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Martin Luther King, Jr.
Charter School of Excellence
Bullying Prevention
and
Intervention Plan
2010 – 2011
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Charter School of Excellence
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan
2010 – 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. LEADERSHIP…………………………………………………………………………………… 3
II. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT…………..…………………………. 4
III. ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES………………………………………………… 5
IV. ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES………………………………………… 6
V. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING AND RESPONDING TO BULLYING AND RETALIATION…………………………………………………………….. 7
VI. COLLABORATION WITH FAMILIES…………………………………………………....... 11
VII. PROHIBITION AGAINST BULLYING AND RETALIATION…………………………… 11
VIII. DEFINITIONS…………………………………………………………………………………. 12
IX. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS……………………………………………………….. 12
APPENDIX A: BULLYING INCIDENT REPORT FORM…………………………………………. 13
APPENDIX B: 2010 draft BULLYING PREVENTION PLAN……………………………………... 16
APPENDIX C: 2010 draft BULLYING INTERVENTION PLAN………………………………….. 17
Notes:
- Much of the material of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence (“MLKCSE”) Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan (“the Plan”) was borrowed from the “Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Model Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan.” “Springfield Public Schools Bullying Prevention and Intervention Implementation Plan” and “West Springfield Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan” were also consulted.
- Below, when “principal” is referenced, reader may substitute the MLKCSE “executive director.”
I. LEADERSHIP
A. Public involvement in developing the Plan. The Plan was developed by MLKCSE staff, in consultation with members of the community served by MLKCSE, and by referencing, adapting, and copying parts of other Bullying Prevention and Intervention plans. A notice was posted for a public comment meeting (originally January 12, 2011; rescheduled due to snow for January 13, 2011) to which the parents/guardians of all MLKCSE students were invited.
B. Assessing needs and resources. The Plan is the school’s blueprint for enhancing capacity to prevent and respond to issues of bullying within the context of other healthy school climate initiatives. As part of the planning process, and in response to the school climate, school leaders have assessed the adequacy of former programs; reviewed policies and procedures; reviewed available data on bullying and behavioral incidents; and assessed available resources including curricula, training programs, and behavioral health services. Based on these findings, school leaders have revised and developed policies and procedures that are presented in this Plan.
C. Planning and oversight. The following personnel are responsible for the following tasks.
1. Receiving reports on bullying: An office staff member or a member of the Student Support Team receives reports, enters report electronically, gives them an identification number, and passes them on to our Student Support Advocate.
2. Collecting and analyzing building data: An office staff member or a member of the Student Support Team collects and analyzes building data to assess the present problem and to measure improved outcomes.
3. Creating a process for recording and tracking incident(s) reports, and for accessing information related to targets and aggressors: An office staff member or a member of the Student Support Team records and tracks incident(s) reports, and makes the information accessible to school leadership.
4. Planning for the ongoing professional development that is required by the law: School Social Worker.
5. Planning supports that respond to the needs of targets and aggressors: School Social Worker.
6. Choosing and implementing the curricula that the school will use: School Social Worker.
7. Developing and revising policies and protocols under the Plan, and designating key staff to be in charge of implementation of them: Executive Director.
8. Amending student and staff handbooks and codes of conduct: a summer staff member.
9. Leading the parent or family engagement efforts and drafting parent information materials: School Social Worker.
10. Reviewing and updating the Plan each year, or more frequently: Executive Director.
D. Developing priority statements.
MLKCSE is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment that is free from bullying and cyberbullying. This commitment is an integral part of our comprehensive efforts to build beloved community, to promote learning, and to prevent and eliminate all forms of bullying and other harmful and disruptive behavior that can impede the learning process.
II. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Annual staff training on the Plan. Annual training for all school staff on the Plan will include staff duties under the Plan, an overview of the steps that the principal or designee will follow upon receipt of a report of bullying or retaliation, and an overview of the bullying prevention curricula to be offered at all grades throughout the school or district. Staff members hired after the start of the school year are required to participate in school-based training during the school year in which they are hired, unless they can demonstrate participation in an acceptable and comparable program within the last two years.
