Los Angeles School of Global Studies

School Culture and Discipline Policy

LASGS is a reform-model school that embraces the New Tech Networks strategy for closing the achievement gap and meeting the needs of low-income urban communities. As part of NTN, Global Studies seeks to create a learning community that empowers all its members to participate in shaping a collaborative learning experience in an environment of trust, respect, and responsibility. At Global Studies our approach to discipline rests fundamentally on our commitment to creating a powerful learning community that supports and engages all its members. This holistic approach means that disciplinary policy cannot be simply a matter of rules and procedures. Nor is it possible to treat discipline as a set of standards that apply only to students. The core school-wide practices that support a positive disciplinary environment are: Engaging Project Based Learning: Our curriculum opens up the learning process so that students with diverse skills and learning styles can take ownership of a collaborative, self-directed process that circumvents the traditional hierarchical conflict between talking head teachers and captive students. By supporting our faculty in developing their ability to implement PBL units that are rigorous, open-ended, and engaging, our curriculum contributes to an environment of trust, respect, and responsibility and is, therefore, a critical component in our discipline plan. Supportive Advisory Program: By allowing adults and students the space to develop non-academic relationships through which every student can receive personalized support, the Advisory Program at LASGS is a second crucial component in our schoolwide discipline plan. Advisors are advocates for their students and should be present for parent conferences, meetings with administrators and any other support meetings. Advisors will communicate closely with content teachers and grade level teams to support and coordinate appropriate interventions. By supporting our faculty in developing their ability to facilitate an effective and personalized advisory program we ensure that all students are connected to, and able to receive the full support of our community to successfully meet the challenges they face. Community Based Discipline: Instead of a rule-driven, one-size-fits-all approach, at LASGS we believe that every student is unique and that every true discipline challenge involves both the behavior of individuals and the norms of a community. We support our faculty in their effort to create and reinforce our school-wide culture of trust, respect, and responsibility in their classrooms every day. We utilize communication between content teachers and advisors, among grade level teams, between teachers and administrators, between adult and student members of our community, and between school and home to ensure that the varied resources of our community can be brought to bear in every circumstance.

The importance of these core practices means that the measure of our learning community can be taken most accurately by monitoring the engagement level of our projects, the supportive spirit of our advisories, and the speed with which the interacting and overlapping communication networks spring into action to support the success of our students when they are most challenged. In a fundamental sense the success of student discipline at LASGS requires every member of the community to own the discipline challenge throughout the school day. Having said that, however, it is understood that the ultimate success of our approach to discipline requires that the Principal take ownership of school-wide discipline. With teachers having primary instructional responsibility, the school community relies on the Principals ability to observe classes and advisories and to engage in conversation with all community members so as to identify patterns of behavior and to identify those students who over the course of their school experience are having the most difficulty participating successfully in our community. Taking escalating or persistent discipline issues out of the individual classroom in a timely and effective way is crucial to ensuring that the discipline process is seen as reinforcing rather than undermining the school culture. The remainder of this packet provides more detail on LASGS discipline policy. 1. Community Expectations: this first document lists the basic expectations that all members of the Global Studies community are expected to adhere to. A poster size version of this document should be visible in every classroom and a form with space for parent signature will be sent home through advisory. 2. Staff Roles in Culture & Discipline: List to keep your three hats straight. 3. Additional Information: Covers a number of topics including a full description of the expanded role of the advisor, content teacher, and administration in the discipline policy. 4. Protocols for Responding to Student Misbehavior: this lists suggested protocols to help teachers select responses suitable to particular types of issues. 5. Unexcused Tardy and Absence Policy: our school-wide tardy and absence policy, including a standard contract for use with ongoing infractions. 6. Finally, we have attached a number of forms that are useful as part of uniform intervention procedures, communication, and reporting: a. Daily Progress Report b. Reflection on Expectations form c. Work Hard, Be Nice form d. Student Support Log

Los Angeles School of Global Studies Community Expectations

LASGS stakeholders are committed to creating a powerful community of active learners whose goal is to fulfill the mission and vision of the LASGS community: MISSION: LASGS prepares students for global citizenship, and for success in postsecondary education and future careers. VISION:
The LASGS learning community is dedicated to maintaining a personalized, rigorous, project-based learning environment. Our curriculum brings together the strength of modern technology, community partnerships, problem solving, interdisciplinary instruction, and global perspectives in a studentcentered, collaborative community.

At LASGS, all students and staff are expected to:

Abide by our motto of Trust, Respect, Responsibility, including academic honesty and personal integrity. Attend school everyday and arrive to classes early. Come to class prepared with all required materials. Use class time wisely by staying on task. Complete homework assignments and project tasks on time. Use polite and respectful language at all times. Wear appropriate clothing in accordance with the schools dress code. Follow the schools Appropriate Use Policy for technology. Help keep the classrooms, hallways, and restrooms neat and clean. Treat the school and all school equipment and materials with respect.
Our motto of trust, respect, and responsibility is the basis of our expectations for stakeholders in the community. Participating in the LASGS community means to meet and exceed these expectations at all times.

Trust, Respect, Responsibility

Staff Roles in Culture & Discipline:

TEACHER Design engaging projects. Foster a collaborative environment. Maintain a safe classroom that reflects the LASGS commitment to Trust, Respect, Responsibility. Communicate with a students advisor if necessary to address discipline, attendance, or academic performance issues. Discuss challenging situations with Grade Level Team and participate in coordinated interventions. ADVISOR Facilitate an effective advisory. Provide personalized mentoring, support and advocacy for your advisees. Call home if requested by subject teachers. Issue daily reports if necessary. Maintain log of interventions. Participate in parent- teacher conferences if needed. Conduct home visits. GRADE LEVEL TEAM MEMBER Review student performance with team. Identify challenges and develop shared response. Conduct parent-teacher conferences in conjunction with Advisor. Work to foster consistency among grade level classrooms through shared practices. Conduct and debrief classroom visits. Participate in the creation and execution of interdisciplinary, grade- level, anchor projects.