The board believes inappropriate student conduct causes material and substantial disruption to the school environment, interferes with the rights of others, or presents a threat to the health and safety of students, employees, and visitors on school premises.
Students shall conduct themselves in a manner fitting to their age level and maturity and with respect and consideration for the rights of others while on school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school owned and/or operated school or chartered buses; while attending or engaged in school activities; and while away from school grounds if misconduct will directly affect the good order, efficient management and welfare of the school district.
Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be disciplined for conduct which disrupts or interferes with the education program; conduct which disrupts the orderly and efficient operation of the school district or school activity; conduct which disrupts the rights of other students to obtain their education or participation; conduct that is violent or destructive; or conduct which interrupts the maintenance of a disciplined atmosphere. Disciplinary measures include, but are not limited to, removal from the classroom, detention, suspension, probation, and expulsion.
A student who commits an assault against an employee on school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school-owned or school-operated chartered vehicles; while attending or engaged in school district activities shall be suspended by the principal. Assault for purposes of this section of this policy is defined as:
• an act which is intended to cause pain or injury to, or which is intended to result in physical contact which will be insulting or offensive to another, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or
• any act which is intended to place another in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting or offensive, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or
• intentionally points any firearm or look alike weapon toward another or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another.
The act is not an assault when the person doing any of the above and the other person are voluntary participants in a sport, social or other activity, not in itself criminal, when the act is a reasonably foreseeable incident of such sport or activity, and does not create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or breach of the peace.
Removal from the classroom means a student is sent to the building principal's office. It shall be within the discretion of the person in charge of the classroom to remove the student.
Detention means the student's presence is required during non-school hours for disciplinary purposes. The student can be required to appear prior to the beginning of the school day or after school has been dismissed for the day. Whether a student will serve detention, and the length of the detention, shall be within the discretion of the licensed employee disciplining the student or the building principal.
Suspension means either an in-school suspension, an out-of-school suspension, a restriction from activities or loss of eligibility. An in-school suspension means the student will attend school but will be temporarily isolated from one or more classes while under supervision. An in-school suspension will not exceed ten consecutive school days. An out-of-school suspension means the student is removed from the school environment, which includes school classes and activities. An out-of-school suspension will not exceed ten days. A restriction from school activities means a student will attend school and classes and practice but will not participate in school activities.
Probation means a student is given a conditional suspension of a penalty for a definite period of time in addition to being reprimanded. The conditional suspension shall mean the student must meet the conditions and terms for the suspension of the penalty. Failure of the student to meet these conditions and terms shall result in immediate reinstatement of the penalty.
Expulsion means an action by the board to remove a student from the school environment, which includes, but is not limited to, classes and activities, for a period of time set by the board but no longer than one school year.
Discipline of special education students, including suspensions and expulsions, will comply with the provisions of applicable federal and state laws.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.
Legal Reference: Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565 (1975).
Brands v. Sheldon Community School District, 671 F.Supp. 627 (N.D. Iowa 1987).
Sims v. Colfax Comm. School Dist., 307 F.Supp. 485 (Iowa 1970).
Bunger v. Iowa High School Athletic Assn., 197 N.W.2d 555 (Iowa 1972).
Board of Directors of Ind. School Dist. of Waterloo v. Green, 259 Iowa 1260, 147 N.W.2d 854 (1967).
Iowa Code §§ 279.8; 282.4, .5; 708.1 (2005).
Cross Reference: 501 Student Attendance, 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities, 504 Student Activities, 603.3 Special Education , 903.5 Distribution of Materials
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised December 13, 2021
STUDENT SUSPENSION
Administration Action
A. Probation
1. Probation is conditional suspension of a penalty for a set period of time. Probation may be imposed by the principal for infractions of school rules which do not warrant the necessity of removal from school.
2. The principal will conduct an investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of probation. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. Written notice and reasons for the probation will be sent to the parents.
B. In-School Suspension
1. In-school suspension is the temporary isolation of a student from one or more classes while under administrative supervision. In-school suspensions may be imposed by the principal for infractions of school rules which are serious but which do not warrant the necessity of removal from school.
