< Handbook Overview

RSD believes our students succeed when they feel engaged and supported in safe, caring, and inclusive learning environments.

To support our student’s well-being and overall success, our schools develop positive relationships among all members of a school community and establish clear expectations and agreements for how all members of our school communities treat each other and want to be treated as they engage in purposeful, challenging, and exciting teaching and learning opportunities throughout the day.

In keeping with our core values of equity, excellence, kindness, trust, and inclusion, we are committed to addressing students’ behavioral, social, and emotional needs with compassion, guidance, and learning. Our schools establish a multi-tiered system of support to foster students’ development of the social and emotional skills needed to succeed academically, socially, and civically.

Our district’s approach to student well-being and success, enacted through our Student Code of Conduct, supports efforts to cultivate positive school relationships and to develop and nurture positive school behavior.

Our Code of Conduct details the behavioral, social, and emotional supports offered to all students to achieve success. It provides clear expectations and support for creating the conditions at every school campus to:

• develop, sustain, and restore positive relationships at every level of the school community;

• cultivate and reinforce positive behavior; and

• apply rules consistently, fairly, and without bias to help all students succeed.

ARS §15- 341 governs the RSD Student Code of Conduct. This policy guides and supports positive student behavior when the student is:

1. attending school;

2. on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event;

3. traveling to or from school or a school-sponsored event; or

4. engaged in problematic conduct that is in any other manner school-related or affects the operation of the schools.

The Code of Conduct outlines the expectations for positive student behavior and the range of interventions and consequences extended to students whose behaviors impede their school success – whether in person or virtually. The Student Code of Conduct also sets forth the due-process rights extended to students engaging in challenging and/or disruptive behaviors.

All children make mistakes, academically and behaviorally. When children make mistakes that involve behaviors prohibited by our Code of Conduct, we treat those mistakes in the same way we treat academic mistakes—as opportunities for learning. RSD engages in Restorative Justice practices to help children learn from their behavioral mistakes and take responsibility for any harm they have caused to others or their learning community.

A restorative justice approach focuses on three things:

1. Building authentic relationships and a sense of connection and community that help all students feel like they belong to their school community and that serves to prevent conflict and harmful behavior proactively;

2. When problematic behaviors arise that do cause conflict and harm, engage in restorative conversations between the person or community that was harmed and the person whose behavior caused the damage;

3. Through restorative conversations, coming to an understanding of the harm that was caused, and helping the person who caused the harm to accept responsibility and work to repair the harm they caused – in other words, to help the child who made the mistake learn from their mistake, take responsibility for their actions, and try their best to repair the harm their behavior caused, repair relationships, and reconnect and reintegrate back into their school community.

These restorative practices do not ask students to “take the punishment.” Instead, they help the student who made a mistake learn from it and ensure that they “take responsibility” by making amends to the person or community harmed. By empowering our students to be responsible for their actions and the impacts of those actions, restorative justice offers students a means to rebuild their dignity by taking responsibility and fixing the consequences of their mistakes.

We are committed to addressing student behavior with the abovementioned instructive and restorative approach. Any student who engages in behavior prohibited by the RSD Student Code of Conduct will receive a combination of restorative interventions and/or consequences.

The goal of assigning interventions and consequences is to address the impact and root-causes of behavior, restore relationships that have been harmed, and support students to learn and grow from their mistakes. Interventions include skill-building interventions, counseling, behavior contracts, service-learning options, restorative conferences, and restorative mediations. Consequence responses include detention, temporary removal from the classroom, skill-building in-school suspension, off-campus suspension if necessary for safety or to maintain regular operation of the school and referral to temporary alternative placement in the Student Success Academy.

Severe behavior incidents that threaten student or staff safety or severely disrupt the educational process will be addressed with appropriate measures to ensure safety, but within a restorative approach that seeks to minimize the incidence’s impact and likelihood of recurrence. In the most severe cases, there can be a referral to an appropriate law enforcement agency if required by state statute. In all cases, we will work to repair the harm caused and address the underlying needs of all those involved.

