Student Discipline

School’s Responsibility To maintain a safe environment conducive to learning Have the legal responsibility to maintain safe, violence free schools Includes the establishment of a code of conduct including specific consequences for violations of the code of behavioral conduct

Manifestation Determination The school must conduct an MD for any student who has been suspended 10 days. The Team must determine whether: 1.The conduct in question was caused by or had a direct and substantial relationship to the child’s disability; or 2. The conduct in question was the direct result of the district’s failure to implement the student’s IEP. 34 CFR S 300.530(e)

IAES: Interim Alternative Educational Setting (IEP, 504 students only A principal can remove a student to an IAES for not more than 45 days, regardless of the results of the manifestation determination meeting. Special circumstances exist if the student: * carries a weapon to or possesses a weapon at school, on the school premises, or to or at a school function under the jurisdiction of a school * knowingly possesses or uses illegal drugs, or sells or solicits the sale of a controlled substance, while at school, on school premises, or at a school function. * inflicts serious bodily injury upon another person while at school, on school premises or at a school function (34 CFR s 300.530(g)

Definition of serious bodily injury A bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, extreme physical pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty. 34 CFR s 300.530(i)(3).

ZERO Tolerance – What is it? Zero – Tolerance originated from state and federal drug enforcement policies in the 1980’s. It was first initiate by the Navy in 1983 to crack down on the use of drugs by military personnel. 1990’s – There was a growing concern about school safety. Parents and school administrators were struggling with an influx of weapons, drugs, and violence in the schools. The term “zero tolerance” had caught on and by 1993 the public school system had begun to incorporate it’s policies in schools.

Zero tolerance in schools School boards nation wide adopted the zero tolerance policy for: weapons and drugs. Some individual schools expanded on the policy to include broad sweeping terms such as “ gang activity” and “disruptive students”. As a school policy zero – tolerance should be reserved for the most serious crimes not for minor non-violent offenses. However, it has become the primary standard fro disciplining everything from actual gun possession to guns drawn on a piece of paper.

Gun-Free Schools Act 1994 Requires that each state have in effect a state law that states any student caught carrying a gun on school property will have a “ mandatory one-year expulsion”. Schools must report any student who brings a firearm to school to the criminal justice or juvenile delinquency system. Upon expulsion, no school or school district shall be required to provide educational services to the student (Added by St. 1993,c.380, s.2)

Massachusetts only 37H ½ and 37H3/4 Students convicted of a felony or upon an adjudication or admission, in a court of guilt, can be expelled if it is determined that the student’s continued presence in school would have a substantial detrimental effect on the general welfare of the school. The student has the right to appeal the expulsion to the superintendent. The student must put the request in writing no later than five calendar days following the effective date of the expulsion. Students can be expelled no more than 90 days. Schools are required to provide all students with an education.

Wayland HS Dress Code Lynn HS Dress code C. DRESS CODE While choosing your clothing is a personal decision and involves a combination of taste, trends, and common sense, we make a clear distinction between clothing items that are appropriate for a party or for a beach, and clothing that is appropriate for a school. We consider clothing that is excessively revealing or that portrays images of violence or illegal substances to be inappropriate for a school setting. If the administration deems that your clothing does not meet the standard for school appropriateness, you will be asked to change. Lynn HS Dress code http://www.lynnschools.org/resources_policies_codes.shtml#gpm1_9

How Important is a dress code? Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epeo8Pfm1xM Dress code contest Who gets detention, in school suspension, out of school suspension, expulsion? How dangerous is a T shirt? http://illadelphglass.com/production

Scott Poland Internationally Recognized Expert on School CrisisCongressional Testimony on School ViolenceMarch 11, 1999  http://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/scott-poland?quicktabs_=third&quicktabs_connect=1#speaker-topics