Student Resources

Parent/Student Handbook

The San José Unified Parent/Student Handbook is a guide to help students and families understand the board policies, California laws, and school district procedures that ensure students have every opportunity to succeed in a safe learning environment. You’ll find resources like the instructional calendar, expectations for attendance, behavior guidelines, parent and student rights, and much more.

Download the Parent/Student Handbook.

Please refer to Board Policy 6020 and Administrative Regulation 6020, revised March 1, 2018, to see our policies and regulations for Parent Involvement.

COVID Health and Safety

We anticipate having COVID cases across our schools and classrooms, in line with the COVID case counts in our community. Students who develop COVID symptoms should be tested and remain home while symptomatic. Students who test positive for COVID should report at go.sjusd.org/COVIDtracker.

COVID Procedures

Dress Code & Uniforms

San José Unified believes our students should give the appropriate attention to personal cleanliness and wear clothes that are suitable for the school activities in which they participate. To promote a positive school climate, the principal, staff, and parents/guardians at a school may establish a reasonable policy requiring students to wear uniforms.

A change of clothing is required for physical education (PE) classes. Students will be allowed to wear sun-protective clothing and hats. Sun-protective hats may be worn for outdoor use only.

Please view the Dress and Grooming section of the Parent/Student Handbook starting on page 6 for additional information. If you have questions, please contact your student’s school.

Graduation Requirements

San José Unified graduation requirements align to the A-G requirements of the California State University (CSU) schools and the University of California (UC) schools. Students must complete 10 hours of community service for each year of enrollment in a San José Unified high school (maximum of 40 hours).

Please view the Parent/Student Handbook page for detailed graduation and college entrance requirements.

Community Service

To fulfill graduation requirements, San José Unified high school students must complete 40 hours of community service at approved nonprofit organizations. Students are encouraged to earn 10 hours of community service for each year of enrollment at a San José Unified high school, however schools may implement their own requirements for how students accumulate these hours.

A full list of guidelines is available on the Community Service document. Download a timesheet for community service hours. For questions, contact your school administrators.

Transcripts

Please submit requests for transcripts using the online form

Current students and parents/legal guardians of current students can access the unofficial transcript through the Student and Parent Portals, respectively. Refer to the instruction manual for the four simple steps to obtaining a copy of your unofficial transcript.

Official transcripts are $5 per transcript. Payment is required to process the transcript request and may be brought in-person to the office or mailed directly to the school. If you are mailing in payment, please include a note with your name, date of birth, and phone number, or a copy of the transcript request.

Accepted forms of payment include cash, checks, and money orders. Please make checks and money orders payable to the school. For cash payments, exact amounts are appreciated.

Diplomas

San José Unified does not issue duplicate or replacement diplomas.

In certain circumstances, schools may keep diplomas for a limited time for students who were unable to pick up at the time of graduation. If this situation applies to you, please try contacting the school to see if they can assist. Duplicate diplomas will not be issued.

You are welcome to submit a transcript request form. The transcript includes graduation date, school name, grade point average, and more. The form can be accessed at go.sjusd.org/transcripts.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

The San José Unified Network promotes family and community involvement at all levels of implementation. Our mission is to build the skills and capacity of leadership teams at the district and school levels through training, coaching, and technical assistance.

We are focused on assisting school leaders in developing structures for teaching expected behaviors and social skills, creating student behavioral and academic support systems, and applying data-based decision-making to discipline, academics, and social/emotional learning at the school, district, regional and state levels.

Discipline

San José Unified provides school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a piecemeal approach of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms).

When repeated interventions have failed and/or a student’s actions have created an unsafe environment for other students or staff on a campus, the District Disciplinary Review Committee may recommend that a student be transferred to another comprehensive or alternative school within San José Unified.

Discipline Hearing

The Discipline Hearing will include notice to the student and parents of the charges against the student and/or the reasons for the proposed action, an opportunity for the student and parents to rebut or respond to the charges, and review of the student’s record. The student will have the opportunity to oppose the transfer at the informal hearing.

The hearing may include the student, parents, site administrators, and district personnel. The Student Services Department will notify the student and parents of the District’s final decision. Disciplinary action may result in a recommendation to return to the present school, or for the student to be administratively placed at another school, or placed in an alternative program and/or other educational intervention.

Questions & Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns about student discipline, please call (408) 535-6545 ext. 13225 and let us know.

Everyday Well-Being

LGBTQ+ Resources

San José Unified is committed to creating a safe and supportive learning environment for every SJUSD student. In an effort to better support all of our students, SJUSD has joined OUT for Safe Schools, a national program that seeks to identify safe spaces and adult allies for LGBTQ+ students. Participating SJUSD staff members can be easily identified by displaying the OUT for Safe Schools badge they are wearing.
LGBTQ+ resources.

Contact

Student Services Department
San José Unified School District
855 Lenzen Ave.
San José, CA 95126

Darbi O’Connell, Student Services Director
(408) 535-6195
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)