Safe School Climate

Bullying” means an act that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent or pervasive, which:

• causes physical or emotional harm to an individual;
• places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm; 
• or infringes on the rights or opportunities of an individual

Bullying shall include, but need not be limited to, a written, oral or electronic communication or physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of such characteristics.

Other Definitions

"Cyberbullying" means any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any electronic communications;

“Teen dating violence” means any act of physical, emotional or sexual abuse , including stalking, harassing and threatening that occurs between two students who are currently in or have recently been in a dating relationship;

"Electronic communication" means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical system;

"Hostile environment" means a situation in which bullying among students is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the school climate;

"Mobile electronic device" means any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more individuals, including, but not limited to, a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is capable of playing a video game or a digital videodisc, or equipment on which digital images are taken or transmitted;

"Outside of the school setting" means at a location, activity or program that is not school related, or through the use of an electronic device or a mobile electronic device that is not owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of education;

"Prevention and intervention strategy" may include, but is not limited to, (1) implementation of a positive behavioral interventions and supports process or another evidence-based model approach for safe school climate or for the prevention of bullying identified by the Department of Education, (2) school rules prohibiting bullying, harassment and intimidation and establishing appropriate consequences for those who engage in such acts, (3) adequate adult supervision of outdoor areas, hallways, the lunchroom and other specific areas where bullying is likely to occur, (4)inclusion of grade-appropriate bullying education and prevention curricula in kindergarten through high school, (5) individual interventions with the bully, parents and school employees, and interventions with the bullied child, parents and school employees, (6) school-wide training related to safe school climate,(7) student peer training, education and support, and (8) promotion of parent involvement in bullying prevention through individual or team participation in meetings, trainings and individual interventions.

"School climate" means the quality and character of school life based on patterns of students', parents' and guardians' and school employees' experiences of school life, including but not limited to, norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and organizational structures. 

"School employee “means (1) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school superintendent, guidance counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or working in a public elementary, middle or high school; or(2) any other individual who, in the performance of the individual's duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the local or regional board of education.

“School-Sponsored Activity” shall mean any activity conducted on or off school property (including school buses and other school-related vehicles) that is sponsored, recognized or authorized by the Board of Education.

Safe School Climate Coordinator

The Superintendent shall appoint, from existing school district staff, a District Safe School Climate Coordinator (“Coordinator”). The Coordinator shall:

be responsible for implementing the district’s Safe School Climate Plan (“Plan”);

collaborate with Safe School Climate Specialists, the Board, and the Superintendent to prevent, identify and respond to bullying in district schools;

provide data and information, in collaboration with the Superintendent, to the Department of Education regarding bullying;

meet with 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 Plan. 4 5131.2-R Bullying Prevention

Safe School Climate Specialist

The principal of each school (or principal’s designee) shall serve as the Safe School Climate Specialist. The Safe School Climate Specialist shall investigate or supervise the investigation of reported acts of bullying and act as the primary school official responsible for preventing, identifying and responding to reports of bullying in the school.

V. Development and Review of Safe School Climate Plan

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 (“Committee”) in the school to be responsible for developing and fostering a safe school climate and addressing issues relating to bullying and teen dating violence in the school. Such committee shall include at least one parent/guardian of a student enrolled in the school, as appointed by the school principal.

The Committee shall: 1) receive copies of completed reports following bullying investigations; 2) identify and address patterns of bullying among students in the school; 3) Implement the provisions of the school security and safety plan regarding the collection, evaluation and reporting of information relating to instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying (defined in Connecticut General Statues10-222d) and report such information, as necessary, to the District Safe School Climate Coordinator and to the schools’ security and safety committee; 4)review and amend school policies relating to bullying; 5) review and make recommendations to the Coordinator regarding the Safe School Climate Plan based on issues and experiences specific to the school; 6) educate students, school employees and parents/guardians on issues relating to bullying; 7) collaborate with the Coordinator in the collection of data regarding bullying; and 8)perform any other duties as determined by the Principal that are related to the prevention, identification and response to school bullying.

Any parent/guardian serving as a member of the Committee shall not participate in any activities which may compromise the confidentiality of any student, including, but not limited to receiving copies of investigation reports, or identifying or addressing patterns of bullying among students in the school.

