STUDENT CODE OF
CONDUCT
AND
STUDENT
HANDBOOK
UNITED INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT
2003-2004
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETINGS
Instructional Committee meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 6:00
p.m. in
the Boardroom.
Business Committee meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 7:15
p.m. in
the Boardroom.
Regular Board Meeting are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month at 6:30
p.m. in
the United Middle School Auditorium.
UNITED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
201 Lindenwood Laredo, TX 78045
(956) 717-6201 Fax (956)
722-7771
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
John M. Bruce
................................................President
District 7
Francisco “Pancho” Gonzalez,
Jr...................Vice-President District 2
Juan Roberto
Ramirez....................................Secretary District 6
Pat
Campos..........................Parliamentarian District 3
William B.
Johnson........................................Member District 5
Ricardo Molina
..............................................Member District 1
Christine “Tina” Treviño
...............................Member District 4
SUPERINTENDENT
Oscar Rodriguez, Jr. 717-6219
ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT
Roberto J. Santos 764-6474
ASSISTANT
SUPERINTENDENTS
Laida
Benavides.............................................Business and Finance
717-6222
Dr. Dolores Medrano
.....................................Instruction 717-6245
Sylvia
Rendon......................................Human Resources 717-6254
AREA/EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Pamela
Juarez.....…................................Area 1 796-5240
Juanita Lozano
......................................Area 2 764-6300
Hector
Perez.......................Technology & MIS 717-6370
Dalia Treviño
..............Secondary Curriculum 717-6293
Dr. Patricia Uribe…....Elementary
Curriculum 717-6241
Enrique Rangel.........……...............Facilities
717-7956
United Independent School District
“For Children”
Acknowledgement
Dear Student and Parent:
The United Independent School
District Board of Trustees officially adopted the Student Handbook which
includes the Student Code of Conduct.
We urge you to read this
publication thoroughly and to discuss it amongst yourselves. If you have any
questions we encourage you to ask for an explanation from the school
administration.
The student and parent should
each sign this page in the spaces provided below, and then return the page to
the student’s school. Thank you.
Your signatures
below indicate that you and your child have received a copy of the United Independent School
District Handbook (including the Student
Code of Conduct) for 2003-2004.
The Handbook
contains information that you and your child will need during the school year.
You and your child are responsible for reading the rules, expectations, and
other information contained herein.
Regarding students’ records,
federal law requires that “directory information” on my child be released by
the District to anyone who requests it unless I object in writing to the
release of any or all of this
information. This objection must
be filed within ten school days of the time this handbook was issued to
the student. Directory information ordinarily includes name, address, telephone
number, date and place of birth participation in officially recognized
activities and sports, weight and height of member of athletic teams dates of
attendance honors and awards received in school most recent previous school
attended photograph (including UISD web sites) e-mail address
I exercise my right to limit
release of this information, I have checked above the items of directory
information that I wish the District to withhold about my child.
Student’s Name I.D.#
(Please Print)
Student’s Signature Date
Parent’s Name
(Please Print)
Parent’s Signature Date
School Grade
Please sign this page, detach it, and
return to the student’s school.
United Independent School
District
“For Children”
PARENT PERMISSION FORM
AND USER AGREEMENT
I have read the Permission Form for the Use of
Computers and the Internet. In consideration for the privilege of using the
district's electronic communications system, and in consideration for having
access to the public networks, I hereby release the district, its operators,
and any institutions with which they are affiliated from any and all claims and
damages of any nature arising from my child's use of, or inability to use, the
system, including, without limitation, the type of damage identified in the
Permission Form for the Use of Computers and the Internet. I, as a parent or
guardian, have the discussed with my child the responsibilities required for
her/him as well as parent responsibilities.
_____ I GIVE my child permission to participate in
the District’s electronic communication network system. I understand that I am
authorizing permission for the child’s participation until they are promoted to
next educational level. If I need to change the permission status I am to
contact the school to change status.
I as a user of the School computer network agree to
comply with the above stated rules and to use the network in a constructive
manner.
Student Name (Print) ____________________________________
Student Signature
_______________________________________
Date ________________ Grade Level ___________
Please sign this page, detach it,
and return to the student’s school.
(Topic Discussed on Page 14 of
Student Handbook)
Form No. 880-005
Revised June 2002
United Independent School
District
“For Children”
CONSENT REQUIRED FOR
CERTAIN ACTIVITIES
1. UISD requires consent for certain activities: An
employee of a school district must obtain the written consent of a child’s
parent before the employee may:
a. Make or authorize the making of videotape of a
child or record or authorize the recording of a child’s voice.
2. An employee is not required to obtain the
consent of a child’s parent before the employee may make a videotape of a child
or authorize the recording of a child’s voice if the videotape or voice
recording is to be used only for:
a. Purposes of safety, including the maintenance of
order and discipline in common areas of the school or on school buses;
b. A purpose related to a co-curricular or
extracurricular activity;
c. A purpose related to regular classroom
instruction; or
d. Media coverage of the school.
Please sign where indicated below if you give your
consent to the District to make or authorize
the making of videotape of your son/daughter or
record or authorize the recording of your
son/daughter’s voice.
Student’s Name______________________________
ID#_____________________
Student’s Signature ___________________________
Date____________________
Parent’s Name ____________________________________________
Parent’s Signature
____________________________________________________
Date____________________
School_____________________________________ Grade
_____________________
Please sign this page, detach it,
and return to the student’s school.
(Topic Discussed on Page 12 of
Student Handbook)
Form No. 907-003
June 2002
Consent for
Release of Information to Military Recruiters
The No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires School
Districts receiving
Title I funds,
including United ISD, to give military recruiters access to schools and the
names, addresses, and telephone numbers of secondary school students. 20 U.S.C.
Section 7908. A secondary school student or the parent of the student may
request that the student's name, address, and telephone number not be released
without prior written consent.
I request that the District not
release my (if you are a student 18 years or older, married, or attending
post-secondary institution) or my child's name, address, or telephone number to
military recruiters.
__________________
___________________
Signature of Parent/Guardian/Student*: Date
* (Student must be 18 years or
older, married, or attending a post-secondary institution to sign.)
United Independent School
District
“For Children”
UNITED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
GOALS
2003 - 2004
Continue to improve student achievement
Continue efforts to provide safe and nurturing
environments for students and staff
Continue to increase the district‘s graduation
and completion rate
Continue to promote
community partnerships and parental involvement
Continue to ensure that
the district is fiscally accountable and fiscally efficient
Create a strong employee
development, recruitment, training, and retention initiative
Provide adequate
resources for facility needs
STUDENT CODE OF
CONDUCT
2003-2004 School
Year
Introduction................................................................................1
Section I -General.....................................……….......................................1
Jurisdiction..................................................................................
1
Rights and Responsibilities of
Students....................................................…….............................1
Manners and Civility..........................................................................................2
Posting and Distribution of Student Code of
Conduct.............................................................2
Dress Code
......................................................................................................2
Misuse of Computers and
Networks...……………................................................................3
Bus
Behavior.......................................................................................4
Questions About Disability-Related Issues
...............................………………..............................................4
Sexual Harassment
Complaints…................................................5
Substance Abuse...........................................................................................5
Textbooks....................................................................................5
Lost, Damaged, or Stolen Personal
Items..........................………......................................................5
Section II – Inappropriate
Conduct
Level I – Minor
Offenses.........….........................................................................6
Confiscation of Two-Way Radios, Paging Devices or
Cellular Phones........................6
Level II – Serious
Offenses.......................................................................................6
Discretionary Placement in a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program .................8
Offenses Occurring on Campus or at School-Related
Activities...................................8
Persistent
Offenses........................................................................................8
Offenses Occurring off Campus/Not at School-Related
Activities ...............................9
Level III – Disciplinary Alternative Education
Programs .......................................................9
Mandatory Placement in a Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program......................9
Offenses Occurring on Campus or at School-Related Activities...................................9
Offenses Occurring off Campus/Not at School-Related
Activities ...............................9
Title 5
Offenses.......................................................................................10
Level IV—Expulsions
.................................................…...............................................10
Offenses Requiring Expulsion (On Campus or
School-Related) ..................................11
Offenses Which May Result in Expulsion.....................................................................11
Offenses Which May Result in Expulsion (Conduct
Unrelated to School)...................12
Section III – Consequences of
Inappropriate Conduct ................................................................12
Discipline Management
Techniques..............................................................................12
Physical
Restraint..................................................................................13
General Guidelines for Assessing Discipline
Penalties ...........................................................13
Credit During Disciplinary
Process....…..…............................13
Detention.........…...................….............................................14
In-School
Suspension...............................................................................14
Off-Campus Suspension
.................................................................................................14
Teacher Remov......................................................................................14
Student Discipline Action
Form...............................................15
Conference and Review Requirements for Students
Removed from Class.............................15
Suspensions..............................................................................15
Notice to Parents
...................................................................................................15
Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs
.........................................................................16
Transfer or Withdrawal from a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program ..............16
Placement of Students with Disabilities
........................................................................16
Emergency Placements in Disciplinary Alternative
Education Programs.....................17
Duration of Placement in Disciplinary Alternative
Education Programs......................17
Review of Student’s Status in Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program
(Students Placed in a DAEP for 120 Days or More)
...............................................17
Graduating Seniors in Disciplinary Alternative
Education Programs ...........................17
Expulsion................................................................................18
Duration of
Expulsion..........................................................................18
Expulsion of Students under Ten Years of
Age.............................................................18
Expulsion of Students under Six Years of Age
.............................................................18
Firearm Violations
...........................................................................18
Continued Misconduct While Expelled
.........................................................................18
Activity Restrictions for Expelled
Students...................................................................18
Graduating Juniors/Seniors in the JJAEP
......................................................................18
Transfer or Withdrawal of Expelled Students
...............................................................18
Emergency
Expulsions...............................................................19
Expulsion of Special Education Students....................................19
Expulsion of Section 504 Students
..........................................19
All Students – Representation During the Expulsion
Hearing ......................................19
Due Process............................................…………………...20
Placement in a Juvenile Justice Alternative
Education Program...................................20
Section IV—Searches, Questioning
of Students, and Police Intervention..................................20
Searches ............................................20
Random Drug
Searches..........................................20
Questioning of
Students.................................................20
Police Questioning of Students or Taking Students
into Custody...........................................21
Police
Department.................................................21
Fight Back Against Crime in Your School
..............................................................................21
Alert ........................................................................................................................................21
Glossary .................................................................................................................................22
United I.S.D. Board Policies are
available in the Principals’, Area Executive Directors’,
and Superintendent’s Offices or
at the District’s Web site at uisd.net.
United Independent School District does not discriminate on the
basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in
providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational
programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, as amended;
Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
1
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
2003-2004 School Year
Introduction
To ensure our students a safe,
supportive and positive learning environment, the United Independent School
District has adopted this Student
Code of Conduct. The District is proud of all students and recognizes that
continued cooperation is essential to the District educational mission. This
Code will provide guidance to both the District and its students in their joint
endeavor to achieve a meaningful and successful educational experience.
All students enrolled in United
ISD, regardless of age or grade level, shall abide by this Student Code of
Conduct. United ISD adheres to a zero tolerance policy for drugs and weapons.
Section I -- General
Jurisdiction: The United Independent School
District has jurisdiction over its students, for
discipline purposes, during the regular school day, during lunch (whether on or
off school campus), on a school bus, and while students are going to and from
school. The District’s jurisdiction includes any activity during the school day
on school grounds, attendance at any school-related activity, regardless of
time or location, and any school-related misconduct, regardless of time or
location. The District also has jurisdiction over a student when retaliation
against a school employee is involved, either on or off school property, or
when a student commits a felony as provided by
Texas Education Code Section
37.006, or when criminal mischief is committed on or off school property or at
a school-related event. Students shall comply with the Student Code of Conduct
at all times while they are under the jurisdiction of the School District.
Rights and Responsibilities of Students: All students are
entitled to enjoy the basic rights of citizenship recognized and protected by
law for persons of their age and maturity. District schools shall foster a
climate of mutual respect for the rights of others. Each student is expected to
respect the rights and privileges of other students, teachers, and District
staff. Students shall exercise their rights responsibly, in compliance with
rules established for the orderly conduct of the District’s educational
mission. The District’s rules of conduct and discipline are established to
achieve and maintain order in the school. These rules apply regardless of
whether a student commits an offense on his/her home campus, on another UISD
campus, or away from any UISD campus while at a schoolrelated function.
Students who violate the rights of others, or who violate District or school
rules, shall be subject to disciplinary measures designed to correct the
misconduct and to promote adherence by all students to the responsibilities of
citizens in the school community.
Student responsibilities for
achieving a positive learning environment at school or school-related
activities shall include:
1. Attending all classes
regularly and on time.
2. Being prepared for each class
with appropriate materials and assignments.
3. Dressing and grooming
appropriately.
4. Behaving in a responsible
manner.
5. Paying required fees and
fines, unless these are waived.
6. Seeking changes in school
policies and regulations in an orderly and responsible manner, through
appropriate channels.
7. Cooperating with staff in
investigation of disciplinary cases, and volunteering information within the
student’s knowledge relating to a serious offense.
8. Refraining from violations of
the Student Code of Conduct.
9. Obeying all campus and
classroom rules, including safety rules.
10. Respecting the property of
others, including District property and facilities.
11. Respecting the rights and
privileges of other students and of teachers and other District staff.
The District may impose campus or
classroom rules in addition to those found in the Student Code of Conduct.
These rules may be listed in the Student Handbook or posted in classrooms, and
violations of such rules may or may not constitute violations of the Student
Code of Conduct.
2
Manners and Civility: At all times on
District property and at school-sponsored or related events outside of District
property, and while coming to and from school, students shall exhibit good
manners and civility demanded of a civilized nation. Failure to act accordingly
may subject a student to penalty.
Posting and Distribution of Student Code
of Conduct: The Student Code of Conduct must be prominently displayed at each
school campus. All UISD students shall receive a Student Code of Conduct at the
beginning of the school year. The Student Code of Conduct shall also be
provided to all teachers, new professional employees, students who are enrolled
after the beginning of the school year, any parent, and any other person on
request. Once the Student Code of Conduct is promulgated, any subsequent
changes or amendments must be approved by the UISD Board of Trustees.
Each student, teacher, and parent
annually shall sign a statement that they have received and read the Student
Code of Conduct and acknowledge the rules and responsibilities outlined
therein.
Dress Code: The District’s
dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline,
prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for authority. In
addition:
1. Any clothes that are
suggestive or indecent or which cause distraction are prohibited. Specifically,
tank tops, muscle shirts, halter-tops, spaghetti straps, exposed backs or
midriffs, and see-through garments without a shell or shirt worn under the
garments are prohibited.
2. Indecent/inappropriate
patches, writings, or drawings on clothing, purses, bag, backpacks, personal
belongings, or on the body are prohibited. Clothing with inappropriate
advertising or statements that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, obscene, or
inflammatory (e.g., alcoholic beverages, sex, tobacco, drugs, gangs, etc.) are
also prohibited.
3. All oversized clothing shall
not be worn to school. Specifically, “bagging” or “sagging” pants are
prohibited. All pants shall be worn at the waist. Tight-fitting pants
(e.g., tights, bicycle pants, spandex) are also prohibited. Extra-long belts
are prohibited. Belts must be put through the belt loops on the pants.
4. No hats or head coverings
(i.e., scarves, bandanas) of any kind are to be worn or brought to school
unless approved by the school principal for a special occasion or program.
Unless there is a medical justification, no sunglasses are to be worn in the
building.
5. Heavy, full-length outerwear,
such as “dusters and trench coats” is prohibited from being worn in the
building.
6. Shirts must be tucked in and staff
members should be able to see the student’s belt or belt loops.
7. Dangling chains will not be
permitted. This includes chains attached to wallets, footwear and backpacks.
8. Visible body piercing jewelry is prohibited, except
for ear piercing.
9. All exposed tattoos shall be
covered at all times.
10. No gang-related attire will
be permitted. This will be designated by individual campuses.
11. Skates shoes are prohibited.
12. Steel or hard plastic toe
boots are prohibited.
These rules apply to all UISD
campuses and facilities, and to any location off-campus where UISD students are
receiving classroom instruction (e.g., official class field trips, internships,
or other programs hosted at facilities other than UISD).
The District prohibits any
clothing or grooming that in the Principal’s judgment may reasonably be
expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operation,
or that is determined by the school’s Principal or designee to be gang-related
or, in reasonable probability, would be construed as gang-related. The student
and parent
may determine the student’s
personal dress and grooming standards, provided they comply with the District’s
guidelines. Each campus may adopt additional dress code guidelines, which
must be consistent with the District’s guidelines, but which may be stricter
than the District’s guidelines. Principals should announce these additional
guidelines over the PA, in newsletters, and shall post them in the Cafeteria
and Library.
If the Principal determines that
a student’s grooming violates the dress code, the student shall be given an
opportunity to correct the problem at school. If not corrected, the student
shall be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day or until
the problem is corrected. A student whose clothing violates the dress code
shall be assigned to in-school suspension either for the remainder of the day
or until a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the
school. Repeated offenses may result in more serious disciplinary action.
Appropriate discipline procedures shall be followed in all cases. (FNCA
(LOCAL))
3
The Principal, in cooperation
with the sponsor, coach, or other person in charge of an extracurricular
activity, may regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in
the activity. Students who violate these standards may be removed or excluded
from the activity for a period determined by the Principal or sponsor and may
be subject to other disciplinary action. (FNCA (LOCAL).
Misuse of Computers and Networks: All District
policies and procedures for acceptable use of computers and networks are
intended to make the computers and networks more reliable for the users. They
are also intended to minimize the burden of administering the networks, so that
more time can be spent enhancing services.
All technology equipment shall be
used under the supervision of the site administrator for School-Districtrelated
projects as assigned. Use of the computer to access telecommunications
resources is a privilege and not a right. Violations of the policies and
procedures of United Independent School
District concerning the use of computers and
networks will result in disciplinary actions in the same manner as other Code
of Conduct violations.
Student use is conditioned on a
completed and signed Parent Permission/Student Use Agreement form.
Privacy - You should not
disclose your password to anyone else, nor should you use someone else’s
password. You are responsible for all activities done in or from your account.
You should not attempt to circumvent passwords, access codes, or information
protection schemes or uncover security loopholes or attempt to break
authentication procedures or encryption protocols.
Electronic transmissions and
other use of the UISD system by students shall not be considered confidential
and may be monitored at any time by designated District staff to ensure the use
of the system for appropriate educational purposes only.
Anonymous Activity - You may not
impersonate other individuals in electronic communication.
Illegal Activity -You should not
use electronic systems in the course of any illegal activity.
Communication Tampering - It is
unethical and may be criminal to attempt to monitor other people’s
communications without their permission.
Copying and Copyrights - For information
on which the individual or the district does not hold the copyright, written
permission from the copyright holder is required prior to duplication. Academic
dishonesty or plagiarism in a student assignment is unethical. Suspected
occurrences are referred to the student’s school.
Harassment - Electronic
system usage or information that is perceived by its recipient as sexual
harassment as defined by district’s policy may be considered a violation. The
display of offensive material in any publicly accessible area is likely to
violate district harassment policy. Public display includes publicly accessible
computer screens and printers.
Inappropriate materials or language – No profane,
abusive or impolite language should be used to communicate, nor should
materials be accessed which are not in line with the rules of school behavior.
Should students encounter such material by accident, they should report it to
their teacher immediately.
Wasting Resources - It is unethical
to deliberately perform any act which will impair the operation of any
electronic system or deny access by legitimate users to any electronic system.
This includes the willful wasting of resources and sending of “junk mail” and
“mail bombs” (This includes “chain letters”).
The District electronic systems
may not be used for:
• solicitation not related to official
district’s business,
• commercial gain or placing a third party
in a position of commercial advantage,
• non-district related activities,
• impeding teaching and research,
• hindering the functioning of the
district,
• violating an applicable license or
contract, or
• damaging community relations or
relations with institutions with whom we share responsibility.
4
General district policy prohibits
non-district use of district facility.
What other
guidelines must be followed?
These are guidelines to follow to
prevent the loss of network privileges:
1. Users shall not erase, rename,
or make unusable anyone else’s computer files, programs or disks.
2. Users shall not share names,
logon passwords or files for any reason.
3. Users shall not use or try to
discover another user’s password.
4. Users shall not use UISD
computers or networks for any non-instructional or non-administrative purpose
(e.g.,
games or activities for personal
profit).
5. Users shall not use a computer
for unlawful purposes, such as the illegal copying or installation of software.
6. Users shall not copy, change
or transfer any software or documentation provided by UISD teachers or students
without written permission from the campus principal and Director of
Technology.
7. Users shall not write,
produce, generate, copy, propagate, or attempt to introduce any computer code
designed to self-replicate, damage, or otherwise hinder the performance of any
computer’s memory, file system, or software (bug, virus, worm, Trojan Horse, or
similar name.)
8. Users shall not deliberately
use the computer to annoy or harass others with language, images, or threats.
9. Users shall not deliberately
access or create any obscene or sexually related materials except curriculum
related and as assigned.
10. Users shall not assemble or
disassemble computers, networks, printers, or other associated equipment except
as part of a class assignment or in conjunction with job responsibility.
