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District reports changes and a decline in recorded restraint/seclusion after staff training
Summary
The district presented its annual physical restraint and seclusion report, described recent state law changes that broaden reporting and tightened timelines, and outlined training and procedural steps the district will use to reduce incidents and meet DPI oversight requirements.
At the board meeting, district staff presented the annual report on physical restraint and seclusion and described recent changes in state rules that affect reporting, timelines and training requirements. The presenter identified themselves as Brian and said the changes — effective in March 2022 under state rule updates — mean any restraint or seclusion that occurs on school grounds must be reported, even if a law-enforcement officer is involved.
Brian explained the law now requires schools to provide a copy of the incident report to parents within three days and to convene the involved team to review the incident within 24 hours. He said the required review must address triggers, how the incident was handled, and future strategies. "Law required, now within 24 hours of that incident, the team has to come together," Brian told the board.
Why it matters: staff said the changes increase transparency and require faster follow-up with families. Brian described additional limits on including seclusion or restraint as a preauthorized measure in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): he said seclusion/restraint cannot be written into an IEP as a first resort, and that if a student with a disability experiences two incidents in the same school year, the team must convene an IEP meeting within 10 days to reassess supports.
Data and follow-up: the presenter gave a five-year trend and said the district saw an uptick in 2022–23 largely because staff were unclear about definitions; improved documentation and training reduced counts in the most recent reporting year, with four incidents at the elementary level and one at the high school. Brian said three of the involved students were identified as students with disabilities and one was not. He also said the district was identified by DPI for overuse in a prior year and that the district has since provided additional nonviolent de-escalation training and plans further scenario work and supports under its multi-tiered systems of support.
Training and who is trained: Brian said required training includes both the nonviolent crisis intervention/physical restraint component and separate verbal de-escalation training. He said the district currently requires full training for special education teachers, educational assistants, principals and student services staff; the district has been exploring scaling the verbal de‑escalation training to additional general education staff where feasible.
Board action: the board moved and adopted the annual report as an informational item (a motion was made and seconded; the board voted to accept the report). The presenter said additional steps this year will focus on ongoing staff training and data-driven supports.
Ending: staff said they will continue periodic updates and work with DPI to address prior identification for overuse until the district’s numbers improve.
