Description
The Race Education and Community Healing (REACH) Network focuses on the research that out-of-school suspensions disproportionately affect students of color, students with special education designations, and LGBTQ+ youth. Frequent suspensions can result in lost instructional time and adverse long-term academic outcomes. To address these concerns, the UC Berkeley School of Education and the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools are leading the REACH Network.
The initiative’s overall goal is to reduce racial disparities and exclusionary discipline mindsets and practices to improve school climate conditions for all students, especially historically marginalized youth. To meet our ambitious goals, we are working to identify ways to promote healthy relationships in schools and prevent out-of-school suspensions from happening altogether, and providing tools and training on alternatives to suspensions based on new evidence-based models.
REACH grants will allow for school sites and districts to test out innovative models that promote positive relationships, healthy learning conditions, and center on evidence-based alternatives to punitive practices and policies in schools. These grants will help inform promising models that align to Senator Nancy Skinner’s successful SB 274, now a state law, designed to keep students in school by eliminating suspensions for “willful defiance” or low-level behavior issues in TK through grade 12.
Eligibility requirements: Pre-K through 12th grade public school sites, including public charter schools, are eligible to apply to join the network.
Higher education partners, community-based organizations, and nonprofits are encouraged to apply, but must apply jointly with a school site, district, or county office of education to be considered eligible.