The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001 has far-reaching policy implications that all school boards will need to address. 

1.    The school district will ensure that all employee manuals and/or personnel documents are revised immediately to reflect

•     the education and experience required of all new instructional employees;

•     the credentials that existing instructional employees must acquire;

•     the timetable for satisfying the new requirements; and

•     the consequences for employees who fail to comply.

2.    The district will notify all current employees of revisions to such employee manuals and/or personnel documents and the implications for existing personnel.

3.    All employees will be provided with an explanation of both their responsibilities and their rights under law in terms of the actions they may take to maintain order, discipline, and an appropriate educational environment. 

4.    The district will provide employee training that defines approved actions, and informs employees that they may be liable for harm when they engage in criminal, grossly negligent, or reckless conduct, or act with flagrant indifference to the rights and safety of another person who suffers harm as a result.

5.    The district will develop rules that prescribe the circumstances under which the administration and/or parents/guardians are to be notified of actions taken, any written documentation of actions taken that is necessary, and other appropriate procedures including staff training.

6.    The school district will provide a procedure through which students attending a school identified for improvement or as being persistently dangerous may transfer to another school in the district.

7.    The school districts will inform families of students in Title I schools of their right to know the professional qualifications of their child=s teacher and will describe where and how they can get this information.

8.    The district will monitor Title I schools to ensure staff provide timely notice to the families of all students who are taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not "highly qualified" as defined under No Child Left Behind.

9.    The district will review staffing patterns within the district annually to ensure that poor and minority students are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at a higher rate than other children.

10.   If staffing patterns indicate that minority children are being taught by less qualified teachers, the district leadership will develop strategies to correct the problem.

11.   The school district will inform, in writing, the professional staff of the federal requirements concerning sex education and the prohibitions and restrictions concerning distribution of contraceptives or materials that encourage sexual activities.  The district will comply with federal guidelines concerning age appropriate sex education.

12.   The district will ensure that programs for limited-English proficient students have a primary goal of main-streaming those students into regular classrooms, and that those programs emphasize English language instruction.

13.   The school board shall ensure that the district's Title I programs operate in accordance with federal laws and conditions.  The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act shall be followed, and rules and regulations promulgated to ensure that the district is in compliance.

14.   By October 1 of each year, the school district shall certify in writing to the Mississippi Department of Education that students in the district are not prevented by policy or rule from participating in constitutionally protected prayer. 

15.   The superintendent will ensure that the staff, parents/guardians, and students are made aware of the parameters of acceptable religious speech and actions.  The superintendent will also distribute guidelines to each school concerning religion in the schools, after the guidelines/regulations have been approved by the board attorney and reviewed by the board.

16.   The school district will produce written guidelines for distribution to each school that explains the rights of homeless students and the responsibilities of the schools to meet their needs and eliminate barriers to school attendance.  This information shall also be disseminated in writing and by other means designed to raise awareness of these rights and responsibilities to staff, homeless families and students, the public, and homeless service providers. 

17.   The school district will comply with the provisions of the Boy Scouts of America Equal Protection Act, and will not discriminate against or deny access to any groups protected by the Act.

18.   The school district will be in compliance with federal law regarding student directory information, including provisions related to recruiting by armed forces representatives and service academy recruiters.

19.   The district will be in compliance with federal law regarding student records, surveys, and health or physical screening.

20.   The district will be in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

21.   The school district shall be in compliance with federal law that prohibits smoking in indoor school facilities.

ADOPTED:    10/11/2005