San Francisco's tiny Shoestrings early childhood program is getting big applause after new research found it is keeping almost all participating kids out of suspension and away from questionable special education placements. The results highlight a familiar SFUSD dilemma: the classroom interventions that appear to be effective are small, intensive, and expensive, and researchers say they cannot single-handedly eliminate racial disparities across the district.
What the study found
The Stanford Center on Early Childhood released a case study this month reviewing how Shoestrings operated and what it delivered between 2018 and 2023. The research followed 91 students, according to the San Francisco Examiner. District data cited by SFUSD show that 94% of Shoestrings participants had not been suspended, none were referred to special education under the "emotional disturbance" category, and 21% were referred for other health impairments.
How the program works
Shoestrings runs as a 10-week, quarter-long wraparound program. It combines small group sessions with children, in-class coaching and modeling in general education classrooms, plus family workshops designed to equip caregivers with tools and a real voice in decision-making. The Stanford case study details the model and the day-to-day implementation moves that researchers say help explain why students showed stronger emotional regulation and fewer exclusionary outcomes. Each cohort is intentionally small, allowing staff to tailor support to individual children while also demonstrating strategies for teachers and classroom aides.
Local numbers and voices
Those classroom gains are playing out against a stark local backdrop. Black students make up only a small share of SFUSD enrollment, yet are overrepresented in some discipline and special education referral categories, according to district materials and local reporting. As noted by the San Francisco Examiner, 2024-25 district data show Black students are referred into certain special education categories at rates that exceed their 6% share of enrollment. Shoestrings founder Crystal Hawkins told the paper the program is designed to keep students "from being transferred to special education classes when they don't need to be."
A national pattern
The Stanford-SFUSD findings are part of a much larger national story. Federal civil rights data show that preschool discipline and expulsions fall disproportionately on Black children. The U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection reports that Black preschoolers make up 17% of preschool enrollment but account for 31% of out-of-school suspensions and 25% of expulsions. The same federal report shows Black students are overrepresented in many K-12 discipline measures, too, underscoring why early supports can matter so much.
Why scale matters
Both the study authors and SFUSD leaders describe Shoestrings as a proof of concept rather than a cure for the district. The Stanford case study and district documents emphasize that the program's small sample and cohort structure limit its ability to fix structural disproportionality across the city. Researchers argue that real movement at scale would require broader, long-term investment in supports from Pre-K through third grade, along with deeper, family-centered partnerships. Put simply, what works for a few dozen children has to be built into the system and funded if it is ever going to reach thousands.
Funding and the practical hurdle
The funding question is not theoretical. Over the past year, SFUSD has been grappling with significant budget pressures while attempting to maintain key services. Local reporting has tracked deep cuts and program eliminations tied to a multimillion-dollar shortfall, and the district has turned to hiring plans and stabilization efforts as it works to balance the books. That fiscal squeeze is the concrete barrier to expanding anything that depends on more staff time, more coaching, and more outreach to families.