2. The principal shall conduct an investigation of the allegations against the student prior to imposition of an in-school suspension. The investigation will include, but not be limited to, written or oral notice to the student of the allegations against the student and an opportunity to respond. In-school suspension will not be imposed for more than ten school days. Written notice and reasons for the in-school suspension will be sent to the student's parents.
C. Out-of-School Suspension
1. Out-of-school suspension is the removal of a student from the school environment for periods of short duration. Out-of-school suspension is to be used when other available school resources are unable to constructively remedy student misconduct. A student may be suspended out of school for up to ten school days by a principal for a commission of gross or repeated infractions of school rules, regulations, policy or the law, or when the presence of the student will cause interference with the maintenance of the educational environment or the operation of the school. The principal may suspend students after conducting an investigation of the charges against the student, giving the student:
a. Oral or written notice of the allegations against the student and
b. The opportunity to respond to those charges.
At the principal's discretion, the student may be allowed to confront witnesses against the student or present witnesses on behalf of the student.
2. Notice of the out-of-school suspension will be mailed no later than the end of the school day following the suspension to the student's parents and the superintendent. A reasonable effort shall be made to personally notify the student's parents and such effort shall be documented by the person making or attempting to make the contact. Written notice to the parents shall include the circumstances which led to the suspension and a copy of the board policy and rules pertaining to the suspension.
D. Suspensions and Special Education Students
1. Students who have been identified as special education students may be referred for a review of the student's Individual Education Program (IEP). The IEP may be revised to include a continuum of intervention strategies and programming to change the behavior.
2. Students who have not been identified as special education students may be referred for evaluation after the student's suspension to determine whether the student has a disability and is in need of special education.
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised
Only the board may remove a student from the school environment. The removal of a student from the school environment, which includes, but is not limited to, classes and activities, is an expulsion from school. Students may be expelled for violations of board policy, school rules or the law. It shall be within the discretion of the board to discipline a student by using an expulsion for a single offense or for a series of offenses depending on the nature of the offense and the circumstances surrounding the offense.
It shall be within the discretion of the superintendent to recommend to the board the expulsion of a student for disciplinary purposes. Only the board may take action to expel a student and to readmit the student. The principal shall keep records of expulsions in addition to the board's records.
When a student is recommended for expulsion by the board, the student shall be provided with:
1. Notice of the reasons for the proposed expulsion;
2. The names of the witnesses and an oral or written report on the facts to which each witness testifies unless the witnesses are students whose names may be released at the discretion of the superintendent;
3. An opportunity to present a defense against the charges and provide either oral testimony or written affidavits of witnesses on the student's behalf;
4. The right to be represented by counsel; and,
5. The results and finding of the board in writing open to the student's inspection.
In addition to these procedures, a special education student must be provided with additional procedures. A determination should be made of whether the student is actually guilty of the misconduct. A staffing team should determine whether the student's behavior is caused by the student's disability and whether the conduct is the result of inappropriate placement. Discussions and conclusions of this meeting should be recorded.
If the special education student's conduct is not caused by the disability, the student may be expelled or suspended for a long-term period following written notice to the parent and pursuant to the school district's expulsion hearing procedures. If the misconduct is caused by the disability and a change in placement is recommended, the change must be made pursuant to the placement procedures used by the school district.
Legal Reference: Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565 (1975).
Wood v. Strickland, 420 U.S. 308 (1975).
Southeast Warren Comm. School District v. Dept. of Public Instruction, 285 N.W.2d 173 (Iowa 1979).
Iowa Code §§ 21.5; 282.3, .4, .5 (2005). 281 I.A.C. 12.3(8).
Cross Reference: 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503 Student Discipline
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised
The board believes students should respect school district property and assist in its preservation for future use by others. Students may be assessed fines, charges, or fees for the materials needed in a course, for overdue school materials, for participating in activities, or for misuse of school property.
The superintendent shall inform the board of the dollar amount to be charged to students or others for fines, charges, or fees annually. . Parents of students meeting specific financial eligibility standards will be eligible for a waiver of student fees or a reduction of student fees based upon the request of the parent. It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 256.7(20); 279.8; 280.10, .11; 282.6; 285.1; 301.1 (2005).
