Sacramento City USD
Board Policy
Positive School Climate

BP 5137 
Students

Every student has a right and responsibility to be educated in a safe and welcoming environment and to be treated in a manner that respects their human dignity and to be free from disparate or discriminatory discipline.

Every educator has a right and responsibility to be provided with the support and tools to meet the needs of students struggling with social and emotional challenges and to teach in a school environment that provides a structure for teaching and supporting positive behaviors.

Every parent has a right and responsibility to be included in creating positive school climate and interventions appropriate for students in our schools.

The Governing Board desires to nurture and maintain effective learning environments with the cultivation of positive and safe behaviors, development of social emotional learning competencies skill sets and a positive school climate and culture.

(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 5132 - Dress and Grooming)
(cf. 5144 - Discipline)
(cf. 5145.2 - Freedom of Speech/Expression: Publications Code)
(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment)

The Board will ensure on going professional development and training, aligned with school and district reform goals, to all school district staff and any individual that have a partnership that involves interacting or working with our schools staff, students, and school community.  More specifically, professional development and training will focus on evidenced-based positive school discipline, conflict resolution, cultural relevancy and responsiveness, behavior management, social justice and equity.

Furthermore, the Board will increase investments in social and emotional learning and student support teams, focusing on academic engagement, equitable access to rigorous coursework and developmentally appropriate behavioral instruction.

(cf. 6141 - Curriculum Development and Evaluation)
(cf. 6141.6 - Multicultural Education)
(cf. 6161.1 - Selection and Evaluation of Instructional Materials)
(cf.  6164.5 - Student Study Teams)

The Superintendent or designee will give students the opportunities to voice their concerns about school policies and practices and to share responsibility for solving problems that affect their school.

The Superintendent or designee will include students, families, educators, and support personnel, juvenile justice professionals, law enforcement officers, child welfare workers and 

other community members in the development and implementation of school improvement plans that focus on improving physical conditions, communication between stakeholders, and structures that affect school climate.

(cf. 5126 - Awards for Achievement)
(cf. 5131.4 - Campus Disturbances)
(cf. 5136 - Gangs)
(cf. 6020 - Parent Engagement)
(cf. 6142.4 - Learning through Community Service)

The Superintendent or designee will promote nonviolent conflict resolution and restorative practices in order to encourage attitudes and behaviors that foster harmonious relations.  As part of this effort, schools shall implement principles and processes throughout the school community that emphasize the importance of positive relationships as central to building community and restoring relationships when harm has occurred; consistently spend time building trusting relations among students, staff, and family communities both school wide and within the classroom.

The Superintendent or designee will implement initiatives that will provide students the skills in five competencies areas that researchers agreed are essential to success in school and life: Self-management; self-awareness; responsible decision-making; relationship skills; and social awareness.

The Superintendent or designee will insure that all staff receives multiply opportunities to receive training that will help with implementation and supports in conflict resolution techniques, in restorative practices and social and emotional learning. Trainings will also be available to students, parents/guardians, volunteers and any other individual part of the school community.

The Superintendent or designee will incorporate the objectives from this board policy into an accountability system that will measure and monitor the progress and growth in the following level: student, classroom, school site and district wide.

Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
233-233.8  Hate violence prevention
32280-32289  School safety plans
32295.5  Teen court programs
35181  Governing board policy on responsibilities of students
35291-35291.5  Rules
44807  Teachers' duty concerning conduct of students
48900-48925  Suspension and expulsion

Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Cyberbullying: Policy Considerations for Boards, Policy Brief, July 2007
Protecting Our Schools: Governing Board Strategies to Combat School Violence, rev. 1999
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Bullying at School, 2003
Creating Safe and Drug-Free Schools: An Action Guide, 1996
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Preventing Bullying: A Manual for Schools and Communities, 1998
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Department of Education, Learning Support: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls
National School Safety Center: http://www.schoolsafety.us
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS

Policy	SACRAMENTO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted:  November 16, 1998	Sacramento, California
revised:  April 15, 2002
revised:  June 5, 2014