Policy 3205
SAFETY AND CIVILITY IN SCHOOLS
Vision
Students and staff learn and work in schools that are free from violence, intimidation, threats, harassment and fear. Because of wise, consistent enforcement of the rules and ethical decision making by both youth and adults, the school environment is attractive to students and creates the most favorable conditions in which to learn.
Structure
A. Building Level: Creating An Orderly Environment for Learning
Each school community is unique to the adults and students who work and study in it. Therefore, each school shall develop a plan to promote safety and civility for all. The plan shall:
1. Include the assessment of all aspects of the school facility, the daily schedule and the program of instruction and activities which identifies conditions that may pose a threat to the safety of staff, students and guests on campus;
2. Respond to the opinions and concerns of students, parents, staff and the community in identifying goals and priorities for action;
3. Establish goals for improvement, and identify how progress toward those goals will be assessed;
4. Include both the district-level and consistent building rules, plus procedures and systems to be used to assure safe behavior at all times and the efforts to be made to promote ethical decision making by youth and adults; and
5. Be administratively reviewed and renewed annually.
B. District Level: Providing Leadership and Support for Orderly Schools
Each school’s capacity to implement its plan depends upon the district for leadership and support. The superintendent shall review and approve the schools’ plans and shall develop a long range plan for the district to support those plans. The district plan shall give consideration to:
1. Identification of the financial and human resources needed to support the school plans;
2. Conducting an audit of the district’s needs and accomplishments for review by the district’s School Safety Committee. Feedback may also be collected through parent advisory committees.
3. Establishing regular communications and cooperative agreements with law enforcement organizations, social service agencies, and other groups in the community for the purpose of developing the community-wide capacity to support and reinforce the schools’ plans for safety and ethical decision making;
4. Assisting each school regularly to survey student, parent, and others’ opinions both to help develop safety and civility plans and to measure progress; and
5. Providing curricular and instructional support to the schools, enabling them to incorporate concerns for ethical decision making into the regular learning program.
Accountability (Monitoring For Results)
An information system shall be developed to enable each school and the district to assess progress toward their safety and civility goals. Data regarding incidents which significantly impair the safe environment of schools and how those incidents were resolved shall be kept and reported annually. Surveys of student, staff, parent and community opinion shall be conducted regularly both to measure progress toward goals and to review and adjust plans and actions that promote safety and civility. Each year the Superintendent will provide a monitoring report to the Board regarding the treatment of people in the previous year and develop plans for the coming year. The report is intended to promote discussion on the safety and civility in the schools. (See Ends Policies I-2c, EL-2a)
Community Advocacy
A district Safety Committee shall be formed to assist the district in assessing its needs and making recommendations to the administrators regarding plans and actions to promote safety and civility.
Schools shall involve students, staff and parents in the development of their plans to promote safety and civility. Polling, community meetings and participation in the meetings of other organizations shall be used to understand the public’s concerns and expectations and to explain the work of the district and schools to enhance safety and civility.
Cross Reference: Board Policy 3124 Release of Student During School Hours
3240 Student Conduct
3241 Classroom Management, Corrective Actions or Punishment
6510 Safety
6511 Staff Safety
Management Resources:
Policy News, August 1998 WSSDA issues safety and civility paper
Adoption Date: February 27, 2006
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