Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

NJQSAC Code of Student Conduct Compliance Checklist

This page is provided as an example of the NJQSAC checklist used to monitor compliance with Operations—Indicator 5.

Operations—Indicator 5

The district board education adopts and annually distributes to staff, parents, and students, policies and procedures to address the equitable application of a code of student conduct that establishes expectations for academic achievement, behavior, and attendance. The policy provides comprehensive tiered behavioral supports and responses to violations that include positive disciplinary practices that minimize exclusionary practices, such as: suspension and expulsion; and details students’ due process rights. The district board of education provides all employees annual training on the code of student conduct and its equitable application, including training on the prevention, intervention, and remediation of student conduct that violates the district board of education’s code of student conduct. (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1)

Points: 5

Part 1: Adoption and Dissemination

  1. Was the code of student conduct (CSC) adopted by the district board of education?
  2. Was the code of student conduct disseminated to the school community this school year? (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1(a)3)
  3. Complete Table 1, below. Enter the dissemination date in column 2. In columns 3 to 6, indicate the dissemination method(s) used. If "other," list the method used in the "other" column.
Table 1: Dissemination of CSC
Group Dissemination Date Mailed a Hard Copy Provided a Hard Hopy in Person Emailed an Electronic Copy Other
Staff
Students
Parents

Important to note: It is acceptable to provide a group with an abridged version of the CSC (e.g., student handbook) as long as the abridged version provides information on how to access the entire version.

  1. Was the CSC disseminated this school year to all parties listed in Table 1?
  2. Was the code of student conduct adopted by the district board of education?

Part 2: Required Policy Components

6. Does the district’s CSC include the following contents? (N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1(c)1 through 7)

  1. A description of:
    1. Student responsibilities that includes expectations for academic achievement, behavior and attendance
    2. Behaviors that result in suspension or expulsion, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:37-2 including restrictions on suspensions and expulsions for students in kindergarten through grade two
    3. Students' right to:
      1. Advance notice of behaviors that result in suspensions or expulsions that have been identified, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:37-2
      2. Education that supports students’ development into productive citizens
      3. Attendance in safe and secure school environments
      4. Attendance at school irrespective of students’ marriage, pregnancy or parenthood
      5. Due process appeal procedures and policies
      6. Parent notification consistent with the policies and procedures established pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-6.2(b)3, this section and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.2 through 7.8
      7. Protections pursuant to federal and state laws and regulations
    4. Comprehensive behavioral supports that promote positive student development and the students’ abilities to fulfill the behavioral expectations established by the district board of education, including:
      1. Positive reinforcement for good conduct and academic success
      2. Supportive interventions and referral services
      3. Remediation of problem behavior that takes into account the behavior's nature, students' development ages, and students' histories of performance and problem behaviors
      4. Behavior interventions and supports determined and provided by N.J.A.C. 6A:14 (applicable to students with disabilities)
    5. School responses to violations of the behavioral expectations that, at a minimum, are graded according to the severity of the offenses, and consider the developmental ages of the student offenders and their histories of inappropriate behaviors that:
      1. Includes a continuum of actions designed to remediate and, where necessary or required by law, to impose sanctions
      2. Is consistent with other responses pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.5 (firearms offenses), 5.6 (assaults with weapons offenses), 5.7 (assaults on board of education members or employees)
      3. Provides for equitable application of the CSC without regard to race; color; religion; ancestry; national origin; nationality; sex; gender; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; marital, domestic-partnership or civil union; mental, physical, or sensory disability; or any other distinguishing characteristic
      4. Is consistent with the provisions of corporal punishment of pupils, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18:6-1
  2. Expectations and consequences consistent with the district board of education’s policies and procedures on attendance, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.6 and harassment, intimidation, and bullying, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.7
  3. Current list of community-based health and social service provider agencies available to support a student and the student’s family, as appropriate, and a list of legal resources available to serve the community

Part 3: Verification of Indicator Compliance

If the answer to every question in this checklist, above, is “yes,” then the district fulfilled the requirements of Operations—Indicator 5.