Student Support & Conduct

2021 Model Guidance for Positive, Preventative Code of Student Conduct Policy and Alternatives to Suspension

The 2021 Model Guidance for Positive, Preventive Code of Student Conduct Policy and Alternatives to Suspension (Word) is a blueprint for school boards in revising local policies, systems, and practices related to student conduct and school climate. The 2021 Model Guidance provides references to relevant Code of Virginia statutes and includes resources for developing alternatives to suspension. Local school board policies should be consistent with, but may be more stringent than, the guidelines of the Board (Code of Virginia § 22.1-279.6).

General Interest

• Guide to Local Alternative Education Options for Suspended and Expelled Students in the Commonwealth (PDF) – Virginia Commission on Youth (2008)
• Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia

Students with Disabilities

• Guidance Document on Manifestation Determination (PDF) – Document currently under revision
• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) Guidelines (PDF)
  • Appendix A Forms:
    • Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff (FACTS-Part A) (PDF)
    • Functional Behavioral Assessment Interview Forms (PDF)
    • ABC Observation Form and Functional Assessment Scatterplot (PDF)
    • Problem Behavior Questionnaire (PDF)
• Discipline of Children With Disabilities (PDF)