SCHOOL BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR
SUMMARY OF REQUIRMENTS
FOR POLICY 4373 EXPECTED BEHAVIOR IN SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS
Disclaimer: This document is provided as a summary of the requirements for school
building administrators as outlined in WVBE Policy 4373 Expected Behavior in Safe and
Supportive Schools. This summary is meant to be reviewed in conjunction with the full
policy and should not be used as the sole document for reviewing and understanding
the full breadth of content articulated in the policy.
Chapter 1:
Provide leadership for school-wide initiatives to support student
development of social and emotional learning standards.
1. Self-awareness and Self-management
2. Social awareness and Interpersonal Skills
3. Decision-making Skills and Responsible Behaviors
Chapter 2: Assure the protection of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
1. The Right to a Thorough and Efficient Education
2. Student Inquiry and Expression
3. Non-curriculum Related Student Groups
4. Extra-Curricular Activities
5. Privacy
6. Protection from Unreasonable Searches and Seizures and Self-Incrimination
7. Child Abuse Prevention
Chapter 3: Provide leadership for continuous school climate/culture improvement
planning and implementation. Embed the strategies for this improvement within the
overall school strategic plan. The school climate/culture improvement process includes
the following steps:
1. Establish a leadership team (may be an existing team) to manage the design,
monitoring and improvement of school climate/culture;
2. Develop school-wide priorities for Safe and Supportive Schools that include:
 a process to gain school-wide input and commitment to school climate/culture
improvement from students, staff, parents and community;
 annual analysis of school climate/culture data;
 data driven improvement decisions based on analysis of consistently tracked
student behaviors;
3. Implement school-wide plans that provide appropriate interventions to support and
reinforce expected behaviors and include:
 programs/practices that promote youth asset development to support expected
student behaviors, positive education and health outcomes;
 comprehensive and effective intervention programs/practices that target
identified behaviors that are disruptive to the educational process and that place
students at higher risk of poor education and health outcomes;
 appropriate and reliable referral procedures for intensive intervention that enlist
school and community partnerships; and
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4. Evaluate school climate/culture improvement processes and revise as needed.
The following tasks will be essential to success throughout the continuous improvement
process:
1. Partnership Development- for partnerships with community agencies/
organizations to support the school’s climate/culture improvement plans. Formal
partnerships between community service agencies must be approved by the
county board of education.
2. Policy Dissemination and Training - each school shall develop and implement an
ongoing awareness campaign for all students, staff and parents/guardians:
 Students, staff and parents must have access to view and understand the
policy (printed or electronic versions are acceptable under conditions of
March 16, 2012 Superintendent’s Interpretation)
 The county and/or school shall develop and implement training for students
and staff on these regulations and on means for effectively promoting the
goals of this policy.
3. Evaluation of Effectiveness: The leadership team will review data annually that
may include but not be limited to the following outcome and process data sets:
 Progress toward implementation plan goals and objectives
 Evidence of school climate/culture improvement efforts;
 Required LSIC reports (West Virginia Code §18-5A-2);
 Trend analysis from school climate/culture survey tools (as available);
 Summary data for incidents of inappropriate behavior and intervention
responses to incidents; and
 Evaluation data from training and staff development provided by the county,
RESA and/or WVDE.
West Virginia Code Requirements for Schools:
§18-5A-2
Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) review of discipline data.
§18-9F-9
School crisis response plan (by August 1, 2013)
§18A-5-1
Allowances/stipulations for exclusion of students from the classroom
and/or school bus
§18A-5-1a Disciplinary action requirements and due process procedures for Safe
Schools Act violations (possessing deadly weapons, possessing a
controlled substance, assaults and batteries upon teachers or other school
personnel; sale of narcotic).
§61-7-11a Reporting requirements for possession of deadly weapons.
Chapter 4: Address inappropriate behavior with meaningful interventions and
consequences and support school staff in doing the same through effective classroom
management. The principal has broad discretion in determining appropriate
interventions and consequences for inappropriate behavior. With this discretion comes
great responsibility to choose interventions that will promote student success for all
students as well as contribute to the school’s climate/culture improvement goals. Note
the following reminders when determining consequences to inappropriate behavior:
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out-of-school suspension strategies should be used sparingly and shall never deny a
student access to instructional material and information necessary to maintain their
academic progress;
any student receiving out-of-school suspension or expulsion from school is also
suspended from extracurricular activities for the duration of the suspension or
expulsion (application of this standard for in-school-suspension is at the discretion of
the county policy);
when administering interventions and consequences, it is required to determine if a
student warrants protection under the IDEA, WVBE Policy 2419 and or Section 504;
consequences to the inappropriate behaviors of staff and/or public guests of the
school are addressed through personnel procedures and removal from school
property (for public guests);
use of physical punishment prohibited;
when the use of physical restraint is necessary, guidelines for training and
documentation must be followed;
when alternative educational placements are necessary, county alternative
education policies will provide necessary procedural guidance; and
local/county/state law enforcement agencies are key partners in assuring a safe and
supportive school but all parties must be clear as to the appropriate manner in which
law enforcement engages with students based on various circumstances.
Chapter 5: Each school implementation plan shall:
1. designate the individual(s) who will receive complaints about inappropriate
behaviors indicated in Chapter 4;
2. outline procedures to assure that any victim or witness of an inappropriate behavior
has an identified mechanism to report the alleged acts immediately to the
appropriate official(s);
3. outline procedures for investigating allegations of inappropriate behavior that
include but are not limited to:
 the designation of the person(s) to conduct investigations;
 requirements for parent/guardian notifications specific to each level of
inappropriate behavior;
 the requirement for investigations to include personal interviews with the
complainant, the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed and witnesses;
 initiation of steps to protect the complainant, students, teachers, administrators or
other personnel pending an investigation;
 assurance that the investigation will be completed as soon as practicable but no
later than ten school days following the reported violation.
4. outline principal actions to be taken after completion of the investigation which
include:
 finalization of a report (to be filed/recorded as determined in the county policy)
that determines whether the allegations have been substantiated;
 submission of a written report to the complainant or his/her legal guardian
stating the findings of the investigation;
 maintenance of confidentiality for all parties during the investigation and
reporting of findings/action; and
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 measures to prevent retaliation against any person who reports alleged
violations, who testifies, assists or participates in an investigation, proceeding or
hearing relating to such inappropriate behaviors.
Chapter 6: The principal (designee) shall follow certain laws and procedures when
addressing inappropriate behavior with meaningful interventions and consequences
which include:
1. West Virginia Code §18A-5-1 requirements for exclusion from the classroom or
school bus;
2. due process requirements for out-of-school suspension and expulsion as
outlined in West Virginia Code §18A-5-1a;
3. considerations for students with disabilities, students not yet determined eligible
for special education and students with 504 Plans; and
4. reporting all incidents of inappropriate behavior into the WVEIS Discipline
Management System.
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