• New research emerging from SFUSD’s Shoestrings program reveals informal exclusionary discipline is a widespread problem-but there are solutions. • When San Francisco Unified School District created the Shoestrings program-an effort to reduce racial gaps in early childhood discipline-district leaders knew they were taking on an important challenge. • What they didn’t expect was that this work would reveal a new problem affecting schools across the country.
Article Summaries:
- A new study from the San Francisco Unified School District’s Shoestrings program shows that informal exclusionary discipline-such as removing students from classrooms without formal suspensions-is widespread across U.S. schools. The program was launched to close racial gaps in early‑childhood discipline, but its data revealed a broader issue: many districts find ways to sidestep state bans on suspensions while still excluding students. Researchers say the findings highlight a hidden disciplinary practice that undermines equity efforts and call for clearer policies and monitoring. The study suggests that addressing informal exclusion could help reduce racial disparities in school discipline nationwide.
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