Wyoming's middle and elementary schools are tasked with providing the state's youth with an education that serves as a solid basis for their secondary school years. Students in PK-8 programs in public, private, and charter schools will face obstacles in their journey toward high school, like strict behavioral standards, intensive academic requirements, and failure to gain disability accommodations. Unfortunately, minor missteps often become bigger issues that can derail a student's academic career, namely the discipline school administrations reserve the authority to impose.
When parents of Wyoming middle or elementary school students are fighting against burdensome disciplinary action or working to obtain legally required accommodations, the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team stands prepared to help. Our nationwide team can educate you on how Wyoming schools enforce strict academic requirements, manage misconduct, and grant program modifications for eligible students. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or submit your details online, and the Lento Law Firm will contact you.
Wyoming Middle and Elementary Education Issues
Wyoming's legislature grants local school districts the authority to create a code of conduct that outlines the rules and regulations governing academics and behavioral standards for students and the procedures used to manage them therein. School districts throughout Wyoming may establish different codes of conduct from others, but each will adhere to a baseline of state law.
Parents will be informed of a school's code of conduct at the beginning of each school year—or during a student transfer. Typically, in the student or student-parent handbook, there is a page that needs to be signed by parents or guardians to acknowledge the school's rules. When misconduct allegations arise, the handbook is a parent's first line of defense for their student child and will give a breakdown of what the school considers a violation.
Wyoming Middle and Elementary School Academic Misconduct Charges
Academic integrity is an essential element of a student's education, and Wyoming middle and elementary schools maintain principles that will foster equal education for all and remand those who seek to gain an unfair advantage. For instance, Lovell Middle School maintains a policy prohibiting cheating, with the following as examples:
- Copying another's work on an assignment that is to be completed individually.
- Willingly allowing another student to copy one's work.
- Failure to acknowledge any source that isn't the student's.
Teachers can impose academic punishments if students are found responsible for cheating or plagiarism. First instances are typically treated as a failure on the assignment. However, the principal may step in to impose a suspension or expulsion for more significant infractions, such as a repeated offense or if a student has an existing disciplinary record.
Wyoming Middle and Elementary School Behavioral Misconduct Charges
In addition to protecting academic integrity, Wyoming schools must also promote a safe atmosphere of learning, free from disturbances. School districts will vary in how they define acceptable behavior in their codes of conduct, but most are similar in their widened scopes. For example, Southeast Elementary School regulates the following behaviors:
- Cell phone usage on campus.
- Appropriate use of school-owned computers and electronics.
- Behavior during student assemblies and club meetings.
- Possession of illicit substances, including tobacco and vaporizers.
- Failure to give nurses prescribed medication for safe holding.
- Proper etiquette on school buses and in other district vehicles.
- School attendance, including release during the school day.
With non-academic misconduct, the range of potential punishments can be as wide as the types of violations. Some can be as minor as a note home to parents, but misconduct of any kind establishes a permanent disciplinary record. This can often lead to allegations in the future being treated with previous punishment in mind, and thus harsher sanctions in some cases.
Wyoming Middle and Elementary School Academic Progression Issues
Although Wyoming middle and elementary school students risk discipline for breaching academic integrity standards and behavioral rules, they will also risk negative consequences for failing to progress academically. All schools establish grading systems through which student progress is reported and managed. Each semester and grade will require minimum grade point averages, days of school attended, and sufficient scores on examinations.
If students fall behind promotion guidelines or graduation requirements, they risk continuing their struggles without intervention. However, schools can often place taxing requirements on middle and elementary school students to catch up.
For example, Thermopolis Middle School states that students who fail to meet promotion requirements are subject to a committee review to determine retention. The committee staffed with school faculty and the parents or guardians of the student will discuss whether measures such as summer school or alternative programs will help realign with studies. Unfortunately, issues with academic progression can quickly lead to stressful situations for students, leaving them vulnerable to school discipline.
Wyoming Middle and Elementary School Disability Issues
Students in Wyoming schools may also face obstacles outside of disciplinary action in attempting to gain disability accommodations. To ensure all students have equal access to succeed, schools must abide by the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
One of the provisions of IDEA grants students the right to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that assists them through graduation. IEPs outline curriculum or environmental variations needed for a student to learn on a level playing field like their peers, which can manifest as physical equipment or aids, classroom modifications, schedule alterations, and other services. Nevertheless, reasonable accommodations are only given to a select number of qualifying disabilities like the following:
- Hearing impairment
- Deafness
- Visual impairment, including blindness
- Deaf-blindness
- Orthopedic impairment
- Traumatic brain injury
- Multiple diagnosed disabilities
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Development delays
- Intellectual disabilities
- Emotional disturbances
- Specific learning disabilities
- Speech or language impairment
- Other health impairments
However, Wyoming middle and elementary schools can sometimes fail to recognize the potential for disabilities. Without help, students can quickly fall behind, further underscoring why you need to retain professional help to assist your child.
Wyoming Student Defense Services
If your child is facing issues relating to academic standards, behavioral issues, or a lack of disability accommodations, the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team stands ready to defend their right to gain the education they need. The nationwide Lento Law Firm can assist parents in mitigating sanctions for their child and engage in discussions with the district's Office of General Counsel to settle issues outside formal hearings.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is available in every area of Wyoming. We assist parents and defend students in the metro areas of Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, Laramie, Rock Springs, Riverton, and Sheridan and in local school districts across the state. Get started today with the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team by calling 888-535-3686 or going online now.
