Lost Instruction Time in California Schools - The Disparate Harm from Post-Pandemic Punitive Suspensions

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Report examines the disparate harm caused by post-pandemic punitive suspensions in California schools, highlighting how exclusionary discipline reduces students’ learning opportunities. Drawing on analysis from state- and district-level perspectives, it details differing impacts across educational settings and identifies key discussion points behind uneven outcomes. The report closes with actionable recommendations aimed at reducing punitive suspension practices and improving educational equity for historically marginalized students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages37

Reading Time1 h 33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

State Level

District Level

Discussion

Recommendations

References

Appendix A. Rationale for Using Census Enrollment versus Cumulative Enrollment

Lost Instruction Time in California Schools: The Disparate Harm from Post-Pandemic Punitive Suspensions RamonT. Flores and Daniel J. Losen | October 2023 Acknowledgments We are grateful to The California Endowment for funding this report. This report was also partially funded from contributions made in the memory of Dr. Stuart M. Losen. We are also deeply thankful to Dody Riggs for her thorough editing support as well as to Lori Ross for her design and graphics support. As always, we are fortunate to have Laurie Russman’s administrative support and a warm thankyou for the leadership, wisdom, and oversight ofCRP’s codirectors, Gary Orfield and Patricia Gándara. This report is the independent product of UCLA’s Civil Rights Project and the National Center for Youth Law. All opinions and policy recommendations expressed in this report are solely attributable to the authors and not to our funders, UCLA, or external reviewers. About the UCLA Civil Rights Project The UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles (CRP) is codirected by Gary Orfield and Patricia Gándara, both of whom are researcher-professors at UCLA. Founded at Harvard in 1996, CRP’s mission is to create a new generation of social science and legal research on critical civil rights issues and on equal opportunity for racial and ethnic groups in the United States. CRP has monitored the success of U.S. schools in equalizing opportunity and has been an authoritative source of statistics on segregation. CRP has commissioned more than 400 studies, published more than 15 books, and issued numerous reports by authors from universities and research centers across the country. About The National Center for Youth Law The National Center for Youth Law believes in the incredible power, agency, and wisdom of youth. For more than 50 years, they have worked to center the voices and experiences of youth blocked from educational, health, and social well-being opportunities, particularly Black youth and youth of color, LGBTQ youth, disabled youth, immigrant youth, and youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. NCYL is working to transform systems—classrooms, courts, the justice system, and health care spaces—to extend equity, dignity and care for children and youth. Lost Instruction Time in California Schools: The Disparate Harm from Post-Pandemic Punitive Suspensions © 2023 Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles, UCLA About the Authors Ramon T. Flores was a Graduate Student Researcher at the Center for Civil Rights Remedies (CCRR), an initiative of the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles (CRP). His research broadly investigates the intersectional disparities between race/ethnicity, gender, and disability in school discipline/punishment in P-12. Ramon’s work focuses on school discipline disparities for Latinx/Hispanic students. Through his research, Ramon aims to inform and change policy so that educational opportunities and outcomes improve and are optimal for historically marginalized groups. Ramon earned a B.A. in Psychology from Pitzer College and an M.A. in Psychological Research from California State University, Long Beach. He is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Education ( focus on Human Development and Psychology) at UCLA. Daniel J. Losen is the Senior Director for Education at the National Center for Youth Law and contributes to the organization’s efforts in the area of education on behalf of all students. Dan’s work includes promoting resource equity, the Honest Education campaign, and fighting against the school-to-prison pipeline at the national, state, and local levels. Dan oversees staffing for the Education Civil Rights Alliance, a National Center for Youth Law initiative that conducts research relevant to civil rights concerns, and engages in direct advocacy for systemic education reforms at the national, state, and local levels. Dan came to the National Center for Youth Law with over 23 years of experien

FAQs

What problem does the report focus on in California schools after the pandemic?

It focuses on the disparate harm from post-pandemic punitive suspensions and how they contribute to lost instructional time for students.

How is the report structured to analyze impacts?

It covers perspectives at the state level and district level, followed by a discussion and then recommendations.

What does the report aim to achieve through its recommendations?

The recommendations are intended to reduce reliance on punitive suspension practices and support more equitable educational outcomes for students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys