The DESE has released a model plan to assist school districts in developing their own strategies to respond to and prevent bullying in schools. The model plan includes details on the roles of school leaders, required professional development for all school and district staff, identification of and access to appropriate and useful resources, development of age-appropriate instruction on bullying prevention for all grades and draft policies and procedures for reporting and responding to incidents of bullying and retaliation. The plan also suggests ways to involve families and partner with community resources.
The plan was created in consultation with the Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health, the Massachusetts Office of Attorney General, the Massachusetts District Attorneys' Association, the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, the Massachusetts Advocates for Children, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, principals and other school personnel and parent and advocacy organizations.
School districts, charter schools, approved private special education day and residential schools and collaborative schools must submit a copy of their bullying prevention and intervention plans to the Department by December 31, 2010. Additional resources, including directions on how to file a plan, are available on the Department's website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/ssce/bullying/.