281 I.A.C. 18.
1994 Op. Att'y Gen. 23.
1990 Op. Att'y Gen. 79.
1982 Op. Att'y Gen. 227.
1980 Op. Att'y Gen. 532.
Cross Reference: 501.16 Homeless Children & Youth
502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503 Student Discipline
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised December 13, 2021
Participation in school activities is a privilege. School activities provide the benefits of promoting additional interests and abilities in the students during their school years and for their lifetimes.
Students who participate in extracurricular activities serve as ambassadors of the school district throughout the calendar year, whether away from school or at school. Students who wish to have the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities must conduct themselves in accordance with board policy and must refrain from activities which are illegal, immoral or unhealthy.
Students who fail to abide by this policy and the administrative regulations supporting it may be subject to disciplinary measures. The principal shall keep records of violations of the good conduct rule.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop rules and regulations for school activities. Students wanting to participate in school activities must meet the requirements set out by the school district for participation in the activity.
Legal Reference: Bunger v. Iowa High School Athletic Assn., 197 N.W.2d 555 (Iowa 1972).
In re Jason Clark, 1 D.P.I. App. Dec. 167 (1978).
Iowa Code §§ 280.13, .13A (2005).
281 I.A.C. 12.3(8); 36.15(1).
Cross Reference: 502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
503 Student Discipline
504 Student Activities
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised
The use of corporal punishment, mechanical restraint and/or prone restraint is prohibited in all schools. Corporal punishment is defined as the intentional physical punishment of a student. It includes the use of unreasonable or unnecessary physical force or physical contact made with the intent to harm or cause pain. No employee is prohibited from any of the following which are not considered corporal punishment::
Using reasonable and necessary force, not designed or intended to cause pain, in order to accomplish any of the following:
• To quell a disturbance or prevent an act that threatens physical harm to any person.
• To obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object within a pupil's control.
• For the purposes of self-defense or defense of others as provided for in Iowa Code section 704.3.
• For the protection of property as provided for in Iowa Code section 704.4 or 704.5.
• To remove a disruptive pupil from class or any area of school premises or from school-sponsored activities off school premises.
• To protect a student from the self-infliction of harm.
• To protect the safety of others.
Using incidental, minor, or reasonable physical contact to maintain order and control.
Mechanical restraint means the use of a device as a means of restricting a student’s freedom of movement. Mechanical restraint does not mean a device used by a trained individual for specific approved therapeutic or safety purposes for which the device was designed and, if applicable, prescribed, including restraints for medical immobilization, adaptive devices or mechanical supports used to allow greater freedom of mobility than would be possible without use of such devices or mechanical supports; and vehicle safety restraints when used as intended during the transport of a student in a moving vehicle.
Prone restraint means any restraint in which the student is held face down on the floor.
Reasonable physical force should be commensurate with the circumstances of the situation. The following factors should be considered in using reasonable physical force for the reasons stated in this policy:
1 The size and physical, mental, and psychological condition of the student;
2 The nature of the student's behavior or misconduct provoking the use of physical force;
3 The instrumentality used in applying the physical force;
4 The extent and nature of resulting injury to the student, if any;
5 The motivation of the school employee using physical force.
Upon request, the student's parents shall be given an explanation of the reasons for physical force. It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.
Legal Reference: Ingraham v. Wright, 430 U.S. 651 (1977).
Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565 (1975).
Tinkham v. Kole, 252 Iowa 1303, 110 N.W.2d 258 (1961).
Lai v. Erickson, PTPC Admin. Doc. 83-12 (1983).
Iowa Code §§ 279.8; 280.21 (2005).
