California school suspension rates remain high despite reforms

This article first appeared in EdSource.

California’s most vulnerable students are still suspended at disproportionately high rates despite efforts to address racial disparities in school discipline policies.

According to “In Harm’s Way: The Persistence of Unjust Discipline Experienced by California’s Students,” published Monday by the National Center for Youth Law, youth in the foster care system and those experiencing homelessness in California were more frequently suspended than other groups between 2017-18 and 2023-24.

“The trajectory is one that suggests that for the kids who are suspended the most, very little has really changed, and for American Indian students, it’s gotten a little bit worse,” said Daniel J. Losen, senior director of education at the National Center for Youth La