Bullying is a serious issue that has been addressed by the state of Colorado with anti-bullying laws. These laws cover off-campus conduct and prohibit bullying against any student for any reason, including, but not limited to, any behavior directed toward a student based on academic performance or disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. To encourage districts to implement evidence-based bullying prevention programs, the state has established a state-funded educational grant and bullying prevention program. The Department of Education has also created a page on its public website to make evidence-based practices and other resources available to educators and other professionals involved in bullying prevention and education.
Colorado school districts must adopt a safe school plan after consulting with the school district and school accountability committees, parents, teachers, administrators, students, student councils (when available), and the community at large. Each school must also designate a team of people to advise the school administration on the severity and frequency of bullying incidents that occur at school. This team may include law enforcement officials, social workers, prosecutors, health professionals, mental health professionals, school psychologists, counselors, teachers, administrators, parents and students. In addition to these measures, Colorado schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. To further this goal, Senate Bill 46 was passed in Colorado which eliminates the zero tolerance policy in schools where children are summarily suspended or expelled for certain crimes.
The bill also simplifies reporting and data collection on school disciplinary practices disaggregated by race and other factors. It also requires school districts to adopt a safe school plan and a code of conduct and discipline that contains a specific policy that addresses bullying prevention and education. Colorado state law also encourages each school district to implement training and education in the principles and practices of restorative justice as an approach to remedying student crimes such as bullying. However, it does not require districts to provide training to teachers or other school personnel on how to respond to incidents of bullying. Schools in North Central Colorado have taken steps to ensure that their students are safe from bullying.
The state has implemented anti-bullying laws that cover off-campus conduct and prohibit bullying against any student for any reason. The Department of Education has created a page on its public website with evidence-based practices and other resources available to educators and other professionals involved in bullying prevention and education. School districts must adopt a safe school plan after consulting with the school district and school accountability committees. In addition to these measures, Colorado schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. Senate Bill 46 was passed in Colorado which eliminates the zero tolerance policy in schools where children are summarily suspended or expelled for certain crimes.
It also requires school districts to adopt a safe school plan and a code of conduct and discipline that contains a specific policy that addresses bullying prevention and education. Colorado state law also encourages each school district to implement training and education in the principles and practices of restorative justice as an approach to remedying student crimes such as bullying. However, it does not require districts to provide training to teachers or other school personnel on how to respond to incidents of bullying. In conclusion, schools in North Central Colorado have taken steps towards ensuring their students are safe from bullying by implementing anti-bullying laws that cover off-campus conduct as well as adopting safe school plans. They have also eliminated zero tolerance policies for certain crimes while simplifying reporting procedures for disciplinary practices. Finally, they have encouraged training in restorative justice principles as an approach towards remedying student crimes such as bullying.