281 I.A.C. 12.3(8); -103. / 1980 Op. Att'y Gen. 275.
Cross Reference:
402.3 Abuse of Students by School District Employees
502 Student Rights and Responsibilities
501 Student Discipline
Approved Mar 12, 2007
Reviewed December 13, 2021
Revised December 13, 2021
Sept. 14, 2023
Model Policies for Discipline of Students Who Make Threats of Violence or Cause Incidents of Violence
Introduction
The 2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), signed by Governor Reynolds on May 26, 2023, requires the Iowa Department of Education to develop and distribute a model policy for school districts and charter schools that, if adopted, satisfies a school district's or charter school’s responsibilities under Iowa Code 279.79 established by the Act. These model policies are intended to support a school district and charter school in meeting the requirements of new Iowa Code section 279.79 and in developing policies for different grade levels that describe how a school district or charter school may discipline a student for making a threat of violence or causing an incident of violence that results in injury or property damage or assault.
Districts are required to:
• Publish the district policy on the district website (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 7, new section 279.79, subsection 1).
• Provide each parent or guardian with a copy of the policy and require the parent or guardian acknowledge receipt of the policy in writing or electronically (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 8).
Discipline Policy
Discipline is designed to promote behavior that will enable students to learn and successfully participate in their educational and social environments. The district discipline policy for students who make a threat of violence or commit an act of violence is developed to help students understand their obligations to others in the school setting, secure the safety of all students, staff and the community, and to correct student behavior if a violation occurs (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 7, new section 279.79, subsection 1).
Students will conduct themselves in a manner fitting their age, grade level, and maturity, and with respect and consideration for the rights of others while on school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school owned and/or operated school or chartered vehicles; while attending or engaged in school activities; and while away from school grounds if misconduct will directly affect the good order, efficient management and welfare of the school district. Consequences for the misconduct will be fair and tailored to the age, grade level and maturity of the student.
Discipline and other responses to threats or incidents of violence by a student with a disability, including removal from a class, placement in a therapeutic classroom, suspensions, and expulsions, will comply with the provisions of applicable federal and state laws including, but not limited to, the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 7, new section 279.79, subsection 3).
District Response to a Threat or Incident of Violence by a Student
Reporting a Threat of Violence or Incidence of Violence
In the case of any threat of violence or incident of violence that results in injury, property damage or assault by a student, the teacher will report to the school principal or lead administrator within 24 hours of the incident. The principal or lead administrator will notify the parent or guardian of the student(s) who threatened or perpetrated an act of violence and the student(s) who the threatened or perpetrated act of violence was made against within 24 hours after receipt of the teacher’s report and complete an investigation of the
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Iowa Department of Education
incident as soon as possible. The classroom teacher may also notify the parent or guardian of the student who made the threat or caused the incident, and the parent or guardian of the student against whom the threat or incident was directed (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 4).
An investigation will be initiated by the principal or lead administrator upon learning of an incident of violence or threat of violence through any credible means. If the principal or lead administrator finds that an incident of violence or threat of violence did occur, the administrator will determine the level of threat or incident by considering all aspects of the situation, including the student's intent and knowledge of the impact of their actions, their developmental level and context of the incident. The resolution will focus on identifying the cause behind the behavior and appropriate corrective action (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 7, new section 279.79, subsections 1 and 4).
A student who makes a threat of violence, causes an incident of violence that results in injury or property damage, or who commits an assault, will be subject to escalating levels of discipline for each occurrence. When appropriate, referrals will be made to local law enforcement. The district retains the authority to assign the level of disciplinary measures appropriate to the severity of the threat of violence or incident of violence (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 96 (House File 604), sec. 7, new section 279.79, subsection 5).
Threat of Violence
Threat of violence means a written, verbal, electronic or behavioral message that either explicitly or implicitly expresses an intention to inflict emotional or physical injury, property damage, or assault.
Incident of Violence
Incident of violence means the intentional use of physical force or power against oneself, another person, a group or community or property resulting in injury, property damage or assault.
Injury
Injury means “physical pain, illness or any impairment of physical condition.” State v. McKee, 312 N.W.2d 907, 913 (Iowa 1981).
Property Damage
Property damage means any destruction, damage, impairment or alteration of property to which the individual does not have a right to take such an action. Property means real property, which includes any real estate, building, or fixture attached to a building or structure, and personal property, which includes intangible property (Iowa Code section 4.1(21)).
