State (and a few City) Anti-Bullying Policies Family Equality Council • Contact: Kara Suffredini, Director of Public Policy • Have gathered information on state-by-state bullying policies • Willing to share those resources • Status: waiting Illinois Possible Contact: Tom Rosene • Illinois State Board of Education, Accountability Division • 217-782-2948 State Law • In 2004, Illinois became the first state to include SEL (social and emotional learning) in the standards from preschool through high school • 2001 Ill Public Act 92-060, H.B 646 Requires school boards, in consultation with parent-teacher advisory committees and other community-based organizations, to include provisions in student discipline policies to address students who have demonstrated behaviors that put them at risk for aggressive behavior, including bullying, as defined in the policy Requires these provisions to include procedures for notifying parents or legal guardians and early intervention procedures based upon available community-based and district resources • 2001 Ill Public Act 92-96, S.B 1026 Provides that whoever by threat, menace or intimidation prevents a child entitled to attend a public or nonpublic school from attending that school or interferes with the child's attendance at that school is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor • PA 95-0349 Bullying Prevention Education (Signed by Governor August 2007) o The General Assembly recently passed Public Act 95-0349, which deals with bullying prevention education o This bill requires each school district to create, maintain and file a policy on bullying with the State Board of Education beginning 180 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act The bill was signed by the Governor on August 23, 2007 Each school district must communicate its policy on bullying to its students and their parent or guardian on an annual basis The policy must be updated and then filed every years with ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) • Department or agency heading this effort o Illinois State Board of Education • Is there a method of enforcing the law? o The policy must be updated and then filed every years with ISBE Each school district policy is to be sent to Henri Fonville, Accountability • • • Division, Illinois State Board of Education, 100 N First Street, Springfield, IL 62777 o Accreditation issue? Does the law specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) o Not defined What programs/training is used? Any of them working well? o What ages the programs target? Recommended resources Kansas • Contact: Kent Reed o Counseling Education Consultant, Kansas State Department of Education o 785-296-8109, kreed@ksde.org • KSA 72-8256 passed by the 2007 Legislature requires school districts to: adopt policies prohibiting bullying on school property, in school vehicles, or at school sponsored activities, and adopt and implement a plan to address bullying, which must include provisions for training and education of staff and students upon request of a school district, the state board shall assist in the development of a grade appropriate curriculum for character development programs • Time has run out for Kansas schools to comply with K.S.A 72-8256 (formerly known as SB 68) Schools could face legal exposure if compliance to K.S.A 728256 requirements are not in place • Kansas school safety hotlineo Personnel at the Salina Central Dispatch of the Kansas Highway Patrol will answer the hotline number The dispatchers will get as much information about each situation reported as the caller wishes to relay Upon receipt of a call, the dispatchers will notify appropriate law enforcement agencies and/or the office of the superintendent of schools depending upon the severity of the situation o The 1999 Kansas Legislature has appropriated funds to assist the State Department of Education, in cooperation with the Kansas Highway Patrol, in establishing a school safety hotline This hotline is a toll free number available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to give students, parents, and community members the opportunity to report any impending school violence As you are aware, students usually have knowledge of potential school violence before it occurs This hotline would give students the opportunity to anonymously report any potential violence • www.kbpp.org – see Safe School Programs and Trainings document • • • • • Department or agency heading this effort o KSDE (Kansas State Dept of Ed) has taken the lead on implementing the anti-bullying statute; however they have partnered with a variety of other state and community agencies in providing technical assistance to the field Is there a method of enforcing the law? Are any schools still without a policy? o “The first year our state auditors included a compliance check with their visits to buildings across the state This year we have included a compliance check on annual sign-off reports building principals are required to submit o “We've asked all schools to document the steps they have taken in order to meet the requirements of KSA 72-8256; these would then be available during KSDE site visits or upon request It is important to remember that we are a local option state, so each USD is responsible for developing and implementing their own policies and protocols At my last count we had in-serviced over 2,500 Kansas educators and we have large Conferences coming up over the next month or so.”