Student Discipline Reporting

1
Student Discipline Reporting
Jeff Hodges Program Specialist, Safe and
Drug-Free Schools
Marilyn Watson Program Manager, Safe and
Drug-Free Schools
2
U.S. Departments of Justice and EducationDear
Colleague Letter

• Explains nondiscrimination requirements under
  Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  and reminds schools of their legal obligations to
  administer student discipline without
  discriminating on the basis of race, color or
  national origin
• Explains what OCR will do when it receives a
  complaint or begins a compliance review related
  to discrimination in the administration of
  student discipline, and outlines the legal
  framework and approach OCR will follow in its
  investigation

3
U.S. Departments of Justice and EducationDear
Colleague Letter

• Urges school districts to evaluate their
  discipline policies, practices and procedures to
  ensure they are fair and applied equally to all
  students
• Provides recommendations to assist schools in the
  fair and equitable administration of student
  discipline

4
What is the New Discipline Matrix

• Serves as a guidance tool for school systems
• May be aligned with student codes of conduct
• Discipline Matrix includes
• New Discipline Incident Types (effective
  2012-2013)
• Updated definitions to provide more clarity
• Specific examples
• Three-tiered discipline incident severity levels
  (effective 2013-2014)

5
Rationale

• Improve Data Accuracy and Reliability
• Improve Transparency in Data Reporting
• Address Concerns about the Disproportionate Use
  of Discipline Actions
• Improve Ambiguous Categorical Definitions
  and the Correlation Between Discipline Incidents
  and Discipline Actions

6
Data Reporting Resources

• Discipline Matrix Rationale
• Discipline Matrix
• Discipline Matrix Quick Reference Guide
• New Guidelines for Reporting Discipline Data
  Webinar
• http//www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-As
  sessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Student-
  Discipline.aspx

7
Implementation Timeline

• Fall 2012
• Request for comments from Superintendents on new
  discipline matrix
• Training / Webinar Archived online for future
  reference
• Spring 2013
• Mandatory Reporting New incidents and actions
  for 2012-2013 school year
• Optional Reporting Severity levels for the
  2012-2013 school year
• Summer 2013
• RESA and/or site-based training session on
  severity levels
• Data Collections Conference Training and
  Discussion
• Fall 2013
• Full implementation of severity levels

8
Discipline Action Type

• Detention- Disciplinary action consisting of the
  assignment of students to a certain area of the
  school outside of regular school hours (before
  school, after school, on a non-school day) for
  two days or the equivalent hours.
• Does not include lunch-based detention or any
  single day detention.
• May include Saturday school detention so long as
  the single Saturday school detention is the
  equivalent to two regular day detention periods.

9
Updated Discipline Action Type

• ISS- Temporary removal of a student from his or
  her regular classroom(s) for at least half a
  school day. Student remains under the direct
  supervision of school personnel.  (Direct
  supervision means school personnel are physically
  in the same location as students under their
  supervision.)
• Provisions for Special Education / IEPs

10
Discipline Incident Types

• Other - Attendance-Related (30)
• Repeated or excessive unexcused absences or
  tardies including failure to report to class,
  skipping class, leaving school without
  authorization, or failure to comply with
  disciplinary sanctions.
• Other - Dress Code Violation (31)
• Violation of school dress code that includes
  standards for appropriate school attire.

11
Discipline Incident Types

• Other - Student Incivility (33)-
• Insubordination or disrespect to staff members
  or other students Includes but is not limited to
  refusal to follow school staff member
  instructions, use of vulgar or inappropriate
  language, and misrepresentation of the truth.
• Other - Possession of Unapproved Items (34)-
• The use or possession of any unauthorized item
  disruptive to the school environment.

12
Discipline Incident Types

• Academic Dishonesty (32)
• Receiving or providing unauthorized assistance
  on classroom assessments and assignments.
• Gang-Related (35)
• Any group of three or more persons with a common
  name or common identifying signs, symbols,
  tattoos, graffiti, or attire which engage in
  criminal gang activity (O.C.G.A. 16-15-3).
• Repeated Offense (36)
• Collection of offenses not previously assigned a
  state reportable action that occurs on a single
  or across multiple school days that leads to a
  state reportable disciplinary action.

13
Reporting Other Incidents

• Reporting Other Incidents
• Treated the same as Other Incident (24) and
  only reported with a state reportable action.
• Should not increase number of reported incidents
  as these incidents were reported in prior years
  as incident type 24 and a state reported action.
• Reporting Non-Other Incidents
• Academic Dishonesty (32), Gang-Related, (35) and
  Repeated Offenses (36), should be treated as
  state reportable incidents regardless of action
  type .

14
Repeated Offenses vs. Continuation of Incident

• Repeated Offenses
• Collection of offenses not previously assigned a
  state reportable action that occurs on a single
  or across multiple school days that leads to a
  state reportable disciplinary action.
• Repeated offenses under same incident type should
  be reported at Level 3 if guidance provided. If
  no guidance then report under Repeated Offenses.
• Continuation of Incidents
• Multiple actions for a single incident

15
Discipline Reporting and USCO

• USCO is Separate Collection from Student
  Discipline
• Focuses primarily on violent crimes.
• USCO offenses must occur on school property or at
  a school-sponsored activity.
• USCO data is based on official tribunals,
  hearings conducted by a disciplinary hearing
  officer, and official actions of the local board
  of education (instead of court proceedings).
• Definitions are different
• Battery (Student Discipline) vs. Aggravated
  Battery (USCO)
• Robbery (Student Discipline) vs. Armed Robbery
  (USCO)
• Threat / Intimidation (Student Discipline) vs.
  Terroristic Threat (USCO)

