Review and Revision of School Discipline Policies and Procedures. By December 15, 2016, the District will review its student discipline policies, practices and procedures, and make revisions, as necessary, consistent with the provisions of this section, Section 504, Title II, IDEA and their regulations. The District will conduct this review in consultation with the District’s expert consultant(s), and will also consider the recommendations made by the Committee described in II.A.3 and in accordance with the Plan described in II.B.2. The District will ensure that its student discipline policies, practices, and procedures, include the following:
a. a requirement that disciplinary authorities consider and document alternatives to expulsion, suspension,2 or other sanctions that result in removal from the education setting in all cases except those where it can be documented that the safety of students and/or staff is threatened or, except as otherwise provided by state law, the behavior in question is such that the disruption to the educational environment can only be remedied by such a referral;
b. disciplinary referral standards that eliminate redundancies and provide clear and consistent definitions, categories and procedures for staff to follow;
c. disciplinary referral requirements that ensure that all removals for a portion of full school day are properly documented and considered in determining whether for a student with a disability or suspected disability a significant change in placement has occurred and clear requirements regarding manifestation determination meetings and evaluation and reevaluation requirements;
d. elimination of vague, subjective or redundant offense categories, including categories that allow for a high degree of subjectivity and individual discretion in enforcement (e.g., willful defiance or disruptive behavior). To the extent the District retains such categories, the District will provide specific examples of conduct constituting each category so that staff understands the circumstances under which such categories can be used to impose discipline and the distinctions between such categories;
e. a list of minor misbehaviors for which suspension or expulsion should never be used, and a list of minor misbehaviors that warrant interventions other than discipline;
f. definitions of misconduct that are clear and objective to the maximum extent possible and that clearly distinguish between similar acts, (e.g., fighting and physical aggression); such definitions must include clearly defined, uniform ...
