Internal Audit Report - Inside LAUSD - Los Angeles Unified School ...

Los Angeles Unified School District Office of the Inspector General Audit Unit

Internal Audit Report LAUSD’s Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

OA 16-558-R

Revised February 9, 2017

About the Office of the Inspector General The Office of the Inspector General reports directly to the Board of Education. We conduct independent audits, reviews and investigations of District operations, contracts and vendors in order to:  Find ways to improve processes, programs, functions and activities.  Provide information that supports effective decision making.  Identify real or potential misuse of District resources.  Prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse within the District. Through our work, we strive to encourage a culture of accountability, transparency, collaboration and excellence and to assist the Board and the Superintendent in their efforts to provide a high quality education for the students and parents of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We conducted an audit of the Los Angeles Unified District’s (LAUSD) Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether (i) schools were in compliance with the District’s policies and procedures and that internal controls were working as intended, (ii) teachers and staff received adequate training on bullying prevention on an annual basis, (iii) students were satisfied with the steps their school had taken to prevent bullying and cyberbullying, and (iv) parents were satisfied with the steps their child’s school had taken to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. We also benchmarked LAUSD against other anti-bullying programs at other school districts in California and across the United States. Based on our audit, we found that: 

Seven of 23 (30%) schools visited did not record any bullying incidents in the MiSiS Student Support Discipline Module as required and school staff had mislabeled incidents in MiSiS as bullying when entering referral codes for non-bullying incidents.



Bullying Complaint Logs were not maintained or used at 22 of 23 (96%) schools visited.



One of 23 (4%) schools visited did not display any Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters in any prominent location around the school. Three of 23 schools did not display Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters in both English and Spanish.



At one school, we noted that one Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager was not aware that she was appointed for this role and had never performed functions in that role.



Most teachers and staff did not receive high quality training on bullying prevention on an annual basis. School staff considered the review of the District’s Bullying and Hazing Policy equivalent to comprehensive dedicated in-service training. According to the User Guide: Roles of School Administrators in Bullying Prevention (from StopBullying.gov), the review of policies and rules that are in place is only one of four components of providing a high-quality training to school staff.

Based on our survey of students and parents, we found that: 

Forty-six percent of the elementary school students, and a combined 41% of secondary students were very satisfied, or satisfied with the steps taken to stop bullying.



A combined 41% of parents were very satisfied, or satisfied with the strategies and programs their child’s school used to prevent and manage bullying.

Based on our benchmarking analysis, we found that the number of staff that oversees the District’s anti-bullying initiatives and efforts was notably below the staff-to-student ratios as compared to other school districts who manage anti-bullying program(s).

LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 1 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Recommendations We made 20 specific recommendations to the Division of District Operations and the Parent Community and Student Services Branch to strengthen the control activities and monitoring over the District’s anti-bullying initiatives and efforts. Some of the more significant recommendations we made included the following: 

Provide quality, in-depth anti-bullying training to school site administrators or designees using the anti-bullying Train-the-Trainer module created by the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity. Require that a site administrator or designee representing each school complete the comprehensive training every two years and require that new principals complete the comprehensive training prior to the start of their new assignment.



Develop an online training for the reporting of incidents into MiSiS and outline its usability as it relates to bullying incidents. The District should require that staff with user access to MiSiS should complete the training at the beginning of each school year or upon gaining access to MiSiS, then annually thereafter. Staff should also be required to certify compliance as the trainings are completed.



The Bullying and Hazing policy should be revised to clearly and consistently state the proper platform or tools to use for documenting bullying incidents.



The District should develop a website and free software application (app) accessible to LAUSD students and parents that allows for anonymous bullying reports in order to capture incidents that would otherwise be unreported by those uncomfortable with inperson complaints. The website and app should require the input of pertinent but, nonidentifying data that is simple enough for a student to complete and that will aid in any required investigative action by District staff.



Develop a free software application, or app, for students and parents that will give them the ability to register and receive District-level and school-specific communications.



Structure parent anti-bullying training in the form of parent fairs on an annual or semiannual basis. The parent fair may include breakout sessions, abridged workshops, presentations, activities and printed materials that are consistent with the information provided at the Local District parent trainings.

INTRODUCTION The mission of the Division of District Operations is to ensure that every LAUSD site receives support and guidance toward creating and maintaining a safe and caring environment that supports learning and achievement1.

1 Office of School Operation, website http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/1604


Page 2 of 243

OA 16-558-R

The Office of Human Relations, Diversity & Equity (HRDE, a branch of the Division of District Operations) is committed to offering a safe and respectful District, school and community culture where the seeds of peace and justice are sown so that all students and staff can lead safe, purposely and academically fruitful lives. The office provides support services for Local Districts and schools and focuses on building collaborative relationships and proactively reducing intra and intergroup bias and violence through educational and social-emotional strategies. The Office also provides consultation and comprehensive trainings on a variety of human relations topics.2 Additionally, they monitor bullying complaints in the District’s ISTAR system application. HRDE is an integral part as it relates to bullying because they provide guidance, materials, training and monitors bullying complaints through ISTAR. LAUSD is charged with providing a safe and civil learning and working environment. The District takes a strong position against bullying, hazing, or any behavior that infringes on the safety or well-being of students, employees, or any other persons within the District’s jurisdiction or interferes with learning or the ability to teach. The District prohibits retaliatory behavior against anyone who files a complaint, or who participates in the complaint investigation process. District policy requires all schools and all personnel to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance among students and staff. “All students and staff of public, primary, elementary, junior high and senior high have the inalienable right to attend campuses which are safe, secure and peaceful” [Article 1, Section 28(c) of the California State Constitution]. Schools’ compliance with the Bullying and Hazing Policy and the Discipline Foundation Policy is to be referenced in each school's Safe School Plan, Volume 1.3 District’s Anti-bullying Efforts and Initiatives LAUSD currently requires that schools develop and implement bullying prevention efforts/initiatives based on their individual school populations and specific school needs. The basis for the individual school efforts/initiatives is the District’s Bullying and Hazing Policy, which defines bullying and outlines the roles and responsibilities of school administration, staff, and students. Principals have the ultimate say in the anti-bullying efforts they implement. In addition, the District follows the Discipline Foundation Policy which provides guidelines and procedures for developing, refining and implementing a culture of discipline built on positive behavior support and interventions4, which schools are required to abide. Federal Funding While federal law does not explicitly address bullying, it is regulated implicitly as it is blanketed under discriminatory harassment when pertaining to the protected classes. In that same manner, there is very limited federal funding categorically reserved to assist local education agencies (LEAs) with the implementation and/or management of anti-bullying programs. 2 LAUSD Website http://achieve.lausd.net/human-relations| Office of School Operations and Office of Human Resources Relations, Diversity & Equity | Mission Statement 3 BUL-5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy (Student-to-Student and Student-to-Adult) | Dated June 25, 2010 4 Bulletin 6231.0 Discipline Foundation Policy: School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support, pg 1


Page 3 of 243

OA 16-558-R

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE The objectives of the audit were to determine whether (i) schools were in compliance with the District’s policies and procedures [Bulletin 5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy and Bulletin 5808.3 My Integrated Student Information Systems (MiSiS)] and internal controls were working as intended, (ii) teachers and staff received adequate training on bullying prevention on an annual basis, (iii) students were satisfied with the steps their school had taken to prevent bullying and cyberbullying, and (iv) parents were satisfied with the steps their child’s school had taken to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. We also benchmarked LAUSD against other anti-bullying programs at other school districts in California and across the United States. We conducted this performance audit in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. The audit covered the period from April 2013 through June 30, 2016. We conducted the audit from October 29, 2015 to September 2016.

