STAFF PERSONAL SECURITY AND SAFETY

(Regulation)  Policy

 

A. Discipline Information:

 

A teacher or counselor who is determined by the school Principal, or the Principal's designee, to have direct contact with a student may have access to discipline information about the student provided the teacher or counselor furnishes at least the information that follows:

 

1. description of the nature of the teacher's or counselor's direct contact with the student;

 

2. the date(s) the teacher or counselor reviewed the student's discipline information;

 

3. a description of the discipline information that was reviewed; and,

 

4. the teacher's or counselor's signature.

 

A teacher or counselor who has direct contact with a student is presumed to have a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student for purposes of this policy and regulation.

 

Other teachers, counselors, and school officials who do not have direct contact with the student, but who are determined by the school Principal, or the Principal's designee, to have a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of a student, may have access to discipline information about the student provided the teacher, counselor, or school official furnishes at least the information that follows:

1. a description of the teacher's, counselor's, or school official's legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student;

 

2. the date(s) the teacher, counselor, or school official reviewed the student's discipline information;

 

3. a description of the discipline information that was reviewed; and,

 

4. the teacher's, counselor's or other school official's signature.

The Principal, or the Principal's designee, shall maintain a written record of those teachers, counselors, and other school officials to whom access has been granted, although such records need not be retained from one school year to the next.

 

Any teacher, counselor, or school official who is allowed access to a student's discipline information, because she or he has direct contact with a student or because she or he has a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student, shall maintain the confidentiality of the information reviewed. Such teacher, counselor, or school official does not have the authority to communicate the information to any other person who does not also have either a legitimate educational interest in the student's behavior or direct contact with the student, as determined by the Principal or her/his designee.

B. Definitions.

The following definitions shall apply to Section A above:

1. "Discipline Information" means information that is maintained by the student's school concerning disciplinary action taken against the student for conduct that posed a significant risk to the safety or well-being of:

 

a. that student,

b. other students, or

c. other members of the school community.

2. "Teacher" means an employee who is certificated under the provisions of the Colorado Teacher Certification Act of 1975 or licensed under the Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991, is currently employed by the District to instruct students and has direct contact in the classroom with the student whose discipline information is sought or has a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student.

 

3. "Counselor" means an employee who is certificated under the provisions of the Colorado Teacher Certification Act of 1975 or licensed under the Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991, is currently employed by the District as a school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist and has direct contact with the student whose discipline information is sought or has a legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student.

 

4. "School official" means any person employed or contracted by the District, or otherwise compensated by the District to act on its behalf, including, but not limited to, administrators, teachers, nurses, counselors, social workers, psychologists, security personnel, and legal officers.

 

5. "Direct contact" means that the student appears on the teacher's or counselor's class schedule or list of students assigned to the teacher or counselor, and that the teacher or counselor is responsible for providing academic instruction or direct support services, as recognized by the District, to the student whose discipline information is sought.

 

6. "Legitimate educational interest in the behavior of the student" means a direct need to know a student's discipline information, not shared by the general teaching, counseling, District or school staff, in order to address the education, safety, or welfare needs of the student, other students, personnel, or the District.

 

 

Colorado Springs School District Eleven, Colorado Springs, Colorado
September, 1996