Board of Ed in March: educational vision and time out rooms

Johnston: hope that future commissioner is watching to carry forward
planning teams aligning with strategic objectives
how will we know that a project will change outcomes for students?
goal to have catalog of aligned supports in May for school districts

and on to time out rooms

a real evolution in our state
still a need for regulation: need to not be the least bit ambiguous
systems of support to help students progress academically while promoting physical and mental health

proposed changes to 603 CMR 46 (physical restraint and time out) and 18 (public and private education schools)

seclusion to align with federal definition
room is unlocked and student may leave
emergency circumstances as a last resort in which a student may be in such space; documentation from mental health professional that it is not contraindicated; consent from parent
parental notification
weekly and monthly data documentation and review

approved special ed schools must align with 46
clear staff responsibilities and documentation

proposal is to send out to public comment with public comment due in May; regulation back to Board in June

West: time out v restraint?
Johnston: electric stimulus not allowed for approved public or private special education schools for those under 21 in Massachusetts
seclusion, not time out, important distinction

Hills: operation? does it allow for it to be done?
be careful about guidance becoming regulation about right
Johnston have paid close attention to what practices are across the state
there are schools that do the things the proposed regs have
always has been a three month process for state regulation change
Hills: is there something in our regulation that requires particular periods for public comment?

there's a whole back and forth about what Hills thought the regulation was on public comment for regulation

Moriarty: administrative procedures act
do have some trepidation about this; tools for behavior management have been more limited even as behavior management has been more needed
will question if simply stricter adherence to current regs is what is needed
better resourced, call to action, regulations not unrelated to that
Johnston: need to see issues as distinct
mental health support needed in schools, proactive work
"however seclusion is not a behavior management strategy"
"any conflating of those notions is exactly why we need this"

Stewart: loose ends in my mind about this
communicating changes?
alignment or parallel regulation with early ed?
Johnston/Tutwiler: working in tandem with EEC
for DESE to be clear and supportive of districts

Grant: evolution of language is very important
should impact such a very small group of students across the Commonwealth
training supports oversight for districts

Motion to solicit public comment: passes