METHODOLOGY To accomplish our audit objectives, we (i) reviewed policies and procedures related to bullying, (ii) reviewed applicable state and federal laws and regulations, (iii) conducted focus groups, (iv) conducted electronic surveys to students, parents and teachers, (v) had parent and student surveys translated to Spanish, (vi) worked with ITD to configure student surveys, (vii) performed walk-throughs and interviewed key contact staff, (viii) visited 23 schools and interviewed site administrators and school staff such as Title IX Bullying Complaint Managers, Cafeteria Managers, Plant Managers and (ix) at the 23 selected schools, performed compliance testing.

EVALUATION OF INTERNAL CONTROLS In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we obtained an understanding of internal control that is significant within the context of the audit objectives. We assessed whether internal control was properly designed and implemented. For those controls that were deemed significant, we obtained sufficient, appropriate evidence to support our assessment about the effectiveness of those controls. We are required to report deficiencies in internal control that are significant within the context of the audit objectives. A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct (i) impairments of effectiveness or efficiency of operations, (ii) misstatements in financial or performance information; or (iii) noncompliance with provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, or grant agreements on a timely basis. Based on our audit, we found certain deficiencies in internal control that are significant to the objectives of this audit. Those deficiencies are reported in the Results of Audit section.


Page 4 of 243

OA 16-558-R

RESULTS OF AUDIT I.

Compliance with District Policies

This section describes the results of testing that was performed at 23 schools to determine compliance with District policies and procedures, as well as interviews with school staff and observations. Finding No. 1 - Title IX5Bullying Complaint Manager6 Posters Some schools did not display Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters at their schools in compliance with District policy. Los Angeles Unified School District Bulletin 5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy states that Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters are to be posted in English and Spanish and be displayed in prominent locations such as offices and classrooms where notices regarding rules, regulations, procedures, or standards of conduct are regularly posted. Test Work Performed We visited 23 selected schools for the period of April-May 2016 and physically verified that: (1) Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters were displayed in prominent areas around the schools, and (2) Signs were displayed in both English and Spanish. We noted the following conditions: 

One of 23 schools (4%) did not display any Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters in any prominent location around the school.



Three of 23 schools (13%) did not display Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters in both English and Spanish.



During one school visit, we requested interviews with all of the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers identified by the school on the posted signage. In attempting to interview one of the identified Managers, we discovered that she was not aware that she was appointed as one of the school’s Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers and had never performed functions in that role. Additionally, during the same visit, one of the administrators stated

5 The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces, among other statues, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states that, no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 6 The Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager has responsibilities of addressing complaints of bullying and hazing. They must ensure that the school employs a comprehensive system through which allegations of bullying and hazing can be safely and easily reported and that the ensuing investigation, interventions, monitoring and resolution is documented. They are also responsible to respond to complaints of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and intimidation.


Page 5 of 243

OA 16-558-R

that he coincidentally updated all of the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager signage throughout the school before our arrival. The conditions described above occurred because: 

The majority of the schools we visited were aware of the requirement that they must display the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager posters in both English and Spanish in prominent locations; however, one school mistook the Williams Legislation signage as the Title IX/ Bullying Complaint Manager posters and displayed those around the school instead.



The site administrators or designees stated that they printed the first attachment and did not notice the Spanish attachment.



Per school Management, some schools did not have a large Spanish-speaking population, and therefore the signs were not posted in Spanish.



In an attempt to be compliant with District policy and in preparation for our visit, school administration added an employee to the signage without her knowledge and then posted the signage around the school for visibility.

As a result of the above conditions, some students, school staff, and parents may not be aware that the school has a designated person who they can report bullying issues to. Also, students and administrators may be relying on an employee who is unaware of the roles and responsibilities that come with being assigned as a Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager. Recommendation a) Ensure that site administrators are aware that they should post Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager signage in both English and Spanish by certifying the requirement via the Administrator Certification Submittal Form or through other means. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that they will collaborate with the Office of Educational Equity Compliance, which oversees Title IX Complaint Managers, to remind schools to post the appropriate signage. Target Date of Implementation: February 2017 Finding No. 2 - Comprehensive/Dedicated Anti-bullying Training for School Staff Schools were in compliance with the requirement to review the policies and procedures with staff annually. However, schools did not provide comprehensive/dedicated anti-bullying training to school staff.


Page 6 of 243

OA 16-558-R

User Guide: Roles of School Administrators in Bullying Prevention from StopBullying.gov7 outlines components for high quality staff training related to bullying. It states that high quality training should help staff understand the following:    

The nature of bullying and its effects How to work with others to prevent bullying Policies and rules that are in place and How to stop bullying if it is observed, reported, or suspected

According to the publication “Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy and Practices,” teachers and school staff are in a unique and influential position to promote healthy relationships and to intervene in bullying situations8. They can play a critical role in creating a climate of support and empathy both inside and outside the classroom. Teachers who participated in a bullying prevention program that included teacher training felt more confident about handling bullying problems, had more supportive attitudes about students who were targets of bullying and felt more positive about working with parents regarding bullying problems.9 Test Work Performed We visited 23 schools for the period of April-May 2016, interviewed school site administrators, and reviewed the supporting documentation relating to the anti-bullying training provided to school staff. We noted that 19 out of 2010 schools (95%) did not provide comprehensive/dedicated antibullying training11 to school staff. Only one school provided dedicated training. During the course of the audit, we learned that all 23 schools reviewed the District's Bullying and Hazing Policy. Some schools also reviewed the District's Discipline Foundation Policy12. We also learned that most schools considered comprehensive/dedicated training to be the review of the District's Bullying and Hazing Policy during their professional development meetings. Fiftytwo percent of schools visited indicated that the anti-bullying portion of the professional development meetings were from 1-2 hours per school year. According to the User Guide: Roles of School Administrators in Bullying Prevention, the review of policies and rules that are in place (such as the District’s Bullying and Hazing Policy) is only one of four components of providing a high quality training to school staff. 7 Three federal departments, the U.S. Department of Education (Education), Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) along with the White House, established a central federal website (www.stopbullying.gov) launched in March 2011. The central website consolidates the contents of different federal websites into one location to provide free materials for the public. The website is hosted by HHS with content and technical support from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the website aims to present a consistent federal message and features content arranged by target audience along with sections on special topics. 8 The National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine, Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy and Practice, May 10, 2016, PG 3-15 9 The National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine, Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy and Practice, May 10, 2016, PG 3-15 10 Three schools did not provide supporting documentation to determine if they provided comprehensive training to staff. 11 Comprehensive/dedicated anti-bullying training is an in-service or series of web-based training solely devoted to student-to-student anti-bullying issues that meet the criteria for quality training as outlined by StopBullying. gov. 12 The Discipline Foundation Policy provides guidelines and procedures for a consistent framework for developing, refining and implementing a culture of discipline built on positive behavior support interventions.


Page 7 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Per StopBullying.gov, all administrators, faculty and staff at schools should be trained in bullying prevention and intervention. A comprehensive/dedicated in-service training can help staff to better understand what bullying behavior is and is not. The training should include all adults in the school environment who interact with students, especially teachers and counselors. Furthermore, we noted that of the students surveyed at middle schools and high schools, students feel most comfortable reporting bullying incidents to a teacher and secondly to a counselor. The above conditions occurred because dedicated anti-bullying in-service training is not a District requirement and is considered an optional service. As a result of the above conditions, school staff may not be adequately trained to detect and manage student-to-student bullying incidents on campus. Recommendation a)

Provide quality, in-depth anti-bullying training to school site administrators or designees using the anti-bullying Train-the-Trainer module created by the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity.

Recommendation b)

Require that a site administrator or designee representing each school complete the comprehensive training every two years and require that new principals complete the comprehensive training prior to the start of their new assignment.

Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated they will provide anti-bullying training. Target Date of Implementation: School year 2017-2018. Recommendation c)

Create a comprehensive anti-bullying Toolkit based on the anti-bullying Train-the-Trainer module to be used by site administrators or designees as a tool to train their school staff. Require that all school staff receive the training annually at the beginning of the school year and certifies the requirement annually. The toolkit should be provided to school staff at the end of the training as a supplement but should not be disseminated in lieu of inservice training.

Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations conceptually agreed with the creation of an electronic toolkit for distribution to participants who complete a Train-the-Trainer module. The electronic toolkit would be also be posted on the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity (HRDE) website and updated to include newly available resources and materials. LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 8 of 243

OA 16-558-R

The Division of District Operations also conceptually agreed with the requirement that all school staff receive an annual training on bullying awareness at the beginning of the school year, and that the delivery of such training is noted on the Administrators Certification. Target Date of Implementation: The rollout at a particular school should occur following their participation in the Train-the-Trainer module. School Year 2017-2018. Recommendation d) Create an online refresher course for school staff based on the anti-bullying staff school staff training toolkit and require that the online course is taken and certified at the beginning of the second semester every school year. The content in the refresher course should highlight the information contained in the toolkit. A system control should be in place to only allow access to staff that certified training at the beginning of the school year. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that they will develop on online refresher training. Target Date of Implementation: Second semester of the 2018-2019 school year. Recommendation e) Create separate anti-bullying toolkits for Cafeteria Managers and Plant Managers and their staff that are relevant to their allowable levels of involvement in student-to-student bullying incidents and require that staff acknowledge receipt of the toolkit at the beginning of each school year. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations partially agreed with the recommendation and stated that they will use electronic toolkits. The Division also stated that cafeteria and plant managers could be trained by their departments if their supervisors were included in a Train-the-Trainers. The focus of their training would be on mitigating immediately dangerous situations. The Division of District Operations will collaborate with the appropriate divisions on creation of the materials. Target Date of Implementation: School Year 2018-2019. Finding No. 3 - Recording Bullying Incidents in the MiSiS Discipline Module Thirty percent of the schools we visited did not document bullying incidents in the MiSiS discipline module.


Page 9 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Bulletin 5808.3 My Integrated Student Information System (MiSiS) states that school staff is required to utilize the MiSiS Student Support Module to record and track student counseling services and discipline authorized by the California Code including any actions and prior actions and prior interventions taken in response to student misconduct. In addition, schools are required to utilize the MiSiS student support to monitor student behavior, search and update discipline records, provide data driven interventions and develop solutions and strategies to effectively address student behavior. 13 It also states that all discipline referrals should be completed online unless a student is not listed on the referring teacher roster, or when staff experiences difficulties with access to the MiSiS system. Then a paper discipline referral form can be used and submitted to the designated school staff to enter in the MiSiS Student Support Module.14 Bulletin 5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy states that the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers must ensure that the school employs a comprehensive system through which allegations of bullying and hazing can be safely and easily reported and that ensuing investigations, interventions, monitoring, and resolution are documented in the Bullying Complaint Log sample provided in the bulletin. For incidents of student misconduct related to bullying and hazing, document the investigations, interventions, and actions taken in the MiSiS Student Support Module15. Test Worked Performed During the course of the interviews at schools, 65% of site administrators stated that bullying incidents are recorded in the MiSiS discipline module. We attempted to corroborate the statements by reviewing the MiSiS Student Referral Reports for 23 schools to determine the number of schools recording bullying incidents in the MiSiS Student Support Module for FY 2015-2016. The following was noted: 

Seven of the 23 (30%) schools did not record any bullying incidents in the MiSiS Student Support discipline module (70% of the schools did record bullying incidents in MiSiS). 1)

Two schools (one high school and one middle school) used an external software application to monitor and record incidents of bullying. The two site administrators indicated that MiSiS was not user friendly and that MiSiS did not have the functionalities that met their school needs.

2)

Five elementary schools stated they used internal student referral sheets to record their incidents.

The conditions described above occurred because some site administrators stated that they do not make a practice of inputting discipline incidents into MiSiS as it is time consuming and cumbersome so they opted for other methods such as external software. Also, some site

13 Bulletin-5808.3 My Integrated Student Information System Student Support Module Required Usage, District Operation and Office of Educational Services, pg 1 14 Bulletin-5808.3 My Integrated Student Information System Student Support Module Required Usage, District Operation and Office of Educational Services, pg 2 15 Bulletin 5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy, Office of the Superintendent, November 26, 2015, pg 6


Page 10 of 243

OA 16-558-R

administrators stated they do not have any bullying incidents; therefore, there wasn't anything to report or record. As a result of the above conditions, there is an increased likelihood that the District is not receiving an accurate picture of bullying incidents at schools, as schools may not be inputting incidents in MiSiS. If the District were to assess the effectiveness of each school’s efforts and initiatives, it could not rely on the information in MiSiS being recorded at the school level. Recommendation a) Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity should perform high level monitoring and reviewing of bullying incidents submitted through MiSiS discipline module in order to monitor the effectiveness of schools’ individual efforts and track the effectiveness going forward as the District’s program(s) develop. Also, ensure that schools are documenting bullying incidents in the MiSiS discipline module. Data collection of bullying incidents is a measurement that can help identify the scope of the problem and provide opportunities to assess any changes in the number of bullying incidents over time. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that they will continue to explore a monitoring mechanism in the MiSiS system. Target Date of Implementation: School year 2018-2019. Recommendation b) The District should develop a software application (app) for school staff that allows for the creation of student referrals on a mobile device. The app should interface with MiSiS and possess, but not be limited to, the following functionalities:        

Allowing for the creation of a new incident by class roster Populating the student’s personal data from MiSiS Providing a drop-down menu of referral options consistent with those on the MiSiS discipline module Providing ample space for the entry of a narrative Providing the option for the inputting party to send the referral to anyone on a list of internal school staff and school administration Having alerts sent to the party that the referral is being communicated to Allowing for communication between the inputting party and the party the referral was sent to Having the ability to sync with MiSiS so that any student information inputted and visible in one medium is available for viewing in the other


