JGF: Student Discipline Review Committee

Purpose

• To determine the disposition of school suspensions of more than five days.
• To act as an appeal committee for student transfers.
• To review recommendations for exclusion of a student by a principal and subsequently recommend appropriate action to the Board of School Trustees (the “Board”).
• To recommend placement or action to be taken after a student has been enrolled in three Vancouver schools or transferred twice as a result of discipline problems.

Committee Composition

• Associate Superintendent - (Chairperson)
• District Parent Representative
• Principal - Elementary/Secondary
• Teacher - Elementary/Secondary

Meetings

• Meetings will be held at the call of the chair.
• The school administrator and the Associate Superintendent - Area will present the case to the Student Discipline Review Committee (SDRC).  The parent or guardian and the student will be notified of the time and place of the meeting and will have an opportunity to answer the charges and to discuss the suspension with the committee before the disposition of the suspension.

Regulations

When resolution of a discipline matter cannot be achieved at the school level, the school should, in consultation with the associate superintendent, make a formal report to the SDRC. All reports brought forward will include the following information: 

• identification of student: birth date, address, telephone number, parents' or guardians' names, school, grade;
• photostat copies of relevant school records: progress record card, medical report, attendance records, office mark card, office discipline card;
• list of  agencies already active with the student and/or his/her family;
• anecdotal record leading up to the suspension;
• corrective action undertaken by school staff in regard to the discipline matter.

Necessary correspondence resulting from the actions of the committee shall be undertaken by the chairperson on behalf of the Superintendent of Schools and consist of:

• the parent or guardian and student shall be notified about the meeting by double-registered mail or by courier (the parents or guardian shall be provided with all documentation received by the committee);
• services of Multicultural Home/School Worker shall be arranged where necessary;
• an agenda shall be provided to committee members, including summary information on specific case files to be considered;
• a report shall be provided to the Board, through the Superintendent, of those cases requiring Board consideration for final disposition, including parent or guardian appeals, extension of suspension, and recommendation for exclusion;
• a monthly report of all suspensions and dispositions shall be filed with the Superintendent following the committee meetings, and  the report will include the student's name, date of birth, date of suspension, school, grade, disposition, and date of disposition;
• when a disposition has been arranged and the parents or guardian and student agree with the action to be taken, the initiating principal shall be notifed in writing (should a school transfer be involved, both the sending school and the receiving school will be informed).
• the parent, guardian and/or student shall be notified by double-registered mail or courier about the private session of the Board where the report of the SDRC will be presented and will include the following:
  • a statement to the parents or guardian explaining that their attendance at the private session is not necessary unless they intend to appeal the decision of the SDRC;
  • a statement asking parents or guardian or student to indicate to the chairperson of the SDRC whether they will be attending the private session;
  • a statement reinforcing the importance that the student affected by the decision attend the private session.

DMT Responsibility: AS-F