Kansas State Department of Education Releases Report on Seclusion Rooms

November 2009

The Kansas State Department of Education released its year-end report on seclusion rooms. According to official minutes, the State Board of Education adopted a policy on March 13, 2007 regarding the use of seclusion in which local school boards were required to submit data.

This is particularly relevant to Missouri, because currently Missouri legislation requires that local school boards adopt a policy in 2011; legislation does not, however, require any reporting, monitoring, or other means of data collection to determine how in fact seclusion (and restraint) are being used. The Kansas report eludes to the discrepancies among districts in usage of seclusion, and flags significant concern (note frequency and duration of use). Based on this and all other information reported nationally, there is definite risk that this can happen (and already is happening) with local school boards maintaining local autonomy on seclusion and restraint. Please note, it appears the Kansas policy is specific to seclusion rooms.

Resources:

Kansas State Department of Education, Seclusion Information

Kansas State Department of Education, March 13, 2007, Minutes adopting policies regarding seclusion rooms

Kansas State Department of Education Meeting Nov 2009 meeting material (Minutes not yet available), page 57

Kansas State Department of Education, Special Education Seclusion Update for 2008-2009

Kansas State Department of Education, Seclusion of Students with Disabilities: Year End Report 2008-2009

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Copy and Paste URLs:

Kansas State Department of Education, Seclusion Information: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3119

Kansas State Department of Education, March 13, 2007, Minutes adopting policies regarding seclusion rooms: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=36&ctl=Details&mid=1030&ItemID=85

Kansas State Department of Education Meeting Nov 2009 meeting material, page 57: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=427

Kansas State Department of Education, Special Education Seclusion Update for 2008-2009: http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RdjaqHAB7Yo%3D&tabid=3119&mid=6970&forcedownload=true

Kansas State Department of Education, Seclusion of Students with Disabilities: Year End Report 2008-2009: http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=U9Sv%2fxwXO2Y%3d&tabid=3119&mid=6970&forcedownload=true