Page 11 of 243

OA 16-558-R

The objective of the app is to streamline the process of entering student referrals for school staff that may not have the ability to input referrals at a desktop as the incidents occur (for example, a Physical Education teacher). Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations disagreed with the recommendation. However, the Division sees the convenience that a MiSiS software app would bring to the classroom teachers. The District stated that MiSiS is not the best platform for reporting bullying. They also stated that MiSiS is designed to document disciplinary actions after an investigation has concluded that the student has in fact been complicit in perpetrating bullying. Office of the Inspector’s General Comment Based on several meetings with the Division of District Operations and reviewing written policies there was no evidence presented to the audit team that MiSiS was not a “premier” platform for reporting bullying, nor that MiSiS is solely used after an investigation. The Bullying and Hazing Policy (BUL 5212.2) states the following: “Ensure that all reports of bullying or hazing are investigated and documented and that appropriate interventions are implemented and monitored. There must be at least one documentation of monitoring within 30 days and resolution within 60 days. For incidents of student misconduct related to bullying or hazing, document the investigation, interventions, and resolution in the MiSiS Student Support Module. Incidents that substantially disrupt school operations, require additional resources or sustained monitoring, should also be documented in iSTAR (see BUL-5269.2, Incident System Tracking Accountability Report).” The District’s response previously stated, “MiSiS is not the best platform for reporting bullying” which appears to be in conflict with the stated official District policy. In addition, our testing corroborates that the policy of documenting the investigation, intervention, and resolution within MiSiS is in fact working to a certain extent. During our school visits, two secondary schools did not use MiSiS nor ISTAR to document bullying incidents. Instead they stated they used their own third-party apps. The creation of a MiSiS software app would be convenient for all school staff. We also noted that during the school visits, administrators indicated that (i) all incidents including bullying are documented in MiSiS and (ii) if an egregious incident were to occur then it would be documented in ISTAR. We recommend that the Bullying and Hazing policy needs to be modified in order to be clear and consistent on the proper tools to use for documenting bullying incidents. Finding No. 4 - Bullying Complaint Log Schools were not documenting bullying incidents in the Bullying Complaint Log.


Page 12 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Bulletin 5212.2 Bullying and Hazing Policy states: “The Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager must ensure that the school employs a comprehensive system through which allegations of bullying and hazing can be safely and easily reported and that the ensuing investigations, interventions, monitoring, and resolution are documented (Attachment M, sample, Bullying Complaint Log).” Test Worked Performed We visited 23 schools for the period of April to May 2016 and interviewed staff that the school identified as Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers in order to gain an understanding of their role as a Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager. We also reviewed supporting documentation related to bullying, specifically, Bullying Complaint Logs. The following was noted:  Twenty-two of 23 (96%) schools did not maintain or use the Bullying Complaint Log.  During the course of the interviews we found that most schools bypass using the Bullying

Complaint Log in favor of recording incidents directly into MiSiS. The above conditions occurred because: 

The Bullying and Hazing Policy does not mandate that the Bullying Complaint Log be used to document bullying incidents.



Schools are recording incidents directly in MiSiS in an effort to maintain efficiency and productivity.

As a result of the above conditions, the Bullying Complaint Log has become obsolete. Recommendation a) We recommend that the Bullying and Hazing policy be modified and updated using one of the following options: (1) Modify the language in the Bullying and Hazing policy to mandate that schools use the Bullying Complaint Log to document the bullying complaints received and present the Log not as a sample attachment in the policy but as a required District form or (2) Eliminate the suggested use of the Log from the written policy. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that the California Auditor required that a log is maintained, though it does not mandate the design of the log. They also stated that it is important that schools maintain a log and that they will partner with the Office of Education Equity Compliance to address the modification towards a required District form. LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 13 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Target Date of Implementation: August 2017

Other Observations OBSERVATION 1: Training for School Staff Training of all school staff, including plant managers and cafeteria managers, is an essential component for preventing bullying. During the course of our interviews with plant managers and cafeteria managers, we noted the following: Plant Managers 

Six out 1616 (38%) plant managers stated they have not received student-to-student antibullying training. Some plant managers stated they are instructed not to intervene in instances of conflict nor interact with students and to simply report the incident(s) to school site administrators.



Ten out of 16 (62%) plant managers stated that they have received anti-bullying training. Some plant managers specified that the training was mostly provided by Maintenance and Operations and included identifying and reporting bullying.

Cafeteria Managers 

Seven out of 2017 (35%) cafeteria managers stated they have not received student-to-student anti-bullying training. Some cafeteria managers stated they are instructed not to intervene in instances of conflict nor interact with students and to simply report the incident(s) to school site administrators.



Twelve out of 20 (60%) cafeteria managers stated that they have received anti-bullying training and that the training was mostly provided by the Food Services Division. They stated that training topics included discipline in general, which included bullying and harassment.



One out of 20 (5%) cafeteria managers did not remember receiving anti-bullying training.

Recommendation To correct these conditions please refer to recommendation 2.e

16 At the time of our visits, some Plant Managers were either absent or not available for the interviews. 17 At the time of our visits, some Cafeteria Managers were either absent or not available for the interviews


Page 14 of 243

OA 16-558-R

OBSERVATION 2: MiSiS Bullying Incident Reporting A functional and user-friendly incident reporting system encourages teachers and school staff to routinely document bullying incidents as they occur, with accuracy, and aids in the effective monitoring of schools’ climates. Furthermore, data collection of bullying incidents is a measurement that can help identify the scope of the problem and provide opportunities to assess any changes in the number of bullying incidents over time. Tracking any progress towards reducing bullying is very important. A bullying incident that is not reported through MiSiS may never be accounted for; therefore it precludes the District and schools to make the right decision for improvement. With regards to the MiSiS Student Support Module we observed the following: 

Some school staff have mislabeled incidents as bullying when entering referral codes for non-bullying incidents. In the example below, the referral code "3.21e-Bullying/Cyber School Personnel" was selected for an incident for which the description read "No effort to learn.” “Poor attitude."


Page 15 of 243

OA 16-558-R



Several instances were noted in which the 500 character limit for inputting into the Incident Description or Comments/Follow-up sections was insufficient in order to properly document the incident. In the example below, school staff used the Comments/Follow-up section to continue inputting the incident description as the character limitation impeded the action.


Page 16 of 243

OA 16-558-R



Discipline Referral Reasons in the MiSiS Discipline Module did not include sexual orientation or religion. In the example below, under the Discipline Referral Reason, no codes for sexual orientation or religion were listed and were not available for selection.


Page 17 of 243

OA 16-558-R



We also noted that while the District included a heading in the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager Log (BUL 5212.2, Attachment M) titled "Date incident resolved (within 60 days),” there was no such tracking mechanism on the MiSiS Student Referral Report.

Recommendations a) To correct this condition please refer to recommendation 3.a b) Require Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers (or designees) review a sample of incident referrals coded as bullying in MiSiS on a regular basis for accuracy and completeness of data entered. The policy should include a minimum number (or percentage) of incidents in the system to be reviewed. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that the review will be in ISTAR not in MiSiS. In addition, the review will include adherence with 30- and 60day timelines for investigation, intervention, monitoring and determination of resolution.


