Statement from California State Director Brian Lee on New School Discipline Data

“We are encouraged by the continued reductions in suspension and expulsion rates released today by the California Department of Education. Many California districts and schools are succeeding in finding more effective ways to improve behavior, while keeping kids in school and learning, not on the street getting into trouble. Still, too many students are being suspended and expelled, putting them at greater risk of dropout and future crime.

We are especially pleased by the dramatic decline in school removals for minor misbehavior known as disruption and willful defiance. Since legislation was first introduced to limit use of these grounds five years ago, reductions in disruption/defiance suspensions have been responsible for more than three-fourth of the overall reduction in suspensions statewide. Now only 20 percent of suspensions are for disruption/defiance compared to 48 percent five years ago.

It is critical for California to keep the momentum moving forward, as the Governor and Legislature address extending and expanding the current K-3 bar of disruption/defiance suspensions, and K-12 bar of expulsions on these grounds, before these provisions expire in mid-2018. Failure to enact SB 607 (Skinner), which would cover middle and high school students as well, would jeopardize the impressive gains that California has made.”