Suspensions and Expulsions

June 11, 2019

Rural California school district with high suspension rates under state investigation

Butte County’s Oroville City Elementary School District, which has a suspension rate that is three times the statewide average, is being investigated by the state Bureau of Children's Justice.

David Washburn

March 24, 2019

Schools lack a clear view of Asian and Pacific Islander discipline disparities, study finds

The study found that students from Southeast Asian countries, like Vietnam and Cambodia, had suspension and expulsion rates that were 2 to 3 times higher than those from China, Japan and other East Asian countries.

David Washburn

February 27, 2019

Renewed push underway to expand California's ban on some suspensions

A new bill proposed by state Sen. Nancy Skinner would ban out-of-school suspensions in all grades for student behavior deemed “defiant and disruptive” by school authorities. Advocates hopeful Gov. Newsom will be more receptive than Jerry Brown, who vetoed two previous bills.

David Washburn

January 17, 2019

California’s student suspension rates are far higher in rural schools

Behind the high suspension rates in rural areas are family struggles with poverty, mental illness, addiction and parental incarceration, a dearth of resources to address those needs and underfunded schools.

Lee Romney And Daniel J. Willis

January 4, 2019

Restorative justice reduces suspensions in elementary grades but not middle school, study shows

Many educators say restorative justice has transformed school climates. Others say it is over-hyped. A new study by the RAND Corp. lends support to both sides.

David Washburn

December 19, 2018

Trump administration’s school safety report met with harsh criticism in California

The report strongly recommended rescinding the Obama policies that both emphasized alternatives to suspensions and expulsions and highlighted data showing that students of color and those with disabilities were more likely than white students to face these punishments.

David Washburn

December 11, 2018

School suspensions continue downward trend in California, new data show

About half as many students were sent home for disciplinary reasons during the 2017-18 school year as had been at the beginning of the decade.

David Washburn And Daniel J. Willis

October 1, 2018

Gov. Brown vetoes expansion of California’s school suspension ban

Brown's decision is a bitter disappointment for youth and civil rights advocates who have made eliminating suspensions for "disruption and defiance," which are disproportionately meted out to students of color, a priority.

David Washburn

September 24, 2018

Evidence justifies limiting student suspensions for disruptive behavior

Eliminating 'willful defiance' as a basis for suspending students does not result in more serious discipline problems

Dan Losen

September 20, 2018

Suspensions in California schools drop, but trouble spots remain

Instruction days lost to suspensions dropped nearly by half from 2011-12 to 2016-17, according to a new report. But African American and Native American students -- and students with disabilities -- are still suspended at disproportionately high rates.

David Washburn

September 17, 2018

Reversing 760,000 lost days of learning in our schools

Schools must be both creative and effective at responding to discipline problems.

Pedro A. Noguera and Joseph P. Bishop

September 4, 2018

Expanded suspension ban gets approval from California Legislature

The bill passed Friday would expand the current ban, which covers grades K-3, to grades K-8. However, Gov. Jerry Brown, who several years ago vetoed a similar bill, has yet to signal support.

David Washburn

August 31, 2018

The price of punishment — new report shows students nationwide lost 11 million school days due to suspensions

The report, based on federal government data from 2015-16, also found that racial disparities in suspensions remain an acute problem. Nationwide, African-American students lost five times as many days as white students.

David Washburn

July 25, 2018

Improving California school environments focus of pilot program

UCLA and two county education departments are collaborating to train teachers and administrators throughout the state on alternatives to traditional discipline.

David Washburn

June 21, 2018

Discipline reform gets boost in California budget

Efforts to expand California's ban on suspending students for “willful defiance," now limited to K-3 grades, also still in play.

David Washburn