11. Users shall not remove
technology equipment (hardware or software) without written permission of the
principal or director.
12. STUDENTS WILL BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE for their actions and for the loss of privileges if the Rules of
Appropriate Use are violated.
Bus Behavior: Riding the bus
is considered a “school-related” and “school-sponsored” activity, where those
terms appear in other sections of this Code of Conduct. The campus
Administrator shall have the authority to discipline a student for any
inappropriate conduct that occurs on the school bus.
Disciplinary consequences shall
be administered according to the level of the offense committed. For more
information about disciplinary consequences, see other sections of the Student
Code of Conduct pertaining to Level I-- Minor Offenses, Level II--Serious
Offenses, Level III--AEP Offenses, and Level IV--Expulsions.
PLEASE NOTE: Riding the bus
is a privilege which may be temporarily suspended or permanently revoked at the
discretion of the campus Administrator if the conduct in question jeopardizes
the safety of any individual or generally interferes with the safe operation of
the bus. Prior to a suspension or revocation of bus riding privileges for any
student, the campus Administrator shall consult with and receive input from the
Director of Transportation regarding the proposed length of suspension or
revocation. Please call the UISD Transportation
Department at 717-6330 to report
unsafe drivers with the bus number, date, time, and location of the incident.
Questions about Disability-Related
Issues: The District designates the following individual to coordinate its
efforts to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act:
5
For questions concerning Section
504, please contact:
Name: Ms. Grace Lopez
Position: Director of Guidance
and Counseling
Address: 201 Lindenwood
Road, Laredo, Texas 78045
Telephone: 717-6249
For questions concerning Special
Education, please contact:
Name: Mrs. Juanita Vela
Position: Director of Special
Education
Address: 201 Lindenwood
Road, Laredo, Texas 78045
Telephone: 764-6308
Sexual Harassment Complaints: The District has
designated the following individual to coordinate its efforts to comply with
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which pertains to sexual
discrimination claims:
Name: Mrs. Suzette Pelayo
Position: Director Employee
Relations/Human Resources
Address: 301 Lindenwood
Road, Laredo, Texas 78045
Telephone: 717-6273
Substance Abuse: The District has
the following individuals, in addition to school counselors, available to
provide substance abuse information, prevention, and referrals for students.
Hector Gutierrez, License
Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC)
Andy Juarez, License Chemical
Dependency Counselor (LCDC), Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Level 3 (ADC3), Social Worker
Associate (SWA)
Jose Luis Martinez, License
Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC)
Dagoberto Carmona, Licencse
Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC)
Address: 201 Lindenwood
Telephone: 717-6207
For additional information please
contact Ms. Grace Lopez, Director of Guidance/Counseling at 717-6207.
Textbooks: Each student, or
the student’s parent or guardian, is responsible for each textbook not returned
by the student, regardless of whether the textbook is lost, damaged or stolen.
A student who fails to return all textbooks forfeits the right to free
textbooks until each textbook previously issued but not returned is paid for by
the student, parent or guardian. The District shall allow the student to use
textbooks at school during each school day but may not allow the student to
take textbooks out of the classroom until each textbook previously issued but
not returned is paid for by the student, parent or guardian. If a textbook
is not returned or paid for, the District may withhold the student’s academic
records for out-of-District requests only. The District shall not prevent a
student from graduating, participating in a graduation ceremony, or receiving a
diploma for failure to return a textbook.
Lost, Damaged, or Stolen Personal Items: Students are
responsible for their own personal belongings while on campus or at a
school-related or school-sponsored event. Students should be discouraged from
bringing or wearing expensive clothing (i.e., winter coats), sunglasses, or
jewelry/watches to school. UISD is not responsible for personal items which
are lost, damaged, or stolen.
Section II --
Inappropriate Conduct
6
LEVEL I--Minor Offenses: The following
offenses are prohibited at school or school-related activities and may be
punishable by in-school suspension, detention, Saturday school, assignment of
school duties other than class tasks, withdrawal of extracurricular or honorary
privileges, or any other discipline management techniques listed in Section III
of this Code, as determined by the campus Principal.
1. Cheating or copying work of
another student.
2. Without permission, leaving
classes during instructional time.
3. Using or exhibiting a paging
device or cellular telephone, or other electronic devices, such as stereo
headsets, cassette players, electronic games (i.e., game boy), or CD players
during school hours (first bell to last bell). Device must be turned off and
cannot be visible. The school is not responsible if these items are lost or
stolen.
4. Possessing or using matches or
a lighter.
5. Possessing, smoking or using
tobacco products.
6. Possessing or using mace or
pepper spray.
7. Violating dress and grooming
code standards.
8. Loitering or trespassing on
school grounds. Students should be on campus for an educationally related
purpose, such as tutorials or extracurricular activities. Students who are
waiting for a ride home shall not be considered to be loitering.
9. Possessing, using or exhibiting
school supplies (i.e., pencils, pens, and scissors) or any other item in a
manner that threatens to inflict or actually inflicts bodily harm to another
person.
10. Engaging in conduct that
constitutes a disruption of classes or lawful assemblies, activities, or
transportation.
11. Participating in gambling or
games of chance.
12. Engaging in any other conduct
that disrupts the school environment or educational process but that the
Principal/designee determines is a minor offense.
Students who engage in conduct as
described in this section shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance
with State law and local Board policy.
Confiscation of Two-Way Radios, Paging
Devices or Cellular Phones: Two-way radios and/or paging devices
and/or cellular telecommunication devices are prohibited on all UISD campuses
and facilities during school hours. (Example: cell phone, mobile phone, etc.)
Students using or exhibiting a two-way radio or paging or cellular device
during school hours shall have the device confiscated by school officials.
Parents shall be notified within two school days after the two-way radio or
paging or cellular device is confiscated. Notification shall also be made to
the paging or cellular companies whose name and address appear on the device. Parents
or paging or
cellular companies may obtain the
release of a two-way radio or paging or cellular device for an administrative
fee of
$15.00 for the first offense and
$25.00 for subsequent offenses. The fee must be paid in full prior to the
release of the two-way radio or paging or cellular device. Failure to pay the
administrative fee prior to the end of the school year in which the two-way
radio or paging or cellular device is confiscated may result in a decision by
UISD to dispose of the device in any manner allowable by law.
Regarding the disposal of two-way
radios or paging or cellular devices as described above, UISD shall provide
notification to parents and to the paging or cellular company whose name and
address appears on the device, as prescribed by law, prior to the disposal of
any such device.
LEVEL II--Serious Offenses: The following
actions constitute “serious misbehavior” where that term appears in this Code
of Conduct. These offenses are prohibited at school or school-related
activities and will be punishable by suspension, detention, in-school
suspension, Saturday school, assignment of duties other than class tasks,
withdrawal of extracurricular or honorary privileges, or any other discipline
management techniques listed in
Section III of this Code, as
determined by the campus Principal. These offenses are considered to be more
serious than
Level I Minor Offenses listed in
Section II of this Code. Thus, in most cases, the offenses listed in this
section will warrant greater consequences than those listed in the Level I
Minor Offenses section. (Example: serious offenses should warrant a greater
number of days spent in in-school suspension than minor offenses).
In some cases, the offenses
listed in this section may also meet the definition of conduct which warrants
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) placement. For instance, some
of the offenses listed in this section also constitute “engaging in conduct
that is punishable as a felony,” which is a mandatory DAEP offense.
Additionally, some of the
offenses listed in this section (depending on the nature and severity of the
incident in question) might be considered so severe that they constitute
conduct that “substantially interferes with the orderly operation of the
campus” or with the “teacher’s ability to communicate effectively.” If this
occurs, the offense in question is elevated to a Level III offense, and the
campus administration may consider DAEP placement.
For those students who are
already in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP), the offenses
listed in this section may be grounds for expulsion.
1. Stealing from students, staff,
campus visitors, or school (i.e., theft that does not constitute a felony
according to the Texas Penal Code).
2. Committing extortion,
coercion, or blackmail (i.e., obtaining money or other objects of value from an
unwilling person, or forcing an individual to act through the use of force or
threat of force).
3. Aggressive, disruptive action
or group demonstration that substantially disrupts or materially interferes
with school activities.
4. Engaging in verbal abuse
(i.e., name-calling, racial or ethnic slurs, or derogatory statements that may
disrupt the school environment or incite violence).
5. Insubordination.
6. Directing disrespect or
directing profanity, vulgar language, or obscene gestures toward teachers or
other school employees.
7. Fighting, committing physical
abuse, or threatening physical abuse (i.e., conduct that does not meet
the definition of assault in
Texas Penal Code Section 22.01(a)(1)).
8. Hazing (as described in the
Glossary).
9. Bullying (as described in the
Glossary).
10. Throwing objects that can
cause bodily injury or damage property.
11. Engaging in inappropriate,
unwelcome verbal, physical or sexual conduct, which is disruptive or offensive
to other students or the school environment.
12. Engaging in minor sexual acts
(including, but not limited to, kissing and/or necking).
13. Engaging in offensive conduct
that constitutes sexual harassment or sexual abuse, whether verbal or physical,
that may include requests for sexual favors or other intimidating sexual
conduct directed toward other students or District employees.
14. Possession of or conspiracy
to possess any explosive or explosive device.
15. Falsification of records,
passes, electronic records, or other school-related documents.
16. Possession or distribution of
pornographic materials.
17. Making or assisting in making
threats, including threats against individuals.
18. Refusal to accept discipline
management techniques proposed by a teacher or by administration.
19. Distributing, selling or
trading, on campus, any item not authorized by the Principal.
20. Placing a prohibited
substance in another person’s food, drink, and/or other possessions.
21. Participating in gang-related
activities, as described in the Glossary (first offense).
22. Possessing/exhibiting or
using a toy gun or any other instrument which may be perceived by a third party
as a firearm.
23. Violating any rule set forth
on Pages 3-4 of this Code pertaining to computers and the Internet.
24. Possessing or using unloaded
firearm accessories or parts (such as a gun barrel or a gun clip).
25. Possession of non-armor
piercing ammunition (including but not limited to shot shells, standard copper-coated
bullets, bullets which are typically used in handguns and rifles).
26. Possessing drug paraphernalia
(roach clips, rolling papers, needles, razor blades, or pipes).
27. Possessing or selling
look-a-like drugs or items attempted to be passed off as drugs or contraband.
28. Possessing or using fireworks
(e.g., smoke bomb, stink bombs, cherry bomb, poppers, etc.), combustibles, or
other incendiary devices of any kind.
29. Possessing, exhibiting, or
using any martial arts objects (such as shurikan [throwing stars], nunchakus
[“nun-chucks”], tonfa [wooden
weapon], staff, baton [short stick], bolo [long cord with weights at each
end]), to the extent that these objects are not within the definitions of
illegal knives or prohibited weapons under the Texas Penal Code.
30. Possessing, exhibiting, or
using a prescription drug that does not belong to the person using or
possessing it.
31. Pulling a fire alarm or
discharging a fire extinguisher as a prank, in a building owned or operated by
UISD, when there is no smoke,
fire, or danger that requires evacuation.1
1If a student
pulls a fire alarm,” such offense is a State Jail Felony and constitutes a
mandatory DAEP offense or a discretionary expulsion.
8
32. Calling 911 as a prank, when
no real emergency exists.
33. Repeatedly violating other
communicated campus or classroom standards of behavior (including repeated
violations of the dress code).
34. Engaging in any other conduct
that disrupts the school environment or educational process.
(Example: Food Fight)
35. Using or possessing Laser
Pointers.
36. Leaving school grounds during
the academic day without permission.
37. Leaving, without permission,
a school-sponsored event in which the student is a participant.
38. Any machine that is used to
create/imprint a tattoo is strictly prohibited.
Students who commit serious
offenses will be assessed discipline penalties commensurate with the offense.
Discretionary Placement
in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program
Offenses Occurring on Campus or at
School-Related Activities: Additionally, a student may be placed in a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program if the student commits the following on campus or
within 300 feet of School District property or while attending a
school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off campus:
1. Is found in possession of a
knife with a blade length up to and including 5-1/2 inches.
2. Has been documented by the
teacher to repeatedly interfere with the teacher’s ability to communicate
effectively with the students in the class or with the ability of the student’s
classmates to learn.
3. Engages in behavior that the
Principal or designee determines is so unruly, disruptive or abusive that it
seriously interferes with the teacher’s ability to communicate effectively with
the students in the class or with the ability of the student’s classmates to
learn.
4. Following a warning, engages
in gang activity (as described in the Glossary), including participation as a
member or pledge or soliciting another person to become a pledge or member of a
gang.
5. Following a warning, engages
in a public school fraternity, sorority, or secret society (as described in the
Glossary), including participation as a member or pledge or soliciting another
person to become a pledge or member of a public school fraternity, sorority, or
secret society.
6. Possession of residue
(including seeds) of any controlled substance or dangerous drug.
7. Engages in conduct
constituting vandalism, or otherwise tampering with the property of another and
causing substantial inconvenience or pecuniary loss up to and including
$1,499.99 on school property or at a school-related or school-sponsored event.
8. Assembles or disassembles a
computer, networks, printers, or other computer equipment except as part of a
class assignment or in conjunction with a job responsibility.
9. Removes any technology
equipment (hardware or software) without written permission of the Principal or
director.
10. Possessing/exhibiting or
using a stunning device, a pellet gun, air-powered rifle/ pistol or paint ball
gun.
11. Engages in inappropriate physical contact against a
teacher or school employee.
12. Engages in two or more consecutive fights.
13. Making or assisting in making threats against a
teacher or school employee.
14. Engages in unruly, persistent
disruptive, disrespectful, or abusive conduct at any location on campus
(i.e., the cafeteria, auditorium,
parking lots, or in front of or behind campus) or at a school-related event
that substantially interferes with the orderly operation of the campus or
school-related event.
Persistent Misbehavior Offenses: The term
“persistent misbehavior” appears in other portions of this Code of Conduct.
That term, as used throughout the Code, is defined as follows:
1. Two or more documented serious
offenses; or
2. Five or more documented minor
offenses; or
3. Serious offenses
and minor offenses that the Principal or designee deems to interfere with the
District’s ability to provide an education to other students.
Offenses Occurring Off Campus/Not at
School-Related Activities: Additionally, a student may be placed in a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program if the student commits the following
conduct off campus and while the student is not in attendance at a
school-sponsored or school-related activity if:
9
1. The Superintendent or the
Superintendent’s designee has a reasonable belief that the student has engaged
in conduct defined as a felony offense other than those offenses defined in
Title 5 of the
Texas Penal Code; and
2. The continued presence of the
student in the regular classroom threatens the safety of other students or
teachers or will be detrimental to the educational process.
A student may also be placed in
the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program if the student commits the
following conduct off campus:
1. Engages in any activity on the
way to or from school that would ordinarily be grounds for disciplinary
alternative education placement if the activity had occurred on campus; or
2. The student is truant or
absent without permission for any portion of the instructional day and the
Student engages in an activity
while off campus that would ordinarily be grounds for disciplinary alternative
education placement or expulsion.
LEVEL III—Disciplinary Alternative
Education Programs: The following actions constitute offenses that shall or may result
in placement in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program located at
United STEP Academy. These offenses are considered to be more serious than the
Level II Serious Offenses listed in this
Code. The terms of a placement
under this section shall prohibit the student from attending or participating
in schoolsponsored or school-related activities, including, but not limited to,
extracurricular activities. A Principal is not prohibited from suspending a
student immediately prior to the student’s placement in the DAEP.
Mandatory Placement in a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program
Offenses Occurring on Campus or at
School-Related Activities: A student must be placed in a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program if the student commits the following on or within
300 feet of school property as measured from any point on the school’s real
property boundary line, or while attending a schoolsponsored or school-related
activity on or off school property:
1. Engages in conduct that
contains elements of assault (Class A only), as defined by Texas Penal Code
Section 22.01. (a)(1)
2. Engages in conduct that contains elements of
terroristic threat under Penal Code Section 22.07.
3. Sells, gives or delivers to another person, or
possesses, uses, or is under the influence of:
a. Marijuana or a controlled
substance.
b. A dangerous drug.
4. Sells, gives or delivers to
another person an alcoholic beverage; commits a serious act or offense while
under the influence of alcohol; or possesses, uses or is under the influence of
alcohol.
5. Engages in conduct that
contains the elements of an offense relating to an abusable volatile chemical
under Sections 485.031 through 485.034 of the Health and Safety Code.
6. Engages in conduct that
contains the elements of the offense of public lewdness or indecent exposure.
7. Engages in conduct that is
punishable as a felony. (i.e., Graffiti)
8. Retaliates against a school
employee, when not combined with another offense, either on or off school
property.
9. Engages in conduct involving a
public school that contains the elements of the offense of false alarm or
report under Section 42.06 (including bomb threat.)
Offenses Occurring Off Campus/Not at
School-Related Activities: Additionally, a student shall be removed from class
and placed in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program based on conduct
occurring off campus and while the student is not in attendance at a
school-sponsored or school-related activity if:
1. The student receives deferred
prosecution under Section 53.03, Family Code, for conduct defined as a felony
offense under Title 5 of the Texas Penal Code;
2. A court or jury finds that the
student has engaged in delinquent conduct under Section 54.03, Family
Code, for conduct defined as a
felony offense under Title 5 of the Texas Penal Code; or
3. The Superintendent or the
Superintendent’s designee has a reasonable belief that the student has engaged
in conduct defined as a felony offense under Title 5 of the Texas Penal Code.
In addition to the circumstances
described above requiring placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program, the UISD board of
trustees or its designee may also elect to place a student in the district’s
disciplinary
10
alternative education program if
the conditions described in 1 or 2 above are met or if the Board or the Board’s
designee determines that the student’s presence in the regular classroom
either:
(1) threatens the safety of other
students or teachers;
(2) will be detrimental to the education
process; or
(3) is not in the best interest
of the district’s students.
This placement decision can occur
regardless of the date on which the student’s conduct occurred, the location at
which the conduct occurred; whether the conduct occurred while the student was
enrolled in the district; or whether the student has successfully completed any
court disposition requirements imposed in connection with the conduct.
Such a decision by the Board or
Board’s designee is final and may not be appealed. A student placed into the
disciplinary alternative education program based upon determination by the UISD
Board or designee that the student’s presence in the regular classroom (1)
threatens the safety of other students or teachers; (2) will be detrimental to the
educational process; or (3) is not in the best interest of the district’s
students may be placed for any period considered necessary by the Board or
Board’s designee. Periodic review of placement at intervals not to exceed 120
days will still occur.
Title 5
Offenses. Title 5 offenses are crimes (not on school property) against the
person. The following offenses are considered Title 5 Penal Code Offenses and
are mandatory DAEP placements. Title 5 Penal
Code Offenses include, but are
not limited to, the following offenses:
1. Murder
2. Capital murder
3. Manslaughter
4. Criminally negligent homicide
5. Felony unlawful restraint
6. Kidnapping
7. Aggravated kidnapping
8. Indecency with a child
9. Sexual assault
10. Felony assault
11. Aggravated assault
12. Aggravated sexual assault
13. Injury to a child, elderly
individual, or disabled individual
14. Abandoning or endangering a
child
15. Deadly conduct
16. Terroristic threat (Felony)
17. Aiding suicide
18. Tampering with consumer
product.
A principal or other appropriate administrator may,
but is not required, to remove a student to a disciplinary alternative
education program for off campus conduct for which removal is required if the
principal or other appropriate administrator does not have knowledge of the conduct
before the first anniversary of the date the conduct occurred.
LEVEL IV—Expulsions: The following
actions constitute offenses that shall or may result in expulsion.
These offenses are considered to
be more serious than the serious offenses listed in this Code. A campus
Principal is not prohibited from suspending a student or placing a student in
in-school suspension pending a complete investigation of the conduct, which
forms the basis for the expulsion.
Offenses Requiring Expulsion: (On Campus
or School-Related).
A
student must be expelled for any of the following offenses if committed on
school property or while attending a school-sponsored or school-related
activity on or off school property:
11
1. A firearm violation, as
defined by federal law.2
2. Use, exhibition, or possession
of the following, under the Texas Penal Code:
a. A firearm as defined by
Section 46.01(3), Penal Code;
b. An illegal knife, as defined
by Section 46.01(6), Penal Code, or by local policy, such as a knife with a
blade over 5-1/2 inches; hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by
being thrown; dagger, including but not limited to, a dirk, stiletto, and
poniard; Bowie knife; sword; or spear;
c. A club, as defined by Section
46.01(1), Penal Code; or
d. A prohibited weapon, as
defined by Section 46.05, Penal Code, such as an explosive weapon; a machine
gun; a short-barrel firearm; a firearm silencer; a switchblade knife; knuckles;
armor-piercing ammunition; a chemical dispensing device; or a zip gun.
3. Behavior containing the
elements of the following under the Texas Penal Code:
a. Aggravated assault, sexual
assault, or aggravated sexual assault.
b. Arson.
c. Murder, capital murder, or
criminal attempt to commit murder.
d. Indecency with a child.
e. Aggravated kidnapping.
f. Behavior related to an alcohol
or drug offense that could be punishable as a felony
(e.g., Rohypnol or cocaine).
g. Aggravated robbery
h. Manslaughter
i. Criminally negligent homicide
A student who engages in conduct
described in this section may be expelled from school by UISD if the student
engages in the conduct on school property of another district in the state of
Texas or while attending a schoolsponsored or school-related activity of a
school in another district in the state of Texas.
