Significant drops in school suspensions and expulsions in State and South Lake Tahoe

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced a dramatic 20 percent drop in the number of students expelled in 2013-14 and a 15.2 decline in the number of students suspended. This marks the second year in a row of declines in both areas.

Numbers at Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) follow the same trend.

In the 2013-14 school year there were 386 offenses that resulted in the student being suspended with 330 offenses involved in other actions. In the prior school year there were 433 suspensions and 344 other offenses. Both years are down significantly from the 2011-2012 school year. 517 students were suspended while 476 faced other consequences.

There were no expulsions in LTUSD last year, 13 in the 2012-13 school year and 4 the prior year.

The new figures come at a time when the California Department of Education (CDE) is working with districts around the state to implement innovative programs that reduce suspensions and expulsions, including some known as “restorative justice.”

“These numbers show that the work of the department, districts, teachers, parents, and students around the state is paying off by keeping more students in school and learning,” said Torlakson. “You can have the best facilities, the best teachers, and the best curriculum in the world, but none of that matters if students are not in school. That’s why we have put so much effort into increasing school attendance and reducing expulsions and suspensions and will continue to do so.”

Statewide, 49,987 fewer students were suspended in 2013-14 compared to the year before, down 15.2 percent. The suspension rate is 4.4 percent, down 0.7 of a percentage point from the year before. Similarly, 1,655 fewer students were expelled in 2013-14 compared to the year before, down 20 percent. The expulsion rate remains at 0.1 percent because the overall numbers are relatively small (Table 1).

To reduce the number of expulsions and suspensions, the CDE has taken several steps, including hosting a forum and workshops, and posting Behavioral Intervention Strategies and Supports. In addition, the CDE has worked with several education groups to develop restorative justice programs that promote respect, taking responsibility, and strengthening relationships.