Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

McAllister, Carolyn Ph.D

Abstract

This systematic review proposal would investigate the school-to-prison pipeline and examine the role of pedagogical interventions in mitigating youth involvement in the justice system. By analyzing existing literature, this proposal would study and explore how school system biases, educational frameworks, and systemic factors contribute to the perpetuation of this pipeline, with a specific focus on how educational policies and disciplinary practices impact at-risk youth. The review aims to identify effective interventions that can disrupt this cycle, including restorative justice practices, trauma-informed education, positive behavioral interventions, and culturally responsive teaching. A comprehensive search strategy should be employed across various academic databases, including CSUSB One Search, Google Scholar, and PubMed, using keywords such as "school discipline disparities," "implicit bias," "zero-tolerance policies," and "youth recidivism." Inclusion criteria were set to select peer-reviewed articles published between 2012 and 2024, focusing on interventions within the U.S. education system. The review would synthesize data from relevant studies and evaluate their findings and methodologies to assess the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies to reduce educational disparities and improve student outcomes. The study should emphasize the importance of addressing systemic biases in education to foster positive youth development, reduce recidivism, and contribute to a more equitable educational environment. Despite its limitations, including the exclusion of non-English studies and potential gaps in the literature, this research would offer significant insight into the potential for educational interventions to break the school-to-prison pipeline and promote social justice in the classroom.

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