Policy Analysis

Presentation
CEDRIC FULLER

Revisiting the Policy for

Suspension for Fighting
Fighting and Assaulting in the district are viewed as follows:

Fighting- Scuffling, roughhousing, horseplay, bullying, intimidating or

threatening gestures or language

Assault - Intentionally inflicting or attempting to inflict bodily harm upon

another or committing an act with the intent to cause fear in another or
immediate bodily harm or death

Students involved in a fight may be recommended for expulsion

according to District 281 policy.

Past and Current Disciplinary

Actions Taken

In years past, any student in Robbinsdale ISD 281 that participated in a

fight, received a 45 day suspension (students completed 10-15 days of
suspension out of school and the remaining days at an alternative site
pending a hearing to determine a return to the students home school)

Before the 2012-13 Academic school year, the district moved to an

automatic 10 day suspension for the first fight and a second fight would
result in the previously mentioned 45 day suspension and a
recommendation for expulsion

Policy Update Implementation

Implement alternative suspension plan to decrease the number of days out of

school

Suspend students for 3-5 days for fighting.

If the incident or students behavior record merits 10 day suspension, use

alternative school in district for some of the days (example: suspend student out
of school at home for 5 days and then 5 days at TASC (The Alternative Study
Center)

Implement the use of the Student Support Center or ISS (In School Suspension)
for some of the days students are suspended (example; student is suspended for
5 days, student completes 3 out of school at home and the remaining 2 in ISS
transitioning to return to their normal school day

Reasons for Update on

Suspension Policies for Fighting

Suspension days (10) for fighting are at the maximum amount of days
that the state allows for one disciplinary incident

Students miss too many days and also too much class and instructional
time

There is a disproportionate minority representation in suspension and

expulsion both at the state and district level

Influential Laws, Statutes, and

Policies

The Pupil Fair Dismissal Act (PFDA) outlines the state and federal laws
regarding disciplinary actions. Dismissal means the denial of the
current educational program to any pupil, including exclusion,
expulsion, and suspension. It does not include removal from class.

Out-of-school suspension is defined in two different statutes for general

education and special education students. For all students, an outofschool suspension is an action by a school administrator for more than
one school day and no more than 10 consecutive school days for one
incident, unless there is an expulsion proceeding. In that case, the
maximum length is 15 consecutive school days. Out-of-school
suspension lengths are usually for 1 to 5 days.

Staff and Parental Involvement

in the Plan
Administration

Teachers

Parents/Guardians

Deans and Assistant

Principal's determine
suspension length

Compile missing work for

students

Attend meeting prior to

suspension to discuss plan

Assign alternatives to out

of school suspension days

Communicate with staff at

alternative placement
while students are there

Check parent portal to

insure student is receiving
and completing any
missing work

Place students on behavior

contract upon their return
from suspension

Fill out weekly academic

progress report portion of
behavior contract on a
weekly basis

Review and sign behavior

contract with their student

Assign student to social

skills group run by PBIS
Coordinator

Provide any additional

after school help or
support students may
need due to absences

Attend re-entry meeting

with student for their
return to school

Implementing Support for the

Updated Suspension Plan

Identify students with repeat suspensions for fighting and disruptive

behavior related to fighting

Offer extended opportunities to those students to discuss anger

management, processing problematic behaviors, and determining
which de-escalation technique or approach will work best for them

Provide intensive school supports to allow students to develop coping

mechanisms to deal with stressful and tense situations

Monitoring the Updated

Suspension Policy

Deans and APs will incorporate discussing any related information to

fights and fight related suspensions at their weekly admin check-in

PBIS Coordinator will run monthly reports to compare both the number
of fights and the number of suspension days to compare them to
previous year in order gauge progress or lack there of

PBIS coordinator will also report attendance for students who are
assigned to social skills group and other positive school supports

Evaluating the New Suspension

Policy

Evaluations will be done on a quarterly basis

Monthly reports throughout each quarter will be used to evaluate the

progress and impact of the new policy

Present quarterly reports to head principal and the director of student

services for secondary schools who is also in charge of monitoring
hearings for expulsions and monitoring days of out of school
suspension

Implications on School
Procedures

School procedures for dealing with fights will remain the same

Any fight involving a weapon will still be recommended for a hearing to determine
expulsion or alternative placement

Any fight that involves a parent wanting to press charges for an assault against
their student will also be brought before a hearing

Safety of the building and for students and staff will continue to be promoted. The
change in policy is not for students to feel like fighting is now seen as being
permitted nor does the result of a fight now carry a lesser consequence

References

2014-15. Student Behavior Handbook: Rights and Responsibilities. Robbinsdale Area

Schools
2014. Minnesota Statutes. Office of the Revenue of Statutes. Retrieved from
https://www.revisor.mn.gov_statutes_id
The Pupil Fair Dismissal Act 2009. Minnesota Statutes Sections 121A.40 to 121A.56
(http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Accountability_Programs/Compliance
and_Assistance/Student_Discipline/Pupil_Fair_Dismissal_Act/index.html).

References
Townsend, B. (2000). The disproportionate discipline of African American
learners: Reducing school suspensions and expulsions. Exceptional
Children, 66(3), pp. 383-391
Mendez, L. M. & Knoff, H. M. (2003). Who gets suspended from school and
why: A demographic analysis of schools and disciplinary infractions in
a large school district. Education and Treatment of Children, 26, pp. 3051.