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Jahn School of Fine Arts

Koffee With Kimbrough

Bullying/PK-2 shifts

1.17.25

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Read-Aloud:

Be Kind

By: Pat Zietlow Miller

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Key Takeaways (Walk aways)

I will walk away with a better understanding of what is and is not bullying.

I will walk away with the shifts made in the PK-2 discipline.

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Purpose

The Board asks every Chicago Public School (“CPS”) student, with the support of his/her/their parent(s), guardians, and the adults at school, to commit to the following principles, which will apply to everyone on school property and at school-related activities:

I will not bully or intentionally harm others.
I will try to help anyone I suspect is being bullied or harmed.
I will work to include students who are left out.
If someone is being bullied or harassed, I will tell an adult and an adult at home.

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Definition of Bullying

Bullying definition: any physical or verbal act, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students, and meets ALL of the following criterion:

Imbalance of power
Severe or pervasive
Intent was to cause harm
Behavior has detrimental effects on targeted student

See Student Code of Conduct for Complete Definition

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Bias Based Behavior

“Bias based behavior” is any physical, verbal, nonverbal, or other act or conduct including communications made in writing or electronically, directed a member or perceived member of a protected category within the school community that is of a discriminatory or harmful nature.

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Peer Conflict vs. Bullying

Peer Conflict

Equal balance of power
Accidental

often arises from social dynamics

Seeking resolution

Both parties trying to get what they want

Frustration and anger shared by all parties
Efforts to solve problem

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Peer Conflict vs. Bullying

Bullying

Unequal balance of power
Purposeful

Intent to harm or humiliate

One party seeking power, control, or materials
One-sided
Strong emotional reaction from one person
No effort to solve problem

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Scope

Bullying and Bias-based behaviors are prohibited and are considered a violation of the CPS Student Code of Conduct and subject to discipline:

During school-sponsored or sanctioned program or activity;
In school, on school property, on school buses, or other Board-provided transportation
Through transmission of information via computer or network;
When communicating through any electronic technology, or personal electronic device.
When it is conveyed that at threat will be carried out in a school setting.
When the Student Code of Conduct - Group 5 and 6 behavior that happens off campus.

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Responding to Students in Early Grades (P-2)

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What We Heard: Pre-K through 2 Central Issues

Post-pandemic increase in safety-related externalizing behaviors in Pre-K through 2
Policy Problems: SCC has no age-based differentiation, esp for early childhood

Educators, parents saw harm in viewing PreK-2 behavior as “misconduct”
Not developmentally aligned for early childhood
Administrators: “Not set up for success”:

Misconduct frame can feel antagonistic with PreK-2 parents & caregivers

Significant Inequity in P-2 discipline data:

PreK-2 Group 5 & 6 Misconducts:

75% assigned to black students
black males w/IEPs over 7x over-represented

PreK-2 Suspensions

10x disproportionate over-representation for black males w/IEPs
4-5x overrepresentation of students w/IEPs

Coordinated department training & support lacking and/or inconsistent

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PreK-2 SCC Amendments

Stakeholder-Recommended Amendments:

SCC Policy Amendments

Remove PreK-2 grades from Groups 1-6
Create PreK-2 behavior category

List behaviors impacting safety, use objective language
Create new parent report removing misconduct language

Guidance & Training

Expand district-wide training for PreK-2 classroom-based support, intervention

Improved Coordinated (Cross-Dept) Support for SY25

Office for Students with Disabilities, Early Childhood, OSEL, OSP

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PreK-2 Behavior Vision

Chicago Public Schools believes that special considerations must be made when addressing the behaviors of students in grades pre-kindergarten through second grade. These special considerations include the student’s age and developmental (e.g., physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional and adaptive) capacity to understand behavior and responses.

CPS staff must maintain an attuned awareness of these special considerations when responding to student behaviors and any additional impact of disabilities, trauma, or significant disruptions in family life.

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New PreK-2 New Behavior Group

Focus on Safety

Administrators document behaviors that compromise the safety of the student, other students, or adults
Clear objective language that promotes identifying function of behavior
Provides parents/families with behavior report that removes frame of “misconduct” and promotes collaboration

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SCC Misconduct Groups 1-6

Group 1	Lower level classroom/hallway disruptive behaviors, tardies to school/class
Group 2	Leaving school, tobacco use, inappropriate language, minor physical actions
Group 3	Bullying, fighting, lower level bias-based behavior
Group 4	Fighting w/ injury, theft, drug use/possession, physical aggression w/ no injury
Group 5	Physical aggression with injury, sexual harrassment, gang activity, theft of larger amounts, credible threats of violence and continued harassment/bullying
Group 6	Weapon use/possession, arson, sexual assault, most serious bodily harm, drug sales

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New P-2 Group: Behaviors of Concern

Behavior	Observed Behaviors for Safety Planning & Intervention
P2A	Continual leaving the classroom or leaving the school building or school premise
P2B	Continual destruction of classroom items or school property
P2C	Continual unwanted physical contact or any physical contact resulting in an injury
P2D	Continual display of sexually explicit behavior, including but not limited to contact with or exposure of genitals
P2E	Behavior that includes any bias-based speech or actions
P2F	Having a weapon, look-alike weapon, or dangerous object in school as defined in the Reference Guide
P2G	Having any controlled substance in school

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Upcoming Events

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