A student shall also be expelled
for engaging in conduct that constitutes retaliation against a school employee
or volunteer when combined with one of the above-listed offenses regardless of
where the conduct occurs.
Offenses Which May Result in Expulsion:
1. A student may be expelled if
the student engages in conduct involving a public school that contains the
elements of the offense of false alarm or report under Section 42.06, Penal
Code, or terroristic threat under Section
22.07, Penal Code. (This offense
is a mandatory DAEP placement or a discretionary expulsion).
2. A student may be expelled if a student commits the
following while on or within 300 feet of school property, as measured from any
point on the school’s real property boundary line, or while attending a
schoolsponsored or school-related activity on or off school property:
A. Sells, gives, or delivers to
another person, or possesses, uses, or is under the influence of any amount of:
i. Marijuana or a controlled
substance;
ii. A dangerous drug; or
iii. An alcoholic beverage; or
B. Engages in conduct that
contains the elements of an offense relating to an abusable volatile chemical
under Sections 485.031 through 485.034, Health and Safety Code
2Firearm under
federal law includes:
a. Any weapon
(including a starter gun), which will or is designed to or which may readily be
converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive.
b. The frame or
receiver of any such weapon.
c. Any firearm
muffler or firearm weapon.
d. Any
destructive device, such as any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb, or
grenade.
12
C. The student, while placed in a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program for disciplinary reasons, continues
to engage in serious or persistent misbehavior that violates this Student Code
of Conduct.
D. The student engages in conduct
that constitutes criminal mischief, if such conduct is punishable as a felony.
E. The student assaults an
employee or volunteer and the assault results in a bodily injury.
F. Engages in conduct that
contains the elements of the offense of deadly conduct under Section 22.05,
Penal Code, including recklessly engaging in conduct that places another in
imminent danger of serious bodily injury or knowingly discharging a firearm at,
or in the direction of, one or more individuals or a habitation, building or
vehicle.
G. Except in the case of
retaliation against a school employee or volunteer, possesses a firearm, as
defined by 18 U.S.C. Section 921, while within 300 feet of school property, as
measured from any point on the school’s real property boundary line.
H. Except in the case of
retaliation against a school employee or volunteer, commits a mandatory
expellable offense, while within 300 feet of school property, as measured from
any point on the school’s real property boundary line.
3. A student who engages in
conduct containing the elements of aggravated assault, sexual assault,
aggravated sexual assault, murder, capital murder, criminal attempt to commit
murder or capital murder or aggravated robbery against another student may be
expelled regardless of whether the conduct occurred on or off of school
property or while attending a school sponsored or school related activity on or
off of school property.
Offenses Which May Result in Expulsion
(Conduct Unrelated to School). The following offenses may result in expulsion
regardless of when or where they occur:
1. Engaging in conduct that
constitutes criminal mischief, if such conduct is punishable as a felony.
2. Engaging in conduct containing
the elements of simple assault, against any employee or volunteer in
retaliation for or as a result of the person’s employment or association with
the school district.
Section
III--Consequences of Inappropriate Conduct
Discipline Management Techniques. Discipline
management techniques are always available when assessing penalties for
violations of the Code of Conduct, regardless of the offense, except as
otherwise required by law. Discipline management techniques may include:
1. Seating changes in the
classroom.
2. Reassignment to another
classroom.
3. Counseling by teachers,
counselors, special services, or administrative personnel.
4. Parent-teacher conferences.
5. Cooling-off or time-out.
6. Behavioral contracts.
7. Participation in peer conflict
resolution proceedings.
8. Assigned school duties other
than class tasks.
9. Verbal correction.
10. Withdrawal of privileges,
including, but not limited to, participation in extracurricular activities and
eligibility for seeking or holding honorary positions.
11. Sending the student to the
office or other assigned areas.
12. Detention.
13. In-school suspension.
14. School-defined and -imposed
probation.
15. Rewards and incentives.
16. Demerits.
17. Referral to outside agency or
authority, including school-community programs.
18. Confiscation of items that
disrupt the educational process.
19. Grade reductions as permitted
by Board Policies EIA (LOCAL) and FO (LOCAL).
20. Removal to a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program.
13
21. Withdrawing or restricting
bus privileges.3
22. Referral to UISD Police
Department
23. Expulsion.
Each Special Education and 504
student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)/Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and
Individual Accommodation Plan (IAP) as appropriate shall address the student’s
specialized needs on discipline, including which of the discipline management
techniques can appropriately be used with the student.
Physical
Restraint: Any District employee may, within the scope of the employee’s
duties, use and apply physical restraint to a student that the employee reasonably
believes is necessary in order to:
1. Protect a person, including
the person using physical restraint, from physical injury.
2. Obtain possession of a weapon
or other dangerous object.
3. Prevent a student from
fleeing.
4. Protect property from serious
damage.
5. Remove from a specific
location a student refusing a lawful command of a school employee, including
from a classroom or other school property, in order to restore order or impose
disciplinary measures.
6. Restrain an irrational
student.
General
Guidelines for Assessing Discipline Penalties: When determining
disciplinary placement and setting the length of a term of disciplinary
placement, district personnel shall adhere to the following general guidelines:
1. Discipline shall be
administered when necessary to protect students, school employees, or property,
maintain essential order and discipline, and to teach students proper conduct.
2. Students shall be treated
fairly and equitably. Discipline shall be based on a careful assessment of the circumstances
of each case. Factors to consider shall include:
a. Seriousness of the offense.
b. Student’s age.
c. Grade level.
d. Frequency of misconduct.
e. Student’s attitude.
f. Potential effect of the
misconduct on the school environment.
g. Statutory requirements.
h. Student’s disabling condition,
if any.
i. District’s Administrative
Procedures for Discipline
Because of these factors,
discipline for a particular offense (unless otherwise specified by law) may
bring into consideration varying techniques and responses. Consideration will
be given self-defense as a factor in a decision to order suspension, removal to
a disciplinary alternative education program, or expulsion.
Generally, academic sanctions
shall not be used as discipline. However, when the disciplinary infraction is
academically related, such as cheating or plagiarism, academic sanctions
determined by the teacher may be imposed.
Credit During Disciplinary Process: Students shall
receive full credit for assignments completed in a Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program, including in-school suspension.
Students who are placed in the
District’s in-school suspension or disciplinary alternative education program
will be offered an opportunity to complete coursework before the beginning of
the next school year. Available methods to complete coursework include, but are
not limited to, correspondence courses, distance learning, or summer school.
Teachers are to inform students of the time allotted for completion of the
work. Students are responsible for obtaining the assignments and completing the
work within the time allotted, and students are allowed to make up both class
work and homework.
3Transportation
privileges may be taken away from a student with disabilities only if
transportation is not determined to be necessary as a related service or
modification by the ARD or Section 504 Committee. A change in transportation
services for a student with a disability for whom transportation is a related
service requires
ARD Committee
action; a change in transportation services for Section 504 students requires
Section 504
Committee
action.
14
Students who are placed in the
Webb County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program following expulsion
are eligible to receive credit for course work completed during the placement.
Students with disabilities will receive educational services during expulsion
as determined by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD)/504
Committee.
Detention: For infractions
of the Code of Conduct or other policies and regulations, teachers may detain
students after school hours. Before assigning students to detention, the
teacher shall inform the student of the conduct that allegedly constitutes the
violation, and the student shall be given an opportunity to explain his or her
version of the incident.
When detention is used, notice
shall first be given to the student’s parent or legal guardian to inform the
parent of the reason for the detention and permit arrangements for the
necessary transportation of the student. Except in the case of a student who is
18 or older, the detention shall not begin until the parent has been notified.
The student’s parent or guardian, if the student is a minor, may be required to
provide transportation when the student has been assigned to detention.
In-School Suspension: Students may be
placed in in-school suspension for engaging in any Minor
Offenses or Serious Offenses as
described and set forth on Pages 6-8 of this Student Code of Conduct.
Additionally, students may be placed in in-school suspension pending DAEP
placement or expulsion.
Before placing a student in
in-school suspension, the Principal or designee shall consider reasonable
alternatives, including appropriate discipline management techniques. If the
Principal or designee determines that inschool suspension is the most
appropriate alternative, no other disciplinary action need precede the
placement in inschool suspension. The Principal or designee will make a
reasonable attempt to inform parents that the student is being placed in in-school-suspension.
After the third time a student
has been placed in in-school suspension, the student may appeal the in-school
suspension to the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee, who shall
have the opportunity to speak to the individuals involved in the incident which
forms the basis for the in-school suspension. Any decision by the
Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee is final and may not be appealed.
Off-Campus Suspensions: Students may not
be suspended at home for Level I (Minor) Offenses. For
Level II and above offenses,
students may be suspended for a maximum of 3 school days at a time.
The student who is suspended is
not allowed on the home campus or any other school campus or at any
school-related activity, including but not limited to, in-town or out of town,
District games or events, during the period of suspension. If a student
violates the prohibition on District property, the student can be charged with
illegal trespass, a Class C misdemeanor.
Teacher Removals
(a) A teacher may send a student to the Principal’s
office to maintain effective discipline in the classroom. The Principal shall
respond by employing appropriate discipline management techniques consistent
with this Student Code of Conduct adopted under Education Code, Section 37.001.
(b) A teacher may remove from
class a student:
(1) Who has been documented by
the teacher to repeatedly interfere with the teacher’s ability to communicate
effectively with the students in the class or with the ability of the student’s
classmates to learn; or
(2) Whose behavior the teacher
determines is so unruly, disruptive or abusive that it seriously interferes
with the teacher’s ability to communicate effectively with the students in the
class or with the ability of the student’s classmates to learn.
(c) If a teacher removes a
student from class under subsection (b), the Principal may place the student
into another appropriate classroom, into in-school suspension, or into a
disciplinary alternative education program as provided by Section 37.008. The
principal may not return the student to that teacher’s class without the
teacher’s consent unless the Committee established under Section 37.003
determines that such placement is the best or only alternative available. The
terms of the removal may prohibit the student from attending or participating
in school-sponsored or school-related activities.
(d) A teacher shall remove from
class and send to the Principal for placement in a disciplinary alternative
education program or for expulsion, as appropriate, a student who engages in
conduct described
15
under Section 37.006 or 37.007.
The student may not be returned to that teacher’s class without the teacher’s
consent unless the Committee established under Section 37.003 determines that
such placement is the best or only alternative available.
Student Discipline Action Form: A teacher with
knowledge that a student has violated the Student
Code of Conduct shall file with
the school principal or the other appropriate administrator a written report (Student
Discipline
Action Form), not to exceed one page, documenting the violation. The
Principal or other appropriate administrator shall, not later than 24 hours, if
possible, after receipt of a report from a teacher, send a copy of the report
to the student’s parents or guardians.
Conference and Review Requirements for
Students Removed from Class: Not later than the third class day after the day in which the
student is removed from the class by the teacher under Section 37.002(b) or
(d), or by the Principal or other appropriate administrator under Section
37.001(a)(2) or Section 37.006, the
Principal or other appropriate
administrator shall schedule a conference among the Principal or other
appropriate administrator, a parent or guardian of the student, the teacher
removing the student from class, if any, and the student.
At the conference, the student is
entitled to written or oral notice of the reasons for the removal, an
explanation of the basis for the removal, and an opportunity to respond to the
reasons for the removal. The student may not be returned to the regular
classroom pending the conference. Following the conference, and whether or not
all requested parties are in attendance after valid attempts to require their
attendance, the Principal shall order the placement of the student as provided
by Sections 37.003 or 37.006, as applicable, for a period consistent with the
Student Code of Conduct. If the period of the placement is inconsistent with
the guidelines included in the student code of conduct regarding how the length
of placement will be determined, the order will give notice of this
inconsistency.
Students with disabilities may
not be removed in violation of specific IEP/IAP provisions or for more than ten
days without ARD/504 Committee approval.
The Principal may not return the
student to the classroom of the teacher who removed the student without the
teacher’s consent unless the Placement Review Committee determines that such
placement is the best or only alternative available.
Suspensions: Students may be
suspended for a period not to exceed three school days for engaging in
Serious Offenses as described and
set forth on Pages 6-8 of this Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, students
may be suspended pending DAEP placement or expulsion.
A Principal or other appropriate
administrator may suspend a student prior to (but not in lieu of) placement in
a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program or prior to (but not in lieu of)
expulsion, where a student’s conduct requires such placement or expulsion.
Before suspending a student, the
Principal or designee shall consider reasonable alternatives, including
appropriate discipline management techniques. If the Principal or designee
determines a suspension is the most appropriate alternative, no other
disciplinary action need precede the suspension.
After the third time a student
has been suspended, the student may appeal the suspension to the Superintendent
or the Superintendent’s designee, who shall have the opportunity to speak to
the individuals involved in the incident, which forms the basis for the
suspension. Any decision by the Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee is
final and may not be appealed.
Notice to Parents: Before
suspending a student, the Principal or designee shall conduct an informal
hearing at which:
1. The student is advised of the
conduct with which he or she is charged.
2. The student is given the
opportunity to explain his or her version of the incident.
A student’s parent shall be
notified by telephone or other appropriate means, as soon as reasonably
practicable, of a violation of the student code of conduct committed by the
student that results in suspension, removal to a disciplinary alternative
education program, or expulsion. Parents of students who have been suspended
shall be advised that it is their responsibility to provide adequate
supervision for the student during the period of suspension.
Disciplinary Alternative Education
Programs: The District shall provide for the continuing education of a
student placed in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, which may
include:
1. Transfer to a different
campus.
16
2. Transfer to a school-community
guidance center.
3. Transfer to a community-based
alternative school.
4. Transfer to an off-campus
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program.
The terms of a placement under
this section shall prohibit the student from attending or participating in
school-sponsored or school-related activities, including, but not limited to,
extracurricular activities.
Elementary students assigned to a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program must be separated from secondary
students assigned to a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. Students
younger than six years of age shall only be placed in a disciplinary
alternative education program in the event that the student brings a firearm,
as
defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921, to
school.
If during the term of a placement
in a disciplinary alternative education program a student engages in
additional conduct for which
placement in a disciplinary alternative education program or expulsion is
required or
permitted, additional proceedings
may be conducted regarding that conduct and the principal or board, as
appropriate,
may enter an additional order as
a result of those proceedings.
Transfer or Withdrawal from a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program: If a student transfers into UISD from
another district or school in which the student was placed in a disciplinary
alternative education program, UISD shall continue the disciplinary alternative
education program placement under the terms of the order provided by the
sending district or school.
Students who transfer out of UISD
to another public or private institution, including students who withdraw from
UISD for the purpose of home schooling, and students who do not attend the
Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program for the duration of the
placement for any reason (other than reasons which constitute an “excused
absence” under UISD policy), shall be required, upon return to UISD, to complete
the number of days missed in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program
before being allowed to return to the regular campus. Any period of the
placement that has been served by the student on enrollment in another district
that honors the order will be credited toward the placement.
If the principal or board of the
district in which the student was formerly enrolled fails to enter an order
after the student withdraws, UISD may complete the proceedings and enter an
order.
Placement of Students with Disabilities: A student with a
disability being served in Special Education may be placed in a DAEP for
engaging in conduct that would warrant such action for a student without
such disabilities only if the ARD
Committee determines the misconduct is not related to the student’s disabling
condition or inappropriate placement except that the student may be placed in
an interim disciplinary alternative educational setting for a period of up to
45 days for certain drug or weapons offenses or where the student’s presence on
his/her regular campus presents a danger of physical harm to the student or
another individual. This applies even if the student’s ARD Committee finds that
the student’s conduct was a manifestation of the student’s disability.
In determining whether a
student’s disruptive behavior was related to a student’s disabling condition,
the
ARD Committee shall base its
decision on currently effective evaluation and/or assessment data and on review
of the current IEP documentation, rather than on established eligibility or
previous Committee decisions. The ARD Committee shall consider whether the
student’s behavior indicates the need for new assessment or evaluation data.
Unless the parents agree
otherwise, the student must be returned to his or her placement while
additional assessments are being conducted.
The ARD Committee shall determine
the instructional and related services to be provided during the time of
placement. The student’s IEP shall include goals and objectives designed to
assist in returning the student to school and preventing significant
regression.
If the ARD Committee determines
that the student’s disruptive behavior is related to the disabling condition or
inappropriate placement, the student shall not be placed in a DAEP (except when
the violation involves drugs or weapons.) If the disruptive behavior on the
part of the student indicates an inappropriate placement, the ARD
Committee shall review the
placement and recommend alternatives. If the ARD Committee determines that the
behavior was related to the disabling condition, it shall either rewrite the
IEP to address the student’s behavioral and educational needs or, when
appropriate, consider the extension of an emergency removal.
A student with a disability who
receives Special Education services may not be placed in Disciplinary
Alternative Education Programs
solely for educational purposes if the student has not also committed one of
the offenses warranting placement in the Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program.
A student who is disabled
according to Section 504 shall not be placed in a DAEP unless the District
first
determines that the misbehavior
is not a manifestation of the student’s disabling condition (except when the
violation
17
involves drugs or weapons.) That
determination may be made by the same group of people who make placement
decisions. The group must have available to it evaluation data that is recent
enough to afford an understanding of the student’s current behavior. The 504
Committee should consider whether the student’s behavior warrants new
evaluation data. The 504 Committee may adjourn to obtain the new data. At a
minimum, the 504 Committee shall include persons knowledgeable about the
student and the meaning of the evaluation data.
A student with a disability who
receives Section 504 services may not be placed in Disciplinary Alternative
Education Programs solely for educational purposes if the student has not also
committed one of the offenses warranting placement in the Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program.
Emergency Placements in Disciplinary
Alternative Education Programs: The Principal or the Principal’s designee may order the immediate
placement of a student in the Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program if the Principal or the
Principal’s designee reasonably believes the student’s behavior is so unruly,
disruptive, or abusive that it seriously interferes with a teacher’s ability to
communicate effectively with the students in a class, with the ability of the
student’s classmates to learn, or with the operation of school or a
school-sponsored activity.
At the time of the emergency
placement, the student shall be given oral notice of the reason for the action.
Placement must be based on a
reason for which placement in a disciplinary alternative education program may
be made on a non-emergency basis. Within a reasonable time after the emergency
placement, but not later than the 10th
day after the date of the
placement, the student shall be accorded the appropriate due process. If the
student subject to
the emergency placement is a
student with disabilities who receives Special Education services, the term of
the
student’s emergency placement is
subject to the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and its accompanying regulations.
Duration of Placement in Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program: The duration of a
student’s placement in the
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program shall be determined by the Principal
or
Principal’s designee. Regardless
of the duration of the student’s placement, the student or the student’s parent
or
guardian is entitled to
participate in a proceeding before the District’s Hearing Officer. Any
decision of the District’s
Hearing Officer is final and may
not be appealed.
Before the District may place a
student in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program for a period that
extends beyond the end of the
school year, the Board or Board’s designee must determine that:
1. The student’s presence in the
regular classroom or at the student’s regular campus presents a danger
of physical harm to the student
or to another individual; or
2. The student has engaged in
serious or persistent misbehavior that violates this Student Code of
Conduct.
If the period of the placement is
inconsistent with the guidelines included in the student code of conduct
regarding how the length of the
placement will be determined, the order must give notice of the inconsistency.
Before
a student may be placed in a
disciplinary alternative education program for more than one year the district
must
determine, after a review that:
(1) the student is a threat to the safety of other students or to district
employees or (2)
extended placement is in the best
interest of the student.
Review of Student’s Status in
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (for
Students Placed in a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program for 120 Days or More): A
student placed in a Disciplinary
Alternative Education Program shall be provided a review of the student’s
status,
including a review of the
student’s academic status, by the Board’s designee at intervals not to exceed
120 days. In
the case of a high school
student, the Board’s designee, with the student’s parent or guardian, shall
review the
student’s progress towards
meeting high school graduation requirements and shall establish a specific
graduation plan
for the student. The District is
not required under this subsection to provide in the District’s Disciplinary
Alternative
Education Program a course not
specified under Section 37.008(a) of the Texas Education Code. At the review,
the
student or parent or guardian
must be given an opportunity to present arguments for the student’s return to
the regular
classroom or campus.
Graduating Seniors in Disciplinary
Alternative Education Programs: When a student is
placed in the DAEP during the
12th grade, UISD shall allow that student to participate in graduation
ceremonies,
provided that all prerequisites
for graduation are met and provided that the student has successfully completed
all of
the days that the student was
assigned to the DAEP. If the student in question has unexcused absences or has
not
completed his/her days in the
DAEP for any other reason, such as withdrawal or transfer to another school
district, the
18
student may not be allowed to
participate in graduation ceremonies. Any decision concerning participation in
graduation ceremonies shall be
made by the student’s home campus Principal.
Expulsion
Duration of Expulsion: The length of
expulsion will be made in accordance with the guidelines set
forth under General Guidelines
for Assessing Discipline Penalties found on page 13. Before a student may be
expelled for more than one year
the district must determine, after a review that: (1) the student is a threat
to the
safety of other students or to
district employees or (2) extended placement is in the best interest of the
student.
