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Section III. Disciplinary Responses
According to CMS Board Policy S-SUSP: “Consequences for violating the Code of Student Conduct should be progressive in nature. Principals and teachers are encouraged to use a full range of discipline responses to student misconduct, such as parental involvement, conferences, isolation or time-out for short periods of time, behavior improvement agreements, instruction in conflict resolution and anger management, peer mediation, individual or small group sessions with the school counselor, academic intervention, in-school suspension (ISS), detention before and/or after school or on Saturday, community service, exclusion from graduation ceremonies, exclusion from extracurricular activities, suspension from bus privileges, and disciplinary placement in an alternative school.”
The use of out-of-school-suspension (OSS) should be reserved as a consequence for student conduct where other documented options either have not been effective or, in the opinion of the principal, will not serve to protect other students and staff at the school or will not preserve an orderly school environment. A short-term suspension of 3 or more days may be appealed (see page 22). All documented discipline incidents remain on the student’s record. The Board directs that any short-term suspension of any student in the pre-kindergarten program, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade shall first be reviewed and approved by the Superintendent, or his designee, prior to being enforced against the student. The Superintendent’s decision shall be final and may not be appealed to the Board.
Also according to Policy S-SUSP: as principals decide what to recommend to the superintendent/designee as appropriate consequences for the most serious rule violations, they should base their recommendations “upon a review of the nature of the incident and student’s culpability in the incident, degree of danger presented by the student, intent, disciplinary and academic history, potential benefits to the student of alternatives to suspension, and other mitigating or aggravating factors. The principal must also consider and make a recommendation as to whether a reassignment to an alternative school program should be a condition of a suspension or a separate disciplinary option.”
The provisions of this code also apply when students are in the virtual learning environment.
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Level I
Provides programs and/or school options for students who are at risk for behavioral issues and may be disenfranchised from school or commit minor infractions on an infrequent basis. Program options are typically implemented in the student’s current school and include services such as support related to anger management or conflict resolution. Although the final decision on where the student will attend school will be made by the superintendent, principals, community administrators, and parents will collaborate on the decision to enroll a student in the alternative programs.
Potential Responses: (This list contains some of the options that may be used by the administration in addressing student conduct. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.)
- Parent contact
- Conference (any combination of parent/student/school officials/counselors and teacher)
- Referral to Student Services Team
- Verbal warning
- Temporary social restriction from peers
- Return of property or restitution for damages
- Suspension from bus
- After-school detention or Saturday school
- Behavior contract
- Consider student for additional support via the prescribed MTSS process (see definition page 27)
- In-school suspension
- Confiscation of unauthorized items
- School-based community service/work detail
- Restorative Practice (i.e. peer jury, peer mediation, community service. See definition on page 27)
- Service Learning (See definition on page 27)
- Referral to community agency
- Revocation of school-related privileges
- Disciplinary councils
- Temporary termination from the school-based virtual learning environment
- Education
- Online module for nicotine-based referrals
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Level II
Provides interventions and consequences for students who commit infractions of the Code of Student Conduct such as being chronically disruptive or participating in a fight that does not result in injury or significant disruption to the educational environment.
Potential Responses: (This list contains some of the options that may be used by the administration in addressing student conduct. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.)
- Choice of response from Level I
- Alternative classroom assignment
- Temporary or permanent removal from participation in extracurricular/co-curricular programs or activities
- Out-of-school suspension for one to 10 days with an opportunity to attend a Short-Term Suspension Site (parent contact must be attempted and written notice is required)
- Warning of referral to Level III (repeated offenses)
Out-of-school suspension for each Level:
Level I - 0 days
Level II - 1 to 10 days (Short-term suspension)
Consequences for Level III-V may be imposed only by the Superintendent/designee.
Level III - 11 to 30 days (Long-term suspension)
Level IV - up to 365 days (Long-term or mandatory 365-day suspension)
Level V - Expulsion -
Level III
Provides interventions and consequences for students who commit more serious infractions of the Code of Student Conduct and/or have repeat offenses.
Potential Responses: (This list contains some of the options that may be used by the administration in addressing student conduct. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.)
- Out-of-school suspension with an opportunity to attend a Short-Term Site for 10 days and a request for a discipline team meeting which may result in additional consequences. A student may be recommended for a long term suspension and/or disciplinary reassignment to Turning Point Academy middle or high school for up to 180 school days (in certain situations the assignment may be permanent).
- Additional consequences under Level I or II may be imposed as appropriate
- Warning of referral to Level IV (for repeated offenses)
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Level IV
Provides interventions and consequences for students who commit serious offenses and whose conduct seriously threatens the safety of students, staff or visitors or threatens to substantially disrupt the educational environment. Options at Level IV include long-term suspension and/or assignment to Turning Point Academy middle or high school for up to 180 days (in certain situations the assignment may be permanent). Additionally, by law, with limited exceptions, students must be suspended from school for 365 days for bringing a firearm or destructive device onto school property.
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Level V
Expulsion: The indefinite removal of a student from school and all school properties by the Board of Education for a student (age14 or older) whose continued presence constitutes a clear threat to other persons or who is a registered sex offender who is subject to the Jessica Lunsford Act.
Within each Level, the administrator has the discretion to impose consequences deemed most appropriate to address the infraction. In the instances where an infraction falls within multiple Levels, it is within the discretion of the administrator to determine Level assignment for the infraction.
Sections I-III apply to Section IV (Code of Conduct), it is advised to read sections prior to reviewing the rules.
