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Richfield Public Schools

541 Policy: Student Behavior

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541 Policy: Student Behavior

I. PURPOSE

Richfield Public Schools recognizes that appropriate school behavior is critical to academic success and a safe and vibrant learning community. Teaching and learning appropriate school behavior is the task of all staff, students, and families/guardians. Working together to establish and maintain high standards of behavior and a school culture that respects and accepts differences is a shared responsibility.  

Effective discipline: 

  • Is meant to be educational

  • Considers the age and development of the student in framing the instruction in appropriate behavior and the consequences for misbehavior.

  • Includes building relationships, repair of harm and restoring relationships, teaching skills and accountability, and restorative practices to re-engage students in their learning community.  

  • Maximizes the amount of student and staff time and attention spent on teaching and learning.

  • Seeks to minimize the amount of student instruction time lost as a result of removal from classes due to misbehavior.   

Richfield Public Schools is responsible to assure a safe and orderly learning and working environment for all students and staff.  The District asks parents/guardians and families to partner in teaching and supporting appropriate school behavior to maximize the academic success of their students. 

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

Responses to student behavior will be reflective of Richfield Public Schools' stated beliefs, including the following:

  • Quality education requires cooperation and partnership among students, home, school, and community.

  • A safe, supportive, and engaging environment promotes learning.

  • Expectations and effort influence performance.

  • Learning about and respecting individual differences fosters unity and strengthens community.

  • Each person can learn, deserves to learn and it is everyone’s responsibility.

  • Core values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility must be developed.

  • There is strength in cooperation, collaboration and healthy competition. 

III. RESPONSIBILITIES

A. The Superintendent in collaboration with the school board and district administration are responsible for: 

1. providing directives to enforce this policy. 

2. establishing minimum standards of behavior for students.  

3. analyzing behavior data overall as well as disaggregated by student group (race, gender, disability, etc.) to identify disproportionalities and respond appropriately.

4. identifying adequate means for the documentation of behavior responses, the analysis of behavior data, engaging appropriate community resources and for identifying appropriate training for staff, student, parents and community partners.  

B.  Principal or administrative designee are responsible for: 

1. leading the collaborative development of the school’s behavior and restorative practices plan; 

2. assuring that annual notices are given to students, parents/guardians and staff; 

3. communicating with teachers after responding to student being removed from the classroom;

4. communicating with parent/guardian when responding to student behavior concerns when the student is removed from class;

5. developing and sustaining partnerships with identified community resources; 

6. leading the review of school behavior data to identify training needs with a view toward improving student outcomes; 

7. reporting behavior data at least annually to their school community. 

8. reviewing behavior data with the appropriate Assistant Superintendent or other District leadership no less than annually. 

C. Teachers are responsible for: 

1. leading the development of the classroom behavior and restorative practices standards and procedures aligned to the district and building expectations; 

2. assuring that all students are taught the expected school behavior in their classroom and throughout the school; 

3. participating in identifying students that would benefit from additional support from school and community resources; 

4. Participating in implementation of the school behavior plan and restorative practices; 

5. participating in data review, necessary training, and analysis of behavior data to improve student outcomes. 

6. communicating with student when behavior interferes with learning.

7. communicating with parent/guardian when there is a pattern of student behavior.

D. Non-classroom school staff is responsible for implementing with consistency the district behavior standards and school behavior standards, participating in training and analysis of behavior data to improve student outcomes as directed by the principal or site administrator. 

E.  Parents/guardians are responsible for; 

1. partnering with their student’s schools to know and implement with consistency  the school behavior standards and school and classroom rules to improve their student’s outcomes.  

2. helping their student learn the behavior standards of their schools and classrooms.

3. working collaboratively with school staff and their student to respond to and resolve behavior issues.  

Students are responsible to learn the standards of behavior of the district, their school and their classrooms; to take personal responsibility for their behavior as they are able, and to work to improve the relationships they have with their peers, their teachers and with other school staff.  

IV. DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION OF BEHAVIOR STANDARDS

The District is committed to teaching all students and to assuring that students’ learning is not disrupted by the behavior of others. The District is committed to taking actions to provide a safe learning environment for all students, and a safe working environment for all staff.   

A. The Superintendent shall report behavior data to the Board no less than annually.

B. Building principals shall review behavior data with the Superintendent no less than annually. 

C. Every school shall establish and teach behavior expectations and respond to student inappropriate behavior that are consistent with this Policy and accompanying administrative guidelines, and directives from the Superintendent.  All school staff shall receive training on the school’s plan. 

D. Every classroom shall establish behavior standards and norms within the district’s policy, the Superintendent’s directives and the school’s behavior plan with participation from the students in the classroom. All students shall be taught the behavior standards established.

E. Every school employee shall demonstrate high standards of behavior that model appropriate school behavior, and shall monitor and respond to student behavior. 

F. Every school shall examine discipline data to assure that responses to student behavior do not show evidence of bias or discriminatory behavior. Schools shall also use behavior data to identify and provide additional training to staff and students; and to provide effective interventions for students to improve student outcomes.  

G. Student age, developmental stage and individual needs based on culture, language or disability, or other relevant factors, shall be considered in determining the appropriate response to behavior.  

H. Behavior standards for students with an Individualized Education Program (“IEP”), Individual Accommodation Plan (“IAP/504 Plan”) shall be supported by the terms of the accommodations of their written program or plan to the extent they differ from the district policy, regulations and school plan. 

I. The District will make this Policy and accompanying administrative guidelines available on the District’s website and they also shall be available upon request in each principal's office.  The Board encourages use of a variety of media to increase and awareness. 

J. Students and parents/guardians shall receive notice of classroom rules established by their classrooms. 

Legal References: 

  • Minn. Stat. §121A.40 et seq. (Pupil Fair Dismissal Act) 
  • Minn. Stat. §121A.58 et seq. (Discipline, All Students) 
  • Minn. Stat. §125A.08 (Individual Education Programs)
  • 29 U.S.C. § 794 (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973)

RATIFIED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION: July 15, 1963

REVISED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION: September 18, 1978; November 15, 1982; June 18, 1984; June 6, 1994; November 20, 1995; February 7, 2000; February 20, 2001; April 21, 2003; March 15, 2004; June 17, 2008; July 15, 2019

REVIEWED AND REAFFIRMED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION: August 17, 2020; August 16, 2021; September 6, 2022