B. Ongoing professional development. The goal of professional development is to establish a common understanding of tools necessary for staff to create a school climate that promotes safety, civil communication, and respect for differences. Professional development will build the skills of staff members to prevent, identify, and respond to bullying. As required by M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, the content of school-wide professional development will be informed by research and will include information on:
(i) developmentally (or age-) appropriate strategies to prevent bullying;
(ii) developmentally (or age-) appropriate strategies for immediate, effective interventions to stop bullying incidents;
(iii) information regarding the complex interaction and power differential that can take place between and among an aggressor, target, and witnesses to the bullying;
(iv) research findings on bullying, including information about specific categories of students who have been shown to be particularly at risk for bullying in the school environment;
(v) information on the incidence and nature of cyberbullying; and
(vi) Internet safety issues as they relate to cyberbullying.
Professional development will also address ways to prevent and respond to bullying or retaliation, an overview of the steps that the principal or designee will follow upon receipt of a report of bullying or retaliation, and an overview of the bullying prevention curricula to be offered at all grade levels. This training will be conducted by a staff member(s) that completed that Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) train-the-trainer program. The training will occur between February 2011 and April 2011. The trainer will solicit feedback on the MARC professional development training to review the utility of the program and plan for upcoming school years.
Professional development will also address ways to prevent and respond to bullying or retaliation for students with disabilities that must be considered when developing students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This will include a particular focus on the needs of students with autism or students whose disability affects social skills development.
Additional areas identified by the school or district for professional development include:
• promoting and modeling the use of respectful language;
• fostering an understanding of and respect for diversity and difference;
• building relationships and communicating with families;
• constructively managing classroom behaviors;
• using positive behavioral intervention strategies;
• applying constructive disciplinary practices;
• teaching students skills including positive communication, anger management, and empathy for others;
• engaging students in school or classroom planning and decision-making; and
• maintaining a safe and caring classroom for all students.
C. Written notice to staff. The school will provide all staff with an annual written notice of the Plan by publishing information about it, including sections related to staff duties, in the school or district employee handbook.
III. ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES
A. Identifying Resources. The Plan should include the school’s process for identifying its capacity to provide counseling and other services for targets, aggressors, and their families. This will include a review of current staffing and programs that support the creation of positive school environment by focusing on early interventions and intensive services. Once this mapping of resources is complete, the school or district can develop recommendations and action steps to fill resources and service gaps. This may include adopting new curricula, reorganizing staff, establishing safety planning teams, and identifying other agencies that can provide services. The Plan should outline the local processes for identifying existing and needed resources.
We will include in the annual parent survey questions about bullying and student safety. We try to promote a safe learning environment for all students with our staffing patterns. The academic year 2010-2011 is our first year in our current facility; therefore, we are routinely evaluating staff patterns to ensure a positive learning environment for all students.
B. Counseling and other services. Culturally and linguistically appropriate resources are available within the school. The School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor and Social Work interns are available to provide direct services to all students, including both targets and aggressors of bullying. Additionally, MLKCSE currently has ongoing relationships with Child Guidance Clinic, Child and Family Services, and Valley Psychiatric to provide on-going mental health services to our students. We also allow any interested clinician who completes a CORI background check to meet with students during the school day on-site.
Members of the Student Support Team (the School Social Worker, Character Development Specialist, Student Support Advocate, and Beloved Community Advocate) are available to develop safety plans for students who have been targets of bullying, to provide social skills programs to prevent bullying, and to offer education and/or intervention services for students exhibiting bullying behaviors. Members of the Social Work department (the School Social Worker and Social Work interns) meet with all third, fourth, and fifth grade students in small groups to provide specific social skills to prevent bullying. Furthermore, the fourth and fifth grade student groups specifically educate about the dynamics of bullying and cyberbullying. Some of the tools used are behavioral plans, social skills groups, and individually focused curricula.
C. Students with disabilities. As required by M.G.L. c. 71B, § 3, as amended by Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010, when the IEP Team determines the student has a disability that affects social skills development or the student may participate in or is vulnerable to bullying, harassment, or teasing because of his/her disability, the Team will consider what should be included in the IEP to develop the student’s skills and proficiencies to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
D. Referral to outside services. The following are currently used by MLKCSE: Child Guidance Clinic, Child and Family Services, and Academic and Behavioral Clinic. As appropriate, the Release of Information is given to parents and guardians.
