SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Expulsion and suspension are not dealt with consistently across California according to a new survey of 315 of the state's largest school districts.
81 percent of administrators ranked student discipline and behavior management as a concern but only 22 percent say it's a major concern.
Administrators worry about the disproportionate numbers of expulsions and suspensions of Latino and African-American students.
Lawmakers have approved a handful of bills aimed at requiring schools to pursue alternatives to expulsions and suspensions when they do not involve behavior that poses a threat to students, teachers and staff.
Other research has found schools with the highest suspension rates also have high rates of administrative turn over. These schools are also among the most under resourced and have the lowest achievement scores. They also tend to be unwelcoming places.