The Board of Education shall approve the Safe School Climate Plan developed pursuant to Board policy and submit such plan to the Department of Education. Not later than thirty (30) calendar days after approval by the Board, the Board shall make such plan available on the Board's and each individual school in the school district's website and ensure that the Safe School Climate Plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.

VI. Procedures for Reporting and Investigating Complaints of Bullying

Students and parents (or guardians of students) may file written reports of bullying. Written reports of bullying or teen dating violence shall be reasonably specific as to the basis for the report, including the time and place of the alleged conduct, the number of incidents, the target of the suspected bullying, and the names of potential witnesses. Such reports may be filed with any building administrator and/or the Safe School Climate Specialist (i.e. building principal), and all reports shall be forwarded to the Safe School Climate Specialist for review and actions consistent with this Plan.

Students may make anonymous reports of bullying or teen dating violence to any school employee. Students may also request anonymity when making a report, even if the student’s identity is known to the school employee. In cases where a student requests anonymity, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee shall meet with the student (if the student’s identity is known) to review the request for anonymity and discuss the impact that maintaining the anonymity of the complainant may have on the investigation and on any possible remedial action. All anonymous complaints shall be reviewed and reasonable action will be taken to address the situation, to the extent such action may be taken that does not disclose the source of the complaint, and is consistent with the due process rights of the student(s) alleged to have committed acts of bullying. No disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous complaint.

School employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying or teen dating violence shall orally notify the Safe School Climate Specialist or another school administrator if the Safe School Climate Specialist is unavailable, not later than one (1) school day after such school employee witnesses or receives a report of bullying. The school employee shall then file a written report not later than two (2) school days after making such verbal report.

The Safe School Climate Specialist shall be responsible for reviewing any anonymous reports of bullying or teen dating violence and shall investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying or teen dating violence and ensure that such investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports. The parents or guardians of the student alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying or teen dating violence, and the parents or guardians of the student against whom such alleged act or acts were directed, are to receive prompt notice such investigation has commenced. In order to allow the district to adequately investigate complaints filed by a student or parent/guardian, the parent of the student suspected of being bullied or being a victim of teen dating violence should be asked to provide consent to permit the release of that student’s name in connection with the investigation process, unless the student and/or parent has requested anonymity.

In investigating reports of bullying or teen dating violence, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee will consider all available information known, including the nature of the allegations and the ages of the students involved. The Safe School Climate Specialist will interview witnesses, as necessary, reminding the alleged perpetrator and other parties that retaliation is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.

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 (“Committee”) in the school to be responsible for developing and fostering a safe school climate and addressing issues relating to bullying and teen dating violence in the school. Such committee shall include at least one parent/guardian of a student enrolled in the school, as appointed by the school principal.

The Committee shall: 1) receive copies of completed reports following bullying investigations; 2) identify and address patterns of bullying among students in the school; 3) Implement the provisions of the school security and safety plan regarding the collection, evaluation and reporting of information relating to instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the definition of bullying (defined in Connecticut General Statues10-222d) and report such information, as necessary, to the District Safe School Climate Coordinator and to the schools’ security and safety committee; 4)review and amend school policies relating to bullying; 5) review and make recommendations to the Coordinator regarding the Safe School Climate Plan based on issues and experiences specific to the school; 6) educate students, school employees and parents/guardians on issues relating to bullying; 7) collaborate with the Coordinator in the collection of data regarding bullying; and 8)perform any other duties as determined by the Principal that are related to the prevention, identification and response to school bullying.

Any parent/guardian serving as a member of the Committee shall not participate in any activities which may compromise the confidentiality of any student, including, but not limited to receiving copies of investigation reports, or identifying or addressing patterns of bullying among students in the school.

The Board of Education shall approve the Safe School Climate Plan developed pursuant to Board policy and submit such plan to the Department of Education. Not later than thirty (30) calendar days after approval by the Board, the Board shall make such plan available on the Board's and each individual school in the school district's website and ensure that the Safe School Climate Plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.

