It is the goal of the Marietta City Schools that all students be successful in school and graduate. To that end, it is the student’s responsibility to follow all rules and regulations of the schools and the School System. The Marietta Board of Education expects the highest standard of conduct and decorum of all students attending Marietta City Schools.
Students are expected to: demonstrate respect for self and others; demonstrate courtesy to others; behave in a responsible manner; attend class regularly; be prepared for class; take seriously the course of study; dress appropriately; cooperate with school officials; respect others’ property; and avoid violation of the student code of conduct. Students are expected to be ambassadors for our school system and must conduct themselves in a respectful and considerate way at all times whether at school, on school grounds, en route to and from school, in the community or attending school related activities outside our community. Students who misbehave, show disrespect to school employees or school property, or disrupt school activities shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. The Superintendent shall develop or assign personnel to develop rules and regulations which implement the above mentioned philosophy. The Board of Education will approve all student policies and any change to these policies. A system wide handbook on student conduct shall be provided to each student at the beginning of the school year and/or upon enrollment.
The superintendent shall review or assign personnel to review the code of conduct on an annual basis. Parents will participate in the revisions. The Board of Education will approve all revisions to the Code of Conduct.
The disciplinary procedures outlined in this behavior code exist as required by law and to ensure that all students are aware of unacceptable behavior, as well as the consequences of such policy violations. Staff members should discuss the Behavior Code in full with their students at the start of school and at other times during the year as needed. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to discuss the Behavior Code with their students and to inform them of the consequences and criminal penalties of violating this code. This includes underage sexual conduct and crimes for which a minor can be tried as an adult (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-735). The School System encourages parents to inform their students of the implications of this conduct.
DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS
The Superintendent of Marietta City Schools fully supports the authority of principals and teachers in Marietta City Schools under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-738, including establishing and disseminating procedures. Teachers may remove students who repeatedly or substantially interfere with the teacher’s ability to communicate effectively with the students in the class or with the ability of the student’s classmates to learn, where the student’s behavior is in violation of the student code of conduct, provided that the teacher has previously filed a report pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-737, as described below, or determines that such behavior of the student poses an immediate threat to the safety of the student’s classmates or the teacher.
Any teacher, who has knowledge that a student has exhibited behavior that repeatedly or substantially interferes with the teacher’s ability to communicate effectively with the students in the classroom or with the students’ ability to learn, is required to file a report to the principal’s office. The report shall be filed with the principal or his/her designee within one school day of the most recent occurrence of such behavior and shall not exceed one page and shall describe the behavior of the student. The principal or designee shall send a copy of the report to parents within one school day of receiving it and shall include information on how the parents may contact the principal or designee. The principal or designee shall also provide written notification of disciplinary action taken to both the parent and the teacher within one school day. (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-737)
The Marietta City School System retains the right to assign disruptive students or students who frequently or severely violate the student discipline code to an alternative educational setting. Students may be placed in the alternative educational environment either by a tribunal, by a screening committee hearing, or after returning from incarceration in a youth detention facility or an adult detention facility. The alternative educational environment is available for students in grades six through twelve. Unless a minimum time period is specified by a disciplinary tribunal or through a waived tribunal, students shall be assigned for a minimum of one complete semester. Criminal law violations are subject to this behavior code and also will be referred to local law enforcement authorities. Furthermore, in order to ensure the safety of students, the Board of Education authorizes reasonable and appropriate action, including the use of force or physical restraint when necessary to prevent greater harm or prevent continuation of a serious school disturbance. Reasonable physical force or physical restraint may be used when other less severe means of preventing greater harm may have been ineffective and/or when conditions for action are urgent. The principal of each school in the Marietta School System or authorized representative has the authority to conduct reasonable interrogations of students in order to properly investigate and punish student misconduct and is authorized to conduct searches within the confines of applicable law of students, student lockers, automobiles driven by students, other property assigned to students, or articles carried upon their persons. Metal detectors may be used to search students for weapons. CHRONIC DISCIPLINARY PROBLEM STUDENTS Chronic disciplinary problem student means a student who exhibits a pattern of behavioral characteristics which interfere with the learning process of students around him or her and which are likely to recur.