IV. ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
A. Specific bullying prevention approaches. Bullying prevention curricula will be informed by current research which, among other things, emphasizes the following approaches:
• using scripts and role plays to develop skills;
• empowering students to take action by knowing what to do when they witness other students engaged in acts of bullying or retaliation, including seeking adult assistance;
• helping students understand the dynamics of bullying and cyberbullying, including the underlying power imbalance;
• emphasizing cybersafety, including safe and appropriate use of electronic communication technologies;
• enhancing students’ skills for engaging in healthy relationships and respectful communications; and
• engaging students in a safe, supportive school environment that is respectful of diversity and difference.
The school uses multiple modalities to reinforce a safe school culture for all students. During our initial year, 2006-2007, we started with the Second Step violence prevention program and using Dr. King values to reinforce positive social interactions. Since that time, we have added a comprehensive School Culture Initiative, a grade-wide social skills group for third grade, specific bullying education and prevention grade-wide groups for fourth and fifth grade, and, in kindergarten through third grade, six consecutive lessons on bullying.
Second Step
MLKCSE utilizes Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum as a specific bullying prevention approach. As described by the SAMHSA Model Program website and in the West Springfield Public Schools Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, the Second Step program is a classroom-based social skills program that has been shown to reduce aggressive behaviors and increase children’s social-emotional competence. Group discussion, modeling, coaching, and practice activities are used to increase students’ social competence, as well as decision-making, self-regulation, and positive goal-setting skills. The program’s lesson content varies by grade level and is organized into three skill-building units covering:
• Empathy: teaches young people to recognize and identify their own emotions and those of others.
• Impulse control and problem solving: helps young people choose positive goals and evaluate consequences of their behavior in terms of safety, fairness, and impact on others.
• Anger/emotion management: enables young people to manage their emotional reactions so that they can make good decisions about their social responses.
Safe and Caring Schools – Grades K through 3
We found that classroom instructors readily engage with the Safe and Caring Schools materials. Safe and Caring Schools is a research-based Social-Emotional Curriculum. Classroom instructors deliver six whole-group lessons on peer relations, conflict resolution, and bullying prevention. As their website says, “The Safe and Caring Schools Program complements and enhances the academic training students receive at school and is based upon sound Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices that target competencies in (1) self-awareness, (2) social awareness, (3) relationship skills, and (4) responsible decision making….All SCS Program materials have been tested extensively in Pre K - 8 grades. Educator and student feedback are incorporated to optimize useability and effectiveness.”
Massachusetts Anger Reduction Center (MARC) – Grades 4 & 5
We will implement the MARC K-5 Bullying and Cyberbulling Prevention Curriculum for our fourth and fifth grade students. This is a research-based curriculum. The fourth- and fifth-grade students will receive small-group instruction from the Social Work Department for approximately seven weeks.
Internet Safety & Cyberbullying – Grades K through 5
Our technology teacher will give 2-5 lessons to all students on internet safety and cyberbullying. Our Computer Use Policy expressly prohibits cyberbullying: “Purposefully harming someone’s body, feelings, or belongings is expressly prohibited, including use of technology or electronic messages to repeatedly and intentionally intimidate or bully others.”
Initiatives will also teach students about the student-related sections of the Plan. Classroom instructors will be responsible for reviewing the appropriate sections of the Plan with their students on an annual basis.
B. General teaching approaches that support bullying prevention efforts. The following approaches are integral to establishing a safe and supportive school environment. These underscore the importance of our bullying prevention and intervention initiatives:
• setting clear expectations for students and establishing school and classroom routines;
• creating safe school and classroom environments for all students, including for students with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender students, and homeless students;
• using appropriate and positive responses and reinforcement, even when students require discipline;
• using positive behavioral supports;
• encouraging adults to develop positive relationships with students;
• modeling, teaching, and rewarding pro-social, healthy, and respectful behaviors;
• using positive approaches to behavioral health, including collaborative problem-solving, conflict resolution training, teamwork, and positive behavioral supports that aid in social and emotional development;
• using the Internet safely; and
• supporting students’ interest and participation in non-academic and extracurricular activities, particularly in their areas of strength.
