December 12, 2006

LANSING - The State Board of Education on Tuesday adopted state standards for the emergency use of seclusion and restraint of students.

These new state standards are recommended by the State Board for local school districts to implement. The new standards are designed to be a humane and productive method of addressing dangerous behavior and enhancing the educational environment for all students.

These standards provide guidance and definitions for the emergency use of seclusion and restraint. No such guidance or definition existed prior to this action. They were approved by the State Board following a year-long study of a group of educators, parents, and advocates; and extensive public testimony and discussion by the State Board over several months.

“We listened to passionate advocates on all sides of this issue - those who wanted to totally eliminate seclusion and restraint practices, and those who wanted to keep those options,” said State Board of Education President Kathleen N. Straus. “The standards we approved today prohibit the worse practices that could harm students, and limit the use of seclusion and restraint only to emergency situations.”

The new state standards stress that seclusion and restraint are recognized as last resort measures, to be only used in emergency situations, outlines requirements for training of school staff, both the general awareness training for the broader educational community (including pre-service training for teachers) and comprehensive training for key identified personnel.

The standards limit the use of seclusion to clearly defined emergency situations and provides clearly outlined restrictions regarding student egress and the required presence of school staff.

Likewise, the new standards limit restraint to certain emergency situations and provides clearly-outlined limitations and conditions, including the prohibition of prone restraint, defined as the restraint of a person on the floor, face down; prohibits any kind of restraint, on the floor, standing, sitting, kneeling, bending over, that restricts breathing; and the use of seclusion for preschool children.

“Seclusion and restraint are being used in our schools now,” State Board member Reginald Turner said. “What people are crying for, is for us to set forth guidelines in ways that protect students.

Turner added that the State Boards actions, “are not to encourage seclusion and restraint in our schools, but to carefully limit their use.”

The State Board also is calling for the required notification, record keeping, and development of reports in all cases of seclusion and restraint.

IN OTHER ACTION: The State Board approved the first-ever state standards for quality infant and toddler programs that provide the framework for Michigan to improve its early childhood programs and services to reach even higher quality.

These standards, frame reasonable outcomes for the development and learning of infants and toddlers, as well as high-quality program standards which detail how responsive care-giving can support infants’ and toddlers’ healthy growth and development.

"Children learn more from birth to age three than any other time in their life,” Straus said. “The passage of these standards provides infant and toddler program providers with important guidelines to enhance young children's quality of learning opportunities and give all Michigan children, a great start in school and in life."

The Quality Program Standards section provides definitions of the highest quality programs for babies and toddlers when they are cared for in child care centers and homes by adults other than their parents. These standards build on the minimum requirements necessary for the health and safety of young children that are delineated in state licensing rules, and describe the quality necessary for babies and toddlers to develop, thrive and learn.

The development of Early Childhood Standards of Quality is a result of the State Board's Task Force on Ensuring Early Childhood Literacy and a building block of Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's Project Great Start. These standards propel Michigan toward the Governor’s vision of "A Great Start for every child in Michigan: Safe, healthy, and eager to succeed in school and in life."