In response to a Student Discipline Referral, students and families can expect the following:

1. A documented restorative conversation between a staff member and/or administrator and the student(s) regarding the incident.

2. A reasonable effort should be made to contact the parent/guardian to discuss the behavior incident and anticipate the following steps (e.g., gather additional information, assign intervention and/or consequence).

3. An appropriate and timely intervention and/or consequence is assigned to support student learning, change behavior, and address the impact of the behavior. Interventions and consequences are assigned as

4. A more serious consequence may be assigned if a behavior incident is deemed to have a high (severe, multiple) impact on the school community. However, more severe consequences shall only be assigned with the approval of the Director of Leadership and Learning or designee.

5. A notification to the Parent or Guardian of any additional information, intervention (s), and/or consequence(s) assigned.

Throughout the school year, you will have the opportunity to meet with other parents and your school administrators to provide any thoughts, questions, and input you may have about our code of conduct and our school discipline policies and approach.

The Roosevelt School District believes every student is entitled to a voice whenever there is a student misconduct issue. In minor misconduct issues, where off-campus suspension is not a possible consequence, the student will be allowed to speak with an administrator or appropriate staff member and share their version of events and explanation of their choice in behavior.

A formal conference will be held between an administrator and the student for misconduct that could result in off-campus suspension of less than ten (10) days. During the meeting, the administrator will advise the student of the allegations and evidence supporting the misconduct charge. The student can explain their version of events dealing with the alleged misconduct. In addition, the school will exhaust efforts to notify the parent or guardian by telephone. It will send written notification of the suspension to the last address on file at the school.

A long-term suspension is defined as excluding a student from school for more than ten school days. If the administration determines that the alleged student misconduct is severe enough to recommend suspending more than ten school days, parents or guardians will be notified of a formal due process hearing at least five school days before the hearing.

Notification will include:

• The time, date and location of the hearing

• A description of the misconduct

• The Board Policy or administrative regulation violated and discipline prescribed therein

• A copy of ARS § 15-843

• A statement that parents and guardians shall have a right to present and question witnesses

The student and parents will be advised that:

• The student or parents or guardians have a right to be represented by legal counsel

• Notice must be given to the campus administrator at least 48 hours before the hearing if the student or their

  parents or guardians shall have an attorney or other representative present.

• There shall be no more than two other representatives present in the hearing

After the hearing, the hearing officer may decide immediately or notify the parents, guardians, and student within 48 hours by certified and regular mail.

Expulsion is defined as the exclusion of a student from school permanently. The authority to expel a student rests exclusively with the Governing Board. The school's principal shall recommend expelling a student to the Governing Board based upon the results of a due process hearing. This due process hearing is the same process outlined in the Long-Term Suspension section of this handbook.

The Governing Board may appoint a hearing officer for cases of recommended expulsion or conduct the hearing. The final decision to expel or reinstate a student rests with the Governing Board. There is no administrative appeal from the Governing Board’s decision to impose discipline.

All students should expect to be disciplined under the same standards of conduct and due process procedures. When misconduct occurs by a student with a disability, it is the policy of the District to comply with the requirements of the IDEA and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as they relate to disciplinary measures taken with a student with a disability. Contact the school's social worker for information about student discipline for a student protected under Section 504. For a student who is considered to have a disability and receiving special education services on an IEP, contact the school’s psychologist.

Order, safety and security are essential to a supportive and productive learning environment. When the learning environment is threatened by the presence of dangerous, banned, or illegal items, school officials have a responsibility and the authority to search for and obtain such items from students or non-students if there is reasonable suspicion that the student is in possession. These searches can include desks and the students’ backpacks.

