Student Rights, Programs, & Educational Services

The Superintendent or designee shall develop, maintain, and supervise a program for students at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school due to behavioral or social emotional risk factors. The program shall include education and support services addressing individual learning styles, career development, and social emotional needs for students in grades 6-12 who have or will acquire the number of credits to earn a high school diploma prior to a student’s 21st birthday, and may include:

• Parent-teacher conferences
• Counseling services
• Psychological testing
• Truants’ alternative and optional education program
• Alternative school placement
• Community agency services
• Career development
• Alternative learning opportunities program, in conformity with Alternative Learning Opportunities Law, as it may be amended from time-to-time
• Graduation incentives program
• Remediation program and credit recovery

State law requires that all school districts provide parents/guardians with information about sex offenders and violent offenders against youth. The Illinois Sex Offender Registry is located on the Illinois State Police’s website at http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/. The Illinois Statewide Child Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry, also located on the Illinois State Police’s website, is http://www.isp.state.il.us/cmvo/.

1. A student has the right to say or write what he/she believes on political and social issues.
    
2. School officials may reasonably control the time and place of speeches, gathering of groups and distribution of written materials.
    
3. Students must respect the opinions and feelings of others when using their freedom of speech and encourage all viewpoints to be expressed.
    
4. Students must take responsibility for what they say, as they may be subject to lawsuits for libel (publishing a false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation), slander (making a false spoken statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation), and/or obscenity.
    
5. Student newspapers and other District-approved publications including web-based media are not a public forum, and student opinions may be subject to revision by administration.
    
6. A statement made on or off campus, including through social media, which interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function may be subject to disciplinary action.

1. Accommodations and support services are available to students who are parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic violence or sexual violence to enable them to succeed in school, pursuant to 105 ILCS 5/26A. Students receiving these supports who are 12 years of age or older may request counseling services. After the eighth 90-minute session, the consent of a parent or guardian will be required before continuing counseling services. Board policy and procedures provide additional information regarding identification, referrals, requests for support services, and the complaint process. For more information, please see Board Policy 7:255, Students Who are Parents, Expectant Parents, or Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence; Board Policy 7:250, Student Support Services.
    
2. Pregnant students may receive all education services and join in all programs and activities of the school under the same expectations as other students, as long as their physical or mental condition allows them to do so.
    
3. Pregnant students may make other choices to the regular school program in agreement with the local school staff, their significant other or parent/guardian, and with the written consent of the pregnant student’s physician. Other choices might include home tutoring, adult evening classes, or other alternative learning opportunities.
    
4. Breastfeeding students shall be provided reasonable accommodations on a school campus to express breast milk, breastfeed an infant child, or address other needs related to breastfeeding.

In order to maintain order and security in the schools, school authorities are authorized to conduct reasonable searches of school property and equipment, as well as of students and their personal effects. “School Authorities” includes school resource police officers.

1. School authorities may inspect and search, including through use of a metal detector wand, school property and equipment owned or controlled by the school (such as lockers, desks and parking lots), as well as personal effects left there by a student, without notice to or the consent of the student. Students have no reasonable expectation of privacy in these places or areas or in their personal effects left there. 
    
2. School authorities may search a student and/or the student’s personal effects in the student’s possession (such as purses, wallets, book bags, lunch boxes, etc.), including through use of a metal detector wand, when there is a reasonable ground for suspecting that the search will produce evidence that the particular student has violated or is violating either the law or the District’s expectations and regulations. The search itself must be conducted in a manner that is reasonably related to its objective and not excessively intrusive in light of the student’s age and sex, and the nature of the infraction. 
    
3. The contents of a student’s cell phone, another electronic device, or social media accounts may be searched in the event school officials have a reasonable suspicion that the device/account has been used in violation of school expectations and regulations and that a search of its contents will disclose evidence of such a violation.
    
4. If a search produces evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the District’s policies or expectations, such evidence may be seized and impounded by school authorities, and disciplinary action may be taken. When appropriate, such evidence may be transferred to law enforcement authorities.
    
5. In addition, searches may be conducted as part of a Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA), a Risk of Harm (ROH) process, or when implementing a student safety plan. These searches are carried out to protect the safety of the individual student and the school community. Any such search will be conducted by the building administration and will follow the same standards of grounds for suspicion, reasonableness, scope, and non-intrusiveness described above.

1. No person other than the parent/guardian or school personnel will have permission to visit the student at school or remove the student from school unless 1) such person has the consent of the parent/guardian, 2) the release is pursuant to a court order, 3) such person has a warrant to arrest the student, or 4) the release is clearly for the student’s welfare. In the event that any questions arise, the Building Principal or designee will make the decision. 
    
2. The Superintendent or designee must approve any out-of-district research projects that ask for information involving students in the District. If a student, identified by name, is involved in a research project, written permission by the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student will be needed before the student can participate. Surveys created by a third party may also be inspected prior to distributing/administering them to students. Requests to inspect such materials should be directed to the Building Principal. 

Students aged 17 years or older who have dropped out of school or cannot graduate before their 21st birthday because of a lack of credits shall be denied re-enrollment. Academic counseling shall be provided to such students to direct them to alternative education programs.

An employed parent/guardian unable to meet with educators because of a work conflict may be entitled to an allotment of time from their employers to attend necessary educational or behavioral conferences at their student’s school. Additional information may be obtained from the school office.