After a student has been identified as a chronic disciplinary problem student, the Act requires that the principal notify the student’s parent or guardian by telephone call and by either certified mail or statutory overnight delivery with return receipt requested or first-class mail of the disciplinary problems and invite such parent or guardian to observe the student in a classroom situation.
Georgia law also requires at least one parent or guardian be invited to attend a conference to devise a disciplinary and behavioral correction plan. The principal or designee and the parent or guardian are expected to be present at the conference. The principal may also invite other appropriate staff members if he/she feels that it would be advisable to do so. If the parent or guardian fails to attend the conference, it will be the responsibility of the school personnel attending to devise a disciplinary and behavioral correction plan for the student and to provide copies of that plan to both the parent and the student.
Before any chronic disciplinary problem student is permitted to return from an expulsion or suspension, the school to which the student is to be readmitted shall request by telephone call and by either certified mail or statutory overnight delivery with return receipt requested or first-class mail at least one parent or guardian to schedule and attend a conference with the principal or his or her designee to devise a new or revised disciplinary and behavioral correction plan. Failure of the parent or guardian to attend shall not preclude the student from being readmitted to the school. At the discretion of the principal, a teacher, counselor, or other person may attend the conference. The principal shall ensure that a notation of the conference is placed in the student’s permanent file (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-766).
STUDENT SUPPORT TEAM (SST)
The SST is an interdisciplinary group that addresses the needs of students having problems in school through a six-step process. These steps include: 1) discussions and identification of needs; 2) informal assessment and formal assessment, if necessary; 3) development of an intervention plan; 4) implementation and refinement of the intervention plan; 5) follow-up, support, feedback, and recycling of the process; and 6) continuous monitoring and evaluation.
The SST process is the appropriate mechanism to design and monitor educational accommodation plans for students who require them but whose disabilities are not so severe as to warrant placement into special education.
The SST should follow the requirements and procedures outlined in the SST Handbook. Instructional strategies and alternatives shall be attempted and documented for any student who is ultimately referred to special education. As required by federal and state law, the SST may choose to bypass the implementation of alternative strategies prior to referral. The reason(s) for bypassing this process shall be clearly documented in the student’s records. Students who are found to be ineligible, including those who are no longer eligible, for special education services should be provided appropriate services through SST processes.
The SST should implement accommodations to the instructional program of regular education students who need such accommodations in order to be successful in school. Some of the accommodations which may be considered are:
· alternative instructional materials · alternative instructional/behavioral materials and/or methods · behavioral checklists and/or contracts · the use of specialists as resources · changing regular class placement or schedule · placement in any of the non-special education instructional support services · referral for special education services
ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.2, a student from a public school system in this state, a private school in this state, or a public school outside of this state, who attempts to enroll or who is enrolled in any Marietta City Schools during the time in which that student is subject to a disciplinary order of suspension or expulsion, or has been permanently expelled from school, shall be refused admission or withdrawn from Marietta City Schools for any time remaining in that other school system’s or school’s disciplinary order upon receiving a certified copy of such order if the offense which led to such suspension or expulsion in the other school system or school was an offense for which suspension or expulsion could be imposed in Marietta City Schools. School administrators shall notify all teachers and other school personnel of any student assigned to them who has been convicted of or has been adjudicated to have committed an offense which is a designated felony under O.C.G.A. § 15-11-63. Such teachers and other certified professional personnel as the administrator deems appropriate may review information in the student’s file. Such information shall be kept confidential. UNSAFE SCHOOL STATEMENT Major disciplinary offenses including, but not limited to drug and weapons offenses, can lead to schools being named as an Unsafe School according to the provisions of State Board Rule 160-4-8-.16. DRIVERS’ LICENSES
In addition to penalties specified in this Code of Conduct for attendance and selected conduct, students seventeen (17) years of age and younger may find their eligibility for a Georgia instructional/learner’s permit or driver’s license impacted by their school attendance and/or conduct. Students applying for an instruction permit or driver’s license must obtain a letter from their school certifying that none of the following provisions apply to them at the time the letter is generated or for the preceding year. Schools are required to report any child fourteen (14) years of age or older who does not comply with the following provisions:
A. Have dropped out of school without graduating and has remained out of school for ten (10) consecutive days;
B. Have more than ten (10) school days of unexcused absences in the current academic year or 10 or more school days of unexcused absences in the previous academic year; or
C. Have been found in violation by a hearing officer, panel, or tribunal, or received a change in placement for committing one of the following offenses; or has waived his/her right to a hearing and pleaded guilty to one of the following offenses:
The following code provisions apply to offenses that students commit while on school property, engaging in or attending a school-sponsored event, or while using the school technology resources. As used in this Code of Conduct:
A. Battery - Making physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with another person, causing injury, or behaving in such a way as to cause physical injury to another person.