Expulsion of Students Under Ten Years of
Age: Students younger
than ten who commit
expellable offenses shall be
placed in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program.
Expulsion of Students Under Six Years of
Age: Students under
age six shall not be expelled or
placed in a disciplinary
alternative education setting with the exception of a student under the age of
six years old who
brings a firearm, as defined by
18 U.S.C. § 921, to school. In such a case, the student will be expelled under
the terms
set forth under TEC § 37.007(e)
and shall be provided educational services in a disciplinary alternative
education
program.
Firearm Violations: State and
federal law require a student to be expelled from the regular classroom for
a period of at least one calendar
year for bringing a firearm, as defined by federal law, to school. However, the
Superintendent or other
appropriate administrator may modify the length of the expulsion on a
case-by-case basis. The
District shall provide
educational services to an expelled student in a Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program if
the student is younger than ten
years of age on the date of expulsion. The District may provide services to an
expelled
student who is older than ten
years of age in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program.
Continued Misconduct While Expelled: If, during the
term of an expulsion ordered, a student
engages in additional conduct for
which placement in a disciplinary alternative education program or expulsion is
required or permitted, additional
proceedings may be conducted regarding that conduct and the principal or board,
as
appropriate, may enter an
additional order as a result of those proceedings.
Activity Restrictions for Expelled
Students: Students who are
expelled shall not participate in
school-sponsored or
school-related activities during the period of expulsion.
Graduating Juniors/Seniors in the
JJAEP: When a student
is expelled during the 11th or 12th
grade, UISD shall not allow
that student to participate in graduation ceremonies if the student has not
completed the
days of placement at the JJAEP at
the time of graduation. If the student in question has unexcused absences or
has not
completed his/her days in the
JJAEP for any other reason, such as withdrawal or transfer to another school
district, the
student may not be allowed to
participate in graduation ceremonies. Any decision concerning participation in
graduation ceremonies shall be made
by the student’s home campus Principal.
Transfer or Withdrawal of Expelled
Students: If an expelled
student from another district or
school enrolls in UISD, the
governing body of the district or school taking the disciplinary action shall
provide to
UISD or the school in which the
student enrolls, at the same time other records of the student are provided, a
copy of
the expulsion order. UISD may
continue the expulsion under the terms of the order, may place the student in a
Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program for the period specified by the expulsion order, or may allow the
student
to attend regular classes without
completing the period of expulsion. If the principal or board of the district
in which
the student was formerly enrolled
fails to enter an order after the student withdraws, UISD may complete the
proceedings and enter an order.
Students who transfer out of UISD
to another public or private institution, including students who withdraw
from UISD for the purpose of home
schooling, shall be required upon return to UISD to complete the number of days
assigned to the JJAEP before
being allowed to return to the regular campus. Any period of the expulsion that
has been
served by the student on
enrollment in another district that honors UISD’s expulsion order will be
credited toward the
expulsion.
19
UISD may continue the expulsion
order of a school district in another state if the out-of-state district
provides
UISD a copy of the expulsion
order and the grounds for the expulsion are also grounds for expulsion in UISD.
If the
period of expulsion by the
out-of-state district exceeds one year, and UISD continues the expulsion, UISD
will reduce
the period of expulsion so that
the aggregate period does not exceed one year unless, after a review, UISD determines
that (1) the student is a threat
to the safety of other students or to district employees; or (2) extended
placement in is
the best interest of the student.
Emergency Expulsions: A Principal or
the Principal’s designee may order the immediate expulsion of
a student if the Principal or the
Principal’s designee reasonably believes that action is necessary to protect
persons or
property from imminent harm.
At the time of the emergency
expulsion, the student shall be given oral notice of the reason for that
action.
Emergency expulsion must be based
on a reason for which expulsion may be made on a non-emergency basis. Within
a reasonable time after the
emergency expulsion, but not later than the 10th day after the date of the
expulsion, the
student shall be accorded the
appropriate due process.
If the student subject to the
emergency expulsion is a student with disabilities who receives Special
Education
services, the term of the
emergency expulsion is subject to the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) and its
accompanying regulations.
Expulsion of Special Education Students: A student with a
disability being served in Special
Education may be expelled for
engaging in conduct that would warrant such action for a student without such
disabilities only if the ARD
Committee determines the misconduct is not related to the student’s disabling
condition or
inappropriate placement.
In determining whether a
student’s disruptive behavior was related to a student’s disabling condition,
the
ARD Committee shall base its
decision on currently effective evaluation and/or assessment data and on review
of the
current IEP documentation, rather
than on established eligibility or previous Committee decisions. The ARD
Committee shall consider whether
the student’s behavior indicates the need for new assessment or evaluation
data.
Unless the parents agree
otherwise, the student must be returned to his or her placement while
additional assessments
are being conducted.
The ARD Committee shall determine
the instructional and related services to be provided during the time of
expulsion. The student’s IEP
shall include goals and objectives designed to assist in returning the student
to school
and preventing significant
regression.
If the ARD Committee determines
that the student’s disruptive behavior is related to the disabling condition or
inappropriate placement, the
student shall not be expelled (except when the violation involves drugs or
weapons.) If
the disruptive behavior on the
part of the student indicates an inappropriate placement, the ARD Committee
shall
review the placement and
recommend alternatives. If the ARD Committee determines that the behavior was
related to
the disabling condition, it shall
either rewrite the IEP to address the student’s behavioral and educational
needs or,
when appropriate, consider the
extension of an emergency removal.
Expulsion of Section 504 Students: A student who is
disabled according to Section 504 shall not be
expelled unless the District
first determines that the misbehavior is not a manifestation of the student’s
disabling
condition (except when the
violation involves drugs or weapons.) That determination may be made by the
same group
of people who make placement
decisions. The group must have available to it evaluation data that is recent
enough to
afford an understanding of the
student’s current behavior. The 504 Committee should consider whether the
student’s
behavior warrants new evaluation
data. The 504 Committee may adjourn to obtain the new data. At a minimum, the
504 Committee shall include
persons knowledgeable about the student and the meaning of the evaluation data.
All Students: Representation During the
Expulsion Hearing: At a hearing on expulsion, the
student may be represented by the
student’s parent or guardian or another adult who can provide guidance to the
student. The student and
student’s representative shall be notified in writing of the date, time, and
place of the
expulsion hearing at least 72
hours prior to the hearing.
If the student has been removed
under the emergency expulsion provision prior to assignment to home-based
instruction pending the expulsion
hearing, the District shall obtain the parent’s written agreement if the
student will be
excluded from the school setting
for more than ten consecutive school days before the hearing is conducted. If
the
parent’s agreement cannot be
obtained, the District shall return the student to school or ensure that the
expulsion
20
hearing is timely conducted so
that the student is not excluded from school for more than ten consecutive days
without
an opportunity for a due process
hearing.
Due Process: Before a student
is expelled, the Board or its designee shall provide the student an
opportunity for a hearing at
which the student is afforded due process, which shall include the following:
1. Prior notice of the charges
and the proposed sanctions so as to afford a reasonable opportunity for
preparation.
2. Right to a full and fair
hearing before the Board or its designee.
3. Right to an adult representative
or legal counsel.
4. Opportunity to testify and
present evidence and witnesses in his or her defense.
5. Opportunity to examine the
evidence presented by the school administration and question the
administration’s witnesses.
If the School District makes a
good faith effort to inform the student and the student’s parent or guardian of
the time and place of the
hearing, the District may hold the hearing, regardless of whether the student,
the student’s
parent or guardian, or another
adult representing the student attends.
The notice shall be in writing
and shall advise of the nature of the evidence to be used against the student.
The
decision shall be based
exclusively on evidence presented at the hearing. The final decision shall be
communicated
promptly to the student and
parent.
A student who wishes to appeal
the decision made at the hearing may do so by appealing to the
Superintendent or the
Superintendent’s designee.
The decision of the
Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee may be appealed to the Board. If an
appeal
to the Board is initiated, a tape
recording or transcript of the proceeding shall be made for the Board’s review.
Placement in a Juvenile Justice
Alternative Education Program: Students who are expelled
are referred for enrollment in
the Webb County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program. For more
information, please contact Dr.
Amy Pro at 717-6319.
Section IV -- Searches,
Questioning of Students, and Police
Intervention
Searches: School officials
may search a student’s outer clothing, pockets, or property by establishing
reasonable suspicion or securing
the student’s voluntary consent. Vehicles on school property are also subject
to
search.
Areas such as lockers, which are
owned by the District and jointly controlled by the District and student, may
be searched, and school
administrators may routinely conduct blanket locker searches. Students shall
not place, keep,
or maintain any article or
material in school-owned lockers that is forbidden by District policy or that
would lead
school officials to reasonably
believe that it would cause a substantial disruption on school property or at a
schoolsponsored
function.
Students are responsible for any
and all prohibited items found in their possession, in their lockers, or in
vehicles parked on school
property, and shall be subject to appropriate school disciplinary action in
accordance with
this Student Code of Conduct
and/or prosecution.
When administration has reason to
believe that a student is under the influence, the student will be expected to
cooperate and submit to the
nurse’s and/or peace officer’s evaluation. Refusal to submit and cooperate will
create an
inference that the student is
under the influence of a prohibited substance.
Random Drug Searches: In order to
ensure a drug-free learning environment, the District conducts
random drug searches of the
school facilities. During these random drug searches, lockers, hallways,
classrooms,
grounds, vehicles, etc. are
subject to drug checks by trained dogs at any time. If a dog alerts to a
locker, a vehicle, or
an item in a classroom, or other
common area that locker, vehicle, or item may be searched by school officials.
Questioning of Students: Students are
expected to cooperate with administrative staff in the
investigation of disciplinary
cases and to volunteer information within the students’ knowledge relating to
violations
of the Student Code of Conduct.
Administrators, teachers, and other professional personnel have the right to
question
students regarding their conduct
or the conduct of others. Students may be requested to submit a written
statement
describing their knowledge of an
incident.
21
Police Questioning of Students or Taking
Students Into Custody: Law enforcement
officers or other lawful
authorities have the authority to question or interview a student at school.
Law enforcement
officers also have the authority
to arrest or take a student into custody at school. (Board Policies FNF (LEGAL)
and
FNF (LOCAL).
Police Department: UISD has its own
police force, which is in operation 24 hours a day. The officers
work closely with the Laredo
Police Department to assist at all UISD campuses and school-related functions.
They
will investigate acts of
vandalism, burglary, disruption, or any act that would be considered a violation
of the law or
harmful to UISD schools, staff or
students. The UISD police officers are commissioned and have authority to
arrest
violators of the law, both on and
off campuses. They may also issue citations for violations of the Penal Code.
When
a student is arrested or receives
a citation, that student may be required to appear in court and may receive
other
consequences imposed by the legal
system as a result of these events. Any person wishing to contact the UISD
Police
Department during the day may
call 764-6361 or at 344-3777 (Officer on call – digital/voice pager) during the
night.
Fight Back Against Crime in Your School.
Report illegal activities to UISD
Campus Crime Stoppers at 285-8473. All reports are anonymous.
Alert!
If you “find” or “see” a weapon
or “drugs”
• DO NOT PICK “IT” UP!
You should make a report
immediately to a teacher, administrator, security guard or police officer!
A student that
makes a report on drugs or weapons to district staff will not be
prosecuted under
the Student Code of Conduct.
GLOSSARY
22
ARD: Admissions, Review, and Dismissal. An
ARD Committee serves to make decisions regarding the educational
program of students who qualify
for Special Education services.
ASSAULT: A person commits
an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily
injury to
another. (See TEX. PENAL CODE ' 22.01(a)(1)
BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan (formerly
known as Behavior Management Plan). A BIP is the section on an Individual
Education Plan, which documents
modifications or adaptations to the School Districts disciplinary rules, which
accommodate the unique needs of a
student with a disability. A BIP is designed to decrease and/or ultimately
eliminate
inappropriate behaviors that may
interfere with the student’s or other students’ ability to receive an
education.
BULLYING: Bullying is when one person uses
power in a willful manner with the aim of hurting another individual
repeatedly. Bullying is
aggression that takes many forms including: physical, verbal and psychological.
CITATION (TICKET): Notice of
disorderly conduct, tobacco use, or other legal violation that may be issued by
school
or local law enforcement
personnel when a student engages in certain conduct; this is an action separate
from any school
disciplinary action.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE and DANGEROUS DRUG: Controlled substance or dangerous
drugs include
but are not limited to marijuana;
any and all narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, stimulants, depressants, amphetamines,
barbiturates; or prescription
medicines provided to any person other than the person for whom the
prescription was written.
(FNCF Local)
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Without the
effective consent of the owner, (a) intentionally or knowingly damaging or
destroying the tangible property
of the owner; (b) intentionally or knowingly tampering with the tangible
property of the
owner and causing pecuniary loss
or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person; or (c)
intentionally or
knowingly making markings,
including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible
property of the owner.
DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
PROGRAM (DAEP): An educational program provided by
the School District for students
who have engaged in serious misconduct, such as assault, drug- or
alcohol-related offenses,
public lewdness, abuse of
volatile chemicals, and unruly, disruptive, or abusive classroom behavior.
DAEP’s may be
located on or off the regular
campus. Students in DAEP’s are separated from students in the regular program.
The DAEP
provides supervision and
counseling and focuses on English language arts, mathematics, science, history,
and selfdiscipline.
DISTRICT OR SCHOOL: Includes an
independent school district, a home-rule school district, a campus or
campus program charter holder, or
an open-enrollment charter school.
EXPULSION: An act of the
school administration, which forbids a student from attending school for a
period in excess
of three school days. Expulsions
can be for periods as long as a semester or a school year. In serious cases, an
expulsion
can be longer than one school
year. Although an expelled student can apply for readmission, readmission is
not automatic.
FIGHT: Engaging in a struggle, conflict,
quarrel, or argument involving physical contact with one or more students or
staff members which does not rise
to the level of assault as defined in Section 22.01(a)(1) of the TEXAS PENAL CODE
(i.e., which does not result in
serious bodily injury).
GANG: An organization
composed, in whole or in part, of students, which seeks to perpetuate itself by
taking in
additional members from the
student population on the basis of the decision of the organization’s
membership as a whole,
rather than on the free choice of
the individual student.
23
GANG ACTIVITIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES: Students shall
not become members or promise to become
members of any organization
composed wholly or in part of students of public schools below the rank of
college or junior
college which seeks to perpetuate
itself by taking in additional members from the students enrolled in such
school on the
basis of the decision of its
membership, rather than upon the free choice of any student in the school who
is qualified under
the rules of the school to fill
the special aims of the organization. Students shall be warned against such
membership and,
once warned, any student who
continues such membership or promise shall be guilty of serious misbehavior and
may be
recommended for placement in a
Disciplinary Alternative Education Program.
More specifically, students are
prohibited from engaging in the following activities, at school, at any
school-related
activity, or on a school bus,
which the District considers to be gang-related:
1. Wearing, possessing, using,
distributing, displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry, emblems, badges,
symbols, signs, graffiti, or
other affiliation in any gang;
2. Committing any act or
omission, or using any speech, either verbal or non-verbal (gestures,
handshakes,
etc.), showing membership or
affiliation in a gang;
3. Using any speech, or committing
any act or omission in furtherance of interest in any gang or gang
activity, including, but not
limited to:
a. Soliciting others for
membership in any gang;
b. Requesting any person to pay
for protection, or otherwise intimidating or threatening any person;
c. Inciting other students to act
with physical violence upon any other person;
d. Engaging in conduct with
others in intimidating, fighting, assaulting, or threatening to assault
others;
e. Committing any other illegal
acts or other violations of District policies.
Students who engage in these
activities shall be subject to disciplinary action, which may include
suspension, removal to a
Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program, or expulsion.
GRAFFITI: A person commits
an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person
intentionally or
knowingly makes markings,
including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible
property of the
owner with:
1. Aerosol paint;
2. An indelible marker; or
3. And etching or engraving
device.
An offense under this section is
a state jail felony if:
1. The marking is made on a
school, an institution of higher education, a place of worship or human burial,
a public monument, or a community
center that provides medical, social, or educational programs; and
2. The amount of the pecuniary
loss to real property or to tangible personal property is less than $20,000.
HAZING: Hazing means any
intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student, whether on or
off the
campus, by one person alone or
acting with others, that endangers the mental or physical health, or the safety
of a student
for the purpose of pledging,
being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining
membership in any
organization whose members are,
or include other students. The term includes, but is not limited to:
1. Any type of physical
brutality, such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electronic shocking,
placing
of a harmful substance on the
body, or similar activity;
2. Any type of physical activity,
such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small
space, calisthenics, or other
activity that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm, or that
adversely affects the mental or
physical health or the safety of the student;
3. Any activity involving
consumption of a food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, liquor, drug, or other
substance
that subjects the student to an
unreasonable risk of harm, or that adversely affects the mental or physical
health or the safety of the
student;
4. Any activity that intimidates
or threatens the student with ostracism, that subjects the student to extreme
mental stress, shame, or
humiliation, or that adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the
student,
or discourages the student from
entering or remaining registered in a District school, or that may
reasonably be expected to cause a
student to leave the organization or the school rather than submit to acts
24
described above;
5. Any activity that induces,
causes, or requires the student to perform a duty or task that involves a
violation of the Penal Code.
Students shall have prior
approval from the principal or designee for any type of initiation rites of a
school club or
organization. No student shall
engage in any form of hazing, nor shall any student encourage or assist any
other person in
hazing. Acts of hazing and
failure to report known hazing or planned hazing can result in criminal
penalties, as well as
school discipline, including, but
not limited to, suspension, removal to a Disciplinary Alternative Education
Program, or
expulsion.
IAP: An Individual Accommodation Plan
is developed for each student who receives Section 504 services. The IAP
includes a statement of the
child’s present levels of educational performance and required modifications to
classroom
instruction or evaluation
procedures.
IEP: An Individual Education Plan is
developed for each student who receives Special Education Services. The IEP
must
include: (1) a statement of the
child’s present levels of educational performance; (2) a statement of annual
goals and shortterm
instructional objectives; (3) a
statement of the specific Special Education and related services to be provided
to the
child; (4) the projected dates
for initiation of services and the anticipated duration of such services; and
(5) appropriate
objective criteria and evaluation
procedures.
ILLEGAL KNIFE: (a) A knife with
a blade over 5-1/2 inches; (b) a hand instrument designed to cut or stab
another by
being thrown; (c) a dagger,
including, but not limited to, a dirk, stiletto, and poniard; (d) a Bowie
knife; (e) a sword; or (f) a
spear.
INDECENT EXPOSURE: A person commits an offense if he
exposes his anus or any part of his genitals with intent
to arouse or gratify the sexual desire
of any person, and he is reckless about whether another is present who will be
offended or alarmed by his act.
JURISDICTION: The sphere of
authority or control; the territorial range over which any authority extends.
PLACEMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE: Each campus will establish a
three-member committee composed of two
teachers chosen by the faculty
and one member chosen by the principal. The purpose of this committee is to
determine
placement of a student when a
teacher refuses the return of a student to the teacher’s class and to make
recommendations to
the district regarding
readmission of expelled students.
POSSESSION: Possession means
actual care, custody, control, or management.
PRIVILEGE: Permission or
authorization to participate and/or hold membership in school-related or
extracurricular
activities, including, but not
limited to, the following: honor and scholarship clubs/societies and activities
or other schoolrelated
clubs/societies and activities;
school assemblies, graduation exercises, school dances, junior-senior proms,
class or
group trips (other than
instructional field trips which are part of the curriculum); theater
organizations, plays,
presentations/performances, and
talent shows; student body government, class organizations, and other similar
activities
and organizations; and
participation in field days, carnivals, or other school-related celebrations.
PROHIBITION: A rule, law,
order, or decree that forbids something.
PUBLIC LEWDNESS: Conduct of a
sexual nature that is considered obscene or indecent and which is performed in
a
public place or without regard to
whether another person who is present may be offended or alarmed by such
conduct. (See
TEX. PENAL CODE ' 21.07 for the
legal definition of public lewdness)
REASONABLE SUSPICION: Becoming aware
of facts about a particular student or students, which reasonably
suggest a violation of the
Student Code of Conduct or other school policies or rules.
25
RESTRAINT: The use of
physical force or a mechanical device to significantly restrict the free
movement of all or
a portion of a student’s body.
SCHOOL DAYS: Those days
students are in regular attendance (school days may vary from school to
school).
SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Sexual harassment of a student by an
employee includes any welcome or unwelcome
sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal (oral or written), physical, or visual conduct
of a sexual
nature. It also includes such
activities as engaging in sexually oriented conversations for purposes of
personal sexual
gratification, telephoning a
student at home or elsewhere to solicit inappropriate social relationships,
physical contact
that would be reasonably
construed as sexual in nature, and enticing or threatening a student to engage
in sexual
behavior in exchange for grades
or other school-related benefit.
Sexual harassment of a student by
another student includes unwanted and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature, whether by word,
gesture, or any other sexual conduct, including requests for sexual favors.
SUSPENSION: An act of the
school administration taken as a disciplinary action which forbids a student
from
attending school for one, two, or
three school days.