To ensure that Arizona's youngest elementary school students are not excluded from school unless necessary, our state has passed a law that provides clear limits for when K-4 students can be suspended or expelled. The law, outlined below, supports RSD's restorative approach to school discipline by clearly describing the interventions and supports that must be in place before considering suspension or expulsion of a K-4 student.

Unless required by ARS § 15-841(G), bringing a firearm to school, which may be modified on a case-by-case basis, schools in the Roosevelt School District may out-of-school suspend or expel a pupil who is enrolled in kindergarten through fourth grade (K-4) only if all of the following apply:

1. The pupil is seven years or older and

2. The pupil engaged in conduct on school grounds that meets one of the following criteria and

   1. Involves the possession of a dangerous weapon without authorization from the school.

   2. Involves the possession, use or sale of a dangerous drug as defined in ARS § 13-3401, a narcotic drug as defined in ARS § 13-3401 or a violation of ARS § 13-3411.

   3. Immediately endangers the health or safety of others.

   4. The pupil's behavior is determined to qualify as aggravating circumstances, and all of the following apply:

      1. The pupil is engaged in persistent behavior that has been documented by the school and that prevents other pupils from learning or prevents the teacher from maintaining control of the classroom environment.

      2. The pupil's ongoing behavior is unresponsive to targeted interventions, as documented through an established intervention process that includes consultation with a school counselor, school psychologist or other mental health professional or social worker if available within the school, district, or a state-sponsored program.

      3. The pupil's parent or guardian was notified and consulted about the ongoing behavior.

      4. Before a long-term suspension or expulsion, the school provides the pupil with a disability screening, and the screening finds that the behavioral issues were not the result of a disability.

3. Failing to remove the pupil from the school building would create a safety threat that cannot otherwise reasonably be addressed or qualifies as "aggravating circumstances" and

4. Before suspending or expelling the pupil, Roosevelt School District will consider and, if feasible while maintaining the health and safety of others, in consultation with the pupil's parent or guardian to the extent possible, employ alternative behavioral and disciplinary interventions that are available to the School District or Charter School, that are appropriate to the circumstances and that are considerate of health and safety. The school shall document the alternative behavioral and disciplinary interventions it considers and employs; and.

5. The school will provide for both:

   1. A readmission procedure for pupils in kindergarten through fourth grade who have served at least five school days of suspension from the school that exceeds ten school days is to be considered for readmission on appeal of the pupil's parent or guardian.

   2. A readmission procedure for pupils who are in kindergarten through fourth grade and who are expelled from or subject to alternative reassignment at the school to be considered for readmission on appeal of the pupil's parent or guardian at least 20 school days after the effective date of the expulsion or alternative reassignment.

6. "Aggravating circumstances" means the pupil is engaged in persistent behavior that:

   1. Has been documented by the school.

   2. Prevents other students from learning or prevents the teacher from controlling the classroom environment.

   3. Is unresponsive to targeted interventions as documented through an established intervention process.

The Roosevelt School District’s Success Academy is designed for students needing a higher level of behavior support than their home campus can provide. This structured program focuses on teaching appropriate behaviors, ownership of choices, and peer responsibility and accountability in addition to the District’s academic curricula.

Under Arizona law and Governing Board policies JK, JKD and JKE, students may be referred to the alternative education program so that a student will remain in school. The alternative education placement avoids suspension or expulsion when the District determines that campus-based behavior interventions and support have not been successful. The school will make every effort to collaborate with the student’s family when considering a placement in our alternative education program. However, should disciplinary issues persist despite the school’s efforts, the District may reassign the student to the alternative education program without parent consent as permitted by ARS § 15-841(E) and (F).

In addition, students may be reassigned to the Success Academy when they violate the Code of Conduct, where “Assignment to the Alternative Education program” is listed as a consequence. The alternative education program may also be offered if a good cause exists as determined by the District. The alternative education placement may be made to avoid a long-term suspension or expulsion ARS § 15-841(E) and (F).