B. Bullying is defined as willful attempts or threats to inflict injury on another person, when accompanied by an apparent present ability to do so; or intentional displays of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.4).
C. Detention - Restriction of student to the school site at times outside of regular school hours. School principals have the authority to require students to remain after school. Teachers have the authority to detain a student after school; however, they should advise the principal and notify the parents. In the case of students whose immediate detention would pose transportation problems, twenty-four hours notice should be given before the detention takes place. D. Disciplinary Tribunal - A disciplinary hearing to determine the guilt or innocence of a student accused of violating this behavior code. If the student is determined to be guilty of the alleged offense, tribunal officers determine the punishment for the student. ALL PUNISHMENT DECISIONS MUST CONFORM TO THE RANGES IN THIS BEHAVIOR CODE. E. Expulsion means suspension or expulsion of a student from school beyond the current school semester. F. Harassment is defined as a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable verbal or written contact that is initiated, maintained, or repeated after being given notice that the conduct is inappropriate. G. In-School Suspension (ISS) - Restriction of students to a specified location in the school so as to remove them from participation in regularly scheduled school activities in accordance with Policy JDD/JDE. H. Long-Term Suspension means the suspension of a student from school for more than ten (10) school days, but not beyond the current school semester. I. Permanent Expulsion means expulsion from all School Systems for the remainder of the student’s eligibility to attend school pursuant to Georgia law. J. Physical Threat occurs when a student attempts to commit physical harm or injury to the person of another; commits an act which places another in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a physical injury, or behaves in such a way as could reasonably cause physical injury to any person. K. Saturday School – As a result of violating the behavior code and assignment by an administrator, a student is required to report for a specified length of time on a Saturday. Academic assignments are required. L. School property includes, but is not limited to:
The decision to charge a student for violation of this Code of Conduct shall be made by the administration of the local school. If the local school administration is uncertain as to the interpretation of the Code of Conduct they are to contact the Assistant Superintendent, Operations/Policy Development or designee.
I. DISCIPLINE LEVELS: A. Level 1 Discipline:
Following appropriate teacher intervention, students may be referred to an administrator.
Consequences range from administrative conference to three (3) days of in-school Suspension (ISS) and/or restitution. Consequences may also include detention, work detail and/or Saturday school.
Students should be referred to an administrator.
Consequences range from an administrative conference to five (5) days Out-of-School Suspension (OSS) and/or restitution. Consequences may also include in-school suspension, detention, work detail and/or Saturday school.
A. ALCOHOL/ILLEGAL DRUGS/INHALANTS:
2. No student shall possess, transmit, store, buy, sell, or otherwise distribute or possess with intent to sell any drug-related paraphernalia. (Level 1-3)
3. No student shall falsely present or identify a substance to be alcohol or an illegal drug. (Level 1-3)
4. No student shall buy, sell, or otherwise distribute or possess with intent to distribute or attempt to buy, sell, or otherwise distribute or possess with intent to distribute alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, narcotics, hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates, or marijuana, or any other substance listed under the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, or any substance falsely identified as such, or is believed by the purchaser to be an alcoholic beverage or illegal drug, narcotics, hallucinogens, amphetamines, barbiturates, or marijuana, or any other substance listed under the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. (See consequences, below)
5. No student shall sniff or be under the influence of inhalants and/or other substances. (See consequences, below)
Maximum of ten (10) days of out-of-school suspension with a recommendation for expulsion for a specified time.
Contact Superintendent and law enforcement.
Maximum of ten (10) days of out-of-school suspension with a recommendation for expulsion for a specified time. Students shall have the option to attend MACAD but may not receive a reduced suspension.