Page 18 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Office of the Inspector’s General Comment Division of District Operations should consider including MiSiS, in addition to ISTAR, for consistency and accuracy. Target Date of Implementation: July 2017 Recommendation c) Develop an online training for the reporting of incidents into MiSiS and outline its usability as it relates to bullying incidents. The District should require that staff with user access to MiSiS should complete the training at the beginning of each school year or upon gaining access to MiSiS, then annually thereafter. Staff should also be required to certify compliance as the trainings are completed. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations disagreed with the recommendation and stated that ISTAR, not MiSiS, is the appropriate platform for documenting allegations, investigations, interventions, monitoring and determination of resolution. The Division does not feel an online training is required for technical support in ISTAR. The Division stated that once ISTAR is mastered, there is no need for annual re-trainings, and an additional training for ISTAR users is not necessary. Office of the Inspector’s General Comment Based on several meetings with the Division of District Operations and reviewing written policies, there was no evidence that MiSiS was not a “premier” platform for reporting bullying nor that MiSiS is used after an investigation. The Bullying and Hazing Policy (BUL 5212.2) states the following: “Ensure that all reports of bullying or hazing are investigated and documented and that appropriate interventions are implemented and monitored. There must be at least one documentation of monitoring within 30 days and resolution within 60 days. For incidents of student misconduct related to bullying or hazing, document the investigation, interventions, and resolution in the MiSiS Student Support Module. Incidents that substantially disrupt school operations, require additional resources or sustained monitoring, should also be documented in iSTAR (see BUL-5269.2, Incident System Tracking Accountability Report).” The statement that “MiSiS is not the appropriate platform for bullying monitoring” appears to be in conflict with the stated official District policy. In addition, our testing corroborates that the policy of documenting the investigation, intervention, and resolution within MiSiS is in fact working to a certain extent. Additionally, the recommendation was intended for MiSiS. As long as schools are documenting incidents in MiSiS and the data is being used to evaluate the effectiveness of their schools LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 19 of 243

OA 16-558-R

prevention programs, it is important to provide additional training to ensure accurate information is being entered into MiSiS. Recommendation d) Collaborate with ITD to increase the character limit for Incident Description and

Comments/Follow-up sections in the discipline module. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations disagreed with the recommendation and stated that while increasing the character limit in the MiSiS discipline module may benefit users, it is not necessary since MiSiS is not the premier documenting platform. The Division also stated that ISTAR allows unlimited text and the uploading of supportive documents. Office of the Inspector’s General Comment As indicated above, the Bullying and Hazing policy states that for incidents of student misconduct related to bullying or hazing, the incident should be documented in MiSiS, and incidents that substantially disrupt school operations should be documented in ISTAR. We also noted that during the school visits, administrators indicated that (i) all incidents including bullying are documented in MiSiS and (ii) if an egregious incident were to occur then it would be documented in ISTAR. The Bullying and Hazing policy needs to be clear and consistent on the proper tools to use for documenting incidents. The information needs to be clearly communicated District-wide. This recommendation was a result of the condition, “Several instances were noted in which the 500 character limit for inputting into the Incident Description or Comments/Follow-up sections was insufficient in order to properly document the incident.” In light of the reality that school staff are using MiSiS to document bullying incidents, the Division of District Operations should collaborate with ITD to increase the character limit in MiSiS. Recommendation f) Collaborate with ITD to add a field in the discipline module to include if the incident was resolved within 60 days. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that ISTAR is recommended as the premier platform for documenting bullying allegations. ISTAR should have a “Resolved” button plus alerts to remind the investigators of 30- and 60-day timelines. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017


Page 20 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Recommendation g) Include a referral reason in the MiSiS discipline module that allows for the reporting employee to indicate whether or not the incident was based on sexual orientation or religion. This recommendation is based on meeting compliance with the 2016 directive from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the civil rights arm of the U.S. Department of Education, which states that “Topics collected for the first time in the 2013-14 CRDC as optional data items, and that will be collected from every school in the 2015-16 CRDC include…Allegations of bullying or harassment in the bases of sexual orientation and religion.” The collection of this data will aid the District in presenting a more accurate figure of such incidents when the CRDC requests the information. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that for documenting disciplinary actions in MiSiS, sexual orientation and religion should be added. Target Date of Implementation: December 2017 OBSERVATION 3: Parent Training at School Sites Parents play a critical role in preventing and addressing bullying. As such, it is imperative that they are sufficiently trained in identifying, addressing, and reporting bullying in a manner that is congruent with training presented to teachers, school staff, and students. We visited 23 schools for the period of April - May 2016 and interviewed school site administrators regarding their anti-bullying training efforts. We noted the following: 

Five out of 23 (22%) site administrators stated they do not offer anti-bullying training to parents.



Eighteen out of 23 (78%) site administrators stated that they offer anti-bullying training to parents. However, several site administrators considered the monthly "Coffee with the Principal" meetings as training, since topics covered at those meetings may include bullying. 1) The majority of these schools offered training that was informal or as needed throughout the year, while a small percentage of schools implemented more deliberate practices as outlined below:  

Parent University - community representatives come to the school and discuss various topics each month Weekly Parent Workshops - an external organization comes in and provides anti-bullying training to parents

Auditor’s Note - Some site administrators stated that it is difficult to increase parent participation at anti-bullying trainings.


Page 21 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Recommendation a) Create a Parent Toolkit for site administrators to disseminate to parents that is an abridged version of the in-service trainings provided by the Parent Community and Student Services Branch. The intent of this toolkit is to provide anti-bullying information to low engaging parents or parents that do not have the ability to attend in-service trainings; it is not meant to take the place of in-service trainings. The information should be shared with parents electronically or in hard copy format and should be available in both English and Spanish; the District should consider translating the toolkit into other widely-spoken languages in the future. The toolkit should include but not be limited to:     

The definition of bullying and cyberbullying Types of bullying Examples of bullying vs. conflict How to report bullying if it is communicated or observed A concluding statement advertising the comprehensive in-service anti-bullying trainings offered by the District and an encouragement of parental participation

As the Parent Community and Student Services Branch has done extensive work creating an indepth parent training, the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity should consider collaborating with them on creating a toolkit for parents in an effort to facilitate the process and lessen the workload. Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations agreed with the recommendation and stated that an effective way to reach parents would be a one-page brochure with links to resources that can be viewed electronically. Parents who do not have internet access at home may use the facilities at their school or local library. The current bullying brochure “Together we stand up Against Bullying!” has a “What Can Parent Do” section. The brochure is available in several languages. The Parent Community and Student Services (PCSS) Branch will use the current Bullying Prevention Toolkit as a reference and they will also include the facilitator’s guide. The toolkit will be published electronically and PCSS will consult with the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity to ensure alignment with the District’s policy. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017 Recommendation b) Develop a free software application, or app, (a program developed for wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, that meet a specific need) for students and parents that will give them the ability to register and receive District-level and schoolspecific communications, such as:


Page 22 of 243

OA 16-558-R

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

District information about anti-bullying efforts through videos or written content. News or anti-bullying events that are taking place across the District. The creation of anti-bullying clubs at their local school and Student Champions for anti-bullying clubs. Club meetings at nutrition, lunch time, or after school. Games that promote critical thinking and the learning of values related to prejudice and stereotypes through the use of role-play. Games can also provide users ideas on what a student can say or do when a situation involving bullying occurs.

