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Board updates seclusion, restraint rules; requires next‑day parent notification and incident reporting
Summary
Under policy IDDF adopted by the Ouachita Parish School Board, principals must notify parents of IEP students the day after any seclusion or physical restraint incident; the board also accepted changes to definitions, documentation requirements and procedures and added the word 'approved' to clarify acceptable restraint methods.
The Ouachita Parish School Board adopted revisions to policy IDDF (Education of Students with Exceptionalities) to implement changes spelled out in recent legislation concerning seclusion and restraint.
The updated policy revises definitions for seclusion, crisis intervention, sensory rooms and physical restraint; requires an incident report that must include seven specified elements; and mandates that a principal or designee notify the parent of any student with an individualized education program (IEP) who was secluded or physically restrained no later than the day after the incident. The board also directed that updated guidelines and procedures be posted at each school before the start of the school year.
During discussion, Ms. Westerberg (special education staff) flagged language that could be interpreted as too broad and suggested clarity on acceptable restraint. Miss Rushberg (training lead) told the board that physical restraint is used only when a student is in imminent danger of harming themselves or others and that only staff trained under CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) guidelines should perform restraints. She said, "We don't use physical restraint on students unless they are in imminent danger or they're in danger of causing someone else harm." The board debated whether to use the term "reasonable" or "approved" and agreed to add the word "approved" to the paragraph so the policy refers to "approved physical restraint," aligning the policy with the district's training and the definitions referenced in the policy.
The district said it had prepared a new incident report form containing the required fields and had worked with special education staff to update guidelines prior to the school year. The board approved policy IDDF with the amendment adding "approved" and directed staff to post updated procedures and forms at schools.
Why it matters: The changes affect documentation, parental notification timelines and the district’s approach to behavior management for students with exceptionalities. The next‑day notification requirement and the required incident report elements create new administrative requirements for principals and special education staff.
The motion to approve IDDF with the noted change passed by voice vote; exact vote counts were not specified in the transcript.
