District reports drop in restraints after first year of 'Foundations' special‑education pathway

Verona Area School District staff reported results and described methods from the first year of Foundations, a short‑term, small‑group learning pathway the district created to support students with complex behavioral and learning needs.

District presenters introduced Foundations staff — a special‑education teacher who now leads the program, a behavior support coach and a broader team — and said the program combined environmental design, explicit work‑break routines, regulation supports and de‑escalation strategies. The district described the approach as a tier‑3 intervention intended to teach skills in a smaller environment and then transfer them to neighborhood schools.

Presenters said restraint incidents for the district were down 53% compared with the prior year in the measures presented. The meeting materials and presenters distinguished between districtwide restraint totals and the subset of students who participated in Foundations; presenters said Foundations students’ data include both time in Foundations and time back in their neighborhood schools. On seclusion measures the presenters said districtwide seclusions also dropped; foundations‑specific seclusion use was reported as higher in some comparisons but presenters noted differences in student cohorts and that some students were new to the district this year.

Program staff described four strategies used to reduce safety incidents and improve learning: intentionally designed physical environments, repeated work‑break routines, regulation supports and targeted de‑escalation techniques. Presenters described using blocking pads and staff training in nonviolent crisis intervention as part of safety measures and said the program’s approach emphasizes access to grade‑level peers while students receive targeted support.

Presenters also shared feedback survey results collected three times during the year. They said about 55 staff members were invited and the n for staff respondents in the last survey was 18; caregiver respondents numbered five for the April survey. Presenters said caregivers and staff reported feelings of belonging and appreciation for supports; the board watched a short student video included in the presentation that district staff said illustrated student engagement and progress.

Board members praised the program, noting visits by other districts and impending conference presentations about the work. Presenters described plans to scale Foundations in stages, continue using the site as a test center for practices to spread across schools and consider expansion at the high school level. No formal board action was taken at the meeting.