Appendix A:

[XX School] Code of Conduct

For Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Staff, Volunteers, and Others
Effective Date: XX

This Code of Conduct (“Code”) serves as a guide to ethical conduct and professional
behavior standards at XX SCHOOL.
XX SCHOOL is committed to the safety and protection of children and all members of our school
community. The Code applies to all faculty, staff, employees, volunteers and students who represent the
school and who interact with children or young people in both a direct and/or unsupervised capacity.

Introduction:
The public and private conduct of faculty, staff,
employees, students, and volunteers acting on behalf School Community Standards – The following
of XX SCHOOL can inspire and motivate those with standards are intended to outline expectations and
whom they interact, or can cause great harm if accountability for those individuals at our school who
inappropriate. We must, at all times, be aware of the assume the important responsibility of working with
responsibilities that accompany our work, including children.
procuring safe and healthy environments for all of
our students. Our School Community Standards:
The Purpose of this Code is to: Standard 1: Good Moral Character &
• Insure the health, welfare and safety of our Personal Fitness — Because of the nature of their
students and other members of our school trusted positions, educators and staff members must
community. exhibit good moral character and personal fitness. This
• Define and clarify the parameters of professional is defined as the traits necessary to have contact with,
behavioral expectations and practices with regard teach, and/or perform supervision of children. These
to our school. traits include but are not limited to those described in
• Assure our parent and community stakeholders, the school’s handbook policies and in this Code.
accreditation agencies, and others of the In addition, all employees who work with children
accountability of the educators/staff who work at must undergo a background check providing
our school. reasonable assurance as to the lack of conviction of
any crime involving:
Background Checks – Although XX SCHOOL
understands that no background checks are 100% • The physical neglect of a child.
reliable, XX SCHOOL conducts professional • The physical injury or death of a child.
background screening of the school’s personnel prior • The sexual exploitation of a child.
to employment and reserves the right to conduct • Sexual offenses involving children.
periodic screenings of the school’s employees and • The production, distribution, reception, or
other affiliates or contractors as may be deemed possession of child pornography.
appropriate to insure the safety of our children and • The sale or purchase of a child.
staff. • A conviction of any crime that would call into
question the individual’s worthiness to work
Disciplinary Action -- Failure to maintain good with children.
moral and ethical standards with regard to children
and model professionalism with colleagues, parents Standard 2: Ethical Conduct toward Students
and others in the school community as may or may — School employees and support staff should always
not be defined exclusively in this Code may result in maintain a professional relationship with all students,
reprimand, censure, or dismissal. both in and out of the classroom. They are also

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responsible for maintaining physical, emotional, and received, and whether it would be an appropriate
sexual boundaries in such interactions. expression of greeting, care, concern, or celebration.

Unethical and/or Illegal Conduct that also violates One-on-one Meetings & After-School Related
such boundaries includes, but is not limited to: Activities – Interactions with a child or youth are best
held in a public area or in a room where the interaction
• Striking, hurting, or causing a student physical can be (or is being) observed; or in a room with an
pain. open door or window that provides visibility;
• Physical contact that exploits, abuses, or harasses. including informing another adult when appropriate.
• Engaging in any harassing behavior on the basis The same prudence should be applied for after-school
of race, gender, sex, sexual identity, national activities.
origin, religion, or disability.
• Covert or overt sexual behaviors involving Student Discipline – School personnel and volunteers
students. are prohibited at all times from physically disciplining
• Any sexual advance or fostering an inappropriate a child and should adhere to the school’s handbook
relationship with a student; either written, verbal, policies on discipline.
or physical.
• Sexual intercourse or committing any unlawful Standard 3: Ethical Conduct toward
sexual act. Professional Colleagues — Ethical conduct
• Seductive speech or gestures. between colleagues and other community members
• Indecent exposure. upholds the following principles:
• Furnishing or allowing students to consume • A colleague does not engage in any verbal,
tobacco, alcohol, illegal/unauthorized drugs or physical, or sexual harassment of another
inappropriate reading materials. colleague. Sexual harassment includes but is not
limited to unwelcome sexual advances and
• Any other act of child abuse—including physical
invitations, requests for sexual favors, unwanted
and verbal abuse, child endangerment, or acts of
physical contact, as well as other verbal or
cruelty to children.
physical conduct of a sexual nature, such as the
display or transmission of sexually suggestive
Communication with Children – is governed by the
objects, pictures or cartoons; physical gestures of
key safety concept of transparency. The following
a sexual nature; sexual epithets, jokes and insults;
steps will reduce the risk of private or otherwise
or any other unwelcome conduct of a sexual
inappropriate communication between XX SCHOOL
nature. Harassment can also be based on
parents, administration, teachers, personnel,
characteristics other than sexual or gender related,
volunteers, and minors:
such as race, religion, national origin, sexual
• Where possible, email exchanges between a
identity, or disability. It can take the form of
minor and a person acting on behalf of the school
epithets, jokes and insults or other forms of
are to be made using a school email address.
mistreatment.
• Faculty, staff, and volunteers who use any form of
• A colleague does not make false statements about
online communications including social media
other colleagues; falsify or misrepresent his or her
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and text messaging to
credentials, school-related activities, or the school
communicate with minors may only do so for
community.
activities involving school business.
• A colleague does not reveal confidential
• Electronic communication that takes place over a
information about colleagues unless required by
school network or platform may be subject to
law.
periodic monitoring.
General Physical Contact -- Physical contact with Standard 4: Ethical Conduct toward
children can be misconstrued both by the recipient and Performance and Confidentiality — Ethical
by those who observe it, and should occur only when conduct by teachers and staff includes:
completely nonsexual and otherwise appropriate, and • Student Assessment & Reporting – Teachers
never in private. School employees and support staff must accurately report and record students
should show prudent discretion before touching test scores and provide fair and reliable
another person, especially children and youth, and be assessments. Teachers are also strictly
aware of how physical touch will be perceived or prohibited from assisting students during the
taking of any standardized tests.

