Safe School Policies

Goal: Establish clear and consistent school and community policies, procedures, and protocols that enhance student achievement and school safety.

Because of a clear correlation between students who commit crimes, truancy, and inconsistency of discipline policies and actions, this goal will focus on establishing clear and consistent safety and discipline policies, procedures, and protocols. Frequently, at-risk students – those in danger of committing crimes or dropping out of school – are the most mobile student group. As these students move between schools, they experience varying disciplinary processes and sanctions from one school to the next which contributes to the instability in these young people’s lives. At-risk students are best served when they remain at one school. In order to keep students in school and connected to their school, 4 additional Connections Specials and 2 At-risk Student Compliance Analysts will be hired to support schools in reducing student truancy. By hiring two bilingual Truancy Specialists, SPS will do a better job of providing support services to truant, immigrant and/or bilingual students.

“…Safety, well-being and academic achievement of our children can be improved through the use of research-based approaches to reducing school violence and drug use and coordination between schools, families, and community organizations.”
-Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education

To reduce disproportionality in discipline, schools will be provided with developmentally appropriate standards of practice for behavioral interventions and progressive discipline. A part-time attorney will be hired to provide legal analysis, interagency coordination, training and protocol development to reduce school aggression, violence, truancy, and disproportionality in discipline. To strengthen relationships with the Department of Youth Services, the King County Prosecutor’s Office, and King County Juvenile Court, SPS will contract for the services of a Probation Office to case manage students involved in school-related crimes.

Through increased focus on keeping students in school and addressing issues of truancy, it is hoped that there will be less incidences of school-related crimes, drop-outs, and violence. Priority will be placed on better interagency coordination and the development of consistent discipline policies among Seattle Public Schools for students who enter the disciplinary process.