School Discipline

Education


School Discipline

Each school system has discipline procedures to ensure the safety of staff and students and promote an environment for learning. School systems develop their own Code of Conduct policies and rules which all students, including those with disabilities, are expected to follow. You should be given a copy of the Student Handbook which includes a copy of the Code of Conduct at the start of the school year. It is important to know what rules are included in this handbook. However, there are special considerations when a student with an IEP has discipline issues or violates the Code of Conduct.

Discipline for Special Education Students.

Regulations under IDEA protect special education students from being punished for behaviors that are related to their disabilities. This does not mean special education students are exempt from all discipline. Read the P2P Fact Sheet on Discipline (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese)

Read the Q&A on Discipline Procedures from the Office of Special Education And Rehabilitative Services

When my Child is Disciplined at School – A Guidebook for Families from Georgia Appleseed

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBI) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) involves gathering information in order to determine the cause or function of a behavior. A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) includes positive interventions, strategies and supports to address the target behavior. It is created by a team of school staff and the parents. The BIP is used to teach or encourage new behavior. A BIP should address the problem behaviors identified in the FBA. 

Read the Fact Sheet about Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) & Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) also available in (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese)

Watch the P2P Webinar on FBA/BIP

Boy doing homework

Bullying

For children and youth to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel safe and be safe — socially, emotionally, and physically. Find out more about bullying from these resources.

The National Center for Bullying Prevention has resources, videos, and information for schools, parents, kids and teens.

Bullying among Children and Youth with Disabilities from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Watch the P2P Webinar on Bullying Prevention.

Restraint and Seclusion

In July 2010, the Georgia Department of Education implemented rules for Restraint and Seclusion in Georgia schools.

Read the Georgia DOE Rule on Restraint and Seclusion and the Georgia DOE Guidance for the Rule on Restraint and Seclusion.

Read the US DOE Guidance Document concerning the use of restraint and seclusion in public schools.