IPS student code of conduct changes include sexting, vaping and types of bullying
The Indianapolis Public School board of commissioners unanimously approved updates to the district’s student code of conduct last week that added language around sexting, vaping and different types of bullying.
Commissioners Evan Hawkins and Taria Slack were not present at last week’s action session meeting but the rest of the seven member-board voted to approve the changes on a voice vote.
IPS Superintendent Alessia Johnson told IndyStar that the changes to the code of conduct are a response to the needs of students, schools and communities.
“By using a progressive discipline framework, we’re able to provide guidelines to our students, staff and families on how student behavior will be addressed in the event of misconduct,” Johnson said in an emailed statement. “We’ve continued to see an overall decrease in the number of out-of-school suspensions being issued by schools, and we believe that’s a positive result of our Code of Conduct framework.”
For every behavior violation, there is a responding level of action that the school must take that involves various possible corrective strategies.
The responding actions are on a sliding scale of four levels, with level one and two meaning it should be managed within the classroom. Levels three and four require a referral to an administrator where a school leader would follow up on the incident. The last and most severe course of action a school could take would require a referral to a school police officer.
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Tijana Davis, is the director of equitable supports for IPS, and presented to the board the policy changes and recommendations at last week's agenda session review meeting.
Davis told IndyStar that with these revisions they wanted to make sure that any behavior that could be considered subjective in nature was kept at a level one or two violation and anything that was more serious in nature would involve administrators.
"It really is grounded in teaching the behavior that we expect," Davis said.
The board goes through a review of the code of conduct and recommends changes every year.
Here are the highlights of this year’s changes:
Sexting violation added
The IPS school board policy already mentions sexting as a prohibited activity at schools and at school events, but newly added language in the student code of conduct makes sure there is a corresponding violation now, Davis said.
The policy states that sexting is the “use of cellular telephone to record, possess, view, send, or share pictures or text having acts of sexual content while in school, on school grounds, at school-sponsored events, or on school buses and other vehicles provided by IPS.”
Students who violate this policy are subject to a level four responding action.
Davis said that adding the new code of conduct violation language in place it makes sure that there is a consistent response across IPS schools now for instances of sexting.
Davis said, generally, instances of sexting are reported by the students themselves and that those incidents are worked out through the district's Title IX office.
Separation of bullying types
IPS’ code now differentiates between the five different types of bullying that the state of Indiana has already been recognizing.
School leaders will now be able to report the specific incidences based on type which will allow the districts to see more clearly what type of bullying is happening across the district, Davis said.
The five bullying types are:
Verbal, has a level 2-4 responding action.
Physical, has a level 2-4 responding action
Electronic, has a level 3-4 responding action.
Social/ relational, has a level 3-4 responding action.
A combination of 2 or more forms of bullying, has a level 2-4 responding action.
Vapes included in banned tobacco products
Vapes are now included under prohibited tobacco products that students cannot use or possess on school campuses.
This has a level 1-2 responding action. Davis said school leaders had noticed that vapes were not included but had been dealing with them already at schools.
Separating use of drugs and selling of drugs
The code is now differentiating between using and selling alcohol, narcotics, drugs or related paraphernalia.
“In the previous school year, our code of conduct limited us and so students that may have suffered from substance abuse had the same consequences as students that were selling or giving illegal drugs to other students,” Davis said.
For students who show that they have substance use problems, IPS offers diversion programming and support through their social services, Davis said.
Using or selling drugs has a level 3-4 responding action or a referral to a school police officer. If it’s found to be a level three action then they will be referred to counseling services. If it’s a level four, they will be referred to a diversion program.
Look-alike alcohol, narcotics or drugs language added
A new violation now prohibits the possession, use or selling of look-alike drugs or items attempting to be passed off as drugs.
Davis told board members that school leaders have noticed a rise in this due to the pandemic.
“Many of our students still have the opportunity to learn additional coping strategies but this was not in a violation that was previously covered, but wanting to make sure that it is captured in our student code of conduct that it is not acceptable,” Davis said.
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This action has a level 3-4 responding action or a referral to a school police officer.
Look-alike weapons language added
The code of conduct now says possessing or implementing look-alike deadly weapons at school can result in a level 2-3 responding action.
A look-alike weapon does not include things like a nerf gun, Davis said, but would have to be a weapon that looks like a deadly weapon.
Knife definition expanded
The definition of a knife is now being expanded to include razors, box cutter and pocket knives under the new code.
Intentionally bringing in one of the knife options to school or a school-related event can result in a level three responding action or a referral to a school police officer.
If the knife is used as a threat or is actually used, then it is a level four responding action or referral to a school police officer.
Loaded or unloaded handgun
The code of conduct now specifies that it does not matter if a handgun that has been brought to a school is loaded or unloaded, it is still grounds for mandatory expulsion for the rest of that school year.
Davis said that even though the student is expelled they will continue to educate students through online options but the student would not be allowed on school property or at school events.
Board members concerned about cellphone use
After hearing about the policy on sexting, IPS board commissioner Susan Collins said during the meeting where the changes were presented that there is confusion among school leaders and teachers about what IPS cellphone policy use exactly is.
“This is a sticky situation,” Collins said, "because I hear a lot from teachers about the misuse of cellphones in taking phone calls or texting to students in the classroom and otherwise being distracted from the lesson at hand."
Davis said that it is possible to add language into the code that mentions the use of cellphones for academic purposes while at school and would look into that possible change for the future.
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The current IPS board policy states that students can have cellphones with them at school but they must be put away unless they have explicit permission from a teacher or school official to use the phone for educational purposes.
Dr. Warren Morgan, chief academic officer for IPS, also mentioned that since cellphones are not going away, it’s also important to be teaching students responsible use of cellphones in a professional environment.
“It’s something we should think about ways to teach students how to use them properly,” Morgan said, "while also putting in language when they make egregious offenses."
To read the full student code of conduct, go to myips.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-22-Student-Code-of-Conduct.pdf
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IPS student code of conduct: Sexting, vaping and bullying added
