The requirement to have a school code of conduct that is consistent with your board’s code of conduct:
- Know the board’s policies and procedures on behaviour and discipline and the police/school board protocol.
- Review the Ontario Code of Conduct (www.edu.gov.on.ca) and your board and school codes of conduct for consistency.
The requirement to communicate expectations:
- Ensure that the school Code of Conduct is communicated to students and parents at the start of the school year and on an ongoing basis. Students and parents need to know in advance that progressive discipline, including suspension and expulsion, may be the consequence of misconduct.
- Discuss board and school codes of conduct regularly with school staff. Provide support and information to new and occasional staff.
- Advise staff of their responsibility to report student misconduct that could result in a suspension or expulsion to the principal, and provide them with the “Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form – Part I” in an appropriate and timely manner. Principals must also advise all board employees who work directly with students (e.g. teachers, child and youth workers, social workers, education assistants) that they have a duty to respond to any behaviour that is likely to have a negative impact on the school climate, unless, in the employee’s opinion, it would cause immediate physical harm to the employee, that student or another person.
- Discuss only general issues regarding student behaviour, discipline and safety at school council meetings throughout the year. Do not discuss individuals.
- Solicit the views of the school council regarding the local code of conduct and school policies or guidelines concerning the appropriate dress of pupils.
The principal’s requirement to clarify roles and responsibilities:
- Clarify the roles you and the vice-principal will assume on student behaviour and discipline.
- Keep in mind that the principal is ultimately responsible for discipline. If you delegate disciplinary authority to the vice-principal, be sure to maintain adequate communication and supervision. The delegation of authority for imposing discipline must be in writing and take into account the limits on what tasks can be delegated. For example, a vice-principal can only suspend students to a maximum of 5 days and cannot recommend the expulsion of a student. The written delegation could be executed on an annual basis, but the principal has an ongoing duty to supervise the vice-principal’s performance. The following actions are recommended:
- Establish an open door policy.
- Implement a regular reporting structure on delegated responsibilities and ensure that all serious issues are reported immediately and directly to the principal regardless of any delegation of authority that might be in place.
- Communicate frequently and regularly about students, staff and other issues.
- Establish a protocol to ensure that confidentiality on all matters of student behaviour and discipline are maintained.
The requirement to document
Document factually all interviews, incidents, meetings and phone calls regarding student behaviour and discipline. Record the time, date, place, participants and what was said; file your documentation in a secure location. A password-protected area in the school’s shared drive or student-data system is used for this purpose in some boards.
Establish a system for filing notes regarding contacts with students and parents. Ensure that both principal and vice-principal have access to these notes and follow the same record-keeping system. Keep all records secure.
Remember that notes may be subject to a Freedom of Information application. Be factual.
Use the Effective Documentation Checklist