TERRORISTIC THREAT: A person commits
an offense if he threatens to commit any offense involving violence to
any person or property with
intent to: (1) cause a reaction of any type to his threat by an official or
volunteer agency
organized to deal with
emergencies; (2) place any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, or
(3) prevent or
interrupt the occupation or use
of a building; room; place of assembly; place to which the public has access;
place of
employment or occupation;
aircraft, automobile, or other form of conveyance; or other public place; or
(4) cause
impairment or interruption of public
communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power supply, or
other
public service.
TIME OUT: A behavior
technique in which, to provide a student with a an opportunity to regain
self-control, the
student is separated from other
students for a limited period in a setting that is not locked and from which
the exit is
not physically blocked by
furniture, a closed door held shut from the outside, or another inanimate
object.
TRUANCY: Failure of a
student to attend school for all or part of a school day when the student’s
absence has not been
excused by the School District.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE: “Under the
influence” means not having normal use of one’s mental or physical
faculties, as determined by the
school nurse, peace officer, or campus administrator, considering the
preponderance of the
evidence. A student need not be
legally intoxicated to be considered “under the influence.” Further, the
District is not
required to consider or fund an
outside drug or alcohol test.”
VANDALISM AND DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY: Students shall
not vandalize or otherwise damage or
deface any property, including
furniture and other equipment, belonging to or used by the District or District
schools.
Parents or guardians of students
guilty of damaging school property shall be liable for damages in accordance
with Texas
law, and may be subject to
criminal penalties.
VOLATILE CHEMICALS: Harmful
chemicals such as chloroform, acetone, ketone, methanol, toluene, etc. (See TEX.
HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ' 484)
WEAPON: Any device, such
as a gun, club, or knife, which can be or is used to inflict bodily harm upon a
person.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
2003-2004 School Year
SECTION I: Parent
Information..................................................................................................4
Your Involvement as a
Parent.......................................................................................................................
4
Corporal Punishment
...................................................................................................................................
5
Special Residency
........................................................................................................................................
5
Grading Guidelines
......................................................................................................................................
5
Weighted Grading System
............................................................................................................................
6
Communication between Home and
School.................................................................................................
6
Law
Enforcement.........................................................................................................................................
7
Questioning of
Students...................................................................................................................
7
Students Taken into Custody
...........................................................................................................
7
Notification of Law Violations
.....................................................................................................................
8
Report Cards, Progress Reports,
and Conferences........................................................................................
8
Pre-kindergarten and
Kindergarten...............................................................................................................
8
Grades ........................................................................................................................................................
8
Student
Fees.................................................................................................................................................
9
Graduation Expenses
...................................................................................................................................
9
Student and Parent
Complaints.....................................................................................................................
9
Student Records
.........................................................................................................................................
10
Testing
.......................................................................................................................................................
12
Videotaping of
Students.............................................................................................................................
12
Withdrawal from
School............................................................................................................................
12
SECTION II: Academic
Information .........................................................................................13
Awards and
Honors....................................................................................................................................
13
Career and Technology
Education..............................................................................................................
13
Class Rank/Top Ten
Percent.......................................................................................................................
13
Other Scholarships and
Grants....................................................................................................................
13
Class
Schedules..........................................................................................................................................
13
Computer Resources
..................................................................................................................................
14
The Use of District Computers, Networks,
Internet, and Electronic Mail..................................................
14
Correspondence
Courses............................................................................................................................
16
Counseling .................................................................................................................................................
16
Academic Counseling
....................................................................................................................
16
Personal Counseling
......................................................................................................................
16
Credit by Examination—If You’ve
Taken the Course ...............................................................................
17
Credit by Examination—If You’ve
Not Taken the Course
........................................................................ 17
Distance Learning
......................................................................................................................................
17
Dual Credit Courses/College
Coursework..................................................................................................
17
Extracurricular Activities,
Clubs, and Organizations
.................................................................................
18
Grade
Classification...................................................................................................................................
18
Graduation
.................................................................................................................................................
19
Requirements for a
Diploma..........................................................................................................
19
Graduation Programs
.....................................................................................................................
20
Certificates of Coursework
Completion ........................................................................................
21
Students with Disabilities
..............................................................................................................
21
Homework
.................................................................................................................................................
21
Nontraditional Academic
Programs............................................................................................................
21
Completion of Coursework After
Placement in DAEP
.................................................................. 22
Completion of Coursework After
In-school Suspension or Other Removals................................. 22
Promotion...................................................................................................................................................
22
Special Programs
.......................................................................................................................................
23
Child
Find..................................................................................................................................
23
Student Offices and
Elections.....................................................................................................................
23
2
Summer School—Other than Extended
Year Program
..............................................................................
24
SECTION III: General
Information............................................................................................24
Attendance
.................................................................................................................................................
24
Compulsory
Attendance.............................................................................................................................
24
Attendance for
Credit.................................................................................................................................
24
Make Up Work
..........................................................................................................................................
25
Driver’s License Attendance
Verification ..................................................................................................
26
Release of Students from School
................................................................................................................
26
Messages....................................................................................................................................................
26
Communicable
Diseases/Conditions...........................................................................................................
26
Bacterial Meningitis...................................................................................................................................
27
Conduct......................................................................................................................................................
27
Applicability of School Rules and
Discipline.............................................................................................
27
Harassment on the Basis of Race,
Color, Religion, National Origin, or Disability....................................
28
Sexual Harassment/Sexual
Abuse...............................................................................................................
28
Distribution of Material
..............................................................................................................................
28
School Materials
............................................................................................................................
28
Non-school Materials.....................................................................................................................
28
Dress and Grooming
..................................................................................................................................
29
Fund Raising
..............................................................................................................................................
29
Immunization
.............................................................................................................................................
29
Medicine at School
....................................................................................................................................
29
Physical Examinations/Health
Screenings..................................................................................................
30
Pledge of Allegiance
..................................................................................................................................
30
Prayer/Moment of Silence
..........................................................................................................................
30
Safety
.........................................................................................................................................................
31
Accident
Prevention......................................................................................................................
31
Accident
Insurance........................................................................................................................
31
Drills: Fire, Tornado, and Other
Emergencies
..............................................................................
31
Emergency Medical Treatment
..................................................................................................................
31
Emergency School Closing
Information.....................................................................................................
32
School
Facilities.........................................................................................................................................
32
Conduct Before and After
School...............................................................................................................
32
Cafeteria Services
......................................................................................................................................
32
Library
......................................................................................................................................................
32
Pest Control
Information............................................................................................................................
32
Asbestos
.....................................................................................................................................................
32
Vandalism
..................................................................................................................................................
33
Searches
.....................................................................................................................................................
33
Students’ Desks and Lockers
......................................................................................................................
33
Vehicles on Campus
..................................................................................................................................
33
Drug Detection Dogs
.................................................................................................................................
33
Textbooks...................................................................................................................................................
33
Transportation
............................................................................................................................................
34
School-Sponsored
.............................................................................................................................
34
Buses and Other School Vehicles
......................................................................................................
34
Visitors.......................................................................................................................................................
34
United I.S.D. Board policies are
available in the Principal’s, Area Executive Directors’, and
Superintendent’s offices or
online at http://www.united.isd.tenet.edu/.
3
To Students and Parents:
Welcome to school year 2003-2004!
Teachers and other school staff members want this year to be an
especially good one for each
child, with many interesting learning experiences. For this to happen, we all
have to work together: students,
parents, and teachers. This Student Handbook is designed to help us do
this.
The United Independent School
District Student Handbook contains information that you are likely to
need during the school year. The
handbook is divided into three sections:
• the first for parents, with information
all parents will need about assisting their child and
responding to school-related
issues;
• the second for students, to provide
information about courses to take, extracurricular and other
activities; and
• the third, general information regarding
school operations and requirements.
We have attempted to make the
language as informal as possible; however, in parts of the handbook
please be aware that the term
“the student’s parent” is used to refer to the parent, legal guardian, or other
person who has agreed to assume
school-related responsibility for a student.
Both students and parents also
need to be familiar with the United Independent School District Student
Code of Conduct that is adopted
by the Board. Please be aware that the handbook is updated annually.
In case of conflict between Board
policy or the Student Code of Conduct and any provisions of student
handbooks, the provisions of
Board policy or the Student Code of Conduct that were most recently
adopted by the Board are to be
followed.
A copy of the UISD Board Policy
Manual is available in the school office or online at
http://www.united.isd.tenet.edu/.
NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE
United Independent School
District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national
origin, sex, or disability in
providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational
programs, in accordance with
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972;
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
United Independent School
District will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills will
not
be a barrier to admission and
participation in all educational and vocational programs.
The following District staff
member has been designated to coordinate compliance with these
requirements:
For Title IX you may contact:
Ms. Suzette Pelayo, Director
Employee Relations/Human Resources
301 Lindenwood
Laredo, TX 78045
(956) 717-6273
For Section 504 issues you may
contact:
Ms. Grace Lopez
201 Lindenwood
Laredo, TX 78045
(956) 717-6207
4
SECTION I: Parent
Information
This section of the United ISD
Student Handbook is intended to give information on procedures of
particular interest to you as a
parent. It includes information about working with the school in guiding
your child’s education, such as:
• your child’s grades and
progress reports;
• records pertaining to your
child;
• conferences with your child’s
teacher;
• the District’s procedure to
follow if you have a concern that isn’t resolved by a conference; and
• school events and
school-related groups that would welcome your attendance or participation.
We strongly recommend that you
review the entire handbook with your child and keep it as a reference
during this school year. If you
or your child has questions about any of the material in this handbook,
please contact a teacher, the
counselor, or the principal. Also, please complete and return the
acknowledgment form, so that we
have a record of your choices listed there.
Your Involvement as a
Parent
Education succeeds best when
there is a strong partnership between home and school, a partnership that
thrives on communication and
interaction, and that includes parents, teachers, administrators, and the
Board of Trustees. Every parent
is urged to:
Encourage his or her child to put a high
priority on education and commit to making the most of
the educational opportunities the
school provides.
Review the information in the student
handbook (including the Student Code of Conduct) with
his or her child and sign and
return the acknowledgment form(s). A parent with questions is
encouraged to contact the school
principal.
Become familiar with all of the child's
school activities and with the academic programs offered
in the District. Discuss with the
counselor or principal any questions, such as concerns about
placement, assignment, or early
graduation, and the options available to the child. Monitor the
child's academic progress and
contact teachers as needed.
Exercise the right to review teaching
materials, textbooks, and other aids, and to examine tests
that have been administered to
his or her child.
Review the child's student records when
needed. A parent may review (1) attendance records, (2)
test scores, (3) grades, (4)
disciplinary records, (5) counseling records, (6) psychological records,
(7) applications for admission,
(8) health and immunization information, (9) teacher and
counselor evaluations, (10)
reports of behavioral patterns, and (11) state assessment instruments
that have been administered to
his or her child.
Grant or deny any written request from
the District to make a videotape or voice recording of the
child unless the videotape or
voice recording is to be used for school safety; relates to classroom
instruction or a co-curricular or
extracurricular activity; or relates to media coverage of the school
as permitted by law.
If an instructional activity in which
the child is scheduled to participate conflicts with the parent's
religious or moral beliefs, the
parent may temporarily remove the child from the classroom. The
removal cannot be for the purpose
of avoiding a test and may not extend for an entire
semester. Further, the child must satisfy
grade-level and graduation requirements as determined
by the school and by the Texas
Education Agency (TEA).
5
Become a school volunteer. For further
information, contact the school principal.
Participate in campus parent
organizations. The activities are varied—ranging from band
boosters to District and campus
planning committees formulating plans to improve student
achievement. For further
information, contact the school principal.
Attend Board meetings to learn more
about District operations, including the procedure for
addressing the Board when
appropriate.
Corporal Punishment
The Board prohibits the use of
corporal punishment, in any form, as a disciplinary action for unacceptable
student behavior.
Special Residency
The district establishes the
following guidelines for determining residency of students, in accordance with
policies FD(LEGAL) and FD(LOCAL).
These notarized forms must be completed on an annual basis
and must be on file with the
District in order to ensure a student applicant proper enrollment and/or
continued, uninterrupted,
educational benefits to a United Independent School District school.
Power of Attorney
A minor student (under 18 years
of age) who is living separate and apart form his or her parent, guardian,
or other person having lawful
control of him or her under court order, who has been admitted to District
schools, will be asked to submit
a power of attorney executed by his or her parent, guardian, or other
person having lawful control of
him or her under a court order in favor of the person in the District with
whom the student is residing.
HOST Family
When the child’s parent(s)
together with the child reside within the District in the home of another
family,
the parent(s) shall provide
documentation of the “host family.”
NOTICE OF PENALTIES
Section 25.001 of the Texas
Education Code provides that a person who knowingly falsifies information
on a District form required for
student enrollment may be held liable to the District if it turns out the
student is not eligible for
enrollment but is enrolled on the basis of the false information. A person may
be held liable, for the period
during which the ineligible student is enrolled, for the greater of (1) the
maximum tuition fee the District
may charge to transfer students under Section 25.038 of the Texas
Education Code; or (2) the amount
the District has budgeted for each student as maintenance and
operating expenses. See UISD
Board Policy FD (Legal). The United Independent School District utilizes
option 2. Individuals who falsify
information must reimburse the district $11.87 each day an ineligible
student is enrolled.
In addition to the civil fees
which may be assessed against a person who provides false information,
please be advised that Section
37.10 of the Texas Penal Code makes it a crime for a person to knowingly
make a false entry on District
forms, or if the person makes, presents or uses any record with knowledge
of its falsity and with intent that
it be taken as a genuine governmental record, or if a person makes,
presents or uses a governmental
record with knowledge of its falsity.
Note:
It is the policy
of this District to pursue intentional violators of the student admissions law
to the
fullest extent
permitted by law.
Grading Guidelines
The valedictorian and
salutatorian shall be selected at the end of the third quarter by averaging all
four
years up to the third quarter of
the senior year. The senior with the highest grade point average, carried
6
out to the fifth decimal, shall
be valedictorian; the senior with the second-highest grade point average,
carried out to the fifth decimal,
shall be salutatorian.
All three-year graduates shall be
considered equal with four-year graduates since they have met all
requirements for graduation. A
student must have attended the same high school and received all grades
during the last year there to be
eligible for this honor. A three-year student must be enrolled full time to
be considered a candidate for
this honor also.
Grades transferred from other
districts shall be counted for class honors, subject to residency
requirements for valedictorian
and salutatorian. Grades transferred as numerical averages shall be
accepted at face value. Grades
transferred merely as passing or failing shall be accepted for credit, or
none, as indicated on the
transcript, but shall not be calculated into class ranking, unless there is
some
accompanying explanatory
information on the transcript.
The weighted grading system shall
be as follows:
Weighted Grading System
Beginning with the 1999-2000
school year, all high school courses listed in the State Board rules for
curriculum shall receive grades
according to the table below. Resource classes and courses approved for
local credit only (except college
prep classes) shall not be included for ranking purposes. [See EIC
(Local)]
Non-Weighted
Weighted Non-Weighted Weighted
100 110 83 93
99 109 82 92
98 108 81 91
97 107 80 90
96 106 79 89
95 105 78 88
94 104 77 87
93 103 76 86
92 102 75 85
91 101 74 84
90 100 73 83
89 99 72 82
88 98 71 81
87 97 70 80
86 96
85 95
84 94
All teachers shall be informed of
the weighted policy to ensure accurate reporting for honor roll purposes.
Communication Between
Home and School
Good communication between home
and school regarding a child's education is more than a “plus”: it's
essential for the student to make
the most of the opportunities provided. School communication starts
with information documents such
as this handbook, progress reports and report cards, student work for
parents to review and sign, and
continues into interaction: messages and phone calls from teachers, and
school open houses or
back-to-school nights, for instance.
7
Communication might also include
requests for conferences—initiated by the school or the parent—to
discuss student progress, to find
out more about the curriculum and how the parent can support learning,
to head off or resolve problems,
etc. A parent who wants to schedule a phone or in-person conference
with a teacher, counselor, or
principal should call the school office for an appointment. Generally a
teacher will be able to meet with
parents or return calls during his or her conference period, although
other mutually convenient times
might be arranged as well.
Law Enforcement
Questioning of Students
When law enforcement officers or
other lawful authorities wish to question or interview a student at
school:
• The principal/assistant principal will
verify and record the identity of the officer or other authority
and ask for an explanation of the
need to question or interview the student.
• The principal/assistant principal shall
make reasonable efforts to notify parents except as
prohibited by Texas Family Code
Chapter 261 governing child abuse investigations.
• The principal/assistant principal
ordinarily will be present except where the principal/designee’s
presence interferes with the
investigation, or as requested by the student’s parent/guardian
• The principal/assistant principal will
cooperate fully regarding the conditions of the interview, if
the questioning or interview is
part of a child abuse investigation.
Students Taken into
Custody
State law requires the District
to permit a student to be taken into legal custody:
• To comply with an order of the
juvenile court.
• To comply with the laws of
arrest.
• By a law enforcement officer if
there is probable cause to believe the student has engaged
in delinquent conduct or conduct
in need of supervision.
• By a probation officer if there
is probable cause to believe the student has violated a
condition of probation imposed by
the juvenile court.
• To comply with a properly
issued directive to take a student into custody.
• By an authorized representative
of Child Protective Services, Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory
Services, a law enforcement officer, or a juvenile probation
officer, without a court order,
under the conditions set out in Family Code relating to the
student's physical health or
safety.
Before a student is released to a
law enforcement officer or other legally authorized person, the
principal/designee shall verify
the officer's identity and, to the best of his or her ability, shall verify the
official's authority to take
custody of the student. The principal/designee shall immediately notify the
Superintendent or designee and
will ordinarily attempt to notify the parent except as prohibited by
Chapter 261 of the Texas Family
Code or by court order. Since the principal/designee does not have the
authority to block or delay a
custody action, notification will most likely be after the fact.
8
Notification of Law
Violations
The District is also required by
state law to notify:
• All instructional and support personnel
who have responsibility for supervising a student who has
been arrested or referred to the
juvenile court for any felony offense or for certain misdemeanors.
• All instructional and support personnel
who have regular contact with a student who has been
convicted or adjudicated of
delinquent conduct for any felony offense or certain misdemeanors.
For further information, see
policy GRA.
Report Cards, Progress
Reports and Conferences
Teachers shall confer with
parents every 12 weeks. Communication may be in the form of:
a) parent conferences
b) open house
c) telephone calls
d) teacher notes
In addition, progress reports for
all students will be sent to parents every 3 weeks. Official Report Cards
will be sent out every 6 weeks
for elementary and middle schools and every 9 weeks at the high school
level.
The district shall record a 50 in
the permanent record for any average numerical grade that is lower than
50.
The grade for makeup work after
an excused absence shall not be reduced.
The grade for makeup work after
an unexcused absence shall be reduced by 20%.
The grade for make-up work after
a suspension shall be reduced by 20%.
(See EIA Local).
Pre-kindergarten and
Kindergarten
Achievement or progress in
pre-kindergarten and kindergarten shall be reported to parents as Developing
or Satisfactory.
Report cards and unsatisfactory
reports must be signed by the parent and should be returned to school
within 10 school days.
Grades
In grades 1 - 12 achievement
shall be reported to parents as numerical grades.
An examination or course grade
issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be changed unless the
grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or
not consistent with the school district grading policy applicable to the
grade, as determined by the board
of trustees of the school district. The decision of the board of trustees
is not subject to appeal although
an appeal related to the student’s eligibility to participate in
extracurricular activities under
TEC § 33.081 is allowed.
9
Student Fees
Materials that are part of the
basic educational program are provided with state and local funds and are at
no charge to a student. A
student, however, is expected to provide his or her own pencils, paper,
erasers,
and notebooks and may be required
to pay certain other fees or deposits, including:
Costs for materials for a class project
that the student will keep
Membership dues in voluntary clubs or
student organizations and admission fees to
extracurricular activities
Security deposits
Personal physical education and athletic
equipment and apparel
Voluntarily purchased pictures,
publications, class rings, yearbooks, graduation announcements,
etc.
Voluntarily purchased student accident
insurance
Musical instrument rental and uniform
maintenance, when uniforms are provided by the District
Personal apparel, used in
extracurricular activities, that becomes the property of the student
Parking fees and student identification
cards
Fees for lost, damaged or overdue
library books
Fees for lost or damaged textbooks
Fees for driver training courses, if
offered
Fees for optional courses offered for credit
that requires use of facilities not available on District
premises. (Fees shall not be
charged, however, if parents of at least 22 students request a transfer
to another school in the District
to take required curriculum courses, other than fine arts or career
and technology, not offered at
the original school.)
Summer school courses that are offered
tuition-free during the regular school year
Any required fee or deposit might
be waived if the student and parent are unable to pay. Application for
such a waiver may be made to the
principal. For further information, see Board Policy FP.
Graduation Expenses
Because you and your child will
incur expenses in order to participate in the traditions of graduation, such
as the purchase of invitations,
senior ring, cap and gown, and senior picture, you and your child should
monitor his or her progress
toward completion of all requirements for graduation. The expenses often are
incurred in the junior year or
first semester of the senior year.
