5310

STUDENT DISCIPLINE

The Board of Education believes that each student can reasonably be expected to be responsible for his/her own behavior. The school administration shall develop and disseminate rules of conduct, focusing on personal safety and respect for the rights and property of others, to be consistently applied in the classrooms and throughout the school. Students who fail to meet this expected degree of responsibility and violate school rules may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action and more regulated supervision.

Discipline is most effective when it deals directly with a problem at the time and place it occurs, and in a way that is viewed as fair and impartial by the student. Therefore, before seeking outside assistance, teachers will first use their best efforts to create a change of behavior in the classroom.

Disciplinary action, when necessary, will be firm, fair, and consistent in order to be most effective in changing behavior. Pursuant to section 100.2 of the Commissioner's regulations, such action will be appropriate to the seriousness of the offense. Extreme penalties (e.g., a one-year suspension) will not be assigned without first reviewing the student's disciplinary records and considering the circumstances which led to the improper behavior.

Role of Teachers, Administrators, Parents and Board

Teachers, administrators, parents and board members each have a role in the discipline code. The teacher should be aware of the provisions of the code and, if in doubt regarding the code, explanations should be sought from the teacher's administrator. Teachers are expected to interpret the code for students and to give consistent interpretation of the code. The teacher shall report violations of the code that are not appropriate to normal handling in the classroom situation to the Building Principal.

Administrators have first-line responsibilities to ensure that the code is followed and enforced. Administrators shall conduct the appropriate investigation to determine if the code has been violated, and if violated, shall act in accordance with this policy and the laws applicable to the situation. The Principal shall interpret the code for staff members and, where advisable, delegate disciplinary responsibilities to the faculty.

Parents may be requested to give assistance to the teaching staff and administration in administering the code. Parents should be aware of the code.

Board members shall advise the Superintendent of Schools of any suggested changes in the code and community feelings regarding the code. The members of the Board shall be available to provide a speedy hearing of any appeal of a suspension under the provisions of Section 3214 of the Education Law.

Early identification and Resolution of Student Discipline Problems

Pupil service personnel, administrators, teachers, and others will report students to the Superintendent of Schools when they believe such students present a discipline problem. Parents are also invited to advise the Building Principal of concerns the parents may have regarding their children pertaining to the discipline code. Students are also expected to report to teachers or the Building Principal any student who appears to be having discipline problems.

The Superintendent will conduct an investigation of the reports, which may include conferences with the complainant, student, parents, teachers, other pupil service personnel or others, as he or she deems appropriate for the early identification and resolution of the suspected problem. If he/she suspects that the problem may be a manifestation of a disability, he or she will refer the matter to the Committee on Special Education in the manner prescribed by '200.4 of the Commissioner's Regulations and by district policy.

The purpose of the procedure is to identify early possible problems and to resolve these disciplinary problems. The district shall assign such support personnel to assist the parties, considering the resources available at any given time.

The Superintendent will develop forms necessary for the implementation of this policy.

Discipline Policy for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities should not be disciplined if their inability to conform to the school's code of conduct is due to their disability. If there is a question as to whether a student's behavior is related to that condition, the case should be referred by the Building Principal to the Committee on Special Education (CSE). The CSE will decide if counseling or disciplinary action will be taken and/or if a change of placement is appropriate.

If the behavior of such student might endanger the health and safety of himself/herself or others, the district will follow the procedures outlined in 5313.3R, Student Suspension Regulation.

If the Committee determines that the conduct is not the result of the disability, the chairperson of the Committee shall so notify the Principal and the Principal or designee shall proceed in the same manner as though the student did not have a disability.

Inservice Programs for Staff

The Superintendent shall solicit the recommendations of the teaching staff and administrators regarding inservice programs pertaining to the management and discipline of students. The Board shall sponsor such programs, as may be appropriate, on an annual basis. To determine the appropriateness of a program, the Board will consider the various programs that have been previously offered or that may be conducted after school hours, or may be given during a Superintendent's Workshop Day. Such programs may be offered separately or in conjunction with other school districts. Where appropriate, individual staff members may be sent to other programs outside of the district and these individuals may, thereafter, conduct appropriate in-service programs for members of the staff.

The district will provide the following types of materials and activities to assist staff with their concerns for disciplinary problems:

1. related literature in the professional library;

2. workshops on conference days;

3. inservice classes to train staff in present trends and research; and

4. consultants to those members of the staff needing specific techniques in maintaining control in the learning environment.

Cross-ref: 5311, Student Rights and Responsibilities

53 13, Penalties

5311.3, Student Complaints and Grievances

9280, Professional Staff Development

Ref: Education Law ''2801; 3214

8 NYCRR '100.2(1)1, 2

Adoption date: January 1, 1993

Reviewed on:    July 14, 2008