Connecticut School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Formal Incident Reporting of Conduct Violations

Discipline Compendium

Connecticut School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Formal Incident Reporting of Conduct Violations

Category: Monitoring and Accountability
Subcategory: Formal Incident Reporting of Conduct Violations
State: Connecticut

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LAWS

10-222d. Safe school climate plans. Definitions. School climate assessments. [Repealed effective July 1, 2025]

(b) Each local and regional board of education shall develop and implement a safe school climate plan to address the existence of bullying and teen dating violence in its schools. Such plan shall: (1) Enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to school employees and require students and the parents or guardians of students to be notified at the beginning of each school year of the process by which students may make such reports, (2) enable the parents or guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying, (3) require school employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying to orally notify the safe school climate specialist, described in section 10-222k, or another school administrator if the safe school climate specialist is unavailable, not later than one school day after such school employee witnesses or receives a report of bullying, and to file a written report not later than two school days after making such oral report, (4) require the safe school climate specialist to investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying and ensure that such investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports made under this section and that the parents or guardians of the student alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of the student against whom such alleged act or acts were directed receive prompt notice that such investigation has commenced, (5) require the safe school climate specialist to review any anonymous reports, except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous report, (6) include a prevention and intervention strategy, as defined by section 10-222g, for school employees to deal with bullying and teen dating violence, (7) provide for the inclusion of language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying, (8) require each school to notify the parents or guardians of students who commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of students against whom such acts were directed not later than forty-eight hours after the completion of the investigation described in subdivision (4) of this subsection, (9) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student against whom such act was directed to a meeting to communicate to such parents or guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure the safety of the student against whom such act was directed and policies and procedures in place to prevent further acts of bullying, (10) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student who commits any verified act of bullying to a meeting, separate and distinct from the meeting required in subdivision (9) of this subsection, to discuss specific interventions undertaken by the school to prevent further acts of bullying, (11) establish a procedure for each school to document and maintain records relating to reports and investigations of bullying in such school and to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school and make such list available for public inspection, and annually report such number to the Department of Education, and in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, (12) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include both counseling and discipline, (13) prohibit discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying, (14) direct the development of student safety support plans for students against whom an act of bullying was directed that address safety measures the school will take to protect such students against further acts of bullying, (15) require the principal of a school, or the principal's designee, to notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency when such principal, or the principal's designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute criminal conduct, (16) prohibit bullying (A) on school grounds, at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program whether on or off school grounds, at a school bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of education, or through the use of an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the local or regional board of education, and (B) outside of the school setting if such bullying (i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom such bullying was directed, or (ii) infringes on the rights of the student against whom such bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school, (17) require, at the beginning of each school year, each school to provide all school employees with a written or electronic copy of the school district's safe school climate plan, and (18) require that all school employees annually complete the training described in section 10-220a or section 10-222j. The notification required pursuant to subdivision (8) of this subsection and the invitation required pursuant to subdivision (9) of this subsection shall include a description of the response of school employees to such acts and any consequences that may result from the commission of further acts of bullying.

(c) Not later than September 1, 2014, each local and regional board of education that has not had a safe school climate plan, developed pursuant to this section, previously reviewed and approved by the Department of Education shall submit a safe school climate plan to the department for review and approval in accordance with the provisions of section 10-222p. Not later than thirty calendar days after approval by the department of such safe school climate plan, the board shall make such plan available on the board's and each individual school in the school district's Internet web site and ensure that such plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.

(d) On and after July 1, 2012, and biennially thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall require each school in the district to complete an assessment using the school climate assessment instruments, including surveys, approved and disseminated by the Department of Education pursuant to section 10-222h. Each local and regional board of education shall collect the school climate assessments for each school in the district and submit such school climate assessments to the department.

10-222k. District safe school climate coordinator. Safe school climate specialist. Safe school climate committee.

(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, the superintendent of each local or regional board of education shall appoint, from among existing school district staff, a district safe school climate coordinator. The district safe school climate coordinator shall: (1) Be responsible for implementing the district's safe school climate plan, developed pursuant to section 10-222d, (2) collaborate with the safe school climate specialists, described in subsection (b) of this section, the board of education for the district and the superintendent of schools of the school district to prevent, identify and respond to bullying in the schools of the district, (3) provide data and information, in collaboration with the superintendent of schools of the district, to the Department of Education regarding bullying, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 10-222d and subsection (a) of section 10-222h, and (4) meet with the safe school climate specialists at least twice during the school year to discuss issues relating to bullying in the school district and to make recommendations concerning amendments to the district's safe school climate plan.

(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, the principal of each school, or the principal's designee, shall serve as the safe school climate specialist and shall (1) investigate or supervise the investigation of reported acts of bullying in the school in accordance with the district's safe school climate plan, (2) collect and maintain records of reports and investigations of bullying in the school, and (3) act as the primary school official responsible for preventing, identifying and responding to reports of bullying in the school.