16
USCO Offenses

• Aggravated Battery
• Aggravated Child Molestation
• Aggravated Sexual Battery
• Aggravated Sodomy
• Armed Robbery
• Arson
• Kidnapping

• Murder
• Rape
• Voluntary Manslaughter
• Non-felony Drugs
• Felony Drugs
• Felony Weapons
• Terroristic Threats

GaDOE USCO Webpage http//www.gadoe.org/AYP/Pages/
USCO.aspx
17
Response to Questions / Clarification

• Intentional vs. Unintentional
• Local decision on intent.
• Questions on Public Displays of Affection (PDA)
• Removed from Level 1 Sexual Offenses
• Questions Thus Far

18
Local Code Mapping

• Examples and discussion

19
Disorderly Conduct

• Other/disruptive behavior
• Classroom disruption
• General bus misbehavior
• Behavior that endangers others (level 3)
• General disruption of school environment
• Bus conduct violation
• Inciting prohibited behaviors
• Behavior detrimental to learning
• Disruption of school operations

20
Other - Student Incivility

• Disrespectful conduct
• Insubordinate conduct
• Giving false/misleading information
• Profane/vulgar/obscene/ insulting act
• Failure to report event to teacher/administrator
• Disrespect
• Inappropriate behavior or comments
• Insubordination, blatant disrespect
• Profanity
• Other disrespect/defiance
• Other giving false information
• Other profanity
• Refusal to do classwork
• Willful and persistent disobedience

21
Other - Attendance Related

• Tardies
• Truancy
• Failure to serve detention
• Failure to serve Saturday School
• Skipping class
• Skipping school
• Leaving campus without authorization
• Leaving class without authorization
• Refusal to serve ISS

22
Other Possession of Unapproved Items

• Possession/use electronic or communication device
• Use/display of cell phone or pager
• Possession/use/exchange of items inappropriate
  for school

23
Reporting Examples
24
Example 1

• A student uses a school computer to change his
  grade in Language Arts from an F to C. How would
  you code this incident??
• Student Incivility
• Computer Trespassing
• Academic Dishonesty
• Non-State Reportable Offense

25
Example 2

• A student is referred to the office for making a
  sexually explicit comment about a girls breast
  size. How would you code this incident??
• Sexual Offenses
• Sexual Harassment
• Disorderly Conduct
• Non-State Reportable Offense

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3

26
Example 2 v2

• A student is referred to the office for making a
  sexually explicit comment about a girls breast
  size and touches them. How would you code this
  incident??
• Sexual Offenses
• Sexual Harassment
• Disorderly Conduct
• Non-State Reportable Offense

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3

27
Example 3

• A student brings a knife to school and uses it to
  steal another students lunch. How would you code
  this incident??
• Threat / Intimidation
• Robbery
• Weapon - Knife
• Non-State Reportable Offense

This would be coded as an USCO violation Armed
Robbery
28
Example 4

• A student enters a locked classroom and steals a
  class calculator (worth approx. 10.00). How
  would you code this incident??
• Larceny / Theft
• Breaking and Entering / Burglary
• Robbery
• Non-State Reportable Offense

29
Example 4 v2

• A student enters a unlocked classroom and steals
  a class calculator (worth approx. 10.00). How
  would you code this incident??
• Larceny / Theft
• Breaking and Entering / Burglary
• Robbery
• Non-State Reportable Offense

30
Example 5

• A student takes Ritalin for ADHD. His medication
  is kept at his school and the school nurse
  distributes the medicine to him. Today his
  Mother put his medication in his book bag,
  because he is going to spend the night with a
  friend. The medication falls out of his book
  bag. How would you code this incident??
• Student Incivility
• Disorderly Conduct
• Drugs Except Alcohol and Tobacco
• Non-State Reportable Offense

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3

31
Example 5 v2

• A student takes Ritalin for ADHD. His medication
  is kept at his school and the school nurse
  distributes the medicine to him. Today his
  Mother put his medication in his book bag,
  because he is going to spend the night with a
  friend. The medication falls out of his book bag
  and he gives one of the pills to his friend. How
  would you code this incident??
• Student Incivility
• Disorderly Conduct
• Drugs Except Alcohol and Tobacco
• Non-State Reportable Offense

• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3

32
Example 6

• A student sent to the office for verbally
  threatening harm to another student for a second
  time this semester. How would you code this
  incident?
• Threat Intimidation
• Disorderly Conduct
• Bullying
• Non-State Reportable Offense

33
Example 6 v2

• A student sent to the office for verbally
  threatening harm to another student for a third
  or fourth time this semester. How would you code
  this incident?
• Threat Intimidation
• Disorderly Conduct
• Bullying
• Non-State Reportable Offense

34
Example 7

• A student brings a lighter to school buried
  within his pocket and another student sees it and
  tells the teacher. How is this incident coded??
• Arson
• Weapon - Other
• Possession of Unapproved Item
• Non-State Reportable Offense

35
Uses of Discipline Data
36
Uses of Discipline Data

• Accountability CCRPI
• School Climate Rating
• Weighted Suspension Rate
• Prediction models and data audits
• CSPR Annual Disciplinary Reports
• Legislative Reporting
• External Requests for Data

37
School Climate Star Rating Components Student
Discipline

• Any of ISS 0.50 pts.
• 1 2 OSS 1.00 pts.
• 3 4 OSS 3.00 pts.
• 5 - 9 OSS 5.00 pts.
• 10 OSS 7.00 pts.
• Alternative School Assignment 6.00 pts.
• (for disciplinary reasons only)
• Expulsion 7.00 pts.

38
QUESTIONS??

• Marilyn Watson mawatson_at_doe.k12.ga.us
• Jeff Hodges jhodges_at_doe.k12.ga.us