At MLKCSE, our general teaching approach supports bullying prevention efforts through the use of positivity, consistency, and regular reference to values and the ideal of the beloved community. The ideal of the beloved community is borrowed from Dr. Martin Luther King, who believed that a good education develops intelligence and character. In that spirit, we aim to create a beloved community where everybody is safe and successful, and where students work to be good academics and good citizens. We work toward our aim by valuing all individuals, by explicitly teaching values and character development, and by constructing the scaffolding for a beloved community. Part of that scaffolding is the consistency of the MLK Way, which all classrooms follow, and which includes routines and procedures for morning/entry, in-class transitions, school-wide hand signals, group work, and end-of-day/exit. These routines, in combination with a consistent school-wide culture that is reinforced by the behavior management techniques learned by all staff, help set clear expectations for students and reduce the possibility of bullying. Another significant part of the scaffolding is our school philosophy based on positive approaches. For example, we reward students regularly and publically for good behavior, for living the Dr. King Values, and for working toward academic success. Incidents requiring disciplinary action go through our Student Support Team, which works to model and support positivity.
V. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING AND RESPONDING TO BULLYING AND RETALIATION
A. Reporting bullying or retaliation. Reports of bullying or retaliation may be made by staff, students, parents or guardians, or others, and may be oral or written. Oral reports made by or to a staff member shall be recorded in writing. A school or district staff member is required to report immediately to the principal or designee any instance of bullying or retaliation the staff member becomes aware of or witnesses. Reports made by students, parents or guardians, or other individuals who are not school or district staff members, may be made anonymously. The school or district will make a variety of reporting resources available to the school community including, but not limited to, an Incident Reporting Form, a voicemail box, a dedicated mailing address, and an email address (bullyreport@mlkcs.org).
Use of an Incident Reporting Form is not required as a condition of making a report. The school or district will: 1) include a copy of the Incident Reporting Form in the beginning of the year packets for students and parents/guardians; 2) make it available in the school’s main office, the counseling office, the school nurse's office, and other helpful locations; and 3) post it on the school’s website. The Incident Reporting Form will be made available in the most prevalent language(s) of origin of students and parents or guardians.
At the beginning of each school year, MLKCSE will provide the school community, including administrators, staff, students, and parents or guardians, with written notice of its policies for reporting acts of bullying and retaliation. A description of the reporting procedures and resources, including the name and contact information of the principal or designee, will be incorporated in student and staff handbooks, on the school website, and in information about the Plan that is made available to parents or guardians.
1. Reporting by Staff
A staff member will report immediately to the principal or designee when he/she witnesses or becomes aware of conduct that may be bullying or retaliation. The requirement to report to the principal or designee does not limit the authority of the staff member to respond to behavioral or disciplinary incidents consistent with school policies and procedures for behavior management and discipline.
2. Reporting by Students, Parents or Guardians, and Others
The school expects students, parents or guardians, and others who witness or become aware of an instance of bullying or retaliation involving a student to report it to the principal or designee. Reports may be made anonymously, but no disciplinary action will be taken against an alleged aggressor solely on the basis of an anonymous report. Students, parents or guardians, and others may request assistance from a staff member to complete a written report. Students will be provided practical, safe, private and age-appropriate ways to report and discuss an incident of bullying with a staff member, or with the principal or designee.
B. Responding to a report of bullying or retaliation.
1. Safety
Before fully investigating the allegations of bullying or retaliation, the principal or designee will take steps to assess the need to restore a sense of safety to the alleged target and/or to protect the alleged target from possible further incidents. Responses to promote safety may include, but not be limited to, creating a personal safety plan; pre-determining seating arrangements for the target and/or the aggressor in the classroom, at lunch, or on the bus; identifying a staff member who will act as a “safe person” for the target; and altering the aggressor’s schedule and access to the target. The principal or designee will take additional steps to promote safety during the course of and after the investigation, as necessary. The principal or designee will implement appropriate strategies for protecting from bullying or retaliation a student who has reported bullying or retaliation, a student who has witnessed bullying or retaliation, a student who provides information during an investigation, or a student who has reliable information about a reported act of bullying or retaliation.