Student and Parent Complaints
Usually student or parent
complaints or concerns can be addressed simply—by a phone call or conference
with the teacher. For those
complaints and concerns that cannot be so easily handled, the District has
adopted a standard complaint
policy: FNG. You or your child should first discuss the complaint with the
campus principal. If unresolved,
a written complaint and a request for a conference should be sent to the
10
Area Executive Directors for
elementary and middle schools. High School complaints should be
addressed to the Assistant
Superintendent for Instruction.
Some complaints require different
procedures. Additional information can also be found in the United
I.S.D. Board policies available
in the Principal’s, Area Executive Directors’, and Superintendent’s offices
or on the District’s Web site at
http://www.united.isd.tenet.edu/.
Topics and policies
include:
Discrimination on the basis of gender
(FB)
Sexual abuse or sexual harassment of a
student
Loss of credit on the basis of
attendance (FDD)
Removal of a student by a teacher for
disciplinary reasons (FOAA)
Removal of a student to a disciplinary
alternative education program (FOAB)
Expulsion of a student (FOD)
Identification, evaluation, or
educational placement of a student with a disability (EHBA & FB)
Instructional materials (EFA)
On-campus distribution of nonschool
materials to students (FMA)
Complaints against District peace
officers (CKE)
Student Records
Both federal and state law
safeguard student records from unauthorized inspection or use and provide
parents and “eligible” students
certain rights. For purposes of student records, an “eligible” student is one
who is 18 or older or married OR
who is attending an institution of postsecondary education.
The law specifies that certain
general information about United ISD students is considered “directory
information” and will be released
to anyone who follows procedures for requesting it. That information
includes:
• A student’s name, address,
telephone number, and date and place of birth.
• The student’s photograph,
participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and
height of members of athletic
teams.
• The student’s dates of
attendance, grade level, enrollment status, honors and awards received in
school, and most recent school
attended previously.
• The student’s e-mail address.
The parent or an eligible student
may prevent release of any or all directory information regarding a
student. This objection must be
made in writing to the principal within ten (10) school days after you
have been provided this notice.
See the acknowledgment form.
Virtually all information
pertaining to student performance, including grades, test results, and
disciplinary
records, is considered
confidential educational records and may be released to:
• The parents--whether married,
separated, or divorced—who will generally have access to the records.
A parent whose rights have been
legally terminated will be denied access to the records if the school
11
is given a copy of the court
order terminating these rights. Federal law requires that, as soon as the
student becomes eligible, control
of the records goes to the student. However, the parents may access
the records if the student is a
dependent for tax purposes.
• District staff members who have
what federal law defines as a “legitimate educational interest” in a
student’s records. Such persons
would include school officials (such as Board members, the
Superintendent, and principals),
school staff members (such as teachers, counselors, and
diagnosticians), or an agent of
the District (such as a medical consultant).
• Various governmental agencies
or in response to a subpoena or court order.
• A school to which a student
transfers or in which he or she subsequently enrolls.
Release to any other person or
agency–such as a prospective employer or for a scholarship application–
will occur only with parental or
student permission as appropriate.
The principal is custodian of all
records for currently enrolled students at the assigned school.
The Records Manager (712-7910) is
the custodian of all records for students who have withdrawn or
graduated.
Records may be reviewed during
regular school hours. If circumstances effectively prevent a parent or
eligible student from inspecting
the records, the District shall provide a copy of the requested records, or
make other arrangements for the
parent or student to review the requested records. The records custodian
or designee will respond to
reasonable requests for explanation and interpretation of the records. The
Records Manager may be contacted
at:
Records Manager
3501 E. Saunders, Laredo, TX
78041
(956) 712-7910
The address(es) of the
principal(s)’ offices are: See inside cover
A parent (or the student if he or
she is 18 or older, married, or is attending an institution of postsecondary
education) may review and inspect
the student’s records and request a correction if the records are
considered inaccurate or
otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights. If the District refuses
the
request to amend the records, the
requestor has the right to request a hearing. If the records are not
amended as a result of the
hearing, the requestor has 30 school days to exercise the right to place a
statement commenting on the
information in the student’s record. Although improperly recorded grades
may be challenged, contesting a
student’s grade in a course is handled through the general complaint
process defined by policy FNG.
Copies of student records are
available at a cost of 10 cents per page, payable in advance. Parents may be
denied copies of a student's
records (1) after the student reaches age 18 and is no longer a dependent for
tax purposes; (2) when the
student is attending an institution of post-secondary education; (3) if the
parent
fails to follow proper procedures
and pay the copying charge; or (4) when the District is given a copy of a
court order terminating the
parental rights. If the student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals and
the
parents are unable to view the
records during regular school hours, upon written request of the parent, one
copy of the record will be
provided at no charge.
Please note:
Parents or eligible students have
the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if
they believe the District is not
in compliance with the law regarding student records. The District’s
complete policy regarding student
records is available at all school campuses, Area Offices, Office of
Assistant Superintendent for
Instruction and the Superintendent’s office.
12
The parent’s or eligible
student’s right of access to, and copies of, student records does not extend to
all
records. Materials that are not
considered educational records–such as teachers’ personal notes on a
student that are shared only with
a substitute teacher and records on former students after they are no
longer students in the
District–do not have to be made available to the parents or student.
Testing
In addition to local testing and
other measures of achievement, students at certain grade levels will take
state assessment tests in the
following subjects:
Mathematics, annually in grades 3 – 7
without the aid of technology and in grades 8 – 11 with the
aid of technology on any
assessment test that includes algebra
Reading annually in grades 3 – 9
(satisfactory performance required for promotion for 3rd
graders)
Writing, including spelling and grammar,
in grades 4 and 7
English language arts in grades 10 and
11
Social studies in grades 8, 10, and 11
Science in grades 5, 10, and 11
To receive a high school diploma,
students must successfully pass exit-level tests.
Most colleges require either the
American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for
admission. Students are
encouraged to talk with the counselor during their junior year to determine the
appropriate exam to take;
entrance exams are usually taken at the end of the junior year. Prior to
enrollment in a Texas public
college or university, students must take the Texas Academic Skill Program
(TASP) test.
Test results will be reported to
students and parents; parents may review an assessment test that has been
given to their child.
Certain students–some with
disabilities and some with limited English proficiency–may be eligible for
exemptions, accommodations, or
deferred testing. For more information, see the principal or counselor.
Videotaping of Students
For safety purposes, video/audio
equipment will be used to monitor student behavior on buses (and in
common areas on campus). Students
will not be told when the equipment is being used.
The principal may review the
tapes routinely and document student misconduct. Discipline shall be
imposed in accordance with the
Student Code of Conduct.
A parent who wants to view a
videotape of the incident leading to the discipline of his or her child may
request access in writing. The
Superintendent/designee shall consider the request and render a decision in
accordance with Board Policy FL
and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USCA
1232g).
Withdrawal from School
A student may be withdrawn from
school only by a parent/guardian. The school requests notice from the
parent/guardian at least three
days in advance so that records and documents may be prepared. A
withdrawal form may be obtained
by the parent from the principal’s office. On the student’s last day, the
withdrawal form must be presented
to each teacher for current grade averages and book clearance; to the
13
librarian to assure a clear
library record; to the nurse’s clinic for health records; to the counselor for
the
last report card and course
clearance; and finally, to the principal. A copy of the withdrawal form will be
given to the student and a copy
placed in the student’s permanent record.
A student who is 18 or older, who
is married, or who has been declared by a court to be an emancipated
minor, may withdraw without
parental signature.
SECTION II: Academic
Information
This section of the handbook
contains pertinent requirements for academics and activities. Much of this
information will also be of
interest to your parents and should be reviewed with them–especially if you
are entering 9th grade or are a
transfer student. The section includes information on graduation programs
and requirements; options for
earning course credit; extracurricular activities and other school-related
organizations; and awards,
honors, and scholarships.
Awards and Honors
All UIL events carry an
appropriate award. Awards are given in other areas such as academic
achievement, athletics and band.
Career and Technology Education
The District offers Career and
Technology Education programs in Agriculture Science and Technology,
Business Education, Family and
Consumer Sciences, Health Science Technology, Marketing Education,
Industrial Technology Education,
Trade and Industrial Education and Career Guidance Courses.
Admission to these programs is
based on student interest and teacher recommendation. The District will
take steps to ensure that a lack
of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission or
participation in any educational
and career and technology programs.
For further information about
these programs, please contact the Director of Career and Technology, Mrs.
Alicia Carrillo, at 717-6305.
Class Rank / Top Ten
Percent
See your counselor and Grading
Guidelines, Section I.
For two school years following
their graduation, students who are ranked in the top ten percent of their
graduating class are eligible for
automatic admission into four-year public universities and colleges in
Texas. Students and parents
should contact the counselor for further information about how to apply and
the deadline for application.
For further information, see
Board Policy EIC.
Other Scholarships and
Grants
Students who have financial need
according to federal criteria and who complete the Recommended High
School Graduation Program may be
eligible under the Texas Grant Program for tuition and fees to Texas
public universities, community
colleges, and technical schools, as well as to private institutions. For
information, see the principal or
counselor and Policies EIC and FJ.
Class Schedules
See campus counselor.
14
Computer Resources
To prepare you for an
increasingly computerized society, the District has made a substantial
investment in
computer technology for
instructional purposes. Use of these resources is restricted to students
working
under a teacher's supervision and
for approved purposes only. You and your parents will be asked to sign
a user agreement regarding use of
these resources; violations of this agreement may result in withdrawal
of privileges and other
disciplinary action.
Electronic transmissions and
other use of the UISD system by students shall not be considered
confidential and may be monitored
at any time by designated District staff to ensure the use of the system
for appropriate educational
purposes only.
THE USE OF DISTRICT
COMPUTERS, NETWORKS, INTERNET AND
ELECTRONIC MAIL
Permission Form
The District is pleased to offer
students access to a computer network, to access the Internet, electronic
mail and educational software on
the network. To gain access to the Internet, electronic mail, and network
software, all students must
obtain parental permission as verified by the signatures on the form provided.
Should a parent prefer that a
student not have Internet access, electronic mail, or access to educational
software on the network (includes
the library software, accelerated reader and any software that is
networked), the use of the
computers is still possible for more traditional purposes such as word
processing and similar
applications that are not attached to the district network.
What are some of
the benefits of having access to the Internet?
Access to the Internet and
electronic mail will enable students to explore thousands of libraries,
databases,
museums, and other repositories
of information and to exchange personal communication with other
Internet users around the world.
Even though, the District provides filtering of Internet content, families
should be aware that some
material accessible via the Internet might contain items that are illegal,
defamatory, inaccurate, or
potentially offensive. While the purposes of the school are to use Internet
resources for constructive
educational goals, students might find ways to access other materials. There
are
more advantages for students to
have access to the Internet in the form of information resources and
opportunities for collaboration
exceed the disadvantages. Ultimately, parents and guardians of minors are
responsible for setting and
conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media
and information resources.
What are the
students’ responsibilities?
Students are responsible for
appropriate behavior on the school’s computer network just as they are in a
classroom or on any school campus.
Communications on the network are often public in nature. General
school rules for behavior and
communications apply. It is expected that users will comply with district
standards and the specific rules
set forth below. The use of the network is a privilege, not a right, and may
be revoked if abused. The user is
personally responsible for his/her actions in accessing and utilizing the
school’s computer resources. The
students are advised never to access, keep, or send anything that they
would not want their parents or
teachers to see.
What are the
rules?
Privacy - You should not disclose
your password to anyone else, nor should you use someone else’s
password. You are responsible for
all activities done in or from your account. You should not attempt to
circumvent passwords, access
codes, or information protection schemes or uncover security loopholes or
attempt to break authentication
procedures or encryption protocols.
15
Anonymous Activity - You may not
impersonate other individuals in electronic communication.
Illegal Activity -You may not use
electronic systems in the course of any illegal activity.
Communication Tampering - It is
unethical and may be criminal to attempt to monitor other people’s
communications without their
permission.
Copying and Copyrights - For
information on which the individual or the district does not hold the
copyright, written permission
from the copyright holder is required prior to duplication. Academic
dishonesty or plagiarism in a
student assignment is unethical. Suspected occurrences are referred to the
student’s school.
Harassment - Electronic system
usage or information that is perceived by its recipient as sexual
harassment as defined by
district’s policy may be considered a violation. The display of offensive
material in any publicly
accessible area is likely to violate district harassment policy. Public display
includes publicly accessible
computer screens and printers.
Inappropriate materials or
language – No profane, abusive or impolite language should be used to
communicate, nor should materials
be accessed which are not in line with the rules of school behavior.
Should students encounter such
material by accident, they should report it to their teacher immediately.
Wasting Resources - It is
unethical to deliberately perform any act, which will impair the operation of
any
electronic system or deny access
by legitimate users to any electronic system. This includes the willful
wasting of resources and sending
of “junk mail” and “mail bombs” (This includes “chain letters”).
The District electronic systems
may not be used for:
• solicitation not related to official
district’s business,
• commercial gain or placing a third party
in a position of commercial advantage or, nondistrict
related activities.
• impeding teaching and research,
• hindering the functioning of the
district
• violating an applicable license or
contract, or
• damaging community relations or
relations with institutions with whom we share
responsibility.
General district policy prohibits
non-district use of district facility.
What other
guidelines must be followed?
These are guidelines to follow to
prevent the loss of network privileges:
1. Users shall not erase, rename,
or make unusable anyone else’s computer files, programs or disks.
2. Users shall not share names,
logon passwords or files for any reason
3. Users shall not use or try to
discover another user’s password.
4. Users shall not use UISD
computers or networks for any non-instructional or non-administrative
purpose (e.g. games or activities
for personal profit).
5. Users shall not use a computer
for unlawful purposes, such as the illegal copying or installation of
software.
6. Users shall not copy, change
or transfer any software or documentation provided by UISD teachers,
or students without written
permission from the campus principal and Director of Technology.
16
7. Users shall not write,
produce, generate, copy, propagate, or attempt to introduce any computer code
designed to self-replicate,
damage, or otherwise hinder the performance of any computer’s memory,
file system, or software (bug,
virus, worm, Trojan Horse, or similar name.)
8. Users shall not deliberately
use the computer to annoy or harass others with language, images, or
threats.
9. Users shall not deliberately
access or create any obscene or sexually related materials except
curriculum related and as
assigned.
10. Users shall not assemble or
disassemble computers, networks, printers, or other associated
equipment except as part of a
class assignment or in conjunction with job responsibility.
11. Users shall not remove
technology equipment (hardware or software) without written
permission of the principal or
director.
12. STUDENTS WILL BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE for their actions and for the loss of privileges if
the Rules of Appropriate Use are
violated.
Correspondence Courses
Credit toward state graduation
requirements may be granted for correspondence courses only under the
following conditions:
The institution offering the course is
the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Technological
University, or other public
institution of higher education approved by the commissioner of
education.
The correspondence course includes the
state-required essential knowledge and skills for such a
course.
Prior to enrollment in correspondence
courses, students shall make written request to the principal
or designee for approval to
enroll in the course. If approval is not granted prior to enrollment, the
student shall not be awarded
credit toward graduation.
19 TAC 74.23
Counseling
Academic Counseling
You and your parents are
encouraged to talk with a school counselor, teacher, or principal to learn
about
course offerings, graduation
requirements/plans, and early graduation procedures. Each spring,
students
in grades 6 through 12 will be
provided information on anticipated course offerings for the following year
and other information that will
help them make the most of academic and vocational opportunities.
To plan for your post-secondary
education at a college, university, or training school or pursuing some
other type of advanced education,
you should work closely with the counselor to ensure that the
appropriate high school courses
are taken. The counselor may also provide information about college
entrance examinations and
deadlines for applications, as well as information about automatic admission to
state colleges and universities,
financial aid, housing, scholarships, etc.
Personal Counseling
The school counselor is available
to assist students with personal concerns, including such areas as social,
family, emotional, or substance
abuse. The counselor may also make available information about
community resources to address
these concerns.
17
Licensed chemical dependency
counselors are available for prevention, intervention, and referral services.
If you wish to meet with these
counselors, you may contact their campus guidance and counseling
department.
Please note: The school will
not conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment without first
obtaining the parent's written
consent, unless required by state or federal law for special education
purposes.
Credit by
Examination--If You've Taken the Course
A student who has received prior
instruction in a course or subject but failed the course or subject with a
grade of no less than 60 may be
permitted by the District to earn credit by passing an examination on the
essential knowledge and skills
defined for the course or subject. To receive credit, a student must score at
least 70 on the examination. The
attendance review committee may also allow a student with excessive
absences to receive credit for a
course by passing an examination. A student may not use this
examination to regain eligibility
to participate in extracurricular activities. A fee established by the
institution that provides the
examination will be charged.
Credit by
Examination--If You've Not Taken the Course
The passing score required to
earn credit on an examination for acceleration is 90.
A student will be permitted to
take an examination to advance to a higher grade level (at the elementary
level) or to earn credit for an
academic course (at the secondary level) for which the student has no prior
instruction. The dates on which
examinations are scheduled will be published by the district with three
days set between January 1 and
June 30 and three days set between July 1 and December 31. No fee will
be charged if taken on the six
days officially designated by the district.
A student planning to take an
examination for acceleration (or the student's parent) must register with the
principal/counselor no
later than 30 days prior to the scheduled testing date. The District will honor
a
request by a parent to
administer, on some other date, a test purchased by the parent from a State
Board-approved university and
approved by our local board.
At 19 TAC 74.24(b) (2) and (c),
the rules also mandate that a student score at least a 90 on such a test to
be advanced a grade level in
grades 1-5 or to receive course credit in grades 6-12. The Superintendent or
designee shall develop procedures
to allow a student not six years old at the beginning of the school year
to be placed initially in first
grade. Criteria for acceleration may include:
1. Scores on readiness test(s)
and/or achievement(s) that may be administered by appropriate District
personnel.
2. Recommendation of the
Kindergarten or preschool the student has attended.
3. Chronological age and observed
social and emotional development of the student.
4. Other criteria deemed
appropriate by the Principal and Superintendent.
Distance Learning
The District provides students
the opportunity to take high school and college courses via distance
learning. Course schedules are
posted at the beginning of each semester. Students enrolled in these
courses have a facilitator in the
classroom to assist the instructor with daily activities. Counselors can
answer questions about
eligibility requirements for those students interested in seeking dual-credit
courses.
Dual Credit Courses /
College Coursework
Students classified as juniors or
seniors may be granted credit for college course(s) taken in approved
institutions to fulfill units for
high school graduation under the following provisions:
18
1. The student makes written
request to the principal and Superintendent that credit be given for a college
course. The course(s) may be
taken concurrently with high school courses or during the summer or
evening.
2. The parent(s) or guardian(s)
affirms in writing to the principal and Superintendent that the student has
parental permission to take the
college course(s).
3. Credit for successfully
completed college course(s) shall be earned in one-unit increments.
4. The student pays all costs
associated with taking the college course(s) and provides the District with an
official college transcript
showing the grade received. The grade must be a minimum of “C” to qualify
for high school credit. Junior
colleges and universities may waive all or part of tuition and fees for a high
school student enrolled in a
course for which the student may receive joint credit.
Extracurricular
Activities, Clubs, and Organizations
Participation in school and
school-related activities is an excellent way for a student to develop talents,
receive individual recognition,
and build strong friendships with other students; however participation is
a privilege, not a right.
Eligibility for participation in
many of these activities is governed by state law as well as rules of the
University Interscholastic League
(UIL)--a statewide association of participating districts.
A student, who receives, at the end of a
grading period, a grade below 70 in any academic class,
other than a class identified as
advanced by either the State Board of Education or by a local
board, may not participate in
extracurricular activities for at least three school weeks.
A student with disabilities who fails to
meet the standards in the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
may not participate for at least
three school weeks.
An ineligible student may practice or
rehearse.
A student is allowed up to 15 absences
not related to post-district competition, a maximum of five
absences for post-district
competition, prior to state, and a maximum of two absences for state
competition. All extracurricular
activities and public performances, whether UIL activities and
other activities approved by the
Board are subject to these restrictions.
A student who misses class because of
participation in an activity that has not been approved will
receive an unexcused absence.
Please note: Sponsors of
student clubs and performing groups such as the band, choir, cheerleading,
drill
and athletic teams may establish
standards of behavior--including consequences for misbehavior—that
are stricter than those for
students in general. If a violation is also a violation of school rules, the
consequences specified by the
Student Code of Conduct or by local policy will apply in addition to any
consequences specified by the
organization.
Grade Classification
After the ninth grade, students
are classified according to the number of credits earned toward graduation.
Credits Earned Grade Placement
6 10
12 11
18 12
19
Graduation
Requirements for a
Diploma
To receive a high school diploma
from the District, a student must successfully complete the required
number of credits and pass a
statewide exit-level examination
The District will be
implementing, in accordance with TEA requirements, new assessments for the
exitlevel
examination that will be required
for graduation for the class of 2005.
Students who were 8th graders in
school year 2000–2001 must pass the new assessment exam beginning
with the school year 2003–2004.
See Testing on page 12.
Students are strongly encouraged
to follow the Recommended or Distinguished Achievement graduation
plan. The District requires no
additional credits beyond those mandated by the state.