A parent/guardian has the right to request information regarding their professional qualifications from any teacher who is instructing their student. Information regarding the following may be requested:

• Whether or not the teacher has met state certification requirements
• Whether or not the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status
• The bachelor’s degree major of the teacher
• Any other certifications or degrees held by the teacher and the subject areas of the certifications or degrees
• If services are being provided by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications

Requests for information should be sent to District 129, Human Resources Department, 1877 W. Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506.

A parent/guardian may request to inspect instructional material used as part of their child's educational curriculum by contacting the building principal. A parent/guardian may request that their child be exempted from specific curriculum, instructional curriculum material, or curricular programs related to sexual abuse education and/or family life/health education, in accordance with Illinois law. A parent/guardian may also request that their child be exempted from curriculum, instructional curriculum material, or curricular programs based on a sincerely held religious belief.
 
A parent/guardian may express their concerns about or request an exemption from specific curriculum, instructional curriculum material, or curricular programs by submitting an objection to the building principal. Requests for exemption or other objections will be reviewed by the building principal in accordance with the District’s criteria, and the parent/guardian will be notified in writing of the District’s decision.

Schools may be reimbursed for some services performed for students receiving Medicaid. This will not reduce the amount of Medicaid reimbursement the parent/guardian will receive, but will generate extra monies that can be used for District students. 

1. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 1112(3), the District will inform the parent/guardian of a limited English proficient student identified for participation or participating in a language instruction educational program, as determined under part C of Title III of Every Student Succeeds Act:

• The reasons for their student being identified
• Their student’s level of English proficiency
• The instructional method used
• How their student’s program will meet their student’s needs
• How the program will help the student learn English
• Exit requirements for the program to meet the objectives of any limited English proficiency
• For a child with a disability pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, how the program meets the student’s objectives in his IEP
• Information regarding parental rights, including:
  • The right that parents have to have their child immediately removed from such a program upon their request.
  • The option that parents have to decline to enroll their child in such a program or to choose another program or method of instruction, if available.
  • Assisting parents in selecting among various programs and methods of instruction, if more than one program or method is offered by the eligible entity.

2. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 1112(3)(B), the District must notify the parent/guardian of a student identified as English learners during the school year of the student’s eligibility to receive English language services during the first two weeks of the student being placed in a language instruction educational program.

3. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Sections 1112(3)(C), the District has implemented an effective means of outreach to its parents/guardians of limited English proficient students to inform them how they can be involved in their student’s education, and be active participants in assisting their students to attain English proficiency, achieve at high levels in core academic subjects, and meet the challenging state academic achievement and content standards. In addition, the outreach includes holding and sending notice of opportunities for regular meetings to formulate and respond to parent/guardian recommendations. 

1. As required by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act, Section 722(e)(3)(C), the District will provide a parent/guardian written notice at the time their homeless child or youth seeks enrollment in school, and at least twice annually while the child or youth is enrolled in such school. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, the youth will receive the notification. The notification shall be signed by the parent/guardian, sets the general rights provided under this subtitle, includes contact information for the local liaison for homeless children and youths, and specifically states:

• The choice of schools that homeless children and youths are eligible to attend
• That no homeless child or youth is required to attend a separate school for homeless children or youth
• That homeless children and youth shall be provided comparable services including transportation services, educational services, and meals through the school meals programs
• That homeless children and youth should not be stigmatized by school personnel

2. As required by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act, Section 722(g)(2), in the case of an unaccompanied homeless youth, the District shall ensure that the homeless liaison assists in placement or enrollment decisions, considers the views of such unaccompanied youth, and provides notice to such youth to the right of appeal.

3. As required by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act, Section 722(G), the District shall ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth is disseminated in places where such children and youth receive services. Such places include, but are not limited to, school buildings, family shelters, soup kitchens, and public libraries. The materials being disseminated should be done in a manner and form understandable to the parent/guardian of homeless children and youth, and unaccompanied youth.

For additional information please contact, Dr. Dawn Marmo - dmarmo@sd129.org

1. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the District has adopted student privacy policies and provides notice of the adoption or continued use of such policies directly to the parent/guardian of District students. The District provides such notice at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable period of time after any substantive policy change and offers an opportunity for the parent/guardian to opt the student out. 
    
2. As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Board adopted and uses policies regarding student privacy, parental access to information, and administration of certain physical examinations to minors. (Copies of these policies are available upon request.) See Board Policy 7.015

Students must participate in assessments mandated by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and by the State of Illinois or the District. A parent/guardian may request information regarding any State or local educational agency policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by ESSA Section 1111(b)(2). Assessments required by ESSA, the State of Illinois or the District include: teacher-created classroom assessments, Performance Series, the Cognitive Abilities Test, the SAT Suite of Assessments, the Illinois Snapshots of Early Literacy, Accessing Comprehension and Communication in English from State to State, Dynamic Learning Maps, the Illinois Science Assessments and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

The social and emotional learning of District students is supported through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) so all students have the opportunity to achieve academic, social, and emotional success in a nurturing and safe environment. MTSS is a proactive system approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. MTSS applies evidence-based programs, practices, and strategies for all students to increase academic performance, improve safety, decrease problem behavior, and establish a positive school culture. MTSS applies a three-tiered system of support and a problem-solving process to enhance the capacity of schools to effectively educate all students.

• MTSS provides more intensive support for students not responding adequately to a universal system of support.
• MTSS provides systems for schools to design, implement, and evaluate effective school-wide, classroom, non-classroom, and children-specific intervention plans.
• Data-based decision-making is the hallmark of MTSS, allowing successes to be easily shared with all relevant stakeholders.