Georgia School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Discipline Frameworks

Discipline Compendium

Georgia School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Discipline Frameworks

Category: In-School Discipline
Subcategory: Discipline Frameworks
State: Georgia

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LAWS

20-2-735. Adoption of policies by local boards to improve student learning environment.

(a) No later than July 1, 2000, each local board of education shall adopt policies designed to improve the student learning environment by improving student behavior and discipline. These policies shall provide for the development of age-appropriate student codes of conduct containing standards of behavior, a student support process, a progressive discipline process, and a parental involvement process. The State Board of Education shall establish minimum standards for such local board policies. The Department of Education shall make available for utilization by each local board of education model student codes of conduct, a model student support process, a model progressive discipline process, and a model parental involvement process.

(b) Student standards of behavior developed pursuant to this subpart shall be designed to create the expectation that students will behave themselves in such a way so as to facilitate a learning environment for themselves and other students, respect each other and school district employees, obey student behavior policies adopted by the local board of education, and obey student behavior rules established by individual schools.

(c) Student support processes developed pursuant to this subpart shall be designed to create the expectation that the process of disciplining students will include due consideration, as appropriate in light of the severity of the behavioral problem, of student support services that may help the student address behavioral problems and that may be available through the school, the school system, other public entities, or community organizations.

(d) Progressive discipline processes developed pursuant to this subpart shall be designed to create the expectation that the degree of discipline will be in proportion to the severity of the behavior leading to the discipline, that the previous discipline history of the student being disciplined and other relevant factors will be taken into account, and that all due process procedures required by federal and state law will be followed.

(e) Parental involvement processes developed pursuant to this subpart shall be designed to create the expectation that parents and guardians, teachers, and school administrators will work together to improve and enhance student behavior and academic performance and will communicate freely their concerns about and actions in response to student behavior that detracts from the learning environment. The student code of conduct developed pursuant to this Code section shall encourage parents and guardians to inform their children of the consequences, including potential criminal penalties, of underage sexual conduct and crimes for which a minor can be tried as an adult.

(f) It is the policy of this state that it is preferable to reassign disruptive students to alternative educational settings rather than to suspend or expel such students from school.

20-2-751.5. Student code of conduct; safety rules on school buses; distribution.

(a) Each student code of conduct shall contain provisions that address the following conduct of students during school hours, at school related functions, and on the school bus in a manner that is appropriate to the age of the student:

(1) Verbal assault, including threatened violence, of teachers, administrators, and other school personnel;

(2) Physical assault or battery of teachers, administrators, and other school personnel;

(3) Disrespectful conduct toward teachers, administrators, and other school personnel, including use of vulgar or profane language;

(4) Verbal assault of other students, including threatened violence or sexual harassment as defined pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

(5) Physical assault or battery of other students, including sexual harassment as defined pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

(6) Disrespectful conduct toward other students, including use of vulgar or profane language;

(7) Verbal assault of, physical assault or battery of, and disrespectful conduct, including use of vulgar or profane language, toward persons attending school related functions;

(8) Failure to comply with compulsory attendance as required under Code Section 20-2-690.1;

(9) Willful or malicious damage to real or personal property of the school or to personal property of any person legitimately at the school;

(10) Inciting, advising, or counseling of others to engage in prohibited acts;

(11) Marking, defacing, or destroying school property;

(12) Possession of a firearm, as provided for in Code Section 16-11-127.1, and possession of a dangerous weapon or hazardous object;

(13) Unlawful use or possession of illegal drugs or alcohol;

(14) Willful and persistent violation of the student code of conduct;

(15) Bullying as defined by Code Section 20-2-751.4;

(16) Marking, defacing, or destroying the property of another student; and

(17) Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting, or erroneously reporting information regarding instances of alleged inappropriate behavior by a teacher, administrator, or other school employee toward a student.

With regard to paragraphs (9), (11), and (17) of this subsection, each student code of conduct shall also contain provisions that address conduct of students during off-school hours.

REGULATIONS

160-4-8-.15. Student discipline.

(2) Requirements.

(a) Each local board of education shall adopt policies designed to improve the student learning environment by improving student behavior and discipline. These policies shall provide for the development of age appropriate student codes of conduct that contain the following, at a minimum:

1. Standards for student behavior during school hours, at school-related functions, on school buses, and at school bus stops designed to create the expectation that students will behave themselves in such a way so as to facilitate a learning environment for themselves and other students, respect each other and school district employees, obey student behavior policies adopted by the local board of education, and obey student behavior rules established by individual schools;

2. Verbal assault, including threatening violence, of teachers, administrators, and other school personnel;

3. Physical assault or battery of teachers, administrators or other school personnel;

4. Disrespectful conduct toward teachers, administrators, other school personnel, persons attending school related functions or other students, including use of vulgar or profane language;

5. Verbal assault of other students, including threatening violence or sexual harassment as defined pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

6. Sexual harassment as defined pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 or physical assault or battery of other students.

7. Guidelines and consequences resulting from failure to comply with compulsory attendance as required under O.C.G.A § 20-2-690.1;

8. Willful or malicious damage to real or personal property of the school or to personal property of any person legitimately at the school;

9. Inciting, advising, or counseling of others to engage in prohibited acts;

10. Marking, defacing or destroying school property or the property of another student;

11. Possession of a weapon, as provided for in O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127.1;

12. Unlawful use or possession of illegal drugs or alcohol;

13. Willful and persistent violation of student codes of conduct;

14. Bullying as defined in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-751.4;

15. Any off-campus behavior of a student which could result in the student being criminally charged with a felony and which makes the student's continued presence at school a potential danger to persons or property at the school or which disrupts the educational process;

16. Each local board of education shall adopt policies, applicable to students in grades 6 through 12 that prohibit bullying of a student by another student and shall require such prohibition to be included in the student code of conduct in that school system. Local board policies shall require that, upon a finding that a student in grades 6 through 12 has committed the offense of bullying for the third time in a school year, such student shall be assigned to an alternative school.

17. Behavior support processes designed to consider, as appropriate in light of the severity of the behavioral problem, support services that may be available through the school, school system, other public entities, or community organizations that may help the student address behavioral problems; This rule neither mandates nor prohibits the use of student support teams as part of the student support process;

18. Progressive discipline processes designed to create the expectation that the degree of discipline will be in proportion to the severity of the behavior, that the previous discipline history of the student and other relevant factors will be taken into account; and that all due process procedures required by federal and state law will be followed;

19. Parental involvement processes designed to create the expectation that parents, guardians, teachers and school administrators will work together to improve and enhance student behavior and academic performance and will communicate freely their concerns about, and actions in response to, student behavior that detracts from the learning environment. Local boards of education shall provide opportunities for parental involvement in developing and updating student codes of conduct.

20. A statement that major offenses including, but not limited to, drug and weapon offenses can lead to schools being named as an Unsafe School according to the provisions of State Board of Education Rule 160-4-8-.16 Unsafe School Choice Option.

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