Page 10 - CARING and SAFE SCHOOLS in ONTARIO

Caring and Safe Schools
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1. Understanding of student behaviour: To meet student needs, support student success, and respond appropriately to the full range of student behaviour, system and school leaders need to acquire information about
a variety of factors that influence students’ achievement and behaviour. They need knowledge of the types of intellectual and emotional challenges students may face. They need to know what signs to look for in student behaviour and how to interpret what they observe. They also need knowl- edge of circumstances in the student’s school, home, and community environments that may have a bearing on the student’s behaviour.
2. Knowledge of strategies, tools, and resources: System and school leaders need to identify appropriate strategies, tools, and resources they can use to address specific challenges and meet identified needs.
3. Implementation of a progressive discipline approach: System and school leaders need to identify a range of appropriate actions to be taken, as well as who will plan and carry out the actions, and what the time frame will be. They also need to plan for ongoing monitoring, reflection, and adjustment, in order to identify further needed improvements and integrate them into their implementation processes.
At the centre of the framework is a “caring and safe school culture”. This document uses the term “school culture” in a way that encompasses the definition of “school climate” provided in the 2006 report of the Safe Schools Action Team – Safe Schools Policy and Practice: An Agenda for Action – that is, “the sum total of all of the per- sonal relationships within a school”. The report goes on to say that “when these relationships are founded in mutual acceptance and inclusion, and modelled by all, a culture of respect becomes the norm” (p. 6). A positive climate or, in the ter- minology of the present document, a “caring and safe school culture”, exists when
all members of the school community demonstrate respect for others, kindness, fairness, and a sense of social responsibility in their behaviour and interactions – in other words, when all members feel safe, comfortable, and accepted.
To establish, maintain, and enhance a caring and safe system and school culture, school leaders need detailed, specific information about how all aspects of school life are perceived by students, school staff, parents, and community members. They use a variety of assessment instruments and strategies to identify strengths and areas where improvements are needed.
The other components of the framework – “understanding of student behaviour”, “knowledge of strategies and resources”, and “implementation of a progressive discipline approach” – represent means for addressing behavioural issues to ensure the best possible educational outcome for all students.