State Board Of Ed Closes Investigation Into CPS Restraint, Timeout Practices After Almost Two Years
Significant Strides Made in Training Staff, Says State Board
The Illinois State Board of Education has closed its investigation into Chicago Public Schools’ use of physical restraint and timeout practices, citing “significant strides” the district has made to ensure staff is trained in using restraints in schools.
Investigation Started in 2022
The state board started an investigation into Chicago Public Schools in the fall of 2022, citing staff using restraints when there wasn’t a danger to a student or staff, reports of untrained staff using restraints on students, not having a designated official to be notified of incidents and maintain documentation, and parents not being alerted when their child was involved in a restraint or timeout incident.
State Board’s Concerns
The state told the district that it needed to train at least two staff members in each school building in the proper use of physical restraint and timeout, designate a district official to maintain records regarding incidents where restraint or time out is used, and create and sustain a list on the CPS website of staff members that have been trained.
State Board Closes Investigation
The state board informed CPS officials that it had closed its systemic complaint investigation into the district’s restraint and timeout practices in a letter dated Sept. 18.
Reasons for Closing Investigation
The state defines physical restraint as holding a student or other methods to restrict a student’s movement. Prone restraint — when a student is placed face down and pressure is applied to their body to prevent them from moving — has been outlawed in the state with a bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2021.
A spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education told Chalkbeat that the state board decided to close the investigation for several reasons: Chicago Public Schools has trained all staff on timeout and isolated timeout, hired and trained an administrator specifically tasked with reviewing all physical restraint and timeout incidents across the district, and now has a public list of staff who went through training on its website that’s searchable by school and staff member name.
Ongoing Efforts
Four individual complaints are still ongoing, the state board noted in the letter, saying it will continue to monitor the district “to ensure CPS’ ongoing compliance and improvement of practices” related to restraint and timeout.
Chicago Public Schools’ Response
A spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools told Chalkbeat Chicago that it continues to refine the district’s actions related to restraint and timeout. In a statement, the district said it “is fully focused on identifying proactive behavioral interventions to reduce the use of RTO, especially for students of color.”
Conclusion
After almost two years, the Illinois State Board of Education has closed its investigation into Chicago Public Schools’ use of physical restraint and timeout practices. The state board has cited significant strides made by the district in training staff and ensuring compliance with state law. However, the district still has ongoing efforts to refine its practices and ensure the well-being of its students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What led to the investigation?
A: The investigation was started in 2022 due to concerns over staff using restraints when there wasn’t a danger to a student or staff, untrained staff using restraints on students, and parents not being alerted when their child was involved in a restraint or timeout incident.
Q: What did the state board require Chicago Public Schools to do?
A: The state board required Chicago Public Schools to train at least two staff members in each school building in the proper use of physical restraint and timeout, designate a district official to maintain records regarding incidents where restraint or time out is used, and create and sustain a list on the CPS website of staff members that have been trained.
Q: Why did the state board close the investigation?
A: The state board closed the investigation due to significant strides made by Chicago Public Schools in training staff, hiring an administrator to review incidents, and creating a public list of trained staff members.
Q: Are there still ongoing efforts?
A: Yes, four individual complaints are still ongoing, and the state board will continue to monitor the district to ensure compliance and improvement of practices related to restraint and timeout.
