Understanding discipline as a “teachable moment” is fundamental to a positive approach to discipline. Progressive discipline uses incremental interventions to address inappropriate behavior with the ultimate goal of teaching pro-social behavior. Progressive discipline seeks concurrent accountability and behavior change. The goal of progressive discipline is prevention of a recurrence of negative behavior by helping students learn from their mistakes. Essential to the implementation of progressive discipline is helping students who have engaged in unacceptable behavior to:

• Understand why the behavior is unacceptable and the harm it has caused 
• Consider what they could have done differently in the same situation
• Recognize the impact their behaviors have on others
• Take responsibility for their actions
• Be given the opportunity to learn pro-social strategies and skills to use in the future
• Understand the progression of more stringent consequences if the behavior recurs

Determining the Disciplinary Response

This document provides guidance to school officials when determining which disciplinary measure to impose. In determining how to best address inappropriate conduct, it is necessary to evaluate the totality of the circumstances surrounding the conduct. The following facts must be considered prior to determining the appropriate disciplinary measures: 

• The nature, severity, and scope of the behavior;
• The student’s age and maturity;
• The circumstances/context in which the conduct occurred;
• The frequency and duration of the behavior;
• The student’s disciplinary record (including the nature of any prior misconduct, the number of prior instances of misconduct, and the disciplinary and guidance intervention measures applied for each);
• The student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP), and/or 504 Accommodation Plan, if applicable.

Student Discipline Chart

This discipline chart will be used during the school year as a guide for school administrators so students who violate the District Code of Conduct are dealt with in a consistent and fair manner. Disciplinary action will be determined at the discretion of the administrator, with consideration of the age and relevant behavior record of the student. Responses may be modified with consideration of extenuating circumstances or the severity of the infraction, based on the disciplinary penalties and procedures outlined in the District Code of Conduct. Responses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 indicate progressive disciplinary penalties for subsequent violations. The discipline chart is subject to mandatory minimum suspension periods as set forth in Section VIII(C), Education Law § 3214, protections for students with disabilities, and case-by-case modifications by the appropriate authority. Further, discipline may include the implementation of restorative practices. A glossary of the listed offenses follows this chart. In addition, the following definitions refer to the interventions listed on the chart below.

● Detention: Students must be on time and sit quietly for the entire time. This may include Extended Detention at the High School.
● In School Suspension (ISS): Middle School students are assigned to an alternative educational location. Students will be given credit for all work completed and for attendance
● Out of School Suspension (OSS): Students are not allowed to attend school or school-related functions, except for district-provided tutoring, when assigned. Tutoring will be provided.

Index

• Academic Misconduct
• Cyberbullying
• Cutting Class
• Dress Code
• Drugs/Alcohol
• Elopement
• False Alarm
• Fighting
• Gambling
• Harassment/Discrimination/Bullying/Anti-Semitism
• Homicide
• Insubordination
• Leaving Building
• Leaving Grounds
• Misconduct/Disruptive Activity
• Pass Abuse
• Possession of nicotine/smokeless products
• Profanity (non-directed)
• Profanity (directed)
• Sexual Assault
• Sexual Harassment
• Other Sexual Offenses (Excluding Sexual Harassment)
• Tardiness (group of 3)
• Theft
• Trespassing
• Truancy
• Unauthorized/Unsupervised Area
• Use of nicotine/smokeless products
• Vandalism
• Weapon
• Unsafe Driving/Parking
• Violation of Technology Acceptable Use Policy
• Glossary of Offenses

Academic Misconduct (may include cheating, plagiarism)

Response 1

• Student receives a grade of zero for work or exam
• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Response 2

• Student receives a grade of zero for work or exam
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days

Response 3

• Student receives a grade of zero for work or exam
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days

Response 4

• Student receives a grade of zero for work or exam
• OSS 1-5 days

Response 5

• Student receives a grade of zero for work or exam
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Cyberbullying (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Responses 2-5

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Cutting Class (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days

Responses 3-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Dress Code (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and Teacher or administrator conference with student
• Student dress brought into compliance

Response 2

• Warning and teacher or administrator conference with student
• Student dress brought into compliance
• Caregiver contact required

Response 3

• Behavioral referral required
• Detention 1-5 days.

