The Senate passed a school discipline bill on Monday, legislation intended to help teachers deal with extreme student behaviors.
Senate Bill 199 outlines specific actions for teachers of grades K-6 to take when a student exhibits violent, threatening, or disruptive behavior: immediate removal of the student, parental notification, potential suspension, evaluation and a possible alternative learning environment.
The student would be sent to the school’s counselor, school social worker, school psychologist or behavior inhibitionist who would be required to conduct a functional behavioral assessment.
This staff member would create a “behavior plan” for the student that would be followed for two weeks. If adequate progress is being made after two weeks then that plan would continue. If the student is not making progress, then the behavioral plan could be changed and followed for another two weeks.
If the student is still not showing progress after two weeks of following the amended behavior plan, the student is to be placed in a behavioral intervention program or with a licensed behavioral health agency where the county has access.
If the county has no behavioral intervention program, the student would be immediately removed from the classroom, parents would be notified to pick up the child, and the student would be suspended for one to three days while alternative accommodations are made.
The student would not return to school until a risk assessment is done. After the risk assessment, the student could return to school provisionally for five to 10 days. If another incident occurs, the student would be placed in an alternative learning environment for the rest of the semester or school year.
This bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.
The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 11, at 11 a.m.
Afternoon Meetings:
Workforce at 1 p.m. in 208W
Transportation at 1 p.m. in 451M
Pensions at 2 p.m. in 451M
Energy at 2 p.m. in 208W
Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M
Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W
Morning Meetings for March 11:
Education at 9:30 a.m. in 451M
Gov. Org. at 9:30 a.m. in 208W
