Article Citation:
Amity L. Noltemeyer, Rose Marie Ward, and Caven Mcloughlin (
2015) Relationship Between School Suspension and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. School Psychology Review: June 2015, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 224-240.
Special Topic: Environmental Context of Learning
Relationship Between School Suspension and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
Amity L. Noltemeyer and
Rose Marie Ward
Miami University
Caven Mcloughlin
Kent State University
Please address correspondence regarding this article to Amity L. Noltemeyer, Miami University, 210 E Spring St, Oxford, OH 45056; e-mail:
Amity L. Noltemeyer, PhD, NCSP, is an associate professor in school psychology at Miami University. Her research interests include school discipline disparities, resilience, multitiered systems of support, and school-based mental health services.
Rose Marie Ward, PhD, is a professor in kinesiology and health at Miami University. Her research interests include college student alcohol consumption, sexual assault, and advanced statistical methods.
Caven Mcloughlin, PhD, NCSP, is a professor in school psychology at Kent State University. He focuses on interpreting policy directives to stakeholders, providing psychological services to children in schools internationally, and building the capacity of faculty research productivity in non-Western university settings.
Associate Editor: Mike Vanderwood
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.
Received: January 15, 2014; Accepted: May 18, 2014;
Cited by
Anne Gregory, Francis L. Huang, Yolanda Anyon, Eldridge Greer and Barbara Downing. (2018) An Examination of Restorative Interventions and Racial Equity in Out-of-School Suspensions. School Psychology Review 47:2, 167-182.
Online publication date: 13-Jun-2018.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (194 KB) | Track Citations(RSS | Email)
Dewey Cornell, Jennifer Maeng, Francis Huang, Kathan Shukla and Timothy Konold. (2018) Racial/Ethnic Parity in Disciplinary Consequences Using Student Threat Assessment. School Psychology Review 47:2, 183-195.
Online publication date: 13-Jun-2018.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (171 KB) | Track Citations(RSS | Email)
Anne Gregory, Christopher A. Hafen, Erik Ruzek, Amori Yee Mikami, Joseph P. Allen and Robert C. Pianta. (2016) Closing the Racial Discipline Gap in Classrooms by Changing Teacher Practice. School Psychology Review 45:2, 171-191.
Online publication date: 18-Jul-2016.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (198 KB) | Track Citations(RSS | Email)
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