BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS & CONSEQUENCES

At Pershing, we have high expectations for our students and are committed to creating an environment in which they can succeed.  Disciplinary consequences are designed to deter the student from making errors in judgment or engaging in misconduct that interferes with the student’s (or other students’) ability to be academically successful.

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT

HISD’s Code of Student Conduct (https://www.houstonisd.org/codeofconduct) is available to all parents and students and describes disciplinary offenses and how the district handles them.  Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children adhere to the rules and conventions of proper behavior while at school.  The Code of Student Conduct includes a form that requires both the student’s and parent’s signatures and must be returned along with other forms in the first day or registration packet.

Misconduct is categorized into five levels:

• Level I – violation of classroom rules; generally corrected by the teacher and/or parent contact.
• Level II – administrator/teacher intervention; generally, more serious in nature or a repeated violation under Level I.
• Level III – misconduct that disrupts the instructional process in class, at school, or during school-related activities; repeated violation of Level I and II offenses; considered to be a serious offense.
• Level IV – criminal offenses; any felony, whether school-related or not, are included here unless it is categorized as a Level V.  Such an office requires removal of the student to a Disciplinary Alternative Educational Program (DAEP).
• Level V – serious acts of misconduct, including assault, possession of weapons, drug distribution, and other criminal offenses.

At Pershing we use a variety of disciplinary measures.  Below is a brief explanation of the most used disciplinary measures at Pershing.

• Verbal Warning/Conference:  one-on-one conference with student; directive may be given in writing.
• Mediation:  A conference between students who are experiencing conflict; a mediation form is used to document agreements between the students.
• Administrative Directive:  written directive signed by the assistant principal and student.
• Restorative Circles:  a part of Restorative Practices, where students resolve conflict so that all parties feel that the outcome is just and fair and allows for maintaining a positive and healthy school culture.
• Clean Team:  check in with assistant principal on duty; clean a specified area for a specific amount of time.
• Detention:  Thirty-minute time during lunch or after school; study materials are required; sustained silence.  Failure to attend detention will result in ISS.
• Community Service:  two-hour Saturday detention requires students to clean up and beautify the campus.  Failure to attend community service will result in ISS.
• Education First Program:  used for first-time drug/alcohol offenses.  Students participate in an online drug/alcohol program and meet with a drug/alcohol counselor.  Students are required to complete the Education First online program during a mandatory Saturday session.  Failure to complete program can result in a DAEP placement. 
• Per House Bill 114, possession, use, distribution, etc. of a vape on district property or at a district event, by law, requires placement in a disciplinary alternative education program.
• In-School Suspension (ISS):  student attends school in one classroom for all periods; scheduled breaks; heightened structure; coursework provided by regular teacher; sustained silence; extracurricular participation is suspended for the duration of the assignment.  Placement can be from 1 to 5 days.
• Loss of Privileges:  student may be banned and/or removed from a Pershing sport, club, event, etc.
• Out of School Suspension (OSS):  student is prohibited from being on the Pershing campus and is prohibited from attending any HISD school related activity/event.  Placement can be from 1 to 3 days.
• Disciplinary Alternative Educational Placement (DAEP):  Level III/IV offenses ranging from 30-180-day placement.  Student is required to withdraw from Pershing to attend DAEP.