1. Student Discipline Policy and Regulations
JKA and JKA-RA through JKA-RE
Office of Student Support and Safety
Chief Academic Office
For Board of School Commissioners’ Consideration
First Reader
August 12, 2014

2. State Regulatory Requirements
Board Policy JKA currently governs school discipline but does not meet the new requirements due to recent COMAR amendments.
The Maryland State Board of Education amended COMAR 13A , .12 and .15 and added 13A in January 2014.
COMAR 13A was previously amended by the Maryland State Board of Education.
Guidelines for a State Code of Discipline were accepted by the Maryland State Board of Education on July 22, 2014.

3. Policy Statement
Board Policy JKA – Student Discipline is governed by the following principles:
Schools must focus on providing a positive learning atmosphere.
Classrooms should provide a safe, academically engaging, and orderly environment for all students.
Disciplinary responses must focus on promoting positive relationships and tiered intervention strategies.
Exclusion or removal of a student from the classroom should be the disciplinary action of last resort.

4. Key Policy Changes Policy Component Details
Revisions to existing definitions
A short-term suspension refers to the removal of a student from school for up to three (3) school days. Previous definition referred to a student’s removal for up to ten (10) school days.
Definitions of extended suspensions and expulsions were adjusted with explicitly defined rules about when an extended suspension or expulsion may occur.
New definition of “long-term suspension”
A long-term suspension is the removal of a student from school for four to ten (4-10) school days.
Only the CEO or designated representative may suspend a student for a long-term suspension.
Addition of a compliance section
City Schools will provide an annual report to the Board detailing the use of out-of-school suspensions and the implementation of other behavioral interventions.
Additional Definitions
Definitions that had been exclusively in the Regulations have been moved to the Policy.

5. Key Regulation Changes
Regulation Component
Details
Student Behavior Intervention Changes
Practices on student behavior interventions were updated to comply with COMAR 13A
Additional Professional Development Requirements
Professional development will be provided annually to designated staff on positive behavior interventions strategies and supports, Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), as well as student behavior interventions.
New guidelines for “long-term suspension”
A long-term suspension is the removal of a student from school for four to ten (4-10) school days.
Only the CEO or designated representative may suspend a student for a long-term suspension.
New administrative duty:
School Staff Liaison
COMAR requires that schools identify a liaison to ensure that suspended students receive daily classwork and assignments to minimize their academic disruption.
Revisions to assignment of students after extended suspensions or expulsions
Students shall be reinstated to their original school upon completion of an extended suspension or expulsion.
If the student’s victim attends or is employed at the original school, then the student shall be reassigned.

6. Karen Webber-N’Dour, J.D.
For more information,
please contact:
Karen Webber-N’Dour, J.D.
Lara Ohanian, M.A., Ed.S

7. Appendix

8. City Schools’ Historical Suspension Data SY2004 thru SY2013
9-year change
6-year change
1-year change # %
-17,671
-67.1%
-8,099
-48.3%
-2,741
-24.1%
2004
2007
2012
2013
NOTE: Counts show total number of out-of-school suspensions in the District based on end of year file. Includes all suspensions and expulsions.
SOURCE: Official MSDE files. Official suspension numbers for SY2014 will be available late August 2014.