The app should allow the students and parents to create profiles that link them to their local schools and have the ability to send push notifications to all users alerting them of new content. Further, the app should have the functionality for the user to have the content presented in the language of their choice. During the infancy stage of the app, the content should be available in both English and Spanish; the District should consider adding other widely-spoken languages in the future. Additionally, the District should treat the application as a means by which anti-bullying lessons are communicated to parents with low engagement at school and District events. Parent-centered content should include, but not be limited to: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

Anti-bullying training materials that are consistent with the District’s anti-bullying message The District’s Bullying and Hazing Policy A link to the Human Relations, Diversity, and Equity website Resources for parents to report bullying School calendars and bus schedules

Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations partially agreed with the recommendation and stated that the ten items outlined in the recommendation can be distributed to schools via multiple modes. Some items are currently available on the school, District and/or Office Human Relations, Diversity, and Equity websites; other information may be disseminated via Connect Ed messages or provided to parents during regular newsletters. They also stated that the District does have an app with many LAUSD resources that is called In Case of Crisis, and that an app that interfaces with schools’ websites to ensure that all information is seamless would be recommended. As a result of this recommendation, the Division of District Operations has reached out to Information Technology Division (ITD) for discussion on the creation of an app. ITD is working on providing them with information on the feasibility of the project. In meantime, they will continue to collaborate with various District offices to ensure that data security and other LAUSD operational policy requirements are met before any recommendations can be finalized. Division of District Operations also stated in addition to the fiscal and human resources required to develop the app, the maintenance and update with ongoing revised content requires additional staffing both at the Central level and school levels. With the upcoming budget cuts, this recommendation would pose a significant burden on staff. LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 23 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Target Date of Implementation: Contingent upon further collaboration with ITD, which is addressed above. The outcome of the joint efforts will guide the timeline. OBSERVATION 4: Student Anti-bullying Curriculum We visited 23 schools for the period of April - May 2016 and interviewed site administrators regarding the integration of student-to-student bullying lessons into the curriculum. We noted the following: 

Six out of 2218 (27%) site administrators stated that they did not integrate student-to-student bullying lessons into the curriculum.



Sixteen out of 22 (73%) site administrators stated that they incorporate anti-bullying lessons into the curriculum. 1)

Eight out of 16 (50%) site administrators stated they are using Second Step19 as their student curriculum.

2)

Seven out of 16 (44%) site administrators stated that they are using Restorative Justice tools (some in conjunction with Second Step).

3)

One out of 16 (6%) site administrators stated that their school is part of the International Baccalaureate Program and noted that one component of the program is the school climate.

Additionally, we asked parents the survey question, “What do you feel is the most important anti-bullying strategy your child's school should consider implementing?” Survey results showed that 28% of parents feel the most important strategy was anti-bullying classroom curriculum, which was the highest response for this question. Auditor’s Note - Stopbullying.gov states, "Training school staff and students to prevent and address bullying can help sustain bullying prevention efforts over time." While it is commendable that some schools have taken the initiative to incorporate anti-bullying training into their classroom curriculum despite not having a District mandate, consistency in training across the District ensures that students are receiving a collective message about bullying.

Recommendation

a) Create a list of vetted anti-bullying curricula that the schools can choose from and incorporate into their curriculum that considers cost and grade-level appropriateness.

18 The interview at one school was conducted with a preliminary set a questions and this question was not asked at one school. 19 Second Step program is a classroom-based social skills curriculum for students from preschool through middle school (4-14 years of age). The curriculum aims to reduce impulsive and aggressive behaviors and increase protective factors and social-emotional competence. Organized by grade level, the program teaches children empathy, problem-solving skills, risk assessment, decision-making, and goal getting skills. The Second Step program is classified as a universal intervention, meaning it is appropriate for whole classroom of children and not just those at risk.


Page 24 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Division of District Operations’ Response The Division of District Operations partially agreed with the recommendation and stated if schools use vendor-provided bullying prevention programs, they should be evidenced-based. However, they do not have the resources to conduct empirical studies of programs. The Division of District Operations recommends providing schools with an overview of the critical elements of effective programs, rather than exclusively commercially produced products. They will offer a rubric of critical components by which schools can select a commercially available program or design their own. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017 OBSERVATION 5: Feedback on Necessary Resources for Schools We visited 23 schools for the period of April - May 2016 and interviewed site administrators, Title IX Bullying Complaint Managers and other District staff (which included Deans, Psychiatric Social Workers (PSW) and Restorative Justice Coordinators) regarding their concerns and feedback related to anti-bullying efforts. Specifically, we asked “What additional resources do you think you would need in order to address student-to-student bullying at your school more efficiently?” In our analysis of the responses, we noted instances in which the priority of needs fluctuated greatly depending on the group interviewed. Among the three groups, anti-bullying training was either their first or second choice. Below are the results of the survey: Anti-Bullying Staff Training:  45% of site administrators stated that staff training was a priority  36% of Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers stated that staff training was a priority  29% of the additional staff20 stated that staff training was a priority Parent Training:  9% of site administrators stated that parent training was a priority  15% of Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers stated that parent training was a priority  57% of the additional staff stated that parent training was a priority Funded RJ Coordinators, Counselors, and PSWs:  27% of site administrators stated that providing schools with District-funded RJ Coordinators, Counselors, and PSWs was a priority  6% of Title IX/Bullying Complaint Managers stated that providing schools with Districtfunded RJ Coordinators, Counselors, and PSWs was a priority Below is a summary based on interviews of the additional resources interviewed staff felt they needed to address student-to-student bullying at their schools more efficiently.

20 The additional staff includes Deans, Restorative Justice Coordinators and a Psychiatric Social Worker


Page 25 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Table 1 Summary of Site Administrator Responses Responses # of responses per category

% of schools

Staff Training

10

45%

Counselors / Funded PSWs

6

27%

Funded RJ Coordinators

4

18%

Parent training

2

9%

Uniform materials / presentations for staff and students

2

9%

Improve MISIS modules

2

9%

Help with cyber-bullying

2

9%

District-wide program

2

9%

Funding

2

9%

Clearer Definition

2

9%

Student Assembly Program

1

5%

District-paid student curriculum

1

5%

Pool of approved outside organizations to present to students

1

5%

Anti-bullying kit for schools

1

5%

Model Policy

1

5%

Note ‐ One school did not provide feedback so percentages are based on 22 participating schools


Page 26 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Table 2 Summary of Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager Responses Responses

# of responses per category

% of interviewees

Anti-Bullying Training

13

36%

Student Awareness

5

14%

Uniform Materials

3

8%

Parent Training

3

8%

Toolkit

3

8%

Better Examples of Bullying

2

6%

More Staff

2

6%

Funded Counselors, PSWs, RJ Coordinators

2

6%

Updated information from the District

2

6%

MISIS Training

1

3%

Cyber-Bullying Help

1

3%

Clearer Definition

1

3%

School Bullying Campaign

1

3%

Anonymous Reporting System

1

3%

Student Curriculum

1

3%

Streamlined Reporting Process

1

3%

Vetted List of Vendors

1

3%


Page 27 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Table 3 Summary of Additional Staff Responses (PSWs, Deans, Restorative Justice Coordinators)

Responses

# of responses per category

% of interviewees

Parent Training

4

57%

Anti-Bullying Training

2

29%

District-wide Campaign / Program

2

29%

Student Workshops / Assemblies

2

29%

Teacher Anti-Bullying Resources

1

14%

Updated Student Bullying Materials

1

14%

Central Location for Resources

1

14%

More Detailed Bullying Definition/Update Policy

1

14%

Help with Cyber-bullying

1

14%


Page 28 of 243

OA 16-558-R

II.

