Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/812811
Dashboard requires districts to include their suspension rates as one of the indi- cators by which they're assessed. CTA survey finds work to be done While AB 420 is set to expire in July 2018, extension bills and related legislation have been introduced this year. To find out how educators view and are handling the implementation of AB 420 and alternative discipline practices, CTA conducted an online survey from May to December last year; nearly 3,500 members responded. e majority of respondents were K-12 educators, from districts large and small, rural, urban and suburban. e survey results indicate that implementation of the new law has gotten off to a rocky start, and lack of support has left many educators frustrated. Among the survey highlights: • Respondents cited PBIS, refer- ra l , c l a s s r o o m m a n a g e m e n t and restorative justice as the most common new approaches to student discipline. • Many respondents expressed t h e n e e d f o r m o r e t r a i n i n g , staffing and funding to success- fully implement an alternative discipline program. • A l a r g e n u m b e r i n d i c a t e d th e y had re c eived littl e or no tra i n i n g i n a lt e r n a tiv e di s c i - p li n e pra c ti c e s . • Many c i t e d a n e e d f o r b e t t e r a d m i n i s t r a t i v e s u p p o r t a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n , a s w e l l a s m o r e p a r e n t a c c o u n t a b i l i t y. • Almost two-thirds of educators said their ability to exercise their right to remove students from the class- room has not changed. "While California students' suspension and expulsion rates have fallen dramatically over the past three years, many problems with AB 420's implementation are due to lack of training and proper support," says CTA President Eric Heins. "is includes schools' setting aside space and staff that can deal with students who are temporarily dis- missed from class, and better district communication with educators, parents and community. "Keeping students in school and reducing suspension rates is the right approach, but educators must have the support and resources needed to run effective programs. Clearly, there is more work to be done." Using the LCAP for restorative practices Many districts are using their LCAP to place specific focus on restorative programs and practices. A 2016 analysis by the nonprofit organization "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California" examines LCAPs of the state's 50 largest school districts, which represent over 40 percent of the state's public school students. Among other things, the study finds that in the second year of the local control program (2015-16), 84 percent of the districts' LCAPs included evidence-based discipline strategies such as restorative justice, PBIS and social-emotional learning, an increase from 70 percent in the first year (2014-15). During the 2011-12 school year, Santa Rosa City School Moving Forward: Extending AB 420 AB 420 sunsets in July 2018. New bills such as SB 607 by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) were introduced this year to extend the law and address concerns raised by educators and other groups. CTA is working with lawmakers to make a number of changes: • Adequate and appropriate funding to implement program requirements of the law. • Appropriate professional training in alternative discipline that is ongoing and systemic for all educators. • Adequate and appropriate staff to support the programs and help protect teachers from additional workload requirements. • Better administrative support. • Educator involvement in the decision-making process regarding alternative discipline approaches, including involvement by the local CTA chapter. • Sharing of district suspension/expulsion data and district intervention responses with educators. • Continued protection of a teacher's right to suspend from the classroom. • Availability of a variety of alternative programs and interventions. Ola King-Claye, Santa Rosa Teachers Association president, whose district is using its LCAP to focus on and fund restorative practices. 36 cta.org teaching & learning