Student Behavior & Discipline
Cypress School District is committed to providing students with a safe, caring, and positive learning environment that supports their social development and academic success. Establishing a positive learning environment begins with schoolwide expectations for student behavior that are consistently communicated, taught, and reinforced by teachers, staff, and administrators.
Discipline
The goal of discipline is not to teach kids to avoid punishment. It is to teach kids to do the
right thing even when the adults are not around. -Lawrence Goldberg
Teaching and reinforcing appropriate behavior is an essential component of student success. As part of this learning process, it is important for students to experience the consequences of poor choices and inappropriate behavior when they occur. While there are some student behaviors that require immediate suspension and consideration for expulsion, California Education Code 48900 (v) indicates that administrators have the discretion to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion that are age appropriate and designed to address and correct the student’s misbehavior. The ultimate goal of school discipline is to help students learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for their own behavior.
Alternatives to Suspension
Alternatives to suspension include, but are not limited to:
- Parent, student, and staff conference
- Appropriate behavior-specific consequence
- Individual behavior contract
- Daily or weekly “check-in/check-out” with a designated staff member
- Referral to the Student Study Team
- Implementation of appropriate interventions (behavioral and/or academic)
- Referral to appropriate social skills or mental health support group (parent permission required)
- Referral for individual counseling and mental health support (parent permission required)
Student Study Team
The Student Study Team (SST) process is a positive, problem-solving approach to addressing student needs. When a student struggles in school, an SST is convened. An SST meeting is held with teachers, parents, administrators, and other school staff to examine a student’s academic, behavioral, and social-emotional progress. The team works together to identify appropriate strategies and interventions to support student success. Student progress is monitored over time with the collection of objective data to determine the effectiveness of the strategies and interventions. Adjustments are made as necessary. An SST meeting can be initiated by the school staff or the parent.
Board Policy
BP 5144 Discipline
AR 5144 Discipline