-KR The law doesn’t specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) What programs/training are used? Any of them working well? o “Please feel free to view the links and/or call me at 785-296-8109; the Kansas Bulying Prevention Program and Rachel's Challenge are probably the most popular, but we've had Barbara Coloroso, Second Step and Rosalind Wiseman make several presentations in state; another factor that helps is that our Educational Service Centers have all created their own bullying prevention curriculums that they share with their own individual consortiums Again, being a local option state each USD has the discretion to adopt their own policies and protocols.” -KR Recommended resources o Kansas Safe Schools Resource Page: http://www.ksde.org/KS_SAFE_SCHOOLS_RESOURCE_CENT ER/index.html o School counseling home page and resource links: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1799 o Approved curricular model counseling standards and model practices at: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=149 Minnesota • • Contact: Nancy Riestenberg o Prevention Specialist, Minnesota Dept of Ed o 651-582-8433, nancy.riestenberg@state.mn.us 2007 Minnesota Law # 121A.0695 o Each school board shall adopt a written policy prohibiting intimidation and bullying of any student This section is effective for the 2005-2006 school year and later.” • • • • • Department or agency heading this effort o The policy is required by law A sample policy was developed by the Minnesota School Board’s Association, and is available for their member districts There is no official effort from the agency Rather, the topic of bullying prevention has been part of the Safe and Drug Free Schools program (SDFS) since before 1998 SDFS provides workshops and TA on the topic Is there a method of enforcing the law? o No funds were designated by the legislature to pay for compliance checking The districts not have to send in their policies to the agency However, the SDFS program monitors about 20 districts each year (out of 335), and at that time checks to see if the districts have a policy on their books Policy does not ensure implementation or prevention practice What programs/training are used? Any of them working well? o Common bullying prevention programs in Minnesota districts include: Olweus, Second Step, Don’t Laugh At Me, Stop Bullying Now, Lion’s Quest and other programs listed on the federal Office of SDFS exemplary and promising programs list In addition, many districts are training teachers in Responsive Classrooms and other social emotional programs, which also have an effect on bullying behavior See www.CASEL.org Does the law specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) o Not defined Recommended resources o The Minnesota Student Survey is given every three years, and this year included specific questions about bullying as well as some related questions You can find the trend report at http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support/Safe_and_Healthy_L earners/Minnesota_Student_Survey/index.html; click on ‘state-wide tables and reports.’ o In addition, at this site http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support/Safe_and_Healthy_L earners/index.html if you scroll down to Snapshots on Minnesota Youth, you will find analysis of several data sources on Minnesota youth The next edition of the Snapshots will be about bullying o There is interesting analysis of the use of restorative measures in regards to bullying in Brenda Morrison’s book, Restoring Safe School Communities There are a number of school buildings in Minnesota that employs restorative measures for rule violations and harm Missouri • • • • • Contact: Brad Stanley o Missouri Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education o 573-751-4212 MO Center for Safe Schools http://education.umkc.edu/safe-school/ School Violence Hotline www.schoolviolencehotline.com, 1-866-748-7047 2008: Following the suicide of a 13-year-old-girl allegedly the victim of an Internet hoax, Gov Matt Blunt created an Internet Harassment Task Force In January, it proposed a law that would make it a crime to harass someone using an electronic device— from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony The task force also called for state education officials to consider computer ethics and etiquette classes and suggested legislation adding harassment as a mandatory reportable offense under current education statutes Is there a Missouri law that deals with the issue of anti-bullying in schools? o § 160.775 RSMo 2006 o School districts must adopt an anti-bullying policy no later than September 1, 2007 The act defines "bullying" as “intimidation or harassment that causes a reasonable student to fear for his or her physical safety or property.” Bullying can consist of a physical act, oral or written communication, and can include “threats of retaliation” to students for reporting such acts The policy shall not contain specific lists of protected classes of students The policy shall require district employees to report any bullying instance of which the employee has firsthand knowledge and shall address employee training in its requirements • • • • • • Department or agency heading this effort o Missouri Center for Safe Schools- “A partnership between the Missouri Dept of Elementary and Secondary Ed and the School of Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City Is there a method of enforcing the law? Does the law specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) o No, the law says “Policies shall treat students equally and shall not contain specific list of protected classes of students who are to receive special treatment” Has there been any follow-through of the task force’s recommendations? What programs/training is used in the state? o In April, the Olweus Training of Trainers was held in Kansas City to prepare the first cadre of trainers These trainers will support approximately 35 schools during program implementation which will begin in August of 2008 Any of them working well? o Olweus Program just started Aug 2008 Nebraska • • • • • • Contact: Lela Lowry o School Safety Program Specialist, Nebraska Dept of Education o 402-471-1925, lela.lowry@nebraska.gov LB205 was approved by the Governor on February 07, 2008 LB205 states that 'on or before July 1, 2009, each school district as defined in section 79-101 shall develop and adopt a policy concerning bullying prevention and education for all students.' o LB 205 Senator Howard Department or agency heading this effort o Department of