From Mandate to Movement: Educator "Micro-Moves" as the Engine of Equitable Discipline Reform

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: School Discipline and Safety

Abstract

This study examines California’s response to SB 274’s ban on willful defiance suspensions by exploring educators’ adoption of restorative practices and related strategies. Employing a convergent mixed-methods design, we collaborate with four REACH Network districts to document practitioner-driven approaches and assess their association with suspension rates, attendance, and academic outcomes using difference-in-differences models. The qualitative component develops a grounded typology of these strategies, while quantitative analyses compare results from restorative practice (RP) and non-RP schools, noting potential variation across contexts. Guided by Critical Race Theory and street-level bureaucracy frameworks, this research examines how educators’ discretionary decisions contribute to disciplinary reform and offers insights that may inform more practical and equitable policy strategies.

Authors

• Michael D. Corral, University of California - Los Angeles

• Luis A. Cisneros, University of California - Los Angeles

• Maria L. Espino, University of California - Los Angeles