Students and parents (or guardians of students) may file written reports of bullying. Written reports of bullying or teen dating violence shall be reasonably specific as to the basis for the report, including the time and place of the alleged conduct, the number of incidents, the target of the suspected bullying, and the names of potential witnesses. Such reports may be filed with any building administrator and/or the Safe School Climate Specialist (i.e. building principal), and all reports shall be forwarded to the Safe School Climate Specialist for review and actions consistent with this Plan.

Students may make anonymous reports of bullying or teen dating violence to any school employee. Students may also request anonymity when making a report, even if the student’s identity is known to the school employee. In cases where a student requests anonymity, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee shall meet with the student (if the student’s identity is known) to review the request for anonymity and discuss the impact that maintaining the anonymity of the complainant may have on the investigation and on any possible remedial action. All anonymous complaints shall be reviewed and reasonable action will be taken to address the situation, to the extent such action may be taken that does not disclose the source of the complaint, and is consistent with the due process rights of the student(s) alleged to have committed acts of bullying. No disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous complaint.

School employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying or teen dating violence shall orally notify the Safe School Climate Specialist or another school administrator if the Safe School Climate Specialist is unavailable, not later than one (1) school day after such school employee witnesses or receives a report of bullying. The school employee shall then file a written report not later than two (2) school days after making such verbal report.

The Safe School Climate Specialist shall be responsible for reviewing any anonymous reports of bullying or teen dating violence and shall investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying or teen dating violence and ensure that such investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports. The parents or guardians of the student alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying or teen dating violence, and the parents or guardians of the student against whom such alleged act or acts were directed, are to receive prompt notice such investigation has commenced. In order to allow the district to adequately investigate complaints filed by a student or parent/guardian, the parent of the student suspected of being bullied or being a victim of teen dating violence should be asked to provide consent to permit the release of that student’s name in connection with the investigation process, unless the student and/or parent has requested anonymity.

In investigating reports of bullying or teen dating violence, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee will consider all available information known, including the nature of the allegations and the ages of the students involved. The Safe School Climate Specialist will interview witnesses, as necessary, reminding the alleged perpetrator and other parties that retaliation is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.

Following investigation, if acts of bullying or teen dating violence are verified, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee shall notify the parents or guardians of the students against whom such acts were directed as well as the parents or guardians of the students who commit such acts of bullying or teen dating violence of the finding not later than forty-eight hours after the investigation is completed. This notification shall include a description of the school’s response to the acts of bullying or teen dating violence, the results of such investigation; and verbally or by electronic mail, if such parents' or guardians' electronic mail addresses are known, that such parents or guardians may refer to the plain language explanation of the rights and remedies available under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sections 10-4a and 10-4b once such explanation has been provided to the board by the Connecticut Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative and published on the Internet website of the district.  In providing such notification, however, care must be taken to respect the statutory privacy rights of other students, including the perpetrator of such bullying or teen dating violence. The specific disciplinary consequences imposed on the perpetrator, or personally identifiable information about a student other than the parent/guardian’s own child, may not be disclosed except as provided by law.

In any instance in which bullying or teen dating violence is verified, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee shall also invite the parents or guardians of the student who commits any verified act of bullying or teen dating violence and the parents or guardian of the student against whom such act was directed to a meeting to discuss the specific interventions being taken by the school to ensure the safety of the student/victim and to prevent further acts of bullying or teen dating violence. The invitation may be made simultaneous with the notification described above in Section VII.A. The purpose of the meeting is to communicate to parents/guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure the safety of the student involved and to prevent further acts of bullying or teen dating violence. Normally, separate meetings shall be held with the respective parents; however, at the discretion of the Safe School Climate Specialist and with written consent of the parents/guardians involved, the meeting(s) may be held jointly.

If bullying or teen dating violence is verified, the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee shall develop a student safety support plan for any student against whom an act of bullying or teen dating violence was directed. Such support plan will include safety measures to protect against further acts of bullying or teen dating violence.

A specific written intervention plan shall be developed to address repeated incidents of bullying or teen dating violence against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying or teen dating violence incidents by the same individual. The written intervention plan may include counseling, discipline and other appropriate remedial actions as determined by the Safe School Climate Specialist or designee, and may also incorporate a student safety support plan, as appropriate.