Maximum of ten (10) days out-of-school suspension with a recommendation for permanent expulsion.
B. ATTENDANCE VIOLATIONS:
Any student who is subject to compulsory education requirements and is deemed to be truant as defined in this policy is subject to progressive disciplinary consequences. As a minimum, students and their parents or guardians shall be required to meet with school administrators and/or other designated personnel to develop and implement an attendance improvement plan. Parking privileges also may be revoked for attendance violations.
When a child is absent, parents, guardians, or other persons who have control of a child enrolled in the School System should comply with Policy JB, Attendance and local school guidelines submit valid, written excuses for absences. Georgia law requires that after any student accrues five (5) days of unexcused absences in a given school year, the parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of that child shall be in violation of Georgia Code Section § 20-2-690.1(b). Any child that is subject to compulsory attendance who, during the school calendar year, has more than five days of unexcused absences is considered truant. Possible consequences may also include disposition for unruly children in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 15-11-67. The law states the following:
“Any parent, guardian, or other person residing in this state who has control or charge of a child or children and who shall violate this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not less than $25.00 and not greater than $100.00, or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, community service, or any combination of such penalties, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction. Each day’s absence from school in violation of this part after the child’s school system notifies the parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge of a child of five unexcused days of absence for a child shall constitute a separate offense.”
Schools shall notify parents when a student has accumulated five (5) unexcused absences. Schools shall also notify parents of students 14 years of age and older when the student accumulated seven (7) unexcused absences during the school year.
1. No student shall fail to attend school as required by the Georgia Compulsory Attendance laws. (Level 1) 2. No student shall miss any class or activity or be tardy for which he or she is enrolled without a valid excuse. (Level 1) 3. Students shall not leave school grounds during the course of the regularly scheduled school day without the permission of a parent and school principal or designee. Students must follow the established procedures for checking in or out of school. (Level 1) C. BOMB THREATS: Bomb threat is defined as transmitting in any manner a false alarm to the effect that a bomb or other explosive of any nature is concealed on school property creating a potentially dangerous situation. Consequences (Elementary School):
E. BUS BEHAVIORS:
The Marietta Board of Education expects students to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner on school bus transportation, or any other mode of transportation used to transport students to and from school or to and from extra-curricular or interscholastic activities. Maintaining proper student discipline while students are being transported is the responsibility of the school bus driver, Director of Transportation, school administration, and other personnel with supervisory responsibility over the students being transported. Students shall follow all student behavior policies and regulations while on school provided transportation including, but not limited to, the prohibitions on physical violence, bullying, assault, battery, disrespectful conduct, or other unruly behavior. In the event of minor infractions, the bus driver will try to notify parents or guardians through intermediated means. This is usually done via a School Bus Discipline Notice (aka Short Discipline Form) to the student to present to their parent or guardian for signature. If this notice is not returned signed by the parent/guardian on the next day, a formal discipline referral (aka Long Discipline Form) will be turned into the principal or their designated representative. INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/mcs/Board.nsf/f543e1081ef4f76685256ebb00642c86/8256565982cbca7085256c79006f4913/Body/0.17BA?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif" \* MERGEFORMATINET
In the event a student’s bus privileges are suspended, it shall be the responsibility of the parent, or the student if over 18 years old, to provide transportation to and from school and to and from extra-curricular and interscholastic activities.