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 • Teacher Hiring & Evaluation Process – • Tutoring – School personnel should adhere to the
Supervisors should engage in practices that school’s handbook policies with regard to tutoring
involve clearly defined rubrics, designed to students or other services.
ensure success, fairness, process integrity,
and reliable evaluations. Standard 7: Ethical Conduct toward
• Falsification or Misrepresentation of Facts or Honoring Employment Contracts — School
Documents – School personnel must avoid personnel should honor all of the terms as contained in
the falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting, or their employment contracts other than for
the erroneously reporting of facts, reports, or unforeseeable reasons in which the school may
other documents as may be requested from formally release the employee from the contract prior
time to time from the school’s administration, to the employee abandoning any of its provisions.
outside police or governing authorities, or in
the course of an official investigation. Standard 8: Ethical Conduct toward School
• Unauthorized Professional Practices – Property and Funds — the unauthorized, misuse,
Engagement in unauthorized professional theft, or intentional damage of school property and the
practices such as the practice of medicine, misappropriation of school funds is a violation of
including psychiatric medicine, or providing school policies and subject to severe discipline.
legal, financial, or medical advice (except in
emergency situations where such behavior is Standard 9: Ethical Conduct toward
used to protect the life of a student or
Reporting Incidents — School personnel must
colleague) is strictly prohibited.
intervene when there is evidence of, or there is
• Other Professional & Ethical Practices -- reasonable cause to suspect, that children are being
includes maintaining the confidentiality of abused in any way; or any other violation of this Code.
students and staff academic, health, disciplinary, Suspected abuse or neglect must be reported to the
and other personal records; and having an appropriate school authorities as further described in
understanding as to when transparency is handbook/policy of the school. In particular, the
necessary (e.g., student has a nut allergy) in following are prohibited:
order to promote the health, welfare or safety of
• Knowing failure to report physical abuse or
students/staff.
sexual misconduct by another school
employee, parent or adult.
Standard 5: Ethical Conduct in the Use of • Knowing failure to inform the Head of
Alcohol or Controlled Substances in the School, counselor or authority about the
Course of Working Hours — Faculty, staff, commission of an act of unprofessional
employees, and volunteers should refrain from the conduct by another educational practitioner.
illegal possession and/or illegal use of controlled
substances and/or alcohol at all times, and from the use Standard 10: Ethical Conduct toward
of tobacco products, alcohol and/or drugs when
Acknowledgement and Adherence to this
working with children.
Code — Members of the school community to which
this Code applies must read this Code in its entirety
Standard 6: Ethical Conduct toward and periodically sign-off; that is, agreeing to all of the
Remuneration and Gifts — In the course of Code’s standards as summarized below.
professional activity, coercing or forcing a student or
parent to provide remuneration for items, services or
favors as a private transaction is not allowed. This
includes offering to pay students for favors, or taking
money from students in return for goods or services.
Other ethical conduct considerations are as follows:
• Vendors - School personnel are prohibited from
accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors
for personal gain in which the appearance of a
conflict of interest may exist.
• Gifts - School personnel should also not accept or
give gifts to children without the knowledge of
their parents or guardians.

