Office of Shared Accountability → Safety and Security at a Glance → School Safety and Security Glossary

Glossary of Terms

Out of School Suspension Categories

Note: Out‐of‐School Suspention Incidents are defined in the MCPS Code of Conduct, available at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/students/rights/CodeofConduct.pdf
Terms Related to Out-of-School Suspension Reporting
Term Definition
Total Students Enrolled This represents the number of students in each of the indicated categories.
Percent Students Enrolled For the student groups, this indicates the percentage of students as compared with the total population of the school.
Number Students Suspended This represents the number of students suspended in each student category. It is an unduplicated count of students, meaning a student is counted only once regardless of the number of times that student may be suspended.
Percent Students Suspended For the student groups, this indicates the percentage of students suspended as compared to the population of the individual student group.
Serious Incident Categories and Definitions
Academic Dishonesty The intentional misrepresentation of one’s work toward educational progress, which can include cheating or other forms of dishonesty.  Plagiarism refers to the use of another's ideas, information, language, or writing, when done without proper acknowledgment of the original source.
Accident An unintentional incident that causes disruption in the school day.
Alcohol Distribution—The distribution of the substance, the possession of the quantity of a substance in excess of that which would be reasonable for personal use, or the act of distribution of the substance to others.

Possession—Having on one’s person the substance in question.
Arrest Action by the police to take a student into custody with the intent to press formal charges.
Arson Willful and malicious fire setting or the threat of same.
Bomb An explosive, incendiary, or toxic material combined with a delivery or detonating apparatus, or a device modified to do so, or a look-alike.
Bomb Threat The threat that an explosive device exists that would harm the functions of the school day.
Bullying Intentional conduct, including verbal, physical, or written conduct or an intentional electronic communication that creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, or with a student’s physical or psychological well-being, and is—
(1) motivated by an actual or a perceived personal characteristic, including race, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, familial status, or physical or mental ability or disability; or
(2) threatening or seriously intimidating; and either occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school. This can include harassment and intimidation.
MD. ANN. CODE, EDUCATION § 7-424.
Bus Incident Any incident that occurs on a school bus and/or interferes with the route responsibilities.
Computer Abuse The misuse of technology as outlined in MCPS Regulation IGT-RA, User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security.
Crisis Center The Montgomery County Crisis Center conducts psychological services. Schools refer students there when behaviors are exhibited that the school believes warrant a psychological evaluation.
Disruptive Behavior Behavior that interferes with the normal operation of the entire school.
Drugs Distribution—The distribution of the substance, the possession of the quantity of a substance in excess of that which would be reasonable for personal use, or the act of distribution of the substance to others.

Possession—Having on one’s person the substance in question.

Paraphernalia—Having on one’s person or in a location used by the person those items that enable use of the controlled substance.
Extortion The use, or the express or implicit threat of the use, of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to a person, reputation, or property as a means to obtain something of value or to compel some action from someone else.
Fighting A physical conflict between two or more students.
Fire, Not Arson The existence, or evidence of prior existence, of fire on school property.  
Gang-related Incident/Crime Activity related to a formal or informal ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons who: (a) have a history of criminal street gang activity; (b) have a common name or common identifying signs, colors, or symbols; and (c) have members or associates who, individually or collectively, engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity.
Hate Incident Crime—Identified and charged by the police with harassing a person or damaging property of a person because of race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Graffiti—Defacement of property that denigrates on the basis of race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Other—Activity other than crime or graffiti that denigrates on the basis of race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Malfunction, Essential Equipment Any equipment disorder that interferes with the normal operation of the entire school.
Medical Assistance Request for emergency services.
Missing Child Report of a student missing from expected attendance at school.
Physical Assault/Attack An offensive and intentional touching or striking of a person against his or her will, intentionally causing bodily harm.
Protective Services An incident that requires reference of student to Child Welfare Services.
Robbery, Strong-armed The taking of property of another from his person or in his presence by force or reasonable fear of violence.
Serious Injury Physical injury that requires medical attention outside the school.
Sex Related Assault—Charged by the police with actual or attempted sexual penetration against a person without consent.

Harassment—The unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate verbal, written, or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Rape—Engage in sexual intercourse with another by force or threat of force.
Suicide The act of intentionally taking one's own life.
Theft Dishonestly acquiring property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.
Threat, Physical or Verbal Expression of intent to damage or injure; intimidation.
Vandalism Graffiti—Images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted, or any form of marking on property that does not belong to the artist.

Other—Intentional abuse, damage or destruction of any portion of school facilities, furnishings, or property.
Weapon Implements that can cause bodily harm, and the term includes but is not limited to, knives, metal knuckles, nunchakus, guns, rifles, firearms, BB guns, paintball guns, pellet guns, and any object used as a weapon.
Weapon, Toy, Facsimile Implements that are designed to resemble those items that can cause bodily harm.
Other Incidents not related to any of the other categories but are reported to the Office of School Support and Improvement.
Terms Related to Bullying Incidents
Bullying Intentional conduct, including verbal, physical, or written conduct or an intentional electronic communication that creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, or with a student’s physical or psychological well-being, and is—
(1) motivated by an actual or a perceived personal characteristic, including race, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, familial status, or physical or mental ability or disability; or
(2) threatening or seriously intimidating; and either occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school. This can include harassment and intimidation.
MD. ANN. CODE, EDUCATION § 7-424.
Number Reported The number of reported bullying incidents represents the number of Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation reporting forms (MCPS Form 230-35) turned in for the current school year. State law requires that any person who reports bullying, harassment, or intimidation be given the opportunity to make a written report by filling out this form, but they are not required to do so. However, any report of bullying, harassment, or intimidation, either written or verbal, must be investigated by school administration. For more information, please see MCPS Regulation JHF-RA, Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation.
Number Confirmed Number of reported bullying events deemed accurate upon investigation by school administrator.
Definition of Drills and Alerts
Emergency Drills Lockdown Drill:  The planned practice of an emergency in the school or on the campus indicating imminent danger exists to students and staff members.
Fire Evacuation Drill The planned practice of an emergency evacuation of a school due to a fire emergency. By 2017 school year, each school was required to conduct ten fire evacuation drills. Starting 2018 school year, the State of Maryland Fire Prevention Code requires that five fire emergency drills be conducted in schools which are fully protected by an automatic sprinkler system and eight in schools not fully protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
Directed Evacuation Drill:  The planned practice of an evacuation of the school due to causes other than a fire emergency.
Public Safety Shelter Drill:  The planned practice of an emergency in the community caused by a public safety department response requiring students and staff to shelter inside the school building.
Severe Weather Shelter Drill:  The planned practice of an emergency in the community caused by a high wind weather emergency requiring students and staff to shelter inside the main school building.
Lockdown Incident Actual emergency in a school or on the campus indicating imminent danger exists to students and staff.
Fire Evacuation Incident Actual emergency evacuation of the school due to a fire or activation of the fire evacuation alarm.
Directed Evacuation Incident Actual evacuation of the school due to an emergency in the building other than a fire emergency.
Shelter Incidents Public Safety Shelter Incident:   Actual emergency in the community caused by a public safety response requiring students and staff to shelter inside the main school building.
Severe Weather Shelter Incident:  Actual emergency in the community caused by a high wind weather emergency requiring students and staff to shelter inside the main school building.
Outside Hazardous Material Release Shelter Incident:  Actual emergency in the community caused by a release of a hazardous material requiring the students and staff to shelter inside the main school building.
Other Definitions
OSSI Office of School Support and Improvement