Response 4

• Behavioral referral required
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-3 days

Response 5

• Behavioral referral required
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days

Drugs/Alcohol (Use/possession of) (skip to index)

Response 1

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Responses 2-5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Elopement (skip to index)

Class
Building
Grounds

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

 

Response 3

• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Responses 4 and 5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearting

 

False Alarm (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-5

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Harassment/Intimidation/Discrimination/Bullying/Anti-Semitism* (Excluding Sexual Harassment) (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Responses 2-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

*The minimum disciplinary consequence for anti-Semitic harassment, discrimination or bullying will be an age-appropriate detention. 

Intentional or Reckless Homicide (skip to index)

Responses 1-5

• Contact Law Enforcement
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

 

Inappropriate Behavior (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 105 days

Response 3

• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days

Response 4

• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Response 5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Insubordination (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 3-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Serious School Misconduct (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-3

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 4-5

• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Pass Abuse (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Pass restriction
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-5

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Possession of Nicotine/Smokeless Products (skip to index)

Responses 1-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Profanity (non-directed) (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Responses 3-4

• ISS 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days

Response 5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Profanity (directed) (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2-4

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Sexual Assault

Responses 1-5

• Contact Law Enforcement
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Sexual Harassment

Response 1

• 1-5 Day Suspension and Parent Conference with principal in school

Response 2

• 5-day Suspension 
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 3-5

• 5-day Suspension
• Contact Law Enforcement
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Other Sexual Offenses (Excluding Sexual Harassment) (skip to index)

Response 1

• Administrator conference with student and phone call to parent
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 3-4

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Tardiness (group of 3) (skip to index)

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Responses 3-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Theft (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 3-5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Trespassing

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Response 2

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Responses 3-5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s Hearing

Truancy (skip to index)

Response 1

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Responses 2-5

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days

Unauthorized/Unsupervised Area (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-5

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Use of Nicotine/Smokeless Products (skip to index)

Responses 1-5

• OSS-5 days

Vandalism (must repay or repair), including intentional or reckless damage and/or misuse of district devices (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 2

• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Response 3

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 4-5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Weapon (skip to index)

Response 1

• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-5

• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Unsafe Driving/Parking (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator conference with student
• Parking/driving privileges suspended

Response 2

• Parking/driving privileges suspended

Responses 3-5

• Parking/driving privileges suspended
• OSS 1-5 days

Violation of Technology Acceptable Use Policy (skip to index)

Response 1

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Suspend student privileges
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Responses 2-5

• Warning and/or administrator or teacher conference with student
• Detention 1-5 days
• ISS/ALP 1-5 days
• OSS 1-5 days
• Superintendent’s hearing

Glossary of Offenses

Academic Misconduct (may include cheating, plagiarism, including unauthorized use of Traditional AI, Generative or Agentic AI) Includes but is not limited to plagiarism, cheating, collusion, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, including unauthorized use of Traditional AI, Generative AI or Agentic AI to plagiarize or cheat, failure to contribute to a collaborative project, and
sabotage.

Cyberbullying: Harassment or bullying that occurs through any form of electronic communication (Education Law §11[8]), including, but not limited to, cell phones, computers, and tablets, or other communication tools, including social media sites, text messages, chat rooms, and websites. (See definition of harassment or bullying as defined in section Harassment and Bullying and Commissioner’s regulation 100.2(kk)(1)(viii))

Cutting Class: Intentionally not attending classes.

Dress Code: A set of rules about what clothing may and may not be worn.

Elopement – *Classroom *Building *Grounds: when a student leaves a designated safe area—such as a classroom, playground, or the school building—without permission or adult supervision.

False Alarm/Call to 911 Service: Causing a fire alarm or other disaster alarm to be activated by either falsely reporting or activating a fire alarm or other type of disaster alarm, with or without a weapon.

Harassment/Intimidation/Discrimination/Bullying/Anti-Semitism* (Excluding Sexual Harassment): Threatening, stalking, or seeking to coerce or compel a person to do something; intentionally placing or attempting to place another person in fear of imminent physical injury; or engaging in verbal or physical conduct that threatens another with harm, including, but not limited to, intimidation through the use of epithets or slurs involving race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, religious practices, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability that substantially disrupts the educational process, with or without a weapon.