Education, Nebraska School Safety Center www.nde.state.ne.us/safety Is there a method of enforcing the law? Consequences? o Accreditation team visits school If there’s a problem, they give x amt of time to fix the deficiency, if that is not fixed they could lose their accreditation Does the law specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) o Doesn’t specify, but “it doesn’t matter who you are, what your are, where you’re from”-Lela Lowry What programs/training is used in the state? o Positive Behavior Support www.npbis.org Working with the individual student, finding alternative behaviors State program that can be used in the local school if requested Preschool through high school o Any of them working well? Too early to say, schools aren’t required to have policies until 2009 South Dakota • • • • Olweus Bullying Prevention Program now has trainers available to SD schools For more information on setting up the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program within your school, contact Melinda Olson at SE Prevention Resource Center at 605-335-6474 or m.olson@voa-dakotas.org; or Dodi Haug at the NE Prevention Resource Center at 605-884-3516 dodih@humanserviceagency.org (both contact people seem to be from non-profits, not the state) Is there a state policy against school bullying? Department or agency heading this effort Is there a method of enforcing the law? • • o Does the law specify which areas are covered by the law (ancestry, gender, race, gender identity, etc) What programs/training is used in the state? o Any of them working well? o What ages the programs target? Recommended resources Wisconsin • • • • • • Contact: Steve Fernan o State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction o 608-266-3889 2007-2008 SB 42 (which would require school policies on bullying) Failed to Pass Is there a state policy on bullying in Wisconsin? o No state policy yet A bill was introduced in the past two sessions to address this, passed Senate both times but not Assembly o Modeled after Bully Police’s “Perfect Law”, though heavily revised o Would have required that each local district have a policy on bullying o Would not have required the implementation of those policies o Would have required the state develop model policies and programs Department or agency heading this effort o Even though there is no state law, the Department of Public Instruction has developed curriculum, provided it free of charge to schools What programs/training is used in the state? o State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction developed “Bullying Prevention Curriculum”; targeted to grades 3-5, and 6-8 Recommended resources o Resources for Safe Schools http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/safeschool.html Minneapolis Public Schools • • Bully Prevention in the Minneapolis Public Schools http://sss.mpls.k12.mn.us/Bully_Prevention.html o Built on the bully-prevention model developed by Daniel Olweus, this program emphasizes a holistic approach to preventing bullying The four areas that must be addressed are: School-wide interventions Classroom interventions Interventions with individuals Community and parent involvement o ‘Welcoming Schools Curriculum”: Training and curriculum for elementary and middle school kids • Twenty sites in the Minneapolis Public Schools have active bully prevention activities Chicago • • No contact made yet Haven’t found anything Chicago Public Schools have to or are doing, but found “Dealing with Bullying: 15 Things Schools Can Do” http://clear.cps.k12.il.us/SafeSchools/Bullying_Prevention/bullying_prevention.html NYC • As part of the new program, school principals are required to appoint a member of the faculty to whom students can report bullying and harassment episodes Additionally, Klein announced an e-mail address that has been set up in case students are concerned about speaking personally to an administrator Schools will also have to report all incidents to the chancellor's office within 24 hours-and all staff members will be required to report all bullying incidents to school administrators • http://www.diversityinc.com/public/4303.cfm? utm_source=emailafriend&utm_medium=actualstory • http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/new-rules-are-aimed-at-deterringschool-bullying/?scp=1&sq=New%20Rules%20Are%20Aimed%20at %20Deterring%20School%20Bullying&st=cse • http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/RespectforAll/default.htm • Personal commentary: Summary: Similar to many other policies It spends more time detailing what they call "banned behaviors" Also this year they've started tracking "bias related episodes" of bullying Process: Unclear what the NYC Dept of Ed's "Respect For All" program does after they receive a call or email Is there a way the school could work out the problem before the Dept of Ed would have to get involved? Possibility of Abuse: bullying can be interpreted in different ways, and unfortunately high school discourse -even among friends- could often be seen as harassment Sending a complaint directly to the Dept of Ed could create some challenges Reporting by Email : Like the school safety hotlines in Missouri and Kansas, the use of email reporting allows the student some anonymity when reporting bullying If the student doesn't trust their own school to help the situation, it could be easier for them to report bullying to someone outside of their campus ... activities, and adopt and implement a plan to address bullying, which must include provisions for training and education of staff and students upon request of a school district, the state board... no state law, the Department of Public Instruction has developed curriculum, provided it free of charge to schools What programs/ training is used in the state? o State of Wisconsin Department of. .. Common bullying prevention programs in Minnesota districts include: Olweus, Second Step, Don’t Laugh At Me, Stop Bullying Now, Lion’s Quest and other programs listed on the federal Office of SDFS