Each school shall maintain written complaints of bullying or teen dating violence, along with supporting documentation received and/or created as a result of bullying or teen dating violence investigations, consistent with the Board’s obligations under state and federal law. Any educational record containing personally identifiable student information pertaining to an individual student shall be maintained in a confidential manner, and shall not be disclosed to third parties without prior written consent of a parent, guardian or eligible student, except as permitted under Board policy and state and federal law.

The Principal of each school shall maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence in the school and this list shall be available for public inspection upon request. Consistent with district obligations under state and federal law regarding student privacy, the log shall not contain any personally identifiable student information, or any information that alone or in combination would allow reasonable person in the school community to identify the students involved. Accordingly, the log should be limited to basic information such as the number of verified acts, name of school and/or grade level and relevant date. Given that any determination of bullying or teen dating violence involves repeated acts, each investigation that results in a verified act of bullying or teen dating violence for that school year shall be tallied as one verified act of bullying or teen dating violence unless the specific actions that are the subject of each report involve separate and distinct acts of bullying or teen dating violence. The list shall be limited to the number of verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence in each school and shall not set out the particulars of each verified act, including, but not limited to any personally identifiable student information, which is confidential information by law.

The Principal of each school shall report the number of verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence in the school annually to the Department of Education in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.

Bullying behavior and teen dating violence can take many forms and can vary dramatically in the nature of the offense and the impact the behavior may have on the victim and other students. Accordingly, there is no one prescribed response to verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence. While conduct that rises to the level of “bullying” or “teen dating violence”, as defined above, will generally warrant traditional disciplinary action against the perpetrator of such bullying or teen dating violence, whether and to what extent to impose disciplinary action (e.g., detention, in-school suspension, suspension or expulsion) is a matter for the professional discretion of the building principal (or responsible program administrator or designee). No disciplinary action may be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous complaint. As discussed below, schools may also consider appropriate alternative to traditional disciplinary sanctions, including age-appropriate consequences and other restorative or remedial interventions.

A specific written intervention plan shall be developed to address repeated incidents of bullying or teen dating violence against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying or teen dating violence incidents by the same individual. This plan may include safety provisions, as described above, for students against whom acts of bullying or teen dating violence have been verified and may include other interventions such as counseling, discipline, and other appropriate remedial or restorative actions as determined by the responsible administrator.

The following sets forth possible interventions which may also be utilized to enforce the Board’s prohibition against bullying or teen dating violence:

Non-disciplinary interventions

When verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence are identified early and/or when such verified acts of bullying or teen dating violence do not reasonably require a disciplinary response, students may be counseled as to the definition of bullying or teen dating violence, its prohibition, and their duty to avoid any conduct that could be considered bullying or teen dating violence. Students may also be subject to other forms of restorative discipline or remedial actions, appropriate to the age of the students and nature of the behavior.

If a complaint arises out of conflict between students or groups of students, peer or other forms of mediation may be considered. Special care, however, is warranted in referring such cases to peer mediation. A power imbalance may make the process intimidating for the victim and therefore inappropriate. In such cases, the victim should be given additional support. Alternatively, peer mediation may be deemed inappropriate to address the concern.

Disciplinary interventions

When acts of bullying or teen dating violence are verified and a disciplinary response is warranted, students are subject to the full range of disciplinary consequences. Anonymous complaints, however, shall not be the basis for disciplinary action.

In-school suspension and suspension may be imposed only after informing the accused perpetrator of the reasons for the proposed suspension and giving him/her an opportunity to explain the situation, in accordance with the Board’s Student Discipline policy.

Expulsion may be imposed only after a hearing before the Board of Education, a committee of the Board or an impartial hearing officer designated by the Board of Education in accordance with the Board’s Student Discipline policy. This consequence shall normally be reserved for serious incidents of bullying or teen dating violence and/or when past interventions have not been successful in eliminating bullying behavior.

Interventions for bullied students or victims of teen dating violence

The building principal (or other responsible program administrator, or designee) shall intervene in order to address incidents of bullying or teen dating violence against a single individual. Intervention strategies for a bullied student or victim of teen dating violence may include the following:

Counseling;

Increased supervision and monitoring of student to observe and intervene in bullying or teen dating violence situations;

Encouragement of student to seek help when victimized or witnessing victimization;

Peer mediation or other forms of mediation, where appropriate;

Student Safety Support plan; and

Restitution and/or restorative interventions.

