Category: Data
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Neurodiversity, Behavior, and the Problem with PBIS
While no two nervous systems are identical, some characteristics are more common than others. People with these more common traits are called neurotypical. People with less common configurations are called neurodivergent. Autism, ADHD, epilepsy, Down syndrome, Tourette syndrome, depression, dyslexia, and dyspraxia are some common types of neurodivergence, though there are many more.
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Disabilities and Disparities: Why disabled students are disproportionately impacted by restraint and seclusion
Like many other harmful practices, restraint and seclusion in schools are not experienced equally by all students. Students with disabilities, Black and brown students, boys, and young children are disproportionately impacted by restraint and seclusion in schools. In this article, I will focus on the impacts on students with disabilities.
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Impact of Seclusion and Restraint on Post High School Outcomes
As an attorney practicing in the areas of education and discrimination, seclusion and restraint in schools are a particularly concerning problem. Data suggests that these tactics are often used in a discriminatory manner and negatively impact students’ legal right to access the educational environment. For these reasons, I have been searching for information on the…
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What About the “Other” Children?
What about the other children? The very problem with this question is that it is coming from a place that only holds space for neurotypical children who don’t appear to need more support. I say appear because there are so many children who are simply better at masking but would absolutely benefit from the same…
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Why Restraint and Seclusion Should Be Federally Regulated
Federal data indicates in the United States, upwards of 100,000 students are restrained and secluded (R&S) every year in public schools. The purpose of R&S is to manage disruptive behavior and is intended to be used in situations that involve imminent danger of serious physical harm to the individual or others.
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Building a seclusion room inside or directly alongside a special education classroom is discrimination
When you build a seclusion room inside or in close proximity to a segregated special education classroom, that is discrimination. It not only signals an intent to discriminate and use seclusion almost exclusively on children in these programs the data backs it up. The best Federal data that we have on seclusion indicates that 77%…
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Action Alert: Provide feedback to the Office of Civil Rights on Section 504
There is an opportunity to provide feedback to the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. You will find directions for providing feedback and feedback from the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint below. On May 6, 2022, OCR announced that it intends to propose amendments to the Department’s regulations at 34 C.F.R. pt.…
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“There is no place in Maryland’s schools for the use of seclusion”
On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 there was a hearing in the Maryland Senate for SB 705, which would prohibit seclusion in all public schools in Maryland and significantly reduce the use of seclusion in nonpublic schools. I attended and provided testimony in support of the bill and was joined by several others including our State Superintendent Mohammad Choudhary.
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Action Alert: Tell the Maryland Senate to ban seclusion in all public schools
Great news – we have proposed legislation in the Maryland Senate that would ban seclusion in all public schools across the state and limit the use of seclusion in nonpublic schools (SB 0705). The legislation would also expand reporting requirements and require the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to develop an accountability system. This…
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Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection request for comments
The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights has asked for public comment on the mandatory civil rights data collection. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in…