Empowering Black Students: The BLEBS Initiative
At The Loken Foundation, we are committed to creating equitable educational opportunities for Black students. The Behavior and Learning Enhancement for Black Students (BLEBS) initiative is designed to address the root causes of behavioral push-outs, suspensions, and loss of instructional time. We intend to incorporate various tools and behavioral management strategies to achieve the goals of BLEBS, which aims to provide Black students with the support they need to thrive academically and socially.​
​Our Mission
The BLEBS initiative integrates modern tools with culturally responsive teaching practices to foster emotionally supportive and restorative environments for Black students. We are committed to leveraging Title III funding, the GENIUS Program, and the LCFF Multiplier to make this initiative scalable, sustainable, and accessible to schools that need it most.
The Discipline Disparity: Important Statistics To Know
Despite comprising approximately 15% of the U.S. student population, Black students face disproportionate disciplinary actions:
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Suspension Rates: Black students are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended from school compared to White students. Reference: UC Berkeley Public Health
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Expulsion Rates: They are also 3.4 times more likely to be expelled. Reference: PMC PubMed Central - National Library of Medicine
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School Arrests: Black students account for 32% of school-related arrests, despite making up only 15% of the student body.
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Black Girls' Discipline Rates: In the 2017–2018 school year, Black girls represented 15% of all girls in public schools but received 45% of out-of-school suspensions, 37% of in-school suspensions, and 43% of expulsions. Reference: Ayanna Pressley
These disparities contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, where students pushed out of schools are more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. School To Prison Pipeline
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Suspension Rates and Push-Out Statistics
1. Suspension Disparities
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National Data: Black students are suspended at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than their white peers. School of Education Wikipedia
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California Context: In California, Black students represent 5% of the student population but account for 15% of suspensions. ACLU California Action
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Disability Intersection: Black students with disabilities are disproportionately affected, with 19% suspended in the 2017–18 school year. Learning Policy Institute Learning Policy Institute
2. School Push-Out Trends
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Referral to Law Enforcement: In 2017–18, Black students comprised 28.7% of all students referred to law enforcement, despite making up only 15.1% of the student population. American Civil Liberties Union
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School Arrests: Black students accounted for 31.6% of all school-related arrests during the same period.
School-to-Prison Pipeline Data
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Incarceration Disparity: Black individuals represent 14% of the U.S. population but account for 32% of the incarcerated population, indicating systemic disparities. Wikipedia
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Impact of Suspensions: Students suspended or expelled for discretionary violations are nearly 3 times more likely to come into contact with the juvenile justice system the following year. Wikipedia Infogram
Objective: Through the BLEBS initiative, we’re supporting Black students with behavior management tools and trauma-informed practices to enhance their academic experience and reduce suspensions.
Key Features and Benefits of the BLEBS Initiative
How the initiative will positively impact students:
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Reducing suspensions and push-outs
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Increasing classroom engagement and instructional time
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Empowering teachers with effective tools
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Fostering a more inclusive, supportive learning environment
Help our cause by donating to this initiative!
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