3241 - Student Discipline
BOARD POLICY No. 3241
The Board of the Walla Walla Public Schools focuses on the educational achievement of each and every student. The District holds high expectations for all students and strives to provide all students the opportunity to achieve personal and academic success. “Discipline” means any action taken by the school district in response to behavioral violations, including exclusionary as well as positive and supportive forms of discipline. The Board intends that this policy and procedure be implemented in a manner that supports positive school climate, maximizes instructional time as appropriate, and increases equitable educational opportunities.
Rights and Responsibilities/District Commitment
The Board recognizes the negative and disproportionate impact of exclusionary discipline practices and is committed to:
• Identifying and addressing discipline policies and practices that perpetuate educational opportunity gaps;
• Proactively implementing discipline practices that support students in meeting behavioral expectations without losing access to instruction;
The District will observe students’ fundamental rights and will administer discipline in a manner that does not:
1. Unlawfully discriminate against a student on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal;
2. Deprive a student of the student's constitutional right to freedom of speech and press, the constitutional right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government and its representatives for a redress of grievances, the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion and to have the student's school free from sectarian control or influence, subject to reasonable limitations upon the time, place, and manner of exercising the right;
3. Deprive a student of the student's constitutional right to be secure in the student's person, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures;
4. Unlawfully interfere in a student's pursuit of an education while in the custody of the school district; or
5. Deprive a student of the student's right to an equal educational opportunity, in whole or in part, by a school district without due process of law.
This District’s student discipline policy and procedure is designed to provide students and staff with a safe, healthy, and educationally sound environment. Students are expected to be aware of and comply with this policy and procedure, including behavioral expectations that respect the rights, person, and property of others. Students are also expected to pursue the required course of studies. Students and staff are expected to work together to develop a positive climate for learning.
Development and review
The district will collect data on disciplinary actions administered in each school, as required by RCW 28A.300.042, and any additional data required under other district policies and procedures.
The District will ensure that school principals confer with certificated building employees as appropriate to develop and/or review building discipline standards and review the fidelity of implementation of those standards. At each district school, principals and certificated staff may develop written school procedures for administering discipline that are consistent with this policy and procedure. Each school may also:
1. Establish behavioral expectations with students and proactively teach expectations across various school settings.
2. Develop precise definitions for problem behaviors and behavioral violations to address differences in perceptions of subjective behaviors and reduce the effect of implicit bias.
3. Define the differences between minor and major behavior incidents to clarify the types of behaviors that may or may not result in classroom exclusion or are severe enough that an administrator needs to be involved.
4. Identify a continuum of best practices and strategies for classroom-based responses that building staff should administer before or instead of classroom exclusion to support students in meeting behavioral expectations.
Schools handbooks, codes of conduct, and building discipline standards must not conflict with this policy, accompanying procedures, or other Board policies, and should be similar across building levels.
School principals will strive to ensure that teachers and other school personnel receive adequate support to effectively implement a continuum of identified best practices and strategies that:
1. Focus on prevention to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices;
2. Allow the exercise of professional judgment and skill sets; and
3. May be adapted to individual student needs in a culturally responsive manner.
School principals will confer with certificated building employees as appropriate to establish criteria for when certificated employees must complete classes to improve classroom management skills. Professional learning opportunities may include PBIS, SEL, trauma-informed approaches, culturally responsive teaching, and use of data to identify needed teacher training to support district policy implementation
The District will periodically review and further develop this policy and procedure with the participation of school personnel, students, parents, families, and the community. As part of this development and review process, the district will use disaggregated data collected under RCW 28A.300.042. This process may include reviewing data to prevent and address discrimination against students in protected classes identified in chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW, however, the District will ensure it reviews disaggregated discipline data in accordance with WAC 392-190-048 at least annually.
Distribution of policies and procedures
The District will make the current version of this policy and procedure available to families and the community. The District will annually provide this policy and procedure to all District personnel, students, parents, and families, which may require language assistance for students and parents with limited-English proficiency under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The District will ensure district employees and contractors are knowledgeable of this student discipline policy and procedure. At the building level, schools will annually provide the current building discipline standards, developed as stated above, to all school personnel, students, and parents which may require language assistance for students and parents with limited-English proficiency under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Schools will ensure all school personnel are knowledgeable of the school building discipline standards. Schools may provide discipline training developed under RCW 28A.415.410 to support implementation of this policy and procedure to all school staff as feasible.
Application
This policy and accompanying procedure will be construed in a manner consistent with Washington law as stated in WAC 392-400-020.
Cross References:
Board Policy 2121 - Substance Abuse Program
Board Policy 2161 - Special Education and Related Services for Eligible Students
Board Policy 2162 - Education of Students With Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Board Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences
Board Policy 3210 - Nondiscrimination
Board Policy 3244 - Prohibition of Corporal Punishment
Board Policy 3520 - Student Fees, Fines, or Charges
Board Policy 4210 - Regulation of Dangerous Weapons on School Premises
Board Policy 4218 - Language Access Plan
Legal References:
RCW 9.41.280 - Possessing dangerous weapons on school facilities — Penalty — Exceptions
RCW 28A.150.240 - Certificated teaching and administrative staff as accountable for classroom teaching — Scope — Responsibilities — Penalty
Chapter 28A.225 - RCW Compulsory school attendance and admission
Chapter 28A.320 - RCW Provisions applicable to all districts
RCW 28A.400.100 - Principals and vice principals — Employment of — Qualifications — Duties
RCW 28A.400.110 - Principal to assure appropriate student discipline — Building discipline standards — Classes to improve classroom management skills
Chapter 28A.600 RCW - Students
WAC 392-190-048 - Access to course offerings – Student discipline
Chapter 392-400 WAC - Student Discipline
34 CFR Part 100.3 - Regulations implementing Civil Rights Act of 1964
42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq. - Civil Rights Act of 1964
Adopted: November 15, 2016
Revised: 03.17.2020; August 16, 2022