UPDATED: Seclusion Updates & Resources

Blog last updated on March 1, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.

The Original Articles

1. The Quiet Rooms - from Pro Publica/ Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
2. The federal government collects data on how often schools seclude children. The numbers don’t add up - from Pro Publica/ Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
3. How we reported this story: Creating a first-ever database of thousands of seclusion incidents in Illinois from Pro Publica/ Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
4. ‘A mean place’: One school. 21 abuse investigations. And the struggle to stop relying on seclusion and restraint. from Pro Publica/ Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
5. The Takedown:  Illinois allows schools to physically restrain children. But workers often violated the rules in dangerous ways. from Pro Publica/ Chicago Tribune (Click Here)

Legislative Information

• Thoughts from Rep. Jonathan Carroll (Click Here)
• Proposed Legislation:
• SB 2315 - Senator Gillespie (Click Here)
• HB 3975 - Rep. Carroll (Click Here)
• HB 5326 - Rep. Crespo (Click Here)

Information from ISBE

• Weekly Message from State Superintendent of Schools (Click Here)
• News Release from ISBE (Including Steps for ALL schools to take) (Click Here)
• Emergency Rule making (Click Here)
• Letter from ISBE regarding the new rules (Click Here)
• Comments from State Superintendent at State Board of Education Meeting (Click Here)
• 12/4/2019 - Emergency Amendment to Rules (Click Here) |  News Release (Click Here)
• 12/09/2019 - Proposed Permanent Rule (Click Here)
• 01/02/2020 - Guidance Document (Click Here) (Link removed - see updated version below)
• 02/25/2020 - Updated Emergency Rules (third round here) (Click Here)
• 02/25/2020 - Final Rules - sent to JCAR (Click Here)
• 03/01/2020 - Updated Guidance Document (Click Here)
• 03/01/2020 - Updated ISBE Required Form for Reporting Physical Restraint (Click Here)

Guidance and Interpretation from Law Firms

• Engler, Callway, Baasten, & Sraga (Click Here) |  Additional Info (Click Here)

• Franczek - (Click Here)   |  Interpretation - (Click Here)   |  Additional Info (Click Here)  Additional Info (Click Here)

• Hauser, Izzo, Gleason, Petrarca, & Stillman (Click Here)  |  Additional Info (Click Here)

• Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick, & Kohn  - (Click Here)  |  12/4/2019 - Updated (Click Here)  |  2/26/20 Update (Click here)

• Kriha Boucek (Click Here)

• Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk, & Miller (Click Here)  |  Interpretation  (Click Here)   |  Updated Information (Click Here)

• Robbins Schwartz (Click Here)

News Articles and Follow Ups

11/21/2019

• Illinois to take emergency action to halt isolated timeouts in schools - Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
• State school board to make emergency rule changes in response to isolation room report - Capitol News (Click Here)
• After report, Illinois officials vow to stop punishing students with solitary confinement - Washington Post (Click Here)

11/22/2019 

• Isolated timeouts have been temporarily banned in Illinois schools. What’s next? - Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
• ISBE Asks Families To Report Seclusion, Restraint - NPR (Click Here)

12/5/2019

• A Dreaded Part Of Teachers' Jobs: Restraining And Secluding Students - NPR (Click Here)
• Illinois amends emergency rules, will temporarily allow children to be physically restrained in positions it had banned - Chicago Tribune (Click Here)
• ISBE Rolls Back Restraint Rules - NPR (Click Here

12/11/2019

• Commentary: Limiting use of school ‘quiet rooms’ is not enough. Teachers need training and support. - Chicago Tribune (Click Here)

12/17/2019

• As State Rethinks Isolation Rooms, Some Parents Express New Concerns - Chicago Tonight (WTTW) - (Click Here)

01/15/2020

• Illinois Lawmakers Are Calling for a Nationwide Ban on Isolated Timeouts of Students (Pro Publica) - (Click Here)
• Letter from Members of Congress to Secretary Devos on Restraint and Seclusion (Click Here)

02/18/2020

• Illinois Adopts Stricter Rules Against Secluding and Physically Restraining Students in Schools (Pro Publica) - (Click Here)

Resources from IAASE and Other Organizations

• Comments from Kevin Rubenstein at State Board of Education Meeting (Click Here)
• IAASE Comments on Emergency Rules (Click Here)
• CASE Policy on Restraint and Seclusion (Click Here)
• CEC Policy on Restraint and Seclusion (Click Here)
• How Safe Is the Schoolhouse? An Analysis of State Seclusion and Restraint Laws and Policies (Click Here)
• Comments on Proposed Permanent Rules from IAASE (Click Here)

Resources from the Federal Government

• 2012 Restraint and Seclusion: Resource Document (Click Here)
• 2016 Dear Colleague Letter from OCR on Restraint and Seclusion (Click Here)
• 2020 OCR and OSERS Technical Assistance Webinar (Click Here)

Helpful Infographic from Illinois Council of School Attorneys