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BPS reflects on discipline plan’s first year
by Jennifer Wolfinger, BPS News editor
A year after the district implemented a new discipline plan, the student services team assessed the effectiveness of the effort and made necessary changes for this school year.
The plan is designed to ensure fair and consistent handling of student behaviors that violated the Code of Student Conduct and escalated to the attention of school-level administration. It utilizes corrective strategies that deal with the root cause of behaviors and meet students’ social-emotional needs.
Here’s a look at some of the adjustments and response to the discipline plan.:
• Developmentally-appropriate behavior expectations and corrective strategies for pre-k students were added.
• The plan supports a new state law that classifies a threat to a school as a felony whether it’s electronic, written or verbal.
• Chronic misconduct, defined as multiple and frequent violations of the Code of Student Conduct, was formally added to the plan.
• Alcohol-, illegal substance- and weapon-possession policies were broadened to include a student arriving at school or a school activity in a vehicle containing alcoholic beverages, controlled substances, illegal drugs or a weapon.
• Class elopement was added to the out-of-assigned- area description.
• BPS data indicates that staff have not softened their approach to discipline and that the district saw an increase in reported discipline events. According to the team, this could be a result of more discipline events being reported, or that both the amount of events and reports have increased.
BPS’ Total Discipline Events 2016-2017: 47,487
2017-2018: 49,409
62 schools had an increase in events. 33 schools had a decrease in events.
District Out-of-School Suspension Totals
2016-2017: 24,121
2017-2018: 24,179
51 schools had an increase in OSS. 42 schools had a decrease in OSS. Two schools had no change.
• Pantsing is now defined and included in the plan.
New Gradebook Access Coming Soon!
We are excited to announce that beginning on October 15th, all teachers will begin using a new gradebook called FOCUS School Software. FOCUS will offer a new updated user experience for parents and students including a downloadable app.
The Edline button at the top of the district site and your school’s homepage will be converted to a FOCUS button. Until FOCUS’ launch, we will continue using the current Edline system.
Schools will send parents information about creating and accessing their FOCUS parent account in September.
For year two of the plan, district leaders will continue monitoring discipline and reporting trends and working with school leaders to ensure the plan is implemented effectively and communicated to staff, students and families.
To learn more about the plan, behaviors and corrective strategies, please review the Code of Student Conduct.
BPS NEWS is a publication of Brevard Public Schools.
Superintendent
Mark Mullins, Ph.D.
School Board Members
Chairperson: John Craig, District 2
Vice Chairperson: Tina Descovich, District 3 Misty Belford, District 1
Matthew Susin, District 4
Andy Ziegler, District 5
Published by the Division of Government and Community Relations
Assistant Superintendent: Matt Reed Editor: Jennifer Wolfinger
Graphic Designer: Daniel Jankowski
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