J.B. Alexander
High School: Magnet for the Health & Science Graduation requirements are as
follows:
Credits Subject
4.0 PreAP
English 1,2; AP English 3,4
4.0 PreAP
Algebra I, PreAP Geometry, PreAP Alg II,
Pre-Calculus, AP
Calculus
6.5 PreAP
Biology, PreAP Chemistry, PreAP Physics ,
Anatomy &
Physiology, Scientific Research and
Design, Medical
Microbiology (0.5) and one AP
science course
3.5 PreAP World
Geography, PreAP World History, AP
US History and
AP Government
0.5 AP Economics
3.0 Foreign
Language (Three credits in the same
language)
1.0 Basic
Computer Information Systems
1.0 Fine Arts
0.5
Communication Applications
1.0 Health
Science Technology I
2.5 Health
Science Technology II
27.5 Total
United South
High School: Business and Technology Magnet
The Business and Technology
Magnet Program recommends that all students follow the Distinguished
Achievement Plan (DAP). All core
subject areas are Pre-AP and AP (College Board Advanced
Placement) courses. The
curriculum emphasizes business and technology components. The Business and
Technology Magnet offers the
following:
Credits Subject
4.0 English I,
II, III*, IV*
3.0-4.0 Algebra
I , Geometry
Algebra II,
Pre-Calculus, Calculus*
3.0 Biology I,
Chemistry I
Physics I
3.5 World
Geography, World History*,
U.S. History*,
U.S. Government*
0.5 Economics*
3.0 Foreign
Language I, II, IV*
20
1.5 Physical
Education (may be waived)
0.5 Health
0.5
Communication Applications
1.0 Technology
1.0 Fine Arts
6.0-11.0
Elective credits from Career Path Choices:
Information
Technology
Communications
Technology
Business
Technology
* Indicates College Board
Advanced Placement Courses
* Other advanced measures could
include a score of 3 or better on College Board Advanced
Placement tests, college courses,
Tech Prep articulated college courses, or original research project
evaluated by a panel of
professional judges.
United High
School: United Engineering & Technology Magnet graduation requirement
are the following:
The Engineering Magnet Program
recommends that all students follow the Distinguished Achievement
Plan (DAP). Most of the
curriculum will emphasize Engineering components. The Engineering and
Technologies
Magnet will offer the following:
Credits Subject
4.0 English I,
II, III*, IV*
4.0 Algebra I,
Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus,
Calculus*
4.0 Biology I,
Chemistry I, Physics I, Physics II*
3.5 World
Geography, World History, US History*, US
Government*
0.5 Economics*
3.0 Foreign
Language I, II, III, IV*
2.0 BCIS,
Computer Science I and Computer Science II
1.0 Fine Arts
0.5 Health
1.5 Physical
Education
0.5
Communication Applications
6-7 Engineering
Electives: Technology Systems,
Mechanical
Drafting, Engineering Principles,
Engineering CADD
I, Engineering CADD II,
Internship/Research
and Design
26.5 to 30.5
Total
*Indicates
College Board Advanced Placement Courses
**Other advanced measures could
include Advanced Placement courses with exam score of 3 or better,
college courses, or research
project evaluated by a panel of professional judges.
Graduation Programs
The United ISD District offers
the following graduation programs. The counselor can help you decide
which program is best for you.
Number of Credits
Minimum 22
21
Recommended 24
Distinguished Achievement 24
Beginning in the 2004-2005 school
year, all ninth grade students will be required to enroll in the
Recommended or Advanced
(Distinguished Achievement) Graduation Program. Premission to complete
the Minimum Program would be
granted only if an agreement were reached among:
The student
The student’s parent or person standing
in parental relation
The counselor or appropriate
administrator
Please be aware that not all
courses are offered at every secondary campus in the District. A student who
desires to take a course not
offered at his or her regular campus should contact the counselor about a
transfer or other alternatives.
If the parents of at least 22 students request a transfer for those students to
take a course in the required
curriculum other than fine arts or career and technology, then for the
following year the District will
offer the course either by teleconference or at the school from which the
transfers were requested.
Certificates of
Coursework Completion
A certificate of coursework
completion will not be issued to a senior student who successfully completes
state and local credit
requirements for graduation but fails to perform satisfactorily on the
exit-level
examinations, and they will not
be able to participate in any graduation ceremonies.
Students with
Disabilities
Upon the recommendation of the
admission, review, and dismissal committee, a student with disabilities
may be permitted to graduate
under the provisions of his or her individual education plan (IEP).
Homework
Please follow the policy at your
individual campus.
Nontraditional Academic
Programs
STEP Academy is the United ISD
Disciplinary Alternative Education Center. The courses available are
limited to the basic curriculum.
Credits Subject
4.0 English I,
II, III, & IV
4.0 Paced
Algebra A & B, Geometry, Algebra I & II
4.0 World History,
World Geography, US History,
Economics,
Government
4.0 Biology I,
Geology Meteorology and Oceanography
(GMO),
Environmental Systems, Integrated Physics
and Chemistry
22
Completion of Coursework
After Placement in Disciplinary Alternative
Education Program
A student who has been removed
from the classroom and placed in STEP shall have an opportunity to
complete any coursework before
the beginning of the next school year. Available methods to complete
coursework include, but are not
limited to, correspondence courses, distance learning, or summer school.
Completion of Coursework
After In-School Suspension or Other
Removal from the Regular
Classroom
If a student is removed from the
regular classroom and placed in in-school suspension or another setting
other than a disciplinary
alternative education setting, the student can complete each course in which
the
student was enrolled at the time
of the removal. Available methods for completing coursework include,
but are not limited to,
correspondence courses, distance learning, or summer school.
Promotion
A student may be promoted only on
the basis of academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency of
the subject matter of the course
or grade level. To earn credit in a course, a student must receive at least a
grade of 70 based on course-level
or grade-level standards.
In Grades 1-8, promotion to the
next grade level shall be based on an overall average of 70 on a scale of
100 based upon course-level
standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas and a grade of
70 or above in three of the
following areas: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. (See
EIE Local).
In Grades 9-12, mastery of at
least 70 percent of the objectives on District-approved tests shall be
required. Grade level advancement
for students in grades 9-12 shall be earned by course credits.
Changes in grade level
classification shall be made at the beginning of the fall semester. Juniors who
are
graduation candidates must
declare their intent to graduate early in the fall for purposes of class
ranking
and all other senior activities.
These students will be classified as seniors at the beginning of the spring
semester. (See EIE Local).
Each campus in the District shall
ensure that each student, other than a student with disabilities whose
individual education plan (IEP)
provides for alternative achievement standards, demonstrates mastery of
the essential knowledge and
skills adopted by the State Board.
Promotion standards or grade
level classification of special education students shall be determined by the
ARD committee as appropriate.
In assessing students of limited
English proficiency for mastery of the essential knowledge and skills, the
District shall be flexible in
determining methods to allow the students to demonstrate knowledge or
competency independent of their
English language skills in the following ways:
1. Assessment in the primary
language.
2. Assessment using ESL
methodologies.
3. Assessment with multiple
varied instruments. (See EHBE)
The District recognizes that the
retaining of students is not an effective strategy. Therefore, the District
shall establish procedures
designed to reduce retaining students at a grade level, with the ultimate goal
of
eliminating the practice of
retaining students. (See EHBC)
23
Please be aware that, effective
in the school years set out below, a student’s satisfactory performance on
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and
Skills (TAKS) examinations will be required for promotion. This
requirement will be effective for
the following students:
• third graders in the 2002-2003
school year,
• fifth graders in the 2004-2005
school year, and
• eighth graders in the 2007-2008
school year
Students who do not perform
satisfactorily will have opportunities to participate in special instructional
programs designed to help them
improve their performance.
For further information, see
Board policies at EHBC, EI, and EIE.
Special Programs
The District provides special
programs for gifted and talented students, bilingual students, migrant
students, students with limited
English proficiency, dyslexic students and students with disabilities. The
area specialists in charge of
each program can answer questions about eligibility requirements, as well as
programs and services offered in
the District or by other organizations. A student or parent with
questions about these programs
should contact the Area Executive Directors .
Child Find
A child or student between the
ages of birth through 21 who shows signs of development delays, ongoing
learning problems, behavioral or
medical problems that interfere with learning or may be suspected
to have a disability can be
helped through Child Find. Child Find makes connections to services in the
community or your local school
district.
Services Provided by
School Districts
Children Ages 3-21 years
The following are criteria which
may qualify a student for special education services in school district.
Mentally Impaired
Hearing Impaired
Speech Imparied
Visually Impaired
Orthopedically Impaired
Emotionally Disturbed
Learning Disabilities
Individuals who are health impaired
Brain Trauma Injuries
Autism
Contact: Mrs. Juanita Vela
Director of Special Education
201 Lindenwood Dr.
Laredo, Texas 78045
(956) 717-6363
Student Offices and
Elections
For further information, contact
campus administration.
24
Summer School--Other
Than Extended Year Program
Students shall be awarded credit
for courses begun and successfully completed during the summer
sessions. Summer programs are a
privilege not a right; therefore, attendance and discipline will be strictly
enforced. Questions may be
directed to the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction at 717-6245.
SECTION III: General
Information
Topics in this section contain
important information regarding school operations and requirements.
Included are provisions such as
health and safety issues; various aspects of attendance; the school's
expectations for student conduct;
textbooks; and cafeteria. library, and transportation services. For
additional information or questions
you may have, please see the principal.
Attendance
Regular school attendance is
essential for the student to make the most of his or her education—to benefit
from teacher-led activities, to
build each day's learning on that of the previous day's, and to grow as an
individual. Absences from class
may result in serious disruption of a student's mastery of the
instructional materials;
therefore, the student and parent should make every effort to avoid unnecessary
absences.
Compulsory Attendance
The state compulsory attendance
law requires that: “A student between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend
school and District-required
tutorial sessions unless the student is otherwise legally exempted or excused.
A student who voluntarily attends
or enrolls after his or her eighteenth birthday is required to attend each
school day. However, if a student
18 or older has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, the
District may revoke the student's
enrollment. The student's presence on school property is then
unauthorized and may be
considered trespassing.
Truancy may also result in
assessment of penalties by a court of law against both the student and his or
her parents. A complaint against
the parent may be filed in the appropriate court if the student:
Is absent from school on ten or more
days within a six-month period in the same school year, or
Is absent on
three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period.
School employees must investigate
and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law. A
student absent without permission
from any class, from required special programs, such as basic skills for
ninth graders, or from required
tutorials will be considered truant and subject to disciplinary action.
Attendance for Credit
To receive credit in a class, a
student must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. The
actual number of days a student
must attend in order to receive credit will vary, depending on whether the
class is for a full semester or
for a full year. A student who attends fewer than 90 percent of the days the
class is offered cannot receive
credit for the class unless the Attendance Review Committee determines
whether the absences can be
excused or how the student can regain credit.
25
In determining whether there were
extenuating circumstances for the absences, the attendance committee
will use the following
guidelines:
An extracurricular activity or public
performance, subject to approval by the District's Board of
Trustees.
A District-approved mentorship designed
to meet requirements for the Distinguished
Achievement graduation program.
A documented health care appointment—if
the student begins classes or returns to school on
the same day as the appointment.
A temporary absence resulting from any
cause acceptable to the teacher, principal, or
Superintendent, including
personal illness; or illness or death in the immediate family; family
emergency or unforeseen or
unavoidable instance requiring immediate attention.
A juvenile court proceeding documented
by a probation officer.
An absence required by state or local
welfare authorities.
A UISD approved visit to a college
campus.
For a student transferring into the
District after school begins, including a migrant student,only
those absences after enrollment
will be considered.
If the committee determines that
there have been extenuating circumstances, it will decide how the credit
may be regained. If the committee
determines, however, that there are no extenuating circumstances, the
student or parent may appeal the
decision to the District's Board of Trustees by filing a written request
with the Superintendent.
Please note:
A student absent from school for any
reason, other than for a documented health care
appointment, will not be allowed
to participate in school-related activities on that day or
evening.
In those rare circumstances when a
student must be absent from school, the student—upon
returning to school—must bring a
note, signed by the parent, that describes the reason for the
absence; a note signed by the
student, even with the parent's permission, will not be accepted
unless the student is 18 or
older.
Students are tardy if they report to
class after the bell rings without a proper excuse. Four (4)
tardies will be counted as 1 unexcused
absence for the 90 percent attendance credit required .
Repeated instances of tardiness
will result in more severe disciplinary action.
Class time is important. Doctor’s
appointments should be scheduled, if possible, at times when
the student will not miss
instructional times.
A parent wishing to withdraw a student
from school must sign a request to the principal stating
the reason for the withdrawal and
the effective date. The student must then follow the
procedure outlined at Withdrawal
from School on the last day of attendance.
Make Up Work
Make-up assignments or tests shall be
made available to students after any absence. Teachers
shall inform their students of
the amount of time alloted for completing make-up work after an
26
absence; however, the student
shall be responsible for obtaining and completing the make-up
assignments in a satisfactory
manner within the alloted amount of time.
Students shall make up assignments and
tests after absences. Students shall receive a zero for any
assignment or test not made up
within the allotted time.
The grade for make-up work after an
unexcused absence shall be reduced by 20 percent.
The grade for
make-up work after a suspension shall be reduced by 20 percent.
Driver’s License
Attendance Verification
To obtain a driver’s license, a
student between the ages of 16 and 18 must annually provide to the Texas
Department of Public Safety a
form obtained from the school verifying that the student has met the 90
percent attendance requirement
for the semester preceding the date of application. The student can obtain
this form at the Department of
Public Safety. Please take this form to the UISD Management Information
Systems Department to obtain
attendance verification.
Release of Student from
School
A student will not be released
from school at times other than regular dismissal hours except with
permission from the principal or
designee according to the campus sign-out procedures.
A student who becomes ill during
the school day should, with the teacher's permission, report to the
school nurse. The nurse will
decide whether or not the student should be sent home and will notify the
student's parent.
Students will not be excused
during school hours for private lessons of any nature.
Commercial limousines will not be
allowed to pick students up at a school campus.
Messages
Messages to the classroom or to
call students to the office can only be made for emergencies. Campus
administration will have the
responsibility for determining what is an emergency. Such requests will be
made through the campus
administration.
Communicable Disease /
Conditions
To protect children from
illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to
school while contagious. Parents
of a student with a communicable or contagious disease should phone
the school nurse or principal so
that other students who have been exposed to the disease can be alerted.
These diseases include:
Amebiasis Impetigo Salmonellosis,
including
typhoid fever
Campylobacteriosis Infectious mononucleosis
Chicken pox (varicella) Influenza
Scabies
Common cold with fever Measles
(Rubeola) Shigellosis
Fifth disease
(Erythema Infectiosum)
Meningitis, Bacterial
Streptococcal disease,
invasive (group A or B)
Mumps
Gastroenteritis, Viral Pinkeye
(Conjunctivitis) Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
Giardiasis Ringworm of the scalp
Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Head Lice (Pediculosis) Rubella
(German Measles),
including congenital
27
Hepatitis A (acute)
Further information may be found
in policy FFAD.
Bacterial Meningitis
Senate Bill (SB) 31 recently
signed into law a requirement that all school districts provide information
relating to bacterial meningitis
to its students and their parents each school year.
Meningitis is an inflammation of
the covering of the brain and spinal cord also called the meninges. This
illness can be caused by viruses,
parasites, fungi and bacteria. Someone with meningitis may become ill
over one or two days, or in a
matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same
symptoms. Children over one year
of age and adults may exhibit: severe headache, high temperature,
vomiting, sensitivity to bright
lights, neck stiffness, joint pains and drowsiness or confusion. A rash of
tiny, red-purple spots or bruises
caused by bleeding under the skin may also develop.
If diagnosed early and treated
promptly, the majority of people with meningitis make a complete
recovery. Meningitis can not be
spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person
with meningitis has been. Germs
which live in the back of noses and throats are spread when people
exchange saliva such as by
kissing, sharing drinking containers, eating utensils or cigarettes. The
highest
risk group for the most serious
form of the disease is among children ages two – 18.
Meningitis can be prevented by
instructing children not to share food, utensils, toothbrushes, cigarettes,
and by limiting the number of
persons an individual kisses. The disease can also be prevented through
vaccination. The vaccine is
recommended by some groups for college students, particularly freshmen
living in dorms or residence
halls. Vaccination
immunity which lasts for up to five years is a safe and
effective way to decrease
spreading of the germ.
For more information on
meningitis, contact your physician or local health department.
Conduct
In order for students to take
advantage of available learning opportunities and to be productive members
of our campus community, each
student is expected to:
• Demonstrate courtesy.
• Behave in a responsible manner.
• Attend all classes, regularly and on
time.
• Prepare for each class; take appropriate
materials and assignments to class.
• Meet District or campus standards of
grooming and dress.
• Obey all campus and classroom rules.
• Respect the rights and privileges of
other students, teachers, and other District staff.
• Respect the property of others,
including District property and facilities.
• Cooperate with or assist the school
staff in maintaining safety, order, and discipline.
• Avoid violations of the Student Code of
Conduct.
Applicability of School
Rules and Discipline
To achieve the best possible
learning environment for all our students, United ISD rules and discipline
will apply whenever the interest
of the District is involved, on or off school grounds, in conjunction with
or independent of classes and
school-sponsored activities. The District has disciplinary authority over a
student.
As required by law, the District
has developed and adopted a Student Code of Conduct that prohibits
certain behaviors and establishes
standards of acceptable behavior—both on and off campus—and
28
consequences for violation of the
standards. Students need to be familiar with the standards set out in the
Student Code of Conduct, as well
as campus and classroom rules.
Harassment on the Basis
of Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, or
Disability
Students must not engage in
harassing behaviors directed toward another student which are motivated by
race, color, religion, national
origin, or disability.
A student who believes he or she
has been harassed by another student or by a District employee is
encouraged to report the incident
to the principal, Area Executive Director, and/or Mrs. Suzette Pelayo,
District Title IX Coordinator.
The allegations will be investigated and addressed.
The student or his/her parent may
appeal the decision of the principal regarding the outcome of the
investigation in accordance with
policy FNG(LOCAL). See also policy FNCL.
Sexual Harrasment /
Sexual Abuse
The District encourages parental
and student support in its efforts to address and prevent sexual
harassment and sexual abuse in
the public schools. Students and/or parents are encouraged to discuss
their questions or concerns about
the expectations in this area with a teacher, counselor, principal or
designee, Area Executive
Director, or Ms. Suzette Pelayo in the Human Resources Department who
serves as the District Title IX
coordinator for students.
A substantiated complaint against
a student will result in appropriate disciplinary action, depending upon
the nature of the offense and
according to the Student Code of Conduct.
The parent or other advisor may
accompany the student throughout the complaint and investigation
process. Depending upon the
circumstances, the investigation shall be coordinated, if necessary, through
the Children’s Advocacy Center of
Webb County-Laredo, the District Attorney’s Office, the Laredo
Police Department, the UISD
Police Department, and District Administration, according to the District’s
Administrative Procedures.
The student will not be required
to present a complaint to a person who is the subject of the complaint.
The student or parent may appeal
the decision regarding the outcome of the investigation in accordance
with policy FNCJ(LOCAL).
Distribution of Material
School Materials
Publications prepared by and for
the school require prior approval by the principal, sponsor or teacher
before they may be posted or
distributed. Such items may include school posters, brochures, murals, etc.
All school publications are under
the supervision of the teacher, sponsor, and principal. (See FMA
Local).
Non-school Materials
Written materials, handbills,
photographs, pictures, petitions, films, tapes, posters, or other visual or
auditory materials may not be
posted, sold, circulated, or distributed on any school campus by a student
or a nonstudent without the prior
approval of the principal. Materials displayed without authorization will
be removed. If the material is
not approved within two school days of the time it was submitted to the
principal, it should be
considered disapproved. Any student who posts material without prior approval
will be subject to disciplinary
action.
29
Disapprovals may be appealed by
submitting the disapproved material to the Area Executive Director or
Assistant Superintendent for
Instruction; materials not approved within three days are considered
disapproved. This disapproval may
be appealed to the Superintendent in accordance with policy
FMA(Local). Any student who posts
material without prior approval will be subject to disciplinary
action in accordance with the
Student Code of Conduct. Materials displayed without this approval will be
removed.
Dress and Grooming
The District's dress code is
established to teach grooming and hygiene, prevent disruption, and minimize
safety hazards. Students and
parents may determine a student's personal dress and grooming standards,
provided that they comply with
the Student Code of Conduct and Campus dress code.
Fund Raising
Student clubs or classes, outside
organizations, and/or parent groups occasionally may be permitted to
conduct fund-raising drives for
approved school purposes. An application for permission must be made
to the Principal at least 10 days
before the event.
Except as approved by the
Principal, fund raising is not permitted on school property.
Immunization
A student must be fully immunized
against certain diseases or must present a certificate or statement that,
for medical or religious reasons,
the student can not be immunized. The immunizations required are:
diphtheria, tetanus, polio,
measles (rubeola), mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and
haemophilus influenza type B. The
school nurse can provide information on age-appropriate doses or on
an acceptable physician-validated
history of illness required by the Texas Department of Health. Proof of
immunization may be personal
records from a licensed physician or public health clinic with a signature
or rubber-stamp validation.