(c)(1) For the school year commencing July 1, 2012, and each school year thereafter, the principal of each school shall establish a committee or designate at least one existing committee in the school to be responsible for developing and fostering a safe school climate and addressing issues relating to bullying in the school. Such committee shall include at least one parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school appointed by the school principal and for the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school year thereafter, such committee shall also include (A) school personnel, including, but not limited to, at least one teacher selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b, (B) medical and mental health personnel assigned to such school, and (C) in the case of a committee for a high school, at least one student enrolled at such high school who is selected by the students of such school in a manner determined by the school principal.

(2) Any such committee shall: (A) Receive copies of completed reports following investigations of bullying, (B) identify and address patterns of bullying among students in the school, (C) implement the provisions of the school security and safety plan, developed pursuant to section 10-222m, regarding the collection, evaluation and reporting of information relating to instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying, (D) review and amend school policies relating to bullying, (E) review and make recommendations to the district safe school climate coordinator regarding the district's safe school climate plan based on issues and experiences specific to the school, (F) educate students, school employees and parents and guardians of students on issues relating to bullying, (G) collaborate with the district safe school climate coordinator in the collection of data regarding bullying, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 10-222d and subsection (a) of section 10-222h, and (H) perform any other duties as determined by the school principal that are related to the prevention, identification and response to school bullying for the school.

(3) Any parent or guardian or student serving as a member of any such committee shall not participate in the activities described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection or any other activity that may compromise the confidentiality of a student.

10-222a. School climate. Definitions

10-222dd. School climate coordinator appointment and duties

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year thereafter, the superintendent of schools for each school district, or an administrator appointed by the superintendent, shall serve as the school climate coordinator for the school district. The school climate coordinator shall be responsible for 

(3) collecting and maintaining data regarding school climate improvement, including, but not limited to, school discipline records, school climate assessments, attendance rates, social and emotional learning assessments, academic growth data, types of bullying complaints submitted by members of the school community, types of challenging behavior addressed using the restorative practices response policy, adopted pursuant to section 74 of this act, and data concerning the implementation of restorative practices, 

10-233b. Removal of pupils from class.

(a) Any local or regional board of education may authorize teachers in its employ to remove a pupil from class when such pupil deliberately causes a serious disruption of the educational process within the classroom, provided no pupil shall be removed from class more than six times in any school year nor more than twice in one week unless such pupil is referred to the building principal or such principal's designee and granted an informal hearing in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233c.

(b) Whenever any teacher removes a pupil from the classroom, such teacher shall send such pupil to a designated area and shall immediately inform the building principal or such principal's designee as to the name of the pupil against whom such disciplinary action was taken and the reason therefor.

10-233d. Expulsion of pupils.

(e) If a pupil is expelled pursuant to this section for possession of a firearm, as defined in 18 USC 921, as amended from time to time, or deadly weapon, dangerous instrument or martial arts weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, the board of education shall report the violation to the local police department or in the case of a student enrolled in a technical education and career school to the state police. If a pupil is expelled pursuant to this section for the sale or distribution of a controlled substance, as defined in section 21a-240, as amended by this act whose manufacture, distribution, sale, prescription, dispensing, transporting or possessing with the intent to sell or dispense, offering, or administration is subject to criminal penalties under sections 21a-277 and 21a-278, the board of education shall refer the pupil to an appropriate state or local agency for rehabilitation, intervention or job training, or any combination thereof, and inform the agency of its action.

10-233p. Reporting of investigations and behavioral interventions by school resource officers.

Each school resource officer, as defined in section 10-233m of the general statutes, as amended by section 72 of public act 23-167 and this act, shall submit to the chief of police of such school resource officer's local law enforcement agency a report for each investigation or behavioral intervention of challenging behavior or conflict that escalates to violence or constitutes a crime conducted by such school resource officer not later than five school days after conducting such investigation or behavioral intervention. The chief of police shall submit such report to the superintendent of schools for the school district in which such investigation or behavioral intervention occurred in accordance with the provisions of the memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to section 10-233m of the general statutes, as amended by section 72 of public act 23-167 and this act, but shall be not less frequently than monthly. Such superintendent shall submit such report to the local or regional board of education of the school district. Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) the date, time and location of such investigation or behavioral intervention, (2) the name and badge number of such school resource officer, (3) the race, ethnicity, gender, age and disability status for each student involved in such investigation or behavioral intervention, (4) the reason for and nature of such investigation or behavioral intervention, (5) the disposition of such investigation or behavioral intervention, and (6) whether any student involved in such investigation or behavioral intervention was (A) searched, (B) apprised of such student's constitutional rights, (C) issued a citation or a summons, (D) arrested, or (E) detained, including the amount of time such student was detained. For purposes of this section, "investigation or behavioral intervention" means a circumstance in which a school resource officer is conducting (i) a fact-finding inquiry concerning student behavior or school safety, including, but not limited to, emergency circumstances, or (ii) an intervention to resolve violent or nonviolent student behavior or conflicts.

REGULATIONS

10-76b-11. Reports of physical restraint, seclusion.

The recording and reporting of instances of physical restraint or seclusion and the compilation of this information shall be in accordance with section 46a-153 of the Connecticut General Statutes. The recording of such instances shall be done on an incident report that contains the information and documentation required by sections 46a-152 and 46a-153 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Such reports shall be completed no later than the school day following the incident. The Department of Education shall develop and make available a model incident report.

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U.S. Department of Education

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