In the Mount Vernon City School District (“District”), students participate in interscholastic activities, physical education classes and extracurricular or school sponsored activities.

Although the Board of Education of the District takes reasonable care to prevent student injuries, the Board of Education recognizes that concussions and head injuries are the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents, who participate in the aforementioned activities.

Parents and students are reminded that participation in any interscholastic athletic activity, extracurricular or school-sponsored activity is a privilege granted to those students who comply with and maintain necessary eligibility criteria, as provided in the District Student Code of Conduct and Board Policies 7410 and 7420.  In addition, parents and students must be aware that no helmet can guarantee the prevention of serious injury to the head or neck.  To this end, the District has adopted the following policy and guidelines to aid in the proper evaluation and management of concussions and head injuries.

Parents and/or students are expected to accurately and promptly report injuries so that the student’s health can be protected.

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Definition of Concussion

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury. Concussion occurs when normal brain functioning is disrupted by a blow or jolt to the head or a blow to the body that otherwise causes such injury. Recovery from concussion will vary. Avoiding re‐injury and over‐exertion until fully recovered are the cornerstones of proper concussion management.

Any student believed to have sustained a concussion or who is demonstrating signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion while participating in a school-sponsored class, extracurricular activity or interscholastic athletic activity shall be immediately removed from the game or activity and be evaluated as soon as possible by an appropriate health care professional. The District will take steps to notify the student’s parents and/or guardians and recommend appropriate monitoring to parents and/or guardians.


The Mount Vernon City School District's Concussion Management Team will act as a liaison for any student returning to school and/or play following a concussion. 
If there is any doubt whether a student has sustained a head injury, it should be treated as a concussion, until proven otherwise. 

If a student sustains a concussion at a time other than when engaged in a school-sponsored activity,the District expects that parent/legal guardian will report the condition to school nurse so that the District can support the appropriate management of the condition, with appropriate guidance from the student’s private doctor who originally treated the condition.

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Return to Play Guidelines

1. No student shall return to school or activity while experiencing symptoms consistent with those of a head injury.
2. No student shall resume athletic activity until he/she has been symptom free for the period of time outlined in District protocols, depending on the extent of the injury,and, in any event for not less than twenty-four (24) hours. 
3. The student shall not return to school sponsored or interscholastic activity until evaluation by and receipt of a written and signed authorization from a licensed physician. 
   • Regardless of such evaluation, the District’s school physician shall make the ultimate decision regarding whether the student may return to participate in school and/or interscholastic or extracurricular activities.
4. Any student who continues to have signs or symptoms of a head injury, after being returned to the aforementioned activities, shall be immediately removed from the activity and reevaluated by his/her personal health care professional.
   
   • Once the student is symptom free for the period designated in District protocols or, in any event, not less than twenty-four (24) hours thereafter, a student will be required to present a physician’s note stating that he/she has been cleared to resume activities.
   • The District’s school physician shall review the new documentation provided by the student in order to determine if it is safe for the student to return to his/her regular school activities.
5. Depending on the severity of the head injury and individual circumstances of the student, appropriate modifications may be made to the student’s participation in school in an effort to reduce the risk of re-injury and promote recovery. Collaboration and communication by the CMT, private health care professionals and parents of the student will help ensure the development of an appropriate concussion management plan for the student.

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Concussion Management Team

The District has assembled a concussion management team (the “CMT”), which consists of the school physician, the school nurse, the District’s Athletic Director and the District’s athletic trainer. The CMT will oversee the implementation of the Concussion Management and Awareness Act in the District, including but not limited to: coordination of mandatory biennial training relating to concussions, for all coaches, physical education teachers, nurses and athletic trainers that work with, and provide instruction to, students engaged in school sponsored athletic activities.  Training will include, but not be limited to:the definition of a concussion, signs and symptoms of concussions and how they may occur, post concussion and second impact syndromes, practices regarding prevention, guidelines for return to activity, school protocols, and available area resources for concussion management and treatment. The CMT shall establish and implement a program which provides information on concussions to parents and guardians throughout each school year.
 

Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (“ImPact”)

The District will use ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) as its protocol to assist in determining a student’s ability to return to play after suffering a concussion.  It is a computerized exam that is taken by student-athletes prior to the season, to get a baseline reading on such brain functions as memory, reaction time, processing speed and concentration.  If a student-athlete is believed to have suffered a concussion he/she must re-take the exam to help determine if there is any change in the baseline data.  This helps the CMT determine if it is safe for the student to return to play after an injury to the head, as per applicable rules and Regulations.

The testing information is confidential and kept securely in a database by ImPact which can only be accessed with a secured password by members of the CMT.


Cross-ref: Board Policy 7410 (Extracurricular Activities), Board Policy 7420 (Sports and the Athletic Program)
Ref: NYCRR §135.4, N.Y. Education Law §305 (“Concussion Management and Awareness Act”)
Resource Materials: NYSPHSAA Concussion Management Support Materials and Guidelines: http://www.nysphsaa.org/safety/