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 XX SCHOOL ’S STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SIGNATURE
I promise to strictly follow all of the rules and guidelines as contained in the school’s Code of Conduct as a
condition of my providing services to the children and youth participating in the school’s programs.
The Code includes the following key areas of my responsibility:
I will:
• To the best of my ability, promote the good health, welfare, and safety of all members of our school
community and uphold high ethical standards.
• Treat everyone with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity, and consideration.
• Conduct one-on-one meetings with children and/or youth in settings that are open and visible to others;
as well as never be alone at school activities without another adult being notified or present.
• Use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, competition, or comparison when working with children
and/or youth, while also adhering to the school’s policies on student discipline.
• Maintain appropriate physical boundaries at all times and touch children – when necessary – only in ways
that are appropriate, public, and non-sexual.
• Cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or youth.
• Avoid transactions with students, parents, or vendors that may be perceived as conflicts of interest.
• Comply fully with the school’s policies on anti-harassment, representation and confidentiality standards,
safeguarding of property and funds, and the honoring of contracts.
• Comply fully with the school’s mandatory reporting requirements and the school’s policy to report
suspected child abuse; and other violations of the Code or other school policies.
I will not:
• Touch or speak to a child and/or youth in a sexual or other inappropriate manner.
• Inflict any physical or emotional abuse such as striking, spanking, shaking, slapping, humiliating, ridiculing,
threatening, or degrading children and/or youth.
• Smoke or use tobacco products, or possess, or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at any
time while working with children and/or youth.
• Accept or give gifts to children or youth without the knowledge of their parents or guardians.
• Communicate with children over unmonitored e-mail.
• Use Twitter or similar forms of electronic or social media to communicate with students except for
activities strictly involving school business.

I understand that as a person working with and/or providing services to children and youth under the auspices of
XX SCHOOL I am subject to a criminal history background check.

Acknowledgement and agreement to comply with the XX SCHOOL Code of Conduct

My signature confirms that I have read this Code of Conduct and that as a person working with children and youth
I agree to follow these standards. I understand that any action inconsistent with this Code of Conduct or failure to
take action mandated by this Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from
XX SCHOOL.

Name ______________________________________________________________________________
Signature____________________________________________________________________
Date ________________________________________________________________________________

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 XX School COMMON AGREEMENT (EXPECTATIONS OF CONDUCT WITH CHILDREN)
“To ensure the safety of children and the well-being of our school community”
Every individual in the school community should be treated with dignity and respect. As a school we
have a special obligation to children. As such, we promote a safe and positive community. The XX
SCHOOL Common Agreement is a set of written guidelines designed to safeguard children and all
members of the school community, and ensure safe teaching, behavior, and practice within XX SCHOOL.
Appropriate Practice
It is our responsibility to promote the welfare of children. As a member of the XX SCHOOL community,
I will:
● Act as a role model for students through my words and actions.
● Respond to student physical contact such as hugs or handshakes in a culturally-sensitive and age-
appropriate manner.
● Ensure that bathroom visits are safe and respectful of student privacy.
● Exhibit and encourage open communication.
● Follow XX SCHOOL protocols for child safety when supervising school field trips and overnight trips.
● Alert another staff member when working with students after school.
● Hold myself and others accountable for keeping children safe.
● Report suspected child abuse to my administrator.

Inappropriate Practice
It is our responsibility to act if we have concerns about the welfare of a child.
I will not:
● Initiate or encourage any physical contact while alone with a student.
● Transport students without parent consent unless it is a medical emergency.
● Use alcohol or other inappropriate substances on school property or while attending student-related
school functions away from XX SCHOOL.
● Accept gifts or give gifts to students without the knowledge of their parents.
● Invite a student to my home or arrange to meet with a student away from school property without
parent consent.
● Meet individually with a student in a closed or unobservable setting.
● Communicate privately with students by phone or through social media platforms for non-school
related reasons.
● Post photos or other information about students for non-school related reasons that could increase
the vulnerability of students.

I confirm that I have read and understood the XX SCHOOL Common Agreement and agree to follow the
above standards of practice. I understand that any action inconsistent with this, or failure to take action
as mandated by this Common Agreement, may result in disciplinary action.

Print Full Name: _______________________________ Signature: _____________________________

Date: __________________________
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