Articles brought on the bus such as band instruments must be kept in possession of the owner at all times. Every effort will be made to accommodate instruments; however, those that are too large or pose a threat to safety may be denied for transport. Students need to be at the bus stop at least five (5) minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Buses arriving within five minutes of scheduled pick-up time are considered to be on time. The bus will stop and load or unload passengers only at the designated bus stops. During inclement weather, the driver may make stops closer to a passenger’s home. In addition: 1. Students must keep all body parts inside the bus at all times. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 2. Nothing may be thrown into, out of, within, or at the bus. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 3. Bus Disruption: Students must not make unnecessary noise and must remain seated at all times unless directed by the driver. Students must remain quiet at all railroad crossings. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 4. Emergency doors and windows are to be used only at the direction of the driver. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 5. Students may not ride a bus or disembark a bus at a bus stop other than that assigned for their residence without submitting a written request from their parent or guardian to the principal or designee for approval. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 6. Students shall not use any electronic devices during the operation of a school bus, including but not limited to: cell phones; pagers: audible radios, tape players, and compact disc players without headphones; or any other electronic device in a manner that interferes with the bus' communication equipment or the driver's operation of the school bus. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 7. Students shall not use mirrors, lasers, flashing lights, flash cameras, or any other lights or reflective surfaces in a manner which might interfere with the operation of the school bus. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 8. Consumption of food and drinks is not permitted. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 9. Students shall board and exit the bus quickly and quietly and are to cross the street in front of the bus in full view of the driver. Unsafe bus stop behavior should be reported to the school principal or his/her designee. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) 10. Students shall move behind the guardrail or white line on the floor before the bus is placed in motion, and they must be seated (if available) and remain seated and/or behind the guard rail and/or white line throughout the ride. (Level 1-3 and/or suspension from the bus for a specified time) If a student has been found to have engaged in battery, acts of physical violence, bullying or physical threats on the school bus, the student’s parent/guardian shall be required to meet with the principal/designee to execute a bus behavior contract. F. COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES: The possession or use of visible beepers (pagers), headsets, cellular phones, portable telephones, two-way radios, or other electronic communication devices during school hours, within the school building, or on a school bus is prohibited. The Board of Education may give approval for certain electronic devices to be brought into school for health or other unusual reasons. There is no prohibition against students storing such devices in their personal automobiles parked on campus. (Level 1 and temporary confiscation of item) G. DISRESPECTFUL CONDUCT: 1. No student shall use any type of profane, vulgar, obscene or ethnically offensive language (written or oral) or gestures towards students or other persons who are not school personnel or adults. (Level 1-2) 2. A student shall not use profane, obscene, or abusive language (written or oral) or gestures toward school personnel or other adults. (Level 2-3) 3. No student shall possess, display, or distribute profane, vulgar, pornographic, obscene, or ethnically offensive materials. (Level 1-2) 4. No student shall knowingly and willfully make false reports or statements, whether orally or in writing; falsely accuse other students or school staff of wrong actions; falsify school records; or forge signatures. (Level 1-2) 5. Insubordination: All students shall comply with reasonable directions or commands of authorized school personnel/designees. (Level 1-3) 6. No student shall refuse to identify one's self upon request of any School System employee/designee. (Level 1-2) 7. No student shall repeatedly violate the school or School System dress code, found in school handbooks or at Policy JCDB. (Level 1-2) 8. No student shall fail to attend detention, Saturday school or in-school suspension. (Level 1-2) 9. No student shall engage in a verbal altercation with any person. (Level 1-3) H. DISRUPTION OF SCHOOL: 1. School/Class Disruption: No student shall, in any manner, by the use of violence, force, noise, coercion, threat, intimidation, fear, passive resistance, or any other conduct, intentionally cause the disruption of any lawful mission, process or function of the school, or engage in any such conduct for the purpose of causing the disruption or obstruction of any such lawful mission, process or function. (Level 1-3) 2. Students shall not be on the campus of a school in which they are not enrolled during that school’s hours or while that school is operational without permission from that school’s administration. Students also may not enter a school building after hours without express permission. (Level 2) 3. Students may not return to campus or attend any school function while on suspension/expulsion. (Level 1-2) 4. Students may not be present in an unauthorized area of school property. (Level 1-2) 5. Students shall not occupy nor block the entrance/exit of any school building, gymnasium, school grounds, properties or parts(s) thereof with the intent to deprive others of its use, or when the effect thereof is to deprive others of such use.(Level 1-3) 6. Students shall not prevent students from attending a class or school activity. (Level 1-3) 7. No student shall, except under the direct instruction of the principal, block normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic on a school campus or adjacent grounds. (Level 1-3) FALSE REPORTS: No student shall make false calls to emergency services or report false fire alarms which create a potentially dangerous interruption to the normal school operation and to both the physical and emotional well-being of students and staff. False Call to Emergency Services: No student shall knowingly make or cause a false call to emergency services to be made.