Danbury Middle Schools Conduct Code

Danbury Public Schools

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONDUCT CODE

The Danbury Public School System promotes: discipline as education, discipline with caring, primary prevention, early intervention, development of self-discipline, consistency and predictability, celebration of good behavior, celebration of achievement, and sense of school "community".

Consistent with Board of Education Policy 7-230, the Board of Education believes that teaching and learning proceed best in a safe, respectful and orderly environment. Toward that end, individual schools shall implement positive approaches to promoting and maintaining appropriate behavior. Also toward that end, individual schools will adopt, implement and annually distribute codes of conduct, which specify the range of possible consequences for particular types of misbehavior. These positive approaches and conduct codes must be consistent with State and Federal law, Board policies and the following principles:

communication/alliance with family
safety for all
respect for self and others
respect for personal and public property
courtesy
cultural sensitivity
respect for differences
balance between rights and responsibilities
balance between the rights of the individual and the rights of the total school community.

Connecticut School Law provides that students may be suspended or expelled for conduct off-campus. Expulsion is required for off-campus conduct in situations in which a student possessed a firearm, deadly weapon, dangerous instrument, or martial arts weapon. Expulsion is also mandatory if a student is found to have engaged in the sale or distribution of drugs, whether on or off school property. A student may also be suspended or expelled for off-campus activities, which result in arrest, such as assault or rape. If such activity is deemed to be disruptive to the school environment by the principal, he/she may suspend the student for up to 10 days. The principal will confer with the Superintendent to determine if such off-campus activity warrants a recommendation for expulsion.

All middle school students are required to sign a Safe Schools Pledge and Zero Tolerance Notification which refer to Assault, Fighting, Weapon Possession or Facsimile (including fireworks), Arson, False Alarm, BombThreat, Threatening, Theft by Threat, Using, Selling, Possessing, Distributing Controlled Substances: Alcohol, Drugs o Paraphernalia, indicating that they agree and comply with the Conduct Code. Students must also sign the Acceptable Use Student Contract.

Additional Board policies and administrative regulations exist. These describe in detail procedures to be followed in response to particular kinds of behaviors. Copies are available upon request through the Superintendent's office. Examples of areas for which additional policies and regulations exist include: truancy, suspension and expulsion, sexual harassment, controlled substances, weapons, bus misbehavior, removal from class, and exclusion from privileges.

KEY TO TERMINOLOGY
Parent contact is required in the following instances:

Appropriate Teacher Response:	Discipline without administrative intervention. This may include such things as conferences, parent contacts, warnings, detentions, loss of privileges, removal from class, etc.
CST:	Referral to Child Study Team.
Expulsion:	Referral to the Superintendent for possible recommendation that the BOE expel up to a calendar year. (PPT decisions may supersede this process.)
ISS:	In School Suspension.
OSS:	Out of School Suspension
Police Referral:	May include arrest.
PPT:	Referral to Planning and Placement Team (special education students)
SAC:	Student Assistance Counselor
SAT:	Referral to Student Assistance Team

Based on the severity of the particular behavior and the student's disciplinary history, the administration will assign consequences ranging between the minimum and the maximum stated in the code. An administrator or teacher, as appropriate, will notify parents either in writing or by telephone when their child receives a disciplinary consequence.

Middle school students enrolled in Project Rebound will adhere to the regular Middle School Code of Conduct. In rare instances, it may become necessary to alter disciplinary action to respond to a student's individual needs and program goals, at the discretion of the teacher(s).

Section I
Safety, Freedom from Fear

Section II
Respect and Courtesy

Section III
Respect for Personal and Public Property

Section IV
Respect for Orderly Teaching/Learning Environment

For Behaviors relating to Technology use, please click here. Unless otherwise noted, the consequences are as stated in Sections I, II, & III above.