The District Needs to Increase Training for Parents on the Subject of Bullying

Background The Parent, Community and Student Services Branch (PCSS) started presenting dedicated training on the topic of bullying to parents in September 2015. The PowerPoint presentation entitled “Bullying: What Every Parent Needs to Know21” has been presented across the District as follows:    



PCSS offers this training twice per year at each Local District for a total of 12 presentations. Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) Teams make presentations on weekdays in the morning at Parent Centers at selected schools. The training at Parent Centers was presented by Parent Educator Coaches who are Certificated employees. Additionally, some Local District Offices have sponsored Saturday Parent Academies which included a 2 hour presentation on bullying. To date, two presentations have been provided on Saturdays with Local District Northeast and Local District Northwest. The presentation entitled “Bullying: What Every Parent Needs to Know” was originally created by PCSS. However, the Chief Executive Officer of PCSS stated that Parent Education Coaches have the option to modify or add slides to the presentation.

PACE Teams are housed at Local District Offices and are made up of the following staff:    

PCSS Administrator (1 staff) Parent Educator Coaches (4 staff) Translator-Interpreter (1 staff) Community Representatives (2 staff)

The PCSS Administrator reports administratively to the Local District Office and functionally to PCSS. Parent Educator Coaches report directly to PCSS only. In the Strategic Plan of the PCSS, the following relevant statement is included: PCSS accomplishes its mission by directing support to schools through the PACE units. These teams dedicate focused support to assist schools in meeting their goals for parent engagement. Each team is comprised of an administrator and parent educator coaches who are knowledgeable about the research and promising practices in the field of parental involvement and who possess expertise in working with families. A translator/interpreter and two community representatives also support the teams’ efforts. PACE teams receive support and guidance from the Chief Executive Officer of the Parent, Community and Student Services and PCSS administrators.

21 The presentation was co-created with the Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity.


Page 29 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Recently, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine stated the following regarding bullying and parent training: Families play a critical role in bullying prevention by providing emotional support to promote disclosure of bullying incidents and by fostering coping skills in their children. Parents need training in how to talk with their children about bullying (Johnson et al., 2011), how to communicate their concerns about bullying to the school, and how to get actively involved in school-based bullying prevention efforts (Waasdorp et al., 2011). We observed the anti-bullying training provided to parents, that was informative and engaging. Parents were interested in the materials and interacted with the Parent Educator Coach by: 

Asking questions,



Sharing experiences about their child, and



Answering the question, “Is this bullying?” when given a scenario.

This type of parent training is one important component of an anti-bullying program Districtwide. However, the training is offered to parents mainly on weekdays (Monday through Friday) in the morning at school sites. In addition, the training is provided only two times per year in each local district. Parent attendance is key to the success of any anti-bullying program at a school district. At this time, parent attendance is low and needs to increase over time in order to have an impact on the school climate across the District. Observation of a Saturday Parent Academy We observed a presentation on the topic of bullying at a Saturday Parent Academy in the spring of 2016, presented by PCSS and sponsored by Local District Northeast (See Appendix K for the full power point presentation). A Parent Educator Coach presented “Bullying: What Every Parent Needs to Know” to at least 50 parents at a school site. The presentation at the Saturday Parent Academy detailed the following areas:  Define Bullying  Explain what the law says about bullying  Explore the different types of bullying  Identify the effects and the warning signs of bullying  Tips for parents and students to prevent and report bullying A PCSS Administrator and two translators supported the Parent Educator Coach. Wireless headphones were provided to parents who requested English to be translated to Spanish, or Spanish to be translated to English. At the presentation, when the Parent Educator Coach explained the difference between Bullying and Teasing, a parent made a comment in Spanish and said that her child told her, “Something is dying inside when we are bullied.” The Parent Educator Coach showed compassion and acknowledged the value of her statement.


Page 30 of 243

OA 16-558-R

The Parent Educator Coach explained that Social Bullying includes ostracizing, isolating, rejecting, humiliating, etc. She explained that social bullying happens more with girls verbally than with boys. She added that bullying can occur as early as preschool. The Parent Educator Coach explained that Cyberbullying was the act of sending or posting insulting or threatening messages/images by phone, email, websites, text messages, etc. She explained that the California Education Code made Cyberbullying a suspendable offense with the possibility for expulsion; students in the 4th and 5th grades have been suspended in the past. School protocols for cell phone usage included placing cell phones in vibration mode only, usage during nutrition and lunch only, or phones turned off completely during school hours. The Parent Educator Coach shared some of her research using popular apps that can encourage Cyberbullying. She explained that posts on these apps are permanent whether its words or photos. Students may not be aware that future employers will check into applicant’s backgrounds and posting on these apps, which can be used to deny job offers. Besides Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, the following apps are also used by children: 

  

Vine (a green logo with the letter V) allows photos to be shown for 40 – 50 minutes and allows users to comment on the photo. The app is supposed to be used by adults, 18 years and over. Snapchat (ghost icon) allows a video to stay on the internet for 30 minutes. Kik acts like an instant message, it can connect a phony telephone number to the account, but the material stays on the internet in perpetuity. Omegle is a dating app and recently had 30,000 users in the LAUSD area in one evening.

Interactive Communication with Parents

The Parent Educator Coach presented three scenarios where parents would have to decide whether the details were considered bullying or not bullying. To facilitate the response, parents were provided with hand held paddle signs – the green side stating YES, the red side stating NO. (See photo to the right)

FIRST SCENARIO Your third grade son Freddy attends “Wonderful Elementary School.” He loves going to school and has good grades. One day, while driving home from school, Freddy says, “mom, today Juan pushed and kicked me when we were in line to get lunch”. You proceeded by asking him, “was it an accident or on purpose?” Freddy is not sure and is unable to explain how it happened. Several days passed and Freddy never mentions any other incidents of this nature again. He continues enjoying school and having good grades.


Page 31 of 243

OA 16-558-R

The Parent Educator Coach asked the parents what were the key words and phrases in the paragraph for the First Scenario. Parents responded that the key words included “pushed and kicked” and “unable to explain.” The Parent Educator Coach asked parents whether or not this was bullying. The majority of the parents held up the red side of their paddles and stated this was not bullying. The Parent Educator Coach concluded this scenario by stating the following sage words of advice:  

This is the era we live in now and as parents, we can only report on incidents of bullying. We have no right to ask what will happen to the perpetrator due to the federal law Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Parents can only receive information on their own child.

SECOND SCENARIO Your 16 year old son is complaining of headaches in the mornings and does not want to go to school. You learned that other students in the 10th grade class have been calling Peter a retard. Peter also shares that during his Physical Education Class, “his friends” have been “accidentally” bumping into him while playing basketball. You tell Peter to stand up for himself and hit any kid that “bullies” him. As a result, you received a phone call from the High School Principal telling you that Peter has been involved in an altercation with another student at school. The Parent Educator Coach asked parents whether or not this was bullying. The majority of the parents held up the green side of their paddles and stated this was bullying. The Parent Educator Coach asked the parents what were the key words and phrases in the paragraph for the Second Scenario. Parents responded that the key words included “does not want to go to school”, “a retard,” and “bumping into him.” The Parent Educator Coach explained that there were two types of bullying happening here: physical and verbal bullying. The Parent Educator Coach explained that the parent telling the son to stand up for himself and hitting another student is teaching him to be a bully himself. One parent stated that many kids are being bullies and that they study the students who are not bullies. She stated that bullies take advantage of single mothers, and because of this, mothers are suffering with stress. The Parent Educator Coach thanked the mother for sharing but said that there are consequences when a parent tells their child to defend themselves by hitting the other student and that reporting the incident to school Administrators is the best way to deal with bullying. THIRD SCENARIO A group of 7th grade girls invited Alex to join them on “Clash Day” when they said they would all wear outlandish clothes. On “Clash Day,” Alex was the only one to dress in this manner. When she came home, she shared her experience with her father. She told him, that the stares and laughter from classmates embarrassed her a little bit. The next day Alex went to the movies with the same group of girls. She had a wonderful time! 

