The limits on student suspensions approved by the Los Angeles Unified school board this week may burnish the district’s progressive credentials, putting L.A. in the forefront of a national shift away from zero-tolerance policies that ban kids from campus for minor offenses.

Recent research by Northwestern University psychologists Daniel Molden and Chin Ming Hui demonstrates an effective way to be sure you are making the best decisions when things go awry: focus on what you have to gain by moving on, rather than what you have to lose. When people think about goals in terms of potential gain, that’s a “promotion focus,”which makes them more comfortable making mistakes and accepting losses. When people adopt a “prevention focus,” they think about goals in terms of what they could lose if they don’t succeed, so they become more sensitive to sunk costs. This is the focus people usually adopt, if unconsciously, when deciding whether or not to walk away. It usually tells us not to walk away, even when we should.

The Taskforce was established in 2009 to address federal education issues that have a significant impact on the success of our nation’s Latino students.  As part of these efforts, Taskforce members will meet with members of the Administration, Department of Education and Congress to address a variety of issues and concerns, including the need for increased funding to foster the development of early childhood education programs that serve children and families, improved access to higher education for Latino youth and the creation of a more seamless transfer pathway for students from community colleges to four year universities.

One day I will be on this task force.