STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Student Code of Conduct

Juliana Downing-Walker

Grand Canyon University

EAD 513 Shaping School Culture

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Student Code of Conduct Introduction

Currently Jewett School of the Arts is in transition of leadership and with this comes

changes to the Student Code of Conduct. In this report, I will identify our school’s core values,

strengths and weaknesses in discipline and outline policies that our school will adopt to allow for

a more equitable education for all students regardless of ability, race, culture, religion, gender or

other identifying factors. All students have a right to a Free Appropriate Public Education, and I

believe that through these changes, we will be able to offer a better version of that education.
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School Background

Jewett School of the Arts is a magnet kindergarten through eighth grade school with just

over 760 students. This equates to approximately 84 students per grade level or 21 students per

class, give or take in the lower grades. Our school is an arts school that has an extended number

of arts teachers ranging from 2D/3D Art, Chorus, Band, Rock band, Theatre, Drawing, etc.,

which allows us to have an extended staff. There are 4 teachers per grade level as well as extra

support. We are a staff of just under 70 without counting custodial or lunch crew. With those

crew members added, our school has a total of 90 staff members. Jewett School of the Arts is

tucked away in an urban neighborhood with only one way in and one way out of the school and

just under two minutes away from the closest middle school. Some background that is important

to note when talking about a student Code of Conduct is that our school is a Title 1 school made

up primarily of minority students. This year alone, our prior administration has process well over

400 discipline referrals, with many students suspended due to the nature of the offense.
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Values Statement

 At Jewett School of the Arts, we value creativity, academics, and sound character
above all else.
o Creativity
 Through the arts program students can be creative and have an
outlet for their creativity.
 Our arts integration in the classroom is important to students to be
creative.
o Academics
 Core subjects are taught for all students, Math, English Language
Arts, Social Studies, Science.
 Advanced students are given ample opportunities to move forward
and continue learning.
 Gifted program
 Middle School Advanced classes
 Algebra (Pre-High School credit)
 Geometry (Pre-High School Credit)
 Civics (Pre-High School Credit)
 Fab Lab and Research class
o Sound Character- taught through character education programs such as the
eighth-grade leadership group. (Peterson et al., 2015)
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Humility
 Trustworthiness
 Respect
 Empathy
 Self-Discipline
 Perseverance
 School-wide Expectations
o All students will respect themselves, their peers, teachers and staff at
Jewett School of the Arts.
o All students will seek peaceful resolutions by implementing strategies
taught by teachers.
o All students will respect school property including school grounds.
o All students will ensure they are prepared to learn for the day. This
includes having a positive attitude. It also includes acquiring the proper
materials, of which students have access to at school.
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o All students will ensure they are adhering to the school board policy when
it comes to technology and devices. No personal devices should be out
during the school day.
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Code of Conduct Topics

1. Rights and Responsibilities- Students need to be held to the highest standard which

includes being responsible and knowing the expectations. Without knowing the

expectations, the students cannot be held accountable for their actions.

2. Abuse- Students need to know that they can always go to a trusted adult for abuse within

the home, social, or classroom. This section would include the mandated reporting by

staff and the actionable steps that need to be taken to ensure student safety.

3. Harassment/Discrimination/Bullying- Disciplinary actions for discrimination,

harassment, or bullying of any kind will include sensitivity training in which students

that are found guilty of these types of behaviors will be mandated to take. In addition this

section should explain what is and is not harassment, discrimination and bullying.

4. Disruptive Behaviors- Staff members need to understand the difference between minor

and major disruptive behaviors. This should outline what disruptive behaviors are and

given steps on how to proceed appropriately to reduce bias and ensure equitability

amongst students.

5. Drug Free Schools- Drug prevention programs will be facilitated throughout the school

from 3rd grade up in a developmentally appropriate way. Students caught with drugs of

any kind will be placed into drug prevention courses and given time to speak with a

counselor in an effort into thwart continuous use. Parental contact must be made as well.

6. Disciplinary Actions- Staff will be given a flowchart map that includes steps to take in

the event of misbehavior in the classroom. By outlining this in the student conduct it

shows that all students will be held to the same standard and what can be expected if they

misbehave.
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7. Progressive Discipline- This section outlines for students who are repeat offenders and

how discipline will get more intense based on their behaviors so there is no question

about fairness. In addition, MTSS for behavior will be administered.

8. Threats- These threats would encompass bomb threats, threats of bodily harm, verbal

threats to teachers and students and the steps that will be taken to rehabilitate the

offender to ensure that the offender does not repeat this action.

9. Fighting and Violence- This section would outline what is considered violence and the

consequences to such actions. This section was chosen based on discipline referrals

reports over the past year where violence is the second largest reason for referrals. This

will also outline different programs that would be offered for character development and

anger management as needed.

10. Insubordination- There seems to be a trend at our school where students show a lack of

care when asked to follow simple directions. This section will outline what

insubordination is and what it is not and what steps can be taken for corrective action.
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Code of Conduct Rationales

When outlining the student Code of Conduct, I would like to draw attention to the

decision to not include Zero-Tolerance policies. This was written this way purposefully because

there is no real supportive evidence that zero tolerance policies make a difference or make our

school safer, rather it punishes inequitably students of color. (Curran & Finch, 2020) Instead of

taking the approach of Zero Tolerance, I have planned out tiers of management and support as

well as punishments that could be used based on the number of infractions in each section. This

allows us to be more equitable amongst all students regardless of race or any other determinant

factors.

Emphasis was put on teaching students right from wrong by doing courses such as anger

management, drug prevention and other very important lessons. The ideas outlined in this

Student Code of Conduct are there to foster relationships, allow there to be equitable

opportunities for students and reduce the punitive punishments that have been occurring. In

addition, special emphasis was placed on giving teachers ideas for management as well as a flow

chart for actions or actionable steps that could be taken if a teacher was to come across various

behavioral issues. This allows teachers to be empowered to take control of discipline within their

classrooms, and ultimately cut back on behavioral problems.

Finally, the Student Code of Conduct does start with rules and regulations, because

sometimes, learning the basics and what the expectations are is an important step in ensuring

students are able to follow the expectations. You cannot punish a student for doing something

you never told them not to do. When it comes down to it, the Student Code of Conduct is like a

rubric or a road map that helps students know what is and is not an expectation of our school, as

well as what they should and should not be doing.

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References

Curran, F. C., & Finch, M. A. (2020). Reforming school discipline: Responses by school district

leadership to revised state guidelines for student codes of conduct. Educational

Administration Quarterly, 57(2), 0013161X2092589. Sage Journals.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161x20925893

Peterson, R., Strawhun, J., & Hoff, N. (2015). School Values & Expectations Tier 1. In

https://k12engagement.unl.edu/strategy-briefs. https://k12engagement.unl.edu/strategy-

briefs/School%20Values%20%26%20Expectations%202-6-15.pdf