Safety and Discipline

The New York City Department of Education is committed to ensuring that our schools provide a safe and orderly environment in which teaching and learning take place each day. Safe, supportive school environments depend on students, staff and parents demonstrating mutual respect.

Office of Safety and Youth Development

The Office of Safety and Youth Development works directly with schools and support staff to provide a range of supports to establish and maintain safe and orderly schools and to promote positive school climate and culture.

The Citywide Standards of Intervention and Discipline Measures

All members of the school community - students, staff and parents - must know and understand the standards of behavior which all students are expected to live up to and the consequences if these standards are not met.

The Citywide Standards of Intervention and Discipline Measures (the Discipline Code) provides a description of conduct that does not meet the standards of behavior expected of students in the New York City public schools. It includes a range of guidance interventions and a range of permissible disciplinary and intervention measures which schools may use to address misbehavior. Also included is the Bill of Students Rights and Responsibilities. The Standards apply to all students, including those with disabilities.

​School Safety and Emergency Readiness

The maintenance of order and security in and around public schools is essential to creating learning environments to which students can meet high academic standards, educators can teach towards those standards, and parents can be assured that their children are learning in a safe and positive school setting.  Learn more about Emergency Readiness.

New York State law requires every school district to develop a comprehensive district-wide safety plan. Read the the New York City District-wide School Safety Plan and the Parent Guide to School Safety and Emergency Preparedness.