Homicide: Any intentional or reckless violent conduct that results in the death of another person.

Insubordination: The refusal to obey someone who is in a higher position than you and who has the authority to tell you what to do.

Serious Misconduct/Disruptive Activity, including recording/distributing audio or video of verbal or physical altercations: Disruptive behavior that poses a serious threat to the learning environment, health, safety, or welfare of others, including but not limited to recording, digitizing, distributing, or causing or encouraging another individual to record and/or distribute imagery in any form
of such verbal and/or physical altercations and/or inciting another individual to engage in such conduct.

Possession/Use/Sale/Distribution of Alcohol: Illegally using or possessing alcohol on school property, including having such substance on a person or in a locker, vehicle, or other personal space, with or without a weapon;
illegally selling or distributing alcohol on school property; finding alcohol on school property that is not in the possession of any person.

Possession/Use/Sale/Distribution of Drugs or other prohibited substances: Illegally using, possessing, distributing, or being under the influence of a controlled substance or marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, or a substance believed or represented to be marijuana, on school property or school sponsored events/activities, whether on or off school grounds, with or without a weapon, including having such substance on a person or in a locker, vehicle, on the person or within other personal space; selling or distributing a controlled substance or marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, or a substance believed or represented to be marijuana on school property or school sponsored events or activities, whether or not on school grounds; finding a controlled substance or marijuana (or a substance believed to be marijuana), on school property that is not in the possession of any person without immediately turning it in to administration; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to apply to the lawful administration of a prescription drug on school property.

Possession/Use of nicotine/smokeless products: Possession of, using, or selling tobacco or vaping on school grounds or at a school sponsored function.

Profanity (directed): Delivering verbal messages that include swearing, name calling, or use of words in an inappropriate way directed towards a staff member. If the student is using language that is insulting to federally protected classes, a DASA form is to be completed.

Serious Misconduct/Disruptive Activity, including recording/distributing audio or video of verbal or physical altercations: Disruptive behavior that where the behavior poses, or it is reasonably foreseeable that the behavior would pose a substantial disruption to the educational process or order and operations of the school, health, safety, or welfare or morals of others.

Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature as defined by state and/or federal law and Board Policy.

Other Sexual Offenses (Excluding Sexual Harassment)- Inappropriate sexual contact, including, but not limited to, touching another student on a part of the body that is generally regarded as private, which includes, but is not limited to,
the buttocks, breasts, and genitalia, removing another student’s clothing to reveal
underwear or private body parts, or brushing or rubbing against another person in a sexual manner or sexting with words and/or images. Other sex offenses shall also include, but not limited to, conduct that may be consensual or involve a child who is incapable of consent because of disability, or s/he is under 17 years of age.

UnexcusedTardiness (group of 3): Late to class or the start of the school day 3 or more times in a marking period without being excused.

Theft: Possession of, transfer of, or being responsible for removing someone else’s property, without that person’s permission.

Trespassing: Knowingly being in a place that one is not allowed to be in without authorization or remaining in a location after there is no longer authorization to be in such location.

Truancy: Absent from school without parent/guardian permission.

Vandalism (must repay or repair): including intentional or reckless damage and/or misuse of district devices- Participating in an activity that results in destruction or disfigurement of property.

Possession of a Weapon: Any device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, homemade or commercially made, that is used for or readily capable of causing death, physical injury or serious physical injury.

Violent Behavior with Physical Injury: Engaging in behavior intentionally or recklessly that causes physical injury to another person. Includes, but is not limited to, black eyes, welts, abrasions, bruises, cuts not requiring stitches, swelling and headaches not related to a concussion.

Violent Behavior with Serious Physical Injury: Intentionally or recklessly causing serious physical injury to another person, with or without a weapon, in violation of the school district’s code of conduct.  Pursuant to Penal Law §10.00(10), “serious physical injury” means physical injury creating a substantial risk of death or serious and protracted disfigurement or protracted impairment of health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.  Serious physical injury requires hospitalization or treatment in an emergency room and includes but is not limited to, a bullet wound, a serious stab or puncture wound, fractured or broken bones or teeth, concussions, cuts requiring stitches and any other injury involving risk of death or disfigurement.

Violation of Technology Acceptable Use Policy: As defined by Pine Bush Central School District’s Acceptable Use Policy.