(1) School district policies and procedures beginning in the 2019-20 school year. Before the commencement of the 2019-20 school year, a school district must adopt written policies and procedures for supporting students in meeting behavioral expectations and administering discipline in accordance with this chapter. The policies and procedures must:
(a) Clearly state the types of behaviors for which discipline, including suspension and expulsion, may be administered;
(b) Have a real and substantial relationship to the lawful maintenance and operation of the school district including, but not limited to, the preservation of the health and safety of students and employees and the preservation of an educational process that is conducive to learning;
(c) Provide for early involvement of parents in efforts to support students in meeting behavioral expectations;
(d) Provide that school personnel make every reasonable attempt to involve parents and students in the resolution of behavioral violations for which discipline may be administered;
(e) Identify other forms of discipline that school personnel should administer before or instead of administering classroom exclusion, suspension, or expulsion to support students in meeting behavioral expectations. Administering other forms of discipline may involve the use of best practices and strategies included in the state menu for behavior developed under RCW
28A.165.035;
(f) Identify school personnel with the authority to administer classroom exclusions, suspensions, expulsions, emergency expulsions, and other forms of discipline;
(g) Establish appeal and review procedures related to the administration of suspensions, expulsions, and emergency expulsions, consistent with WAC
392-400-430 through
392-400-530;
(h) Establish grievance procedures to address parents' or students' grievances related to the administration of classroom exclusions and other forms of discipline, including discipline that excludes a student from transportation or extra-curricular activity. The procedures must, at a minimum, include an opportunity for the student to share the student's perspective and explanation regarding the behavioral violation;
(i) Describe the types of educational services the school district offers to students during a suspension or expulsion and the procedures to be followed for the provision of educational services under WAC
392-400-610;
(j) Provide for reengagement meetings and plans, consistent with WAC
392-400-710;
(k) Provide a process for students who have been suspended or expelled to petition for readmission; and
(l) Be consistent with the model policy developed under RCW
28A.345.090.
(2)
Development and review. A school district must develop and periodically review discipline policies and procedures with the participation of school personnel, students, parents, families, and the community. During the development and review of discipline policies and procedures, the school district must use disaggregated data collected under RCW
28A.300.042 to:
(a) Monitor the impact of the school district's discipline policies, procedures, and practices; and
(b) Update the school district's discipline policies and procedures to improve fairness and equity in the administration of discipline.
(3) Distribution of policies and procedures. A school district must make discipline policies and procedures available to families and the community. The school district must annually provide the district's discipline policies and procedures to all district personnel, students, and parents, which may require language assistance for students and parents with limited-English proficiency under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The school district must ensure district employees and contractors are knowledgeable of the discipline policies and procedures.