ACR 80, as introduced, Dickinson. Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court Day
This measure would designate December 4, 2013, as Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court Day.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, More than 700,000 suspensions involving over
2365,000 students occur in California’s public schools each year;
3and
4WHEREAS, More than 1.8 million students are truant in
5California public schools each year; and
6WHEREAS, African American students represent only 6.5
7percent of the enrollment in California public schools but receive
819 percent of the total suspensions; and
9WHEREAS, Students with disabilities face the highest risk of
10suspension of any students in California; and
11WHEREAS, Children in foster care are more likely to be
12suspended and experience problems with chronic absenteeism;
13and
P2 1WHEREAS, Suspension rates have been increasing since the
21970s, with racial disparities in suspension rates increasing at very
3high rates; and
4WHEREAS, Suspension and chronic absenteeism are linked to
5academic failure, higher school dropout rates, and involvement in
6the juvenile and criminal justice systems; and
7WHEREAS, Almost one-half of all suspensions in California
8are for disruption and defiance, rather than for acts of violence or
9acts involving weapons or drugs; and
10WHEREAS, Research shows that schools with high rates of
11suspension do not have better attendance or academic performance
12than demographically similar schools with much lower rates of
13suspension; and
14WHEREAS, Implementation of evidence-based and promising
15practices to respond to disruptive student behavior and improve
16school climate, such as Schoolwide Positive Behavioral
17Interventions and Supports and Restorative Justice, have allowed
18schools to reduce their rates of suspension and improve school
19climate; and
20WHEREAS, Court-based interventions, such as truancy courts,
21have shown promise in reducing chronic absenteeism and
22improving academic performance; and
23WHEREAS, Juvenile courts are actively engaged in monitoring
24the educational needs of children under their jurisdiction, and
25juvenile court judges are encouraged to take an active role in their
26communities to encourage adequate support and services for at-risk
27youth as well as to develop a close liaison with school authorities;
28and
29WHEREAS, Children in foster care with more stable placements
30experience better educational outcomes and are more likely to
31graduate; and
32WHEREAS, The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom
33Torlakson, has focused resources of the State Department of
34Education to assist school districts in California to implement new
35approaches to school discipline and attendance that will lead to
36safer and more effective schools in California; and
37WHEREAS, The Judicial Council has determined that keeping
38students in school and out of our court system is an important
39objective for all of California, and is hosting a December 4, 2013,
40summit to bring collaborative teams from many California counties
P3 1together to plan reforms that will address the impact of existing
2school discipline policies and the challenges of chronic
3absenteeism; and
4WHEREAS, The Assembly and the Senate are committed to
5working together to reduce unnecessary suspensions and ensure
6that all students in California have an opportunity to thrive in a
7safe and supportive school environment; now, therefore, be it
8Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California the Senate
9thereof concurring, that the Legislature hereby designates
10December 4, 2013, as Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court
11Day, during which multidisciplinary teams from across California
12will gather to develop collaborative plans to improve school
13discipline practices and school attendance so that children in
14California will succeed in school and avoid involvement in criminal
15activity; and be it further
16Resolved, that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
17of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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