San Diego Unified School District is experiencing a notable decrease in student suspensions and expulsions, although discipline disparities for African American students remain a significant concern. Recent data shows that suspension rates for African American students are disproportionately higher compared to their peers, despite overall reductions in disciplinary actions.
Since the 2019-20 school year, the district has reported a 15% decrease in suspensions and a 50% reduction in expulsions. However, with a declining student enrollment, the overall suspension rate has stabilized at 2%. This ongoing trend raises questions about the effectiveness of the district’s restorative justice initiative implemented in 2020, which aims to promote equity and reduce punitive measures.
An inewsource analysis reveals that approximately 5% of African American students in the district were suspended at least once during the past school year. This rate is nearly four times higher than that of white students and nearly eight times greater than that of Asian students. Although the total number of suspensions for African American students decreased from 725 in 2019-20 to 605 in the latest school year, the suspension rate remains consistent due to a decline in enrollment numbers.
Furthermore, the data indicates that expulsions for African American students have fluctuated in recent years, peaking at 12 expulsions in earlier years and dropping to zero during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last school year, five African American students were expelled, which constituted the highest expulsion rate among all racial and ethnic groups, accounting for about 25% of total expulsions.
Board member Richard Barrera acknowledged these mixed results during a recent meeting, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to addressing systemic issues within the district. He noted, “By certain metrics, the number of expulsions, we’ve had success. But by other metrics, we know that we’ve got work yet to do. We’re not backing away. What we know is that restorative practices is about learning and is about education, and that a commitment to equity means that we honestly address where we’ve got systemic issues.”
Historically, African American students in San Diego Unified have faced the highest suspension rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups since 2011. In response to a rise in concerns regarding these disparities, the district adopted a restorative discipline policy aimed at fostering positive relationships and addressing conflict through dialogue. The approach emphasizes the importance of equipping students with the skills necessary for conflict resolution, similar to how they learn academic subjects.
Barrera stated, “In the same way that students have to learn how to read and learn how to do math, students need to learn how to get to a point of respectfully being in relationship with other students and with people in a community.”
Despite these efforts, some community members have expressed dissatisfaction with the district’s restorative justice approach, claiming that guidelines for disciplinary actions lack clarity and may not effectively prevent recurring negative behaviors among students. This criticism has led to updates to the policy to provide clearer intervention outlines and consequences for multiple offenses.
Recent policy revisions specify when classroom interventions, suspensions, or expulsions are recommended, aiming to create a more structured approach to discipline. Additionally, the district is taking steps to track outcomes from restorative interventions and implement a case management system to prevent the overutilization of suspensions for similar offenses.
While officials hope that restorative practices will help reduce disciplinary disparities, they are also considering multiple measures beyond suspensions and expulsions to evaluate the policy’s effectiveness. Ebonee Weathers, San Diego Unified’s executive director of equity and belonging, highlighted the importance of factors such as attendance, academic performance, and students’ feelings of safety and belonging within the school environment.
According to recent survey data, more than three-fourths of fifth graders reported feeling safe on campus. However, the district faces challenges related to chronic absenteeism, with over 20% of students classified as chronically absent during the 2023-24 school year, the most recent data available.
Weathers stated, “We’re really trying to broaden our scope of data collection and analysis beyond just looking at suspensions and expulsions.”
The board members unanimously approved the updates to the restorative discipline policy, but some expressed concerns regarding potential ambiguity in the guidelines. Trustee Shana Hazan remarked on the risks associated with unclear definitions of suspendable offenses, which may inadvertently reinforce patterns of disciplinary action that have historically affected marginalized students disproportionately.
In defense of the policy’s flexibility, staff involved in the updates argued that overly rigid guidelines could be detrimental and that site leaders must retain the discretion to evaluate the context of each situation. Farshad Talebi, the district’s executive director of investigations, compliance, and accountability, noted that each offense must be approached with consideration for the unique circumstances, stating, “We have to kind of allow for the discretion of the sites and looking at culpability and severity of the behavior, not just the offense specifically.”
San Diego Unified continues its efforts to reform disciplinary practices while grappling with persistent disparities. As the district navigates these challenges, its commitment to equity and restorative practices remains a central focus as officials work to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.
image source from：inewsource
