5600 - STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE
The District shall not unlawfully discriminate in standards and rules of behavior or disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, on the basis of a student's sex, sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, any physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, or any other legally-protected status or classification. Discrimination complaints shall be processed in accordance with established procedures.
The District shall maintain a Code of Classroom Conduct that has been approved by the School Board. At a minimum, the Code of Classroom Conduct shall set forth (1) any rules of conduct for students that the Board wishes to establish; and (2) standards and procedures surrounding the possible removal of a student from his/her class due to the student’s conduct.
In addition to the rules found in the Code of Classroom Conduct, the Board authorizes the Superintendent, and any of his/her appropriately-licensed designees, to set forth additional rules of conduct for students. Further, subject to administrative oversight and to the extent consistent with applicable law and with the District’s policies, procedures, and more formal rules of conduct for students, school staff are permitted to issue and reasonably enforce situation-specific conduct directives for students that support the provision of a safe and productive school environment.
Administrative Responsibilities
The Superintendent, building principals, and other licensed administrators serving in an instructional capacity are jointly responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of student conduct and discipline matters in the schools. The Superintendent and building principals shall:
- Ensure that time and resources are dedicated to all of the following elements of the process of managing student behavior: teaching expected behaviors to students, notifying students of prohibited conduct, reinforcing positive behaviors, providing appropriate behavioral interventions, and imposing/enforcing disciplinary sanctions and other reasonable consequences for misconduct.
- Ensure that the District incorporates the management of student behavior as a topic within the District’s professional development plan for staff.
- Evaluate practices and data with regard to student conduct and discipline in order to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the District’s policies and practices.
Expectations for Staff and Other Adults Who Supervise Students and Student Activities
All District employees and all other authorized agents of the District who teach, supervise, or otherwise work directly with students ultimately share in the responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of the District’s policies, procedures, rules, and directives related to student conduct and discipline. In carrying out their respective responsibilities, the Board expects such employees and agents to comply with the following additional policy guidelines:
- Such employees and agents are expected to model appropriate behaviors for students in connection with school-related activities, including modeling appropriate responses to conflict.
- Rules and expectations for student conduct and any sanctions for misconduct shall be implemented and enforced, at a minimum, lawfully, without bias or favoritism, and in a non-discriminatory and non-arbitrary manner.
- Students shall be timely informed of the reason(s) for any disciplinary sanctions and a reasonable effort shall be made to provide the student with an opportunity to provide his/her viewpoint regarding the situation.
- Timely communication with a student’s parent or guardian regarding student conduct and discipline shall be a priority; and, in connection with matters such as disciplinary removals from class and suspensions from school, such communication is also a legal requirement.
Expectations for Students
The Board expects all students to follow the rules and expectations that are established for student conduct and to demonstrate a developmentally-appropriate level of personal responsibility and accountability for their actions.
School District of Jefferson