Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Anti Bullying topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glen Ridge presents annual anti-bullying self-assessment to board; district scores near full marks
Summary
Dr. Jack DeWitt presented the district—s required Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act school self-assessment covering July 1, 2023—June 30, 2024. Each school scored 76—77 out of a possible 78 points; the district reported four preliminary determinations at the high school.
Dr. Jack DeWitt presented the Glen Ridge Public School District—s annual school self-assessment under New Jersey—s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act during the board of education meeting. The report covered the July 1, 2023—June 30, 2024 reporting period and summarized how each building rated itself using the state—s online self-assessment tool.
The self-assessment measures eight core elements of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act and consists of 26 questions district staff use to document policies, training and incident reporting. "Each school can get a maximum of 78 points," DeWitt said, and the schools in Glen Ridge scored between 76 and 77 points this year. He said the results will be submitted to the state after board approval of the district—s submission.
Why this matters: the self-assessment is a statutorily required review that informs the district, state monitors and the public about how schools implement anti-bullying policies, training and reporting procedures. The results factor into building-level planning and may guide changes to training, reporting or restorative practices.
DeWitt described the evidence principals and school safety teams consider when scoring items: incident data (including SSDS entries), findings from any investigations, climate or attendance data and other documentation maintained at the school. He said the district uses a districtwide reporting system referred to in his presentation as "HIPSTER," and noted that each building maintains backup documentation in case the state requests records.
The presentation included examples of items the self-assessment asks about, such as the district—s training requirements and the parental-notification procedures for alleged victims and alleged offenders. DeWitt explained the concept of a "preliminary determination" — a finding at the building level that a reported incident did not meet the statutory definition of HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) and therefore was not investigated further under that law. He said there were four such preliminary determinations at Glen Ridge High School in the reporting period; no preliminary determinations were reported at the other buildings.
Board members did not vote on the presentation itself; DeWitt said once the district completes any internal approvals he would submit the self-assessment to the state. "Once it's approved tomorrow I will submit it to the state and then we're all set," he said. Board members asked clarifying questions about how items are scored and where the district uses the assessment for ongoing building- and district-level planning.
The board heard the presentation as part of the meeting's regular reports and had no additional requested actions tied to the self-assessment at that time. The district will retain the documentation principals used to support each school's self-score and will use the findings in discussions about training, restorative practices and any code of conduct changes under consideration.