2. Obligations to Notify Others
a. Notice to parents or guardians. Upon determining that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the principal or designee will promptly notify the parents or guardians of the target and the aggressor of this, and of the procedures for responding to it. There may be circumstances in which the principal or designee contacts parents or guardians prior to any investigation. Notice will be consistent with state regulations at 603 CMR 49.00.
b. Notice to Another School or District. If the reported incident involves students from more than one school district, charter school, non-public school, approved private special education day or residential school, or collaborative school, the principal or designee first informed of the incident will promptly notify by telephone the principal or designee of the other school(s) of the incident so that each school may take appropriate action. All communications will be in accordance with state and federal privacy laws and regulations, and 603 CMR 49.00.
c. Notice to Law Enforcement. At any point after receiving a report of bullying or retaliation, including after an investigation, if the principal or designee has a reasonable basis to believe that criminal charges may be pursued against the aggressor, the principal will notify the local law enforcement agency. Notice will be consistent with the requirements of 603 CMR 49.00 and locally established agreements with the local law enforcement agency. Also, if an incident occurs on school grounds and involves a former student under the age of 21 who is no longer enrolled in school, the principal or designee shall contact the local law enforcement agency if he or she has a reasonable basis to believe that criminal charges may be pursued against the aggressor. In making this determination, the principal will, consistent with the Plan and with applicable school or district policies and procedures, consult with the school resource officer, if any, and other individuals the principal or designee deems appropriate.
C. Investigation. The principal or designee will investigate promptly all reports of bullying or retaliation and, in doing so, will consider all available information known, including the nature of the allegation(s) and the ages of the students involved. During the investigation the principal or designee will, among other things, interview students, staff, witnesses, parents or guardians, and others as necessary. The principal or designee (or whoever is conducting the investigation) will remind the alleged aggressor, target, and witnesses that retaliation is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
Interviews may be conducted by the principal or designee, other staff members as determined by the principal or designee, and in consultation with the school counselor, as appropriate. To the extent practicable, and given his/her obligation to investigate and address the matter, the principal or designee will maintain confidentiality during the investigative process. The principal or designee will maintain a written record of the investigation.
Procedures for investigating reports of bullying and retaliation will be consistent with school policies and procedures for investigations. If necessary, the principal or designee will consult with legal counsel about the investigation.
D. Determinations. The principal or designee will make a determination based upon all of the facts and circumstances. If, after investigation, bullying or retaliation is substantiated, the principal or designee will take steps reasonably calculated to prevent recurrence and to ensure that the target is not restricted in participating in school or in benefiting from school activities. The principal or designee will: 1) determine what remedial action is required, if any, and 2) determine what responsive actions and/or disciplinary action is necessary. Depending upon the circumstances, the principal or designee may choose to consult with the students’ teacher(s) and/or school social worker, and the target’s or aggressor’s parents or guardians, to identify any underlying social or emotional issue(s) that may have contributed to the bullying behavior and to assess the level of need for additional social skills development.
The principal or designee will promptly notify the parents or guardians of the target and the aggressor about the results of the investigation and, if bullying or retaliation is found, what action is being taken to prevent further acts of bullying or retaliation. All notice to parents must comply with applicable state and federal privacy laws and regulations. Because of the legal requirements regarding the confidentiality of student records, the principal or designee cannot report specific information to the target’s parent or guardian about the disciplinary action taken unless it involves a “stay away” order or other directive that the target must be aware of in order to report violations.
E. Responses to Bullying.
Please see sections III and IV above for specific strategies that MLKCSE uses to build students’ skills, and other individualized interventions that MLKCSE makes to remediate or prevent bullying and retaliation.
1. Teaching Appropriate Behavior Through Skills-building
Upon the principal or designee determining that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the law requires that the school or district use a range of responses that balance the need for accountability with the need to teach appropriate behavior. M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O(d)(v). Skillbuilding approaches that the principal or designee may consider include:
▪ offering individualized skill-building sessions based on the school’s anti-bullying curricula;
▪ providing relevant educational activities for individual students or groups of students, in consultation with guidance counselors and other appropriate school personnel;
▪ implementing a range of academic and nonacademic positive behavioral supports to help students understand pro-social ways to achieve their goals;
▪ meeting with parents and guardians to engage parental support and to reinforce the antibullying curricula and social skills building activities at home;
▪ adopting behavioral plans to include a focus on developing specific social skills; and
▪ making a referral for evaluation.
