Board hears first reader on behavioral‑interventions policy updates; changes align with COMAR and add in‑school suspension appeal process

District staff presented proposed revisions to Board Policy JKA (Behavioral Interventions and Student Discipline) at first reader on April 22. The changes are intended to align local policy with recent amendments to COMAR, clarify the appeals process for in‑school suspensions, and set clearer rules and reporting timelines for restraints and exclusion.

Lori Hines, director of student conduct and attendance, said the revisions add a required appeals process for in‑school suspensions: parents or guardians may appeal an in‑school suspension to the chief of schools within 10 days; the principal’s supervisor (the ILED) must respond in writing within five days; if still unresolved the family may follow Board policy BLA to appeal to the Board. Hines said the district also added clearer steps for how staff must respond when notified about a reportable offense, including safety‑risk meetings and placement decisions.

Special education staff described updates to restraints and exclusion. Nishandra Worthy Lide (Office of Special Education) said seclusion remains prohibited; "exclusion" — short removals from class — may be used for brief periods (not to exceed 30 minutes) with an expectation that staff provide coached strategies to allow a prompt return to class. The district has expanded reporting procedures: parents must be notified within 24 hours after a physical restraint; schools must report restraint incidents through a new electronic system; and the Office of Special Education must be notified when a student reaches a tenth incident and the district has a four‑business‑day timeline to submit information to MSDE about excessive restraint incidents. The district will provide recommendations within 10 business days after that notice, staff said.

The presentation also described new school requirements: each school must maintain a behavior‑response team of two to four staff, including at least one licensed administrator, and those teams receive annual crisis‑intervention training. Staff said the district is piloting an additional School Effectiveness Review (SER) domain to better evaluate supports for students with disabilities; results of the pilot will be blind to the current renewal cycle and will be discussed afterward.

Theresa Jones (Chief Accountability Officer) reviewed the renewal process that runs in parallel to this policy work and said the district is not proposing further substantive methodology changes for the upcoming renewal cycle; the district will continue stakeholder debriefing and expects to return with second reader of the policy in June.

Staff said they have conducted multiple stakeholder sessions, including with teachers, parent groups, Disability Rights Maryland and the Public Justice Center, and that comments continue to be received and addressed. The Board did not vote on the policy at first reader; staff will return for a second reader after continued feedback.