If a student's religious beliefs
conflict with the requirement that the student be immunized, the student
must present a statement signed
by the student (or by the parent, if the student is a minor) stating that
immunization conflicts with the
beliefs and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination of
which the student is an adherent
or member. This statement must be renewed yearly.
If a student can not be immunized
for medical reasons, the student or parent must present a certificate
signed by a U.S. licensed
physician stating that, in the doctor's opinion, the immunization required
would
be harmful to the health and
well-being of the student or any member of the student's family or
household. This certificate must
be renewed yearly unless the physician specifies a life-long
contraindication. Student’s
immunization status is reviewed on a regular basis throughout the school
year. As a courtesy,
parents/guardian will be notified at least one month prior to any immunization
due
dates.
Medicine at School
A student who must take
prescription medicine during school hours must have a written prescription
ordered by a physician licensed
to practice in the state of Texas. A signed request from their
parent/guardian must also be on
file in the campus nurse’s office. The campus nurse may contact the
ordering physician for order
clarification if needed.
The prescribed medication must be
taken to the campus nurse or principal designee by the
parent/guardian or another
responsible adult in its original, properly labeled container. All medication
refills will be documented on the
student’s daily log for medication record. The nurse or principal
designee will give the medication
to the student at the proper time.
30
No medication, prescription or
non-prescription, may be carried by a student on their person. If a student
must carry self-administered
medication due to any pre-existing medical condition, documentation on the
Self-Administration Medication
Release Form which includes parent/guardian signature and a physician
order must be in place with the
campus nurse prior to bringing the medication on campus. School district
personnel will not be responsible
for safeguarding or monitoring self-administered medication.
Authorized district employees may
administer nonprescription medications provided by the
parent/guardian under the same
provisions as for prescription medications.
For further information, see
Board Policy FFAC (Legal) and FFAC (Local).
Physical Examinations /
Health Screenings
All students entering District
schools for the first time in any grade shall provide evidence of having
received a tuberculosis skin test
since the fourth birthday, except for the following:
Each student who transfers to the
District from another district shall receive a current tuberculin
test, or have a record of
receiving such a test within the preceding 12 months. Students who
received a tuberculin test in a
country other than the United States shall receive a current
tuberculin test from a health
care provided in the United States. Students with histories of BCG
vaccination shall also receive a
current tuberculin test.
Students found to have positive
tuberculin reactions shall be evaluated by a physician, or provide
documentation of a prior
evaluation by a physician, for determination of any need for therapy,
preventive therapy, or future
medical evaluations. The physician’s recommendations shall be
followed and kept as part of the
student’s school medical record.
Parents of students identified
through any screening programs as needing treatment or future examination
shall be advised of the need and
referred to appropriate health agencies. The District may provide
additional screening as District
and community resource permit.
Students desiring to participate
in the UIL athletic and marching band competition shall submit annually a
statement from a health care
provider as outlined in UIL rules indicating that the student has been
examined and is physically able
to participate in the athletic program.
In addition, high school
cheerleading and dance team members shall be required to submit a statement
from a health care provider as
outlined in UIL rules indicating that the student has been examined and is
physically able to participate in
these activities.
For further information, see
Board Policy FFAA (Local)
Pledge of Allegiance
Once during each school day,
student will be required to recite the pledge of allegiance to the United
States flag and the pledge of
allegiance to the Texas flag. On written request from a student’s parent or
guardian, the District will
excuse the student from reciting the pledges of allegiance.
Prayer/Moment of Silence
Each student has a right to
individually, voluntarily, and silently pray or meditate in school in a manner
that does not disrupt
instructional or other activities of the school. The school will not require,
encourage,
or coerce a student to engage in
or to refrain from such prayer or meditation during any school activity.
Following the pledge of
allegiance to the United States and Texas flags, each school in the District
shall
observe one minute of silence
during which each student may, as the student chooses, reflect, pray,
31
meditate, or engage in any other
silent activity that is not likely to interfere with or distract another
student.
Safety
Accident Prevention
Student safety on campus or at
school-related events is a high priority of the District. Although the
District has implemented safety
procedures, the cooperation of students is essential to ensure school
safety. Students should:
Avoid conduct that is likely to put the
student or other students at risk.
Follow the behavioral standards in this
handbook and the Student Code of Conduct, as well as
any additional rules for behavior
and safety set by the principal, teachers, or bus drivers.
Remain alert to and promptly report to a
teacher or the principal safety hazards, such as intruders
on campus and threats made by any
person toward a student or staff member.
Know emergency evacuation routes and
signals.
Follow immediately the instructions of
teachers, bus drivers, and other District employees who
are overseeing the welfare of
students.
Accident Insurance
Soon after school opens, parents
will have the opportunity to purchase low-cost accident insurance that
will help in meeting medical
expenses, in the event of injury to their child. Under state law, the District
cannot pay for medical expenses
associated with a student's injury.
Drills: Fire, Tornado,
and other Emergencies
From time to time, students,
teachers, and other District employees will participate in drills of emergency
procedures. When the alarm is
sounded, students should follow the direction of teachers or others in
charge quickly, quietly, and in
an orderly manner.
Fire Drill Bells
3 bells leave the building
1 bell halt; stand at attention
2 bells return to the room
Tornado Drill
Bells
1 continuous bell students will
move quietly but quickly to the designated locations
2 bells return to classroom
Emergency Medical
Treatment
If a student should have a
medical emergency at school or a school-related activity when the parent
cannot be reached, the school
will need to have written parental consent to obtain emergency medical
treatment and information about
allergies to medications and/or preexisting medical conditions.
Therefore, parents are asked each
year to complete a Student Medical Treatment Card (blue card).
Parents should keep emergency
care information up-to-date (name of doctor, emergency phone numbers,
allergies, etc.). Please contact
the school nurse to update any information.
32
Emergency School Closing
Information
When it becomes necessary (due to
inclement weather or other emergencies) to temporarily close schools,
announcements will be made over
local radio and television stations.
School Facilities
Certain areas of the school will
be accessible to students before and after school for specific purposes.
Students are required to remain
in the area where their activity is scheduled to take place.
After dismissal of school in the
afternoon, and unless involved in an activity under the supervision of a
teacher, students must leave
campus immediately.
Conduct Before and After
School
Teachers and administrators have
full authority over student conduct at before- or after-school activities
on District premises and at
school-sponsored events off District premises, such as play rehearsal, club
meetings, athletic practice, and
special study groups or tutorials. Students are subject to the same rules of
conduct that apply during the
instructional day and will be subject to consequences established by the
Student Code of Conduct or any
stricter code of conduct established by the sponsor in accordance with
Board policy.
Loitering or standing in the
halls between classes is not permitted. During class time, a student must have
a hall pass to be outside the
classroom for any purpose. Failure to obtain a pass will result in disciplinary
action.
Cafeteria Services
The District participates in the
National School Lunch Program and offers students nutritionally balanced
lunches daily. Free and
reduced-price lunches are available based on financial need. Information about
a
student's participation is
confidential. See the campus Cafeteria Manager to apply.
Library
The library is a learning
resource center with books, computers, magazines, and other materials available
for classroom assignments,
projects, and reading or listening pleasure. The library is open for student
use
during the designated times.
Pest Control Information
The District periodically applies
pesticides inside buildings. Except in an emergency, signs will be posted
48 hours before application.
Parents who want to be notified prior to pesticide application inside their
child(ren)'s school assignment
area may contact the school principal.
Asbestos
The District’s Asbestos
Management Plan can be reviewed in Mr. Enrique Rangel’s office at 3501 East
Saunders, telephone number
712-7959.
33
Vandalism
The taxpayers of the community have made a sustained
financial commitment for the construction and
upkeep of school facilities. To
ensure that school facilities can serve those for whom they are intended—
both this year and in the coming
years—littering, defacing, or damaging school property is not tolerated.
Students will be required to pay
for damages they cause and will be subject to criminal proceedings as
well as disciplinary consequences
in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Searches
In the interest of promoting
student safety and attempting to ensure that schools are safe and drug free,
District officials may from time
to time conduct searches. Such searches are conducted without a warrant
and as permitted by law.
Students' Desks and
Lockers
Students' desks and lockers are
school property and remain under the control and jurisdiction of the
school even when assigned to an
individual student.
Students are fully responsible
for the security and contents of the assigned desks and lockers. Students
must be certain that the locker
is locked, and that the combination is not available to others.
Searches of desks or lockers may
be conducted at any time there is reasonable cause to believe that they
contain articles or materials
prohibited by District policy, whether or not a student is present. The parent
will be notified if any
prohibited items are found in the student's desk or locker.
Vehicles on Campus
Students need to purchase a
parking permit in the administrative office after providing proof of a valid
driver’s license and insurance. Periodic
random checks for proof of insurance will be conducted.
Vehicles parked on school
property are under the jurisdiction of the school. The school may search any
vehicle any time there is
reasonable cause to do so, with or without the presence of the student. A
student
has full responsibility for the
security of his or her vehicle and must make certain that it is locked and that
the keys are not given to others.
See also the Student Code of Conduct.
Drug Detection Dogs
Trained dogs’ sniffing of cars
and lockers does not constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment. The
alert of a trained dog to a
locker or car provides reasonable cause for a search of the locker or car.
Trained dogs’ sniffing of
students does constitute a search and requires individualized reasonable
suspicion. (See FNF Legal).
Textbooks
State-approved textbooks are
provided free of charge for each subject or class. Books must be covered by
the student, as directed by the
teacher, and treated with care. A student who is issued a damaged book
should report that fact to the
teacher. Any student failing to return a book issued by the school loses the
right to free textbooks until the
book is returned or paid for by the parent or guardian. However, a student
will be provided textbooks for
use at school during the school day.
If a textbook is not returned or
paid for, the District may withhold the student’s academic records for outof-
District requests only.
34
Transportation
School-Sponsored
Students who participate in
school-sponsored trips are required to use transportation provided by the
school to and from the event. The
principal, however, may make an exception if the parent personally
requests that the student be
permitted to ride with the parent, or the parent presents—before the scheduled
trip—a written request that the
student be permitted to ride with an adult designated by the parent.
Buses and Other School
Vehicles
The District makes school bus
transportation available to all students living two or more miles from
school. This service is provided
at no cost to students. Bus routes and any subsequent changes are posted
at the school. Further
information may be obtained by calling 717-6330.
Students are expected to assist
District staff in ensuring that buses remain in good condition and
that transportation is provided
safely. When riding school buses, students are held to behavioral
standards established in this handbook
and the Student Code of Conduct.
When students ride in a District
van or passenger car, seat belts must be fastened at all times.
Misconduct will be punished in
accordance with the Student Code of Conduct; bus-riding privileges may
be suspended.
Visitors
Parents and other visitors are
welcome to visit District schools. For the safety of those within the school
and to avoid disruption of
instructional time, all visitors must first report to the principal's office to
sign in
and obtain a visitors pass. A
visitor who loses a pass will be charged a fee of $3.00 for the replacement of
the pass.
Visits to individual classrooms
during instructional time are permitted only with approval of the principal
and teacher and so long as their
duration or frequency does not interfere with the delivery of instruction or
disrupt the normal school
environment.
Since visitors may serve as role
models to students, all visitors must adhere to the highest standards of
courtesy and conduct; disruptive
behavior will not be permitted.
J.B. ALEXANDER HIGH
SCHOOL MAGNET/HEALTH & SCIENCES UNITED HIGH SCHOOL MAGNET/ ENGINEERING
& TECHNOLOGY
3600 E Del Mar Blvd., 78041 3600 E Del Mar
Blvd., 78041 8800 N McPherson, 78045 8800 N McPherson, 78045
Principal: Sandra Alvarez Director: Yvonne
Valdez Principal: Alfredo Jasso Director: David Canales
PHONE: (956) 718-9000 PHONE: (956)
718-9070 PHONE: (956) 717-6100 PHONE: (956) 717-6112
FAX: (956) 718-9090 FAX: (956) 718-9079
FAX: (956) 717-6161 FAX: (956) 717-6187
UNITED SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
MAGNET/ BUSINESS L.B. JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL UNITED S.T.E.P ACADEMY
4001 Ave Los Presidentes, 78046 4001 Ave
Los Presidentes, 78046 5626 Celito Lindo Blvd 78046 5201 Bob Bullock Loop,
78041
Principal: Roylin Wilson Director: Elva
Maggie Martinez Principal: Oscar Perez Director: Fernando Sanchez
PHONE: (956) 726-6400 PHONE: (956)
726-6491 PHONE: (956) 796-5100 PHONE: (956) 764-6500
FAX: (956) 726-6486 FAX: (956) 726-6480
FAX: (956) 796-5281 FAX: (956) 764-6588
CLARK MIDDLE SCHOOL
TRAUTMANN MIDDLE UNITED MIDDLE WASHINGTON MIDDLE
500 Hillside Road, (Rear) 78041 8501 Curly
Lane, 78045 700 Del Mar Blvd., 78041 10306 Riverbank Drive, 78045
Principal: Dolores Barrera Principal:
Raymundo Gonzalez, III Principal: Alberto Ibarra Principal: Ruben Rangel
PHONE: (956) 722-5280 PHONE: (956)
724-6020 PHONE: (956) 717-6331 PHONE: (956) 717-5001
FAX: (956) 722-6605 FAX: (956) 724-4796
FAX: (956) 717-6306 FAX: (956) 717-3586
LOS OBISPOS MIDDLE
SALVADOR GARCIA MIDDLE UNITED SOUTH MIDDLE ANTONIO GONZALEZ MIDDLE
4801 S Ejido, 78046 499 Pena Drive, 78046
3707 Ave Los Presidentes, 78046 5208 Santa Claudia Lane, 78046
Principal: Annabel Rubio Principal: Albert
Aleman Principal: Luis Valdez Principal: Adriana Ramirez
PHONE: (956) 724-1801 PHONE: (956)
724-4113 PHONE: (956) 721-5650 PHONE: (956) 523-7000
FAX: (956) 724-4799 FAX: (956) 724-6566
FAX: (956) 721-5655 FAX: (956) 523-7075
ARNDT ELEMENTARY CLARK
ELEMENTARY COL SANTOS BENAVIDES DR. HENRY CUELLAR ELEMENTARY
610 Santa Marta Blvd., 78043 500 Hillside
Road, 78041 900 Del Mar Blvd., 78045 6431 Casa Del Sol Blvd., 78043
Principal: Juanita Zepeda Principal:
Sandra Benavides Principal: Dr. Myrta Villarreal Principal: Cordelia Orengo
PHONE: (956) 712-9000 PHONE: (956)
722-4608 PHONE: (956) 717-6332 PHONE: (956) 717-8464
FAX: (956) 712-9339 FAX: (956) 722-7201
FAX: (956) 717-6342 FAX: (956) 717-9780
DE LLANO ELEMENTARY
FINLEY ELEMENTARY GUTIERREZ ELEMENTARY JUAREZ-LINCOLN ELEMENTARY
1415 Shiloh Drive, 78045 2001 Lowry Road,
78045 505 Calle Del Norte, 78041 1600 Espejo-Molina Road, 78046
Principal: Carol Garza Principal: Elouisa
Diaz Principal: Nora Trevino Principal: Melissa Cruz
PHONE: (956) 717-1356 PHONE: (956)
723-8535 PHONE: (956) 718-2881 PHONE: (956) 722-7556
FAX: (956) 717-0658 FAX: (956) 725-5775
FAX: (956) 718-2499 FAX: (956) 722-4516
KAZEN ELEMENTARY
KENNEDY-ZAPATA ELEMENTARY MULLER ELEMENTARY NEWMAN ELEMENTARY
9620 Albany Drive, 78045 3809 S
Espejo-Molina Road, 78046 4430 Muller Memorial Blvd., 78045 1300 Alta Vista,
78041
Principal: Sandra Cavazos Principal: Maria
Arambula Principal: Ann Potucek Principal: Zulema Gutierrez
PHONE: (956) 717-1456 PHONE: (956)
724-6869 PHONE: (956) 723-1956 PHONE: (956) 727-8498
FAX: (956) 717-0063 FAX: (956) 725-2574
FAX: (956) 723-4911 FAX: (956) 727-8624
NYE ELEMENTARY PEREZ
ELEMENTARY PRADA ELEMENTARY ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY
101 Del Mar Blvd., 78041 500 Sierra Vista
Drive, 78046 510 Soria Drive, 78046 3301 Sierra Vista Drive, 78046
Principal: Irma Flores Principal: Maria de
Lourdes Viloria Principal: Maria Ibarra Principal: Sylvia Reash
PHONE: (956) 764-6330 PHONE: (956)
727-0708 PHONE: (956) 712-9120 PHONE: (956) 724-1567
FAX: (956) 764-6340 FAX: (956) 727-1812
FAX: (956) 712-9131 FAX: (956) 724-4798
RUIZ ELEMENTARY SALINAS
ELEMENTARY TRAUTMANN ELEMENTARY U.D.D. HACHAR ELEMENTARY
1717 Ave Los Presidentes, 78046 1000
Century Drive, 78046 810 Lindenwood Drive, 78045 1003 Espejo-Molina Road, 78046
Principal: David Garza Principal: Julio de
Hoyos Principal: Cynthia Rodriguez Principal: Fernando Garcia
PHONE: (956) 718-2033 PHONE: (956)
724-8307 PHONE: (956) 724-0021 PHONE: (956) 725-2210
FAX: (956) 718-2360 FAX: (956) 724-8836
FAX: (956) 796-0463 FAX: (956) 725-2225
SENATOR JUDITH ZAFFIRINI
ELEMENTARY C.E. BORCHERS ELEMENTARY
5210 Santa Claudia Lane, 78046 9551
Backwoods Trail, 78045
Principal: Anna Torres Principal: Ann
McDonald
PHONE: (956) 717-2255 PHONE: (956)523-7200
FAX: (956) 717-0802 FAX: (956) 523-7275
UISD
Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
PPRA affords parents and students
who are 18 or emancipated minors (“eligible students”) certain rights
regarding our conduct of surveys,
collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain
physical exams. These include the
right to:
Consent before students
are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following
protected areas (“protected
information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program
of
the U.S. Department of Education:
1. Political affiliations or
beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
2. Mental or psychological
problems of the student or student’s family;
3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
4. Illegal, anti-social,
self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
5. Critical appraisals of others
with whom respondents have close family relationships;
6. Legally recognized privileged
relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7. Religious practices,
affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
8. Income, other than as require
by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice
and an opportunity to opt a student out of-
1. Any other protected
information survey, regardless of funding;
2. Any non-emergency, invasive
physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance,
administered by the school or its
agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and
safety of a student, except for
hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or
screening permitted or required
under State Law; and
3. Activities involving
collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students
for marketing or to sell or
otherwise distribute the information to others.
Inspect, upon request and
before administration or use-
1. Protect information surveys of
students;
2. Instruments used to collect
personal information from students for any of the above marketing,
sales, or other distribution
purposes; and
3. Instructional material used as
part of the educational curriculum.
UISD has developed and adopted
policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as
arrangements to protect student
privacy in the administration of protected surveys and the collection,
disclosure, or use of personal
information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. UISD will
notify parents and eligible students
of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and
after any substantive changes.
UISD will also directly notify parents and eligible students, at least annually
at the start of each school year
of the specific or approximate dates of the following activities and provide
an opportunity to opt a student
out of participating in:
• Collection, disclosure, or use of
personal information for marketing sales or other
distribution.
• Administration of any protected
information survey not funded in whole or in part by
U.S. Department of
Education.
• Any non-emergency, invasive physical
examination or screening as described above.
If you wish to opt out as
mentioned above, please sign where indicated below and return this notification
to
the Principal of your child’s
campus within ten (10) days.
_______________________
_______________
Signature Date
Parents/eligible
students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Family Compliance Policy
U.S. Department of
Education
400 Maryland
Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
United Independent School District
“For Children”
STEPS NEEDED FOR WEB PAGE
PUBLISHING
Campuses,
departments, programs, centers or institutes may develop web pages and all UISD
organizations.
CONTENT
GUIDELINES
The
District home page presents United ISD to a worldwide community. Therefore, it
must be timely and accurate. All pages associated with the UISD home page must
strengthen the District's identity and mission. As such, any web page not in
compliance with the UISD Style Guide either through style or content will be
withheld or, if already posted, removed until it is brought into compliance.
BASIC
STANDARDS
Information
to help maintain the quality of the web pages on UISD's web is published in the
UISD Style Guide. Links to sites that conflict with the mission of the District
will not be made. Wherever needed, links to specific sites on the home page
should be made rather than duplicating material. This will reduce duplication
of effort and help ensure consistency and accuracy of information. Some
inappropriate uses of the home page include:
- commercial or personal profit
- copyright and trademark violations
- plagiarism
- mass consumption of system resources
MAINTENANCE
OF OFFICIAL PAGES
Each
director or principal is responsible for the official information created or
maintained by his or her area of responsibility. Directors or principals may
delegate the management of this official information to appropriate personnel.
The responsible individuals must routinely review the official information
placed on the Web by their staff to ensure its timeliness and accuracy.