Discipline Code 2010 - 2011

The guidelines for administering discipline in the high school are authorized by School Board Policy #505 – Discipline.   Discipline does not mean the suppression of young people. It means consistently helping them regulate their own behavior to grow in the way that is most meaningful to them. It means helping society in general, to have regulations and to establish boundaries within which all are expected to function. It means providing an atmosphere where one may test his/her own individuality and identity. Above all, it means teaching students self-control and that each individual is responsible for his/her own behavior.

It is the aim of the Neshaminy High School Faculty and Administration to promote honesty and integrity in all staff-student interactions.  The expectation is for students to be truthful and proper in word and action in matters of school and disciplinary interactions.  Failure to abide by this expectation may result in further disciplinary consequence Students need limits.  Efficient classroom management means limits are constructed rationally, communicated effectively, and enforced consistently and fairly. Freedom for the student - the freedom to learn and to interact democratically - exists only within a defined social structure. We believe that good behavior must be motivated and expected in order to be learn.  Our outlook on discipline is, therefore, entirely constructive.

Guidelines

The guidelines are composed of two (2) major parts: Student Offenses Requiring Disciplinary Action (I) and Specific Discipline Procedures and Actions (II)

I.  Student Offenses Requiring Disciplinary Action

A.  In-Class Student Behavior

        A student offense that relates specifically to an in-class offense, committed within the time period of a specific subject and/or under the supervision of a specific teacher. 

B.  Out-of-Class Student Behavior

        A student offense that occurs during any non-class period activity such as time in between classes, lunch, assembly, study hall, or any unassigned time between entering the school in the morning and leaving school in the afternoon.  The teacher, when possible, should inform the student of inappropriate behavior and follow up with an incident card.

C.  Major Breaches of Discipline

        Any student offense in or out of class which is identified by the Neshaminy School District Policy Section #505 - Discipline as a major breach of discipline.

II. Specific Discipline Procedures and Actions

        The following are the approved discipline procedures to be followed through and until the incident is resolved. Steps A through D are to be followed for all in class infractions.

A.  Teacher/Staff – Student Contact       

        The teacher/staff member should inform the student of the inappropriate behavior and attempt to use this opportunity to help the student make better choices when possible. 

B.  Detention with Teacher (optional)    

        The teacher keeps a student with him/her for a designated time in a designated area.

C. Teacher/Parent Contact

Teacher/Parent contacts are crucial for the ongoing support of the goals of this Code.  The purpose of the parent contact is not only to inform, but to address a student concern as a partnership.  Parent contact related to specific disciplinary incidents may be in the form of a telephone call, note, form letter, or in-school conference at a mutually convenient time.  It is the expectation that when a school staff member contacts a parent, every attempt will be made by that parent to address the concerns with their child.

For a given minor, in-class infraction, if a student continues inappropriate behavior after being spoken with by the teacher (Step A), the teacher will contact the parent to explain the in-class infraction.  If the student’s behavior does not improve relative to that parent contact, the teacher will refer the matter to the Assistant Principal (Step D).

If the student’s behavior improves relative to the infraction after the parental contact then the teacher will contact the parent again if the student’s behavior declines.   This expectation of the teacher shall not be greater than twice in one semester (or once per marking period) per pupil. Records must be maintained of these contacts.

D.  Disciplinary Action by Assistant Principal

1.  If student behavior does not improve after the initial parent contact has been made a referral to the Assistant Principal may be initiated by the teacher.  The referral to the Administration from the teacher must indicate on the incident card the date contact was made with the parent, or upon sending the student to the office, the teacher must indicate to the Administration, either verbally or in writing, all previous disciplinary action taken with a student. (Teachers are encouraged to continue contacting a parent if improvement in the student’s behavior becomes evident.)   The referral card describing the administrative action taken will be returned to the initiating staff in a timely fashion in effort to encourage ongoing dialogue with the staff member.

2.     The Assistant Principal will carry out the assignment of demerits from the approved Discipline Code and will discuss the incident with the student in an attempt to determine how he/she can help the student change his inappropriate behavior.  If a second referral is initiated regarding the student, a parent contact will be made by the Assistant Principal (or Managerial Assistant) to notify the parent of the escalation of inappropriate behavior and related consequences.

3.     An accumulation of ten (10) demerits will result in the suspension of a student.  Upon return from suspension, the number of demerits will be reduced to five (5).  Students may work to erase demerits over an eight week period as appropriate behavior is noted.  One (1) demerit will be removed from his /her record for each two weeks in which no disciplinary incident is reported. The Assistant Principal will make every effort to meet with the student on an ongoing basis in order to develop a meaningful relationship with the student and the parent, reminding the student of his successful elimination of demerits or to remind the student of possible future consequences if the behavior does not improve. All demerits will be dropped after eight weeks if no infractions are reported to the appropriate administrator, but the step on the scale of suspensions will not change.

4.     A student may be placed on Restricted Movement by an Assistant Principal at anytime before ten (10) demerits are accumulated. This is in addition to, but not in lieu of, the student’s step on the Discipline Code.

5. Suspensions for in-class and out-of-class misconduct will be carried out as follows:

·         Suspensions for major breaches of the Discipline Code will result in ten (10) demerits and a 1 - 10 day suspension from school.  The exception is smoking, the use of and/or possession of smokeless and/or smoking tobacco.  This offense will result in an out-of-school suspension.

E. Further Disciplinary Action by the Assistant Principal or Principal

1.     Recommended expulsion is the responsibility of the Principal.

2.     Notification of the Police

·         The Principal or his/her designee will notify police when necessary. This must be done when mandated by law. This may be done for items indicated in the Discipline Procedures.

·         Personal Matters. A staff member may initiate legal proceedings for personal matters with the understanding that he/she assumes full responsibility for follow-up.

Exceptions to the Disciplinary Actions:

If the Assistant Principal wishes to deviate from the established code, he/she may do so after consultation and agreement with the teacher initiating disciplinary action. In cases where the Assistant Principal and teacher are not able to agree on the deviation, the Assistant Principal will refer the matter to the Principal who will determine the action to be taken. In cases of parental appeal, the Principal will consult with the Assistant Principal and teacher before taking any action.

General Misconduct:                                              

The high school administration reserves the right to prohibit students with serious and/or continuing discipline problems from participating in school privileges including, but not limited to parking, proms, class trips, and graduation.