2. Taking Disciplinary Action
If the principal or designee decides that disciplinary action is appropriate, the disciplinary action will be determined on the basis of facts found by the principal or designee, including the nature of the conduct, the age of the student(s) involved, and the need to balance accountability with the teaching of appropriate behavior. Discipline will be consistent with the Plan and with the school’s or district’s code of conduct. We may utilize the full range of interventions and consequences, including suspension and up to expulsion. Discipline procedures for students with disabilities are governed by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), which should be read in cooperation with state laws regarding student discipline.
If the principal or designee determines that a student knowingly made a false allegation of bullying or retaliation, that student may be subject to disciplinary action.
3. Promoting Safety for the Target and Others
The principal or designee will consider what adjustments, if any, are needed in the school environment to enhance the target's sense of safety and that of others as well. One strategy that the principal or designee may use is to increase adult supervision at transition times and in locations where bullying is known to have occurred or is likely to occur. Within a reasonable period of time following the determination and the ordering of remedial and/or disciplinary action, the principal or designee will contact the target to determine whether there has been a recurrence of the prohibited conduct and whether additional supportive measures are needed. If so, the principal or designee will work with appropriate school staff to implement them immediately.
VI. COLLABORATION WITH FAMILIES
The Plan includes strategies to engage and collaborate with students’ families in order to increase the capacity of the school to prevent and respond to bullying. Resources for families and communications with them are essential aspects of effective collaboration. The law requires the Plan to include provisions for informing parents or guardians about the bullying prevention and intervention used by the school including: (i) how parents and guardians can reinforce the curricula at home and support the school or district plan; (ii) the dynamics of bullying; and (iii) online safety and cyberbullying. Parents and guardians will also be notified in writing each year about the student-related sections of the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, in the language(s) most prevalent among the parents or guardians. School-specific approaches to collaboration will take into account age, climate, socio-economic factors, linguistic, and cultural make-up of students and their families.
A. Parent education and resources. The school will offer educational programs for parents and guardians that are focused on the parental components of the anti-bullying curricula and any social competency curricula used by the school. The programs will be offered in collaboration with the Family-School Cooperative and similar organizations.
B. Notification Requirements. Each year the school will inform parents or guardians of the enrolled students about the anti-bullying curricula that are being used. This notice will include information about the dynamics of bullying, including cyberbullying and online safety. The district will send parents or guardians written notice each year about the student-related sections of the Plan and the school’s Internet Safety Policy. All notices and information made available to parents or guardians will be in hard copy and electronic formats, and will be available in the language(s) most prevalent among parents or guardians. The school will post the Plan and related information on its website. At Parent Orientation in August 2010, parents were offered previews of the Plan.
VII. PROHIBITION AGAINST BULLYING AND RETALIATION
The following statement is incorporated directly from M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O(b), and describes the law’s requirements for the prohibition of bullying. It will be included in the MLKCSE Family/Student Handbook and the MLKCSE Employee Handbook, and on the school website (mlkcs.org).
Acts of bullying, which include cyberbullying, are prohibited:
(i) on school grounds and property immediately adjacent to 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 school district or school; or through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, leased, or used by a school district or school, and
(ii) at a location, activity, function, or program that is not school-related through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by a school district or school, if the acts create a hostile environment at school for the target or witnesses, infringe on their rights at school, or materially and substantially disrupt the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying is also prohibited.
As stated in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, nothing in this Plan requires the school to staff any non-school related activities, functions, or programs.
VIII. DEFINTIONS
Aggressor is a student who engages in bullying, cyberbullying, or retaliation.
Bullying, as defined in M.G. L. c. 71, § 370, is the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that:
i) causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target’s property;
ii) places the target in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself or of damage to his or her property;
iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the target;
iv) infringes on the rights of the target at school; or
v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
Cyberbullying, is bullying through the use of technology or electronic devices such as telephones, cell phones, computers, and the Internet. It includes, but is not limited to, email, instant messages, text messages, and Internet postings. See M.G. L. c. 71, § 370 for the legal definition of cyberbullying.
Hostile environment, as defined in M.G. L. c. 71, § 370, is a situation in which bullying causes the school environment to be permeated with intimidation, ridicule, or insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of a student’s education.
Retaliation is any form of intimidation, reprisal, or harassment directed against a student who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying.