In addition to the prompt investigation of complaints of bullying or teen dating violence and direct intervention when acts of bullying or teen dating violence are verified, other district actions may ameliorate potential problems with bullying in school or at school-sponsored activities. While no specific action is required, and school needs for specific prevention and intervention strategies may vary from time to time, the following list of potential prevention and intervention strategies shall serve as a resource for administrators, teachers and other professional employees in each school. Such prevention and intervention strategies may include, but are not limited to:

School rules prohibiting bullying or teen dating violence, harassment and intimidation and establishing appropriate consequences for those who engage in such acts;

Adequate adult supervision of outdoor areas, hallways, the lunchroom and other specific areas where bullying is likely to occur;

Inclusion of grade-appropriate bullying or teen dating violence education and prevention curricula in kindergarten through high school, which may include instruction regarding building safe and positive school communities including developing healthy relationships and preventing dating violence as deemed appropriate for older students;

Individual interventions with the perpetrator, parents and school employees, and interventions with the bullied student or victim of teen dating violence, parents and school employees;

• School-wide training related to safe school climate, which training may include Title IX/Sexual harassment training, Section 504/ADA Training, cultural diversity/multicultural education or other training in federal and state civil rights legislation or other topics relevant to safe school climate;
• Student peer training, education and support; and
• Promotion of parent involvement in bullying or teen dating violence prevention through individual or team participation in meetings, trainings and individual interventions;
• Implementation of a positive behavioral interventions and supports process or another evidence-based model approach for safe school climate or for the prevention of bullying or teen dating violence, including any such program identified by the Department of Education;
• Respectful responses to bullying or teen dating violence concerns raised by students, parents or staff;
• Planned professional development programs addressing prevention and intervention strategies, which training may include school violence prevention, conflict resolution and prevention of bullying or teen dating violence, with a focus in evidence based practices concerning same;
• Use of peers to help ameliorate the plight of victims and include them in group activities;
• Avoidance of sex-role stereotyping;
• Continuing awareness and involvement on the part of school employees and parents with regards to prevention and intervention strategies;
• Modeling by teachers of positive, respectful, and supportive behavior toward students;
• Creating a school atmosphere of team spirit and collaboration that promotes appropriate social behavior by students in support of others;
• Employing classroom strategies that instruct students how to work together in a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

In addition to prevention and intervention strategies, administrators, teachers and other professional employees may find opportunities to educate students about bullying and help eliminate bullying or teen dating violence behavior through class discussions, counseling, and reinforcement of socially appropriate behavior. Administrators, teachers and other professional employees should intervene promptly whenever they observe mean-spirited student conduct, even if such conduct does not meet the formal definition of “bullying” or “teen dating violence.”

The Board is committed to comprehensive efforts to foster educational environments that are physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe for all members of our school communities. Individual schools have outlined affirmative steps to improve the quality of school climate. These strategies are aligned with the goals of the Wilton Public School’s Strategic Plan.

Individual schools rely on a variety of assessment tools to gauge the quality of school climate. Based on this feedback, efforts are made to foster positive, constructive, and supportive school climates in each of our schools. Staff members participate in professional development programs that support efforts to improve the quality of school climate.

Individual schools communicate the central themes of their steps to improve school climate through daily instruction, student handbooks, websites, newsletters, school assemblies, parent meetings, and community meetings. Individual schools welcome feedback from students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members to monitor our progress toward fostering a positive school climate.

Biennially, the board 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. The Board shall collect the school climate assessments for each school in the district and submit such assessments to the Department.

The board expressly prohibits any form of bullying behavior and teen dating violence 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 board of education.

The board also prohibits any form of bullying behavior and teen dating violence outside of the school setting if such bullying or teen dating violence (i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom such bullying was directed, (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 school;

• In addition to prohibiting student acts which constitute bullying or teen dating violence, the board also prohibits discrimination and/or retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying.
• Students who engage in bullying behavior or teen dating violence in violation of board policy and the safe school climate plan shall be subject to school discipline, up to and including expulsion, in accordance with the board's policies on student discipline, suspension and expulsion, and consistent with state and federal law.