1. School Policy and Procedures NJHS Education and Training

2. School Policy Schools are busy and complex systems of people and are created for educating school-aged youth. Families and the community at large expect schools to be safe and effective. The most effective way to create safe and supportive learning environments is through the development and implementation of clear and purposeful school policies.

3. Why do we have policies? A policy is a plan that guides our actions. To do things effectively, we have to adhere to some common sense policies: Governments invoke laws to help maintain peaceful communities. Companies have by-laws in order to facilitate productive work environments. Games have rules to create a baseline standard of play.

4. School Policy Definition School policy is defined as the set of established expectations for specific behavior and norms within a school. School policies are put in place to guide the day-to-day functioning of the school as well as to make it safe and an effective place for learning to occur.

5. School Policy Definition Typically, schools and school districts have specific policies for different target audiences. For example, schools may have policies for families regarding sick children and drop off and pick-up. Schools may also have policies for students such as uniforms, cell phone policies or attendance policies. School policies are usually written out in the form of the student and parent handbook or online through the school's website.

6. Establishing School Policies In order for school policies to be effective, they have to be more than just statements on paper. School policies have to be clearly articulated to faculty, staff, students and parents. All groups must be made aware of the policies and exactly how they are expected to follow them. Ensuring that everyone is clear about policies and procedures will help reduce confusion. Additionally, if policies and procedures are clear, the greater the likelihood that they will be followed appropriately.

7. School Policy for Safety Overall, school safety is a top priority for schools. Therefore, schools across the country have implemented specific school safety policies to ensure a safe learning environment. For example, schools now regularly practice lock- down drills and have set clear procedures for how to handle a stranger on campus.

8. Other School Policies While some school policies may vary, as individual school community needs may vary, there are a few general school policies that are commonplace among most schools. A few common policies that you will find at most public schools include: School Policy on Lice School Policy on Fever

9. School Policy on Lice Lice are highly contagious and schools generally want to ensure there are policies in place to reduce the number of cases. While eliminating lice completely is almost impossible, policies generally aim to reduce the spread. In most cases, children will not be allowed to attend school with live lice in their hair. If there is any evidence of live lice, the child will be sent home or not allowed to attend until the lice are gone. However, once the lice are treated, often the nits, or lice eggs, remain. There is some variance in flexibility, however, most schools will enforce a no nit policy. Essentially this means that children may not return to school until every last nit is picked out of the hair.

10. School Policy on Fever In order for schools to be safe and supportive learning environments, schools will enforce policies to keep students healthy. When a child has a fever, often a precursor to a variety of illnesses, is when they can be very contagious. The temperature threshold for fever is typically established at 101.9 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Typically, school policy for fever is that students may not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours. However, it is important to understand that the student must be fever-free without any type of fever-reducing medication. In order to return to school, the student must be fever-free without medication for the entire 24-hour period.

11. WHY DO WE HAVE PROCEDURES? A procedure is the way that we do things. To do things right, we have to follow some simple procedures, for example: To open your locker, you have to select your combination as directed by the lock manufacturer. To place a call on your phone, you need to enter the number in the right order. So, to be successful in learning, you need to follow some simple procedures.

12. Safety Procedures Safety procedures help keep students safe in unpredictable circumstances. They are procedures that should be followed in the event of a fire, a bomb scare, a terrorist attack, a weather emergency such as a tornado, hurricane, flood, wildfire or earthquake. Safety procedures also include procedures for students and staff to follow if their school is under attack from outside or from within, or if there is a threat of an attack. School safety policies and procedures are set in place to make schools safer and to have a course of action to take in the event of unsafe situations. Students and staff, as well as parents, should understand policies and procedures that are meant to help schools maintain safety to be sure that they are able to follow them when needed.

13. Creating Procedures Superintendents, school boards and principals set safety procedures by determining which types of safety threats might be possible at their schools. Then, they consult local, state and national governments for a general procedure to use during specific emergencies. After that, they create the procedures. Step-by-step instructions are written down and are posted in hand books, on walls and in places where they can be accessed during an emergency. School safety policies and procedures are set in place to make schools safer and to have a course of action to take in the event of unsafe situations. Students and staff, as well as parents, should understand policies and procedures that are meant to help schools maintain safety to be sure that they are able to follow them when needed.

14. Practicing Procedures Each time a school sets a procedure that is designed to protect students and staff from unsafe situations, it should be practiced. Procedures need to be taught first to staff and teachers, so that they can be familiar with them. Then, students should be led through drills for each of the types of emergency procedures so that they can be prepared if the need should arise.