior across the four phases. However, teachers' disapproval of student off-task behavior predicted assignment to in-school suspension. These results are discussed in terms of classroom management and teachers' use of aversive stimuli.