The Parent Educator Coach asked the parents what were the key words and phrases in the paragraph for the Third Scenario. Parents responded that the key words included “group


Page 32 of 243

OA 16-558-R



of 7th grade girls”, “Alex was the only one to dress in this manner,” “stares and laughter,” and “embarrassed.” The Parent Educator Coach said that because Alex was the only one to dress in this manner, the act was intentional. The stares and laughter was an act of intimidation. At this point, a parent offered a true story about her daughter who doesn’t understand what a true friend is. The Parent Educator Coach asked parents whether or not this was bullying. There was no majority – about half said yes, it is bullying and half said no, it is not bullying.

The Parent Educator Coach talked about the effects of bullying. In addition to discipline problems, academic failure, truancy, substance abuse, students who are victims might purposely hide and avoid seeing other students at school. Students who are bullies are more likely to commit child abuse and domestic violence as adults, and be more likely to be convicted of at least one crime. The Parent Educator Coach referred the parents to a pink sheet of paper titled, “What Can Parents Teach Their Child?” and asked parents to rehearse the following statements at home with their child and make eye contact with the bully when you say these statements:   

“Stop! That’s not okay…” “I feel ___ when you ___”. “Don’t treat me that way, you wouldn’t want someone doing that to you.”

The Parent Educator Coach reviewed the LAUSD’s Bullying and Hazing Policy (Bulletin 5212.2) and asked parents to report bullying via email or by talking directly to the teacher or administrator. She added that the Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager takes the complaint. The Parent Educator Coach reviewed the reporting protocol for school site resolution of a bullying complaint. The protocol states that the District has 30 days to investigate, monitor and provide updates after the complaint has been received. The School has 60 days to resolve the incident after the complaint has been received. Condition. Parent training offered through the Parent Community and Student Services Branch is of great value to parents. However, in order for training to have a greater impact on the students of this District, training for parents must be increased in each local district. Training must also be more widely available to parents during evening hours and/or Saturday mornings. As stated earlier, PCSS offers training to parents about bullying twice per year at each Local District for a total of 12 presentations districtwide. Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) Teams make presentations on weekdays in the morning at Parent Centers at selected schools. To date, two Saturday Parent Academies have been provided on Saturday mornings with Local District Northeast and Local District Northwest on the topic of bullying. Cause. Training is provided mainly on weekdays instead of Saturdays or evenings due to limited resources to pay for overtime hours for staff (Parent Educator Coach, PCSS Administrator, translator). LAUSD’S Anti-Bullying Initiatives and Efforts

Page 33 of 243

OA 16-558-R

As a result, fewer parents are able to attend training on the topic of bullying due to the lack of availability of hours for working parents. Recommendation a) Increase the attendance and participation of parents in anti-bullying training. Sessions should be provided to parents more frequently during the year on Saturdays, evening hours after school, or at school events such as “Back to School” Night, or Open House. Parent, Community and Student Services Branch (PCSS) Response: PCSS agreed with the recommendation and stated that the Anti-Bullying presentation will be added to the choice of workshops offered at all the parent academies, parent and family center workshops, etc. All Parent Educator Coaches, Senior Parent Facilitators and Parent and Family Center Directors will be trained in order to ensure that ample support staff is available at the District, Local Districts and school site level. The workshop will also be added to the list of workshops which schools can present to parents in order to meet the Local Control and Accountability Plan mandate to have each school deliver four academic workshops. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017 Recommendation b) Increase the number of available training sessions over time and monitor attendance by having parents print/sign their name on Attendance Logs. Report attendance to the Board of Education at least on an annual basis. Parent, Community and Student Services Branch (PCSS) Response: PCSS partially agreed with the recommendation and stated that it may be difficult to report accurate feedback to the Board of Education regarding the number of parents who have attended the training or viewed the video. Office of the Inspector’s General Comment The proposed action is sufficient and satisfies the recommendation. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017 Recommendation c) Structure parent anti-bullying training in the form of parent fairs on an annual or semi-annual basis. The parent fair may include breakout sessions, abridged workshops, presentations, activities, and printed materials that are consistent with the information provided at the Local District parent trainings.


Page 34 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Parent, Community and Student Services Branch (PCSS) Response PCSS partially agreed with the recommendation and stated the maximum number of parents may not attend an event if the topic is concentrated solely upon “anti-bullying.” PCSS recommends that the training is embedded into existing events so as to encourage attendance at events which offer a variety of offerings to parents. A number of school and Local District events are available to parents throughout the year. At each event the Anti-Bullying presentation for parents will be available. Office of the Inspector General’s Comment The proposed action from PCSS is reasonable and satisfies the original recommendation. Target Date of Implementation: August 2017 III.

Summary of Student Survey Results

Student Survey Background We surveyed students at 228 elementary schools / middle schools / high schools to gauge how satisfied students were with the steps their school had taken to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. A total of 65,310 out of 78,44622 (83%) students responded to the survey. Out of 65,310 students surveyed we obtained complete data from 48,206 students. In order for data to be considered complete for the student survey, a student was required to input a valid location code, student’s gender, and grade level. The following student survey results are based on the 48,206 student’s responses. The responses for the remaining 17,104 were considered “Incomplete Data” because certain pieces of information were missing and could not be aggregated; however this information is presented in Appendix C. The survey was conducted at 228 schools for the following selected grades: 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th grades. A total of 147 (64%) schools participated in the survey. See Appendix G for the listing of schools that participated in the student survey and Appendix H for the schools that did not participate. Respondent Profile The following tables show by grade level, the total number of students that participated in the survey broken down by local district, gender, grade, and age.   

Table 4 is a profile of the high school students who participated in the student survey. Table 5 is a profile of the middle school students who participated in the student survey. Table 6 (on the next page) is a profile of the elementary school students who participated in the student survey.

22 A total of 78,446 students potentially could have responded to the survey, based on the MISIS system application and the 228 schools that were randomly selected for the student survey.


Page 35 of 243

OA 16-558-R

Table 4 High School Respondent Profile HIGH SCHOOL LD

TOTAL Male

NE NW E W C S Total

1,990 3,817 2,100 1,324 1,077 2,923 13,231

998 1,879 1,011 710 529 1,439 6,566

GENDER Female Other23 958 34 1,867 71 1,039 50 594 20 528 20 1,414 70 6,400 265

GRADE 8th25 10th 2 1,053 6 2,003 0 1,099 3 590 97 471 3 1,496 111 6,712

24

7th 2 17 11 5 92 10 137

AGE 11th 933 1,791 990 726 417 1,414 6,271