Assault
Assault means when, without justification, a student does any of the following:
an act which is intended to cause pain or injury to, or which is intended to result in physical contact which will be insulting or offensive to another, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or any act which is intended to place another in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting or offensive, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; or intentionally points any firearm toward another or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another.
The act is not an assault when the person doing any of the above and the other person are voluntary participants in a sport, social or other activity, not in itself criminal, when the act is a reasonably foreseeable incident of such sport or activity, and does not create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or breach of the peace (Following Iowa Code section 708.1).
2
Iowa Department of Education
Escalating Responses by Grade Band
Grades PK-2
Level
Escalating Response
Level 1
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses may include any of the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention; and/or
o Temporary removal from class.
• Unless the first offense is unusually serious, the administrator will avoid permanent removal from a class.
Level 2
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to the incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate, with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; and/or o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate.
Level 3
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate, with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s). o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate; and/or
o Recommendation for expulsion.
3
Iowa Department of Education
Grades 3-5
Level
Escalating Response
Level 1
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that may include the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention; and/or
o Temporary removal from class.
• Unless the first offense is unusually serious, the administrator will avoid permanent removal from a class.
Level 2
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Response to an incident may include, but are not limited to, the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate, with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; and/or o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate.
Level 3
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Response to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; and/or o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate; and/or
o Recommendation for expulsion.
4
Iowa Department of Education
Grades 6-8
Level
Escalating Response
Level 1
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that may include the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention; and/or
o Temporary removal from class.
Level 2
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to an incident may include, but are not limited to, the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; and/or o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate.
Level 3
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Response to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that may include the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate; and/or
o Recommendation for expulsion.
5
Iowa Department of Education
Grades 9-12
Level
Escalating Response
Level 1
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Responses to an incident may include, but are not limited to, the following: o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary removal from class;
o In-school suspension; and/or
o Suspension of transportation, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle.
Level 2
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Response to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; and/or o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate.
Level 3
• Requires parent or guardian notification.
• Review of response to prior offense, if applicable, to inform increased level of response. • Requires individualized educational program (IEP) meeting, if the student has an IEP. • Response to an incident may include the following:
o Parent or guardian conference that includes the student, when appropriate; o When appropriate and with written parent/guardian consent, counseling, and/or mental health counseling subject to available resources of the district;
o Behavior intervention student agreement coupled with another response(s); o Restitution or opportunities to repair relationships coupled with another response(s); o Detention;
o Temporary or permanent removal from extracurricular activities;
o Temporary or permanent removal from class;
o In-school suspension;
o Out-of-school suspension;
o Suspension of transportation privileges, if misconduct occurred in a school vehicle; o Placement in an alternative learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom, when appropriate; and/or
o Recommendation for expulsion.
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Iowa Department of Education
Definitions (consistent with the Department’s Data Dictionary 2022-23)
Detention means the student's presence is required during non-school hours for disciplinary purposes. The student can be required to appear prior to the beginning of the school day, after school has been dismissed for the day or on a non-school day. Whether a student will serve detention, and the length of the detention, is within the discretion of the licensed employee or the building principal disciplining the student.
Expulsion means an action by the board to remove a student from the school environment, which includes, but is not limited to, classes and activities, for a period of time set by the board.
In-school suspension means the student will attend school but will be temporarily isolated from one or more classes while under supervision. An in-school suspension will not exceed ten consecutive school days.
Out-of-school suspension means the student is removed from the school environment, which includes school classes and activities. An out-of-school suspension will not exceed ten consecutive school days unless due process is provided as required by federal and state law. A restriction from school activities means a student will attend school and classes and practice but will not participate in school activities.
Placement in an alternate learning environment means placement of a student in an environment established apart from the regular educational program that includes rules, staff and resources designed to accommodate student needs and to provide a comprehensive education consistent with the student learning goals and content standards established by the school district.
Removal from the classroom means a student is sent to the building principal's office. It is within the discretion of the person in charge of the classroom to remove the student.
Approved: December 11, 2023
Reviewed: November 21, 2023
Revised: