School Suspensions Down In California But Disparities Still Exist

California schools are suspending fewer students, but there are still racial disparities among the students who are being suspended. That's according to a new study from UCLA's Center for Civil Rights Remedies. 

Dan Losen, who heads the center, co-authored the report. He says over the past six years, California has steadily reduced the use of suspensions for minor behaviors like disruption or defiance.   

"And with that reduction, the racial differences have narrowed,” says Losen. “The bad news is that they're still quite large and they're largest in middle school." 

He says in grades 7 and 8, black students lost more than 71 days of instruction per 100 students enrolled. That means black kids lost 52 more days than the 19 days lost by white students. 

Losen says there are also big disparities among students with disabilities.   

"For every racial group, it's two-to-four times more likely that a kid with disabilities is going to be losing instructional time compared to their non-disabled peers,” says Losen. “We're really not providing the support and services that they really need." 

Losen's study finds that among students with disabilities...black students lost 79 days per 100 students compared with 30 days per 100 lost by white students with disabilities. 

California currently prohibits suspensions of kindergartners through 3rd graders. Governor Jerry Brown is considering whether to approve a bill expanding that prohibition to cover students through 8th grade.