Staff includes, but is not limited to, educators, administrators, counselors, school nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, athletic coaches, advisors to extracurricular activities, support staff, or paraprofessionals.
Target is a student against whom bullying, cyberbullying, or retaliation has been perpetrated.
IX. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS
Consistent with state and federal laws, and the policies of the school or district, no person shall be discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town or in obtaining the advantages, privilege and course of study of such public school on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. Nothing in the Plan prevents the school from taking action to remediate discrimination or harassment based on a person’s membership in a legally protected category under local, state, or federal law, or school policies.
In addition, nothing in the Plan is designed or intended to limit the authority of the school to take disciplinary action or other action under M.G. L. c. 71, § § 37H or 37H½, other applicable laws, or local school policies in response to violent, harmful, or disruptive behavior, regardless of whether the Plan covers the behavior.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence
Bullying Incident Report Form
Parents, guardians, and concerned community members, please complete the front side of the Bullying Incident Report Form if you wish to report a suspected incident of bullying. You have the option of including your name at the top of the form or reporting anonymously. Completed forms can be brought to the front office or mailed to the school.
When completing this form the target is the person who is the recipient of the aggressive behavior. The aggressor is the person engaging in aggressive behavior. Please be as factual and specific as possible when completing this form. All completed Bullying Incident Report Forms submitted to the school will be investigated.
MLK Jr. Charter School prohibits bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation. The school diligently works to maintain a positive school climate for all students. Parents and guardians are important members of our school community. MLK Jr. Charter School describes bullying as occurring when a person, or group of people, purposefully harms someone’s body, feelings, or belongings. Bullying is a repeated and intentional act that can occur either in person or through technology and/or electronic communication.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence
Bullying Incident Report Form
Name of Reporter/Person Filing the Report: ____________________________________
(Note: Reports may be made anonymously, but no disciplinary action will be taken against an alleged aggressor solely on the basis of an anonymous report.)
Check whether you are the: Target of the behavior Reporter (not the target)
Check whether you are a: Student Staff member (specify role) ______________
Parent Administrator Other ___________
Your contact information/telephone number: ________________________________________________________
Information about the Incident:
Name of the Target (of behavior): __________________________________________________________
Gender: Male Female Grade: __________ Classroom: _______________
Name of Aggressor (Person who engaged in the behavior): ______________________________________
Gender: Male Female Grade: __________ Classroom: _______________
Date(s) of Incident(s): ___________________________________________________________________
Time When Incident(s) Occurred: __________________________________________________________
Location of Incident(s) (Be as specific as possible): ____________________________________________
Witnesses (List people who saw the incident or have information about it):
Name: __________________________ Student Staff Other _________________
Name: __________________________ Student Staff Other _________________
Name: __________________________ Student Staff Other _________________
Does the incident create:
Harm/reasonable fear of harm or damage to property? Yes No
Hostile environment at school for the target? Yes No
Infringement on student’s rights at school? Yes No
Material/substantial disruption of education/operation of the school? Yes No
Describe the details of the incident (including names of people involved, what occurred, and what each person did and said, including specific words used.) Please use additional space on back if necessary.
Signature of Person Filing this Report: _____________________________________ Date: ________________
(Note: Reports may be filed anonymously.)
FOR ADMINISTRATIVE USE ONLY
Form Given to: ___________________________ Postion: ________________ Date: _________
This section to be completed by Student Support Team.
Who investigated this incident? ___________________________________________________________________
Interviews:
Interviewed aggressor Name: ______________________________ Date: _________
Interviewed target Name: ______________________________ Date: _________
Interviewed witnesses Name: ______________________________ Date: _________
Name: ______________________________ Date: _________
Any prior documented Incidents by the aggressor? Yes No
If Yes, have incidents involved this target or target group previously? Yes No
Any previous incidents with findings of BULLYING, RETALIATION? Yes No
Is this the first report? Yes No If not, is this the, Second or Third report?
