The Tangipahoa Parish School Board mandates that each school establishes a schoolwide Assertive Discipline Plan with specific stated expectations.

The goal of a schoolwide Assertive Discipline Plan is to de­velop a systematic, consistent way in which to deal with dis­cipline problems throughout the school. To accomplish this goal there must be a two-sided effort from the staff:

1. Every teacher will develop and post a classroom plan, i.e. a set of rules, consequences, and rewards that are in effect at all times in his or her classroom. Teachers are encouraged to write rules in a positive manner that will instill appropriate behavior patterns in students. (Plan shall meet with prior approval of principal.)

2. There must also be a school-wide plan that governs stu­dent behavior in all of the common areas in the school.

3. School rules must be posted in all common areas.

4. All parents will be contacted by Homeroom teachers via phone within the two weeks of school and by all teach­ers at least once per six weeks as evidenced by Parent Log-in Sheet.

Code of Conduct Purpose

• Create a consistent set of expectations for student be­havior

• Reinforce positive behavior and provide students with opportunities to develop appropriate social skills

• Outline the interventions and consequences for stu­dents who engage in inappropriate behavior

• Explain the rights of students with disabilities including procedural protections when disciplinary action is taken

• Engage students in a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment

• Describe the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community

Responsibilities of the School Administrators

• Define, teach, model and support appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments

• Distribute the Code of Conduct to students, parents and all school personnel

• Implement the Code of Conduct in a fair and consistent manner

• Review discipline referrals and determine appropriate intervention and/or corrective strategy/consequence

• Use professional judgment to prevent minor incidents from becoming major challenges

• Identify appropriate training and resources as needed to implement positive behavior interventions and supports

• Implement board policy in a fair and consistent manner

• Maintain accurate personal discipline data of students

• Ensure that behavior support plans for at-risk youths are implemented with high levels of integrity and com­pliance

• Monitor, support and sustain the effective implementa­tion and maintenance of PBIS

  Responsibilities of the Teacher

    • Define, supervise, teach, model and support appropri­ate student behaviors to create positive school environ­ments
•  Use appropriate classroom management strategies to maintain a learning environment that supports academ­ic success
• Teach and positively reinforce the Code of Conduct 
• Provide corrective instruction to students who demon­strate challenging behavior
• Use a variety of activities in the classroom that increase student engagement
• Address infractions through a variety of interventions including positive behavior interventions and supports as well as the use of     alternatives to suspension and ex­pulsion
• Use professional judgment to prevent minor incidents from becoming major challenges
• Request additional training or staff development as needed

Responsibilities of the Student

• Attend school and all classes daily

• Follow the Code of Conduct

• Follow the Tangipahoa Parish School System’s dress code and uniform policy

• Respect the rights of other parents, students, faculty, staff, school visitors, school property and the property of others

• Work hard and do your best

• Ask teachers, counselors, support staff, parents, school administrators, and other adults for help in solving prob­lems

 
Responsibilities of the Parent or Guardian in the School Community

• Read the Code of Conduct

• Support your child in following the Student Code of Con­duct

• Understand your child’s rights and responsibilities

• Teach your child to respect the rights of others

• Teach your child to respect school property and the prop­erty of others

• Recognize that school personnel must enforce the Code of Conduct

• Seek available resources to support your child within the school and the community

• Make sure your child comes to school every day on time and ready to learn
• Be committed and available to visit your child’s school, as necessary, to evaluate his/her academic and/or be­havioral progress 

 DEFINITION OF DISCIPLINE

Discipline is defined as actions that teachers, administrators, support staff, and parents employ to teach students the es­sential skills necessary for academic and social success. 

 POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORT (PBIS)

PBIS provides a positive and effective alternative to the traditional methods of discipline. PBIS methods are research-based and proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school, resulting in a more positive school climate and increased academic performance. PBIS is consistent with the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, which advocates the use of positive

 behavior interventions and school-based disciplinary strate­gies that reduce or eliminate the need to use suspension and expulsion as disciplinary options. The student code of conduct has been modified to include increased parental involvement and the implementation of corrective strate­gies prior to suspension and expulsion. In addition, the rec­ommendation of a specific step on the assertive discipline rather than a range of steps should improve the consistency with which similar issues
are addressed by administrators throughout the parish.

 DEFINITION OF CORRECTIVE STRATEGIES

Academic success is directly correlated with instructional time received by the student. In the effort to fully implement PBIS and reduce the loss of instructional time due to out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, the Tangipahoa Parish Public School System expects that each school will utilize a wide variety of corrective strategies that do not remove children from valuable instructional time.

Corrective Strategies, also known as alternatives to sus­pension and expulsion, may include but are not limited to:

• Contact and/or conference with parent/guardian

• Behavioral contracts and/or Behavior Support Plans

• Check-in/Check-out (CICO)

• Home/school communication system

• Reflective activity

• Loss of privilege

• Schedule adjustment

• Referral to the school counselor

• Refer the student to the Response to Intervention Team

• After-school detention

• Saturday School

• In School Isolation/ISI

• In School Detention (Lunch Detention, Recess Deten­tion)
• Supervised work assignment 

 DEFINITION OF MINOR INFRACTIONS (Handled by the classroom teacher)

• Disobedience

• Dress Code Violations

• Disrespect for Authority

• Classroom Disturbance

• Tardiness
• Truancy

 DEFINITION OF MAJOR INFRACTIONS (Handled by the school administrator)

• Assault (physical attack)

• Possession of a firearm

• Possession of a weapon other than a firearm with in­tent to use

• Distribution, use and possession of drugs and/or al­cohol

• Inciting a riot
• Molesting students, immoral indecent behavior
• Promoting gang membership and/or activities 
• Hazing 
• Extortion 
• Verbal Abuse 
• Fighting 
• Vandalism 
• Possession or use of tobacco on school grounds 
• Profane language 
• Stealing 
• Possession of pornographic material 
 • Bullying, intimidations, and/or threatening others 
 • Leaving campus without permission 
 • Cutting class/skipping school 
 • Conduct injurious to others
 • Possession of a cell phone