2018 Maryland Code
Education
Division II - Elementary and Secondary Education
Title 7 - Public Schools
Subtitle 3 - Attendance and Discipline of Students
§ 7-306. Corporal punishment; State code of discipline
(a) Corporal punishment prohibited. -- Notwithstanding any bylaw, rule, or regulation made or approved by the State Board, a principal, vice principal, or other employee may not administer corporal punishment to discipline a student in a public school in the State.
(b) Standards of conduct; implementation. -- The State Board shall:
(1) Establish guidelines that define a State code of discipline for all public schools with standards of conduct and consequences for violations of the standards; and
(2) Assist each county board with the implementation of the guidelines.
(c) Regulations. --
(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, each county board shall adopt regulations designed to create and maintain within the schools under its jurisdiction the atmosphere of order and discipline necessary for effective learning.
(2) The regulations adopted by a county board under this subsection:
(i) Shall provide for educational and behavioral interventions, counseling, and student and parent conferencing; and
(ii) Shall provide alternative programs, which may include in-school suspension, suspension, expulsion, or other disciplinary measures that are deemed appropriate.
(d) Disaggregation of data. --
(1) The Department shall disaggregate the information in any student discipline data report prepared by the Department by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, eligibility for free or reduced price meals or an equivalent measure of socioeconomic status, and English language proficiency for:
(i) The State;
(ii) Each local school system; and
(iii) Each public school.
(2) Special education-related data in any report prepared under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.
(e) Collection of data on alternative school discipline practices. --
(1) In this subsection, "alternative school discipline practice" means a discipline practice used in a public school that is not an in-school suspension or an out-of-school suspension.
(2) The Department shall collect data on alternative school discipline practices in public schools for each local school system, including:
(i) The types of alternative school discipline practices that are used in a local school system; and
(ii) The type of misconduct for which an alternative discipline practice is used.