Summary of Investigation:
CONCLUSIONS FROM THE INVESTIGATIONS
Finding of bullying or retaliation: Yes No Type: _____________________________
Contacts:
Target’s parent/guardian Date: __________ Aggressor’s parent/guardian Date: _________
Action Taken:
Home Visit Bullying Oasis Room Report Suspension Other: __________________________
Describe Safety Planning: ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow-up with Target: ___________________________ Initial & date when completed: __________
Follow-up with Aggressor: ________________________ Initial & date when completed: __________
Report forwarded to Executive Director: Date: ______________
Signature and Title: ___________________________________________ Date: ___________
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CHARTER SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
Creating a Just and Peaceful Beloved Community
BULLYING PREVENTION PLAN
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. defined beloved community as a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the beloved community, poverty, hunger, and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. At Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence, we strive toward creating a just beloved community. To accomplish this aspiration, this vision, we provide a multi-faceted education program to develop the character of each child and teach appropriate conflict-resolution skills.
We are implementing our Creating a Just and Peaceful Beloved Community program in the context of our pervasive school culture based on the School Culture Initiative and Dr. King Values. The first component of our Creating a Just and Peaceful Beloved Community program is utilizing the Second Step violence prevention program. Second Step is a research-based program to teach children empathy, impulse control and problem solving skills, and anger management skills that MLK Charter School began using in 2006-07. All of our classrooms teach the Second Step program. Starting in 2007-08 we began friendship groups for all students in each 3rd grade class. We believe that starting in 3rd grade peer relations begin to change. Therefore, in 3rd grade we intensively reinforce the principles of our Dr. King Values and our School Culture Initiative regarding how we treat each other on a daily basis.
Beginning in 2009-2010 we continued to build on the skills learned in Second Step by teaching to all students in kindergarten through 3rd grade three consecutive lessons on bullying from the Safe & Caring School series. Additionally, our 4th and 5th grade students engaged in an seven week bully-prevention curriculum. For 2010-2011 we are increasing the number of lessons from three to six for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade and refining the curriculum utilized in the 4th and 5th grade.
MLK Jr. Charter School prohibits bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation. The school diligently works to maintain a positive school climate for all students. Parents and guardians are important members of our school community. MLK Jr. Charter School describes bullying as occurring when a person, or group of people, purposefully harms someone’s body, feelings, or belongings. Bullying is a repeated and intentional act that can occur either in person or through technology and/or electronic communication. We distribute bullying prevention, bullying intervention, the Dr. King Values, and the School Culture Initiative to all families at the beginning of the school year. Through this policy, outreach at open house, and parent/guardian conversations and meetings, the school encourages parents to teach and reinforce the values of the MLK Jr. Charter School Beloved Community. Student Support Team does outreach to parents and guardians of children particularly at risk of bullying to emphasize the school’s commitment and the importance of teaching the same values at home. Our goal is to continue to enhance our efforts to maintain a just and peaceful school community.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CHARTER SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
Creating a Just and Peaceful Beloved Community
BULLYING INTERVENTION PLAN 2010-2011
Bullying is when a person, or group of people, purposefully harms someone’s body, feelings, or belongings. Bullying is a repeated and intentional act that can occur either in person or through technology and/or electronic communication.
If a student or a parent/guardian of a student feels the student is being bullied, the child and parent/guardian first try to bring the repeated act to the attention of classroom staff. If the student and parent/guardian are not satisfied, they should bring their concern to the MLK Jr. Charter School administration including the executive director. Administrators, the social worker, and the school office will pass on complaints, including anonymous complaints, to the administration for action.
After receiving a complaint of a student being bullied, faculty, student support team, and administration will work together to investigate the complaint. Investigation documents the basis for further action in instances of confirmed bullying, interpersonal conflict in peer relationships that is not bullying, and false complaints of bullying. We will report confirmed incidents of bullying to the parents and guardians of all children involved in the incident and law enforcement as necessary. Additionally, we will work with parents/guardians and children to develop an appropriate plan to ensure that the children feel and are safe. The nature of the incident will determine the course of action, which could include adjustments to the classroom situation, peer mediation, working to enhance both children’s conflict-resolution skills, addressing the issue with parents/guardians, referral for counseling services, and possible suspension.
The physical and emotional well-being of our students is MLK Jr. Charter School’s priority. We try our best to prevent bullying and successfully address complaints of bullying. MLK Jr. Charter School prevents retaliation by ongoing daily contact with, questions of, and encouragement of all students involved in bullying, both bullies and targets.