SECTION I. SAFETY, FREEDOM FROM FEAR
BEHAVIOR	MINIMUM	MAXIMUM
Assault	3 days OSS police referral refer to counselor	10 days OSS police referral CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Fighting	3 days ISS refer to counselor	10 days OSS police referral refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Weapon Possession or Facsimile (including fireworks)	10 days OSS police referral refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT	expulsion
Arson, False Alarm, Bomb Threat	10 days OSS police and fire marshal referrals refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT	expulsion
Threatening, Theft by Threat	3 days ISS refer to PPS	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Using, Selling, Possessing, Distributing Controlled Substances: Alcohol, Drugs or Paraphernalia	10 days OSS police referral refer to SAT/PPT	expulsion
Intimidation/Instigation	3 days ISS refer to PPS	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Possession of laser pointer	1st Offense: 1 day ISS, confiscation 2nd Offense: 2 days OSS
Gang Colors, Decoration or Attire	appropriate teacher response	5 days ISS CST/SAT/PPT
Smoking or Chewing Tobacco	parent conference	5 days ISS refer to nurse
Bus Misbehavior* (Refer to Get It Together Bus Handout & the MS Conduct Code)	Minimum: Warning Maximum: Suspension of bus privileges (up to 5 days) *Disciplinary response will be dictated by the particular behavior in other sections of this Code.

SECTION II. RESPECT AND COURTESY
BEHAVIOR	MINIMUM	MAXIMUM
Harassment	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Sexual Harassment *(Policy 7-145.3)*	conference with student conference with parent refer to counselor	10 days OSS police referral CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Racial or other Discriminatory Slurs	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT
Blackmail	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT
Obscene, Vulgar, Abusive, Inflammatory or Disrespectful Language, Gestures or Attire	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
False Accusation	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT
Verbal or Gestural Abuse Toward Staff	3 days ISS refer to counselor	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Insubordination	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Refusal to Identify Self When Asked	admin. conf. with student parent notification	5 days ISS
Lying to Avoid Blame or Responsibility	appropriate teacher response	5 days ISS
Cheating	appropriate teacher response	5 days ISS

SECTION III. RESPECT FOR PERSONAL AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
BEHAVIOR	MINIMUM	MAXIMUM
Theft or Possession of Stolen Goods	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS police referral expulsion
Vandalism	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS police referral restitution possible expulsion
Tampering with School Records	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS CST/SAT/PPT
Littering	appropriate teacher response	5 days ISS clean up
Throwing Objects	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT possible expulsion
Criminal Mischief (as determined by the Danbury Police Dept.)	10 days OSS police referral CST restitution possible expulsion

SECTION IV. RESPECT FOR ORDERLY TEACHING/LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
BEHAVIOR	MINIMUM	MAXIMUM
Disruption of the Educational Process	appropriate teacher response	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Failure to Serve In School Suspension	1 day OSS refer to counselor	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Failure to Serve Detention	1 additional detention	10 days OSS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT expulsion
Gambling	appropriate teacher response	5 days ISS refer to counselor CST/SAT/PPT
Cafeteria Misbehavior	appropriate response by cafeteria supervisor	5 days removal from lunch (to ISS room)
Trespassing	warning request to leave	police referral add time to suspension in progress
Truancy from School	administrative conference refer to counselor follow State law	5 days ISS, parent contact CST/SAT/PPT follow State law possible court referral.
Bringing Unauthorized Visitors to School	administrative conference (warning)	5 days ISS
Possession of Beepers, Cellular Phones, Walkman, or Unauthorized Devices	confiscation for 1 day	5 days ISS confiscation until return to parent at conference
AWOL from Class (Cutting)	teacher conference exclusion from privileges refer to counselor notify parent	5 days ISS CST/SAT/PPT
Attire Inconsistent With Teaching/ LearningEnvironment	appropriate teacher response change of attire	5 days ISS
Failure to Sign in on late Arrival	administrative conference	detention or 2 days ISS
Tardiness to School	appropriate teacher response notify parent	detention or 2 days ISS
Tardiness to Class	appropriate teacher response	detention or 2 days ISS
Leaving School Without Permission/Pass (Pol. 7-233)	exclusion from privileges	5 days ISS

TECHNOLOGY
BEHAVIOR	CONSEQUENCES
illegal transfer of software changing installed software install or use without proper license or permission	Theft See Sec. III
duplicate copyrighted software, video & other materials give out confidential information, i.e. passwords, phone numbers, etc. use e-mail for illegal activities	Criminal Mischief (as determined by the Danbury Police Dept.) See Sec. III
intentionally introduce a software virus intentionally damage system or damage any information on system tamper with hardware	Vandalism See Sec. III
send obscene or threatening messages	Threatening See Sec. I
use computer to harass others	Harassment See Sec. II
visit inappropriate computer web sites use network for financial gain	Obscene, Vulgar, Abusive, Inflammatory or Disrespectful Behavior See Sec. II

Revised 09/10