Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-103.8

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 281-103.8 - Training, documentation, debriefing, and reporting requirements

(1)Training. An employee must receive training prior to using any form of physical restraint or seclusion. Training will cover the following topics:

a. The rules of this chapter;

b. The school's specific policies and procedures regarding the rules of this chapter;

c. Student and staff debriefing requirements;

d. Positive behavior interventions and supports, and evidence-based approaches to student discipline and classroom management;

e. Research-based alternatives to physical restraint and seclusion;

f. Crisis prevention, crisis intervention, and crisis de-escalation techniques;

g. Duties and responsibilities of school resource officers and other responders, and the techniques, strategies and procedures used by responders; and

h. Safe and effective use of physical restraint and seclusion.

(2)Documentation and reporting. Schools must maintain documentation for each occurrence of physical restraint and seclusion. Documentation will contain at least the following information:

a. The name of the student;

b. The names and job titles of employees who observed, implemented, or were involved in administering or monitoring the use of seclusion or physical restraints, including the administrator or individual who approved continuation of the seclusion or physical restraint pursuant to subparagraph 103.7(2)"c"(2);

c. The date of the occurrence;

d. The beginning and ending times of the occurrence;

e. The date the employees who observed, implemented, or were involved in administering or monitoring the use of seclusion or physical restraints last completed training necessary under subrule 103.8(1);

f. A description of the actions of the student before, during, and after the seclusion or physical restraint;

g. A description of the actions of the employee(s) involved before, during, and after the seclusion or physical restraint, including the use of a nonapproved restraint (subparagraph 103.7(2)"c"(5)) or the use of other than a designated seclusion room (paragraph 103.7(2)"d");

h. Documentation of approvals for continuation of the seclusion or physical restraint period generated in accordance with subrule 103.7(2), including why it was not possible to obtain approval;

i. A description of the less restrictive means attempted as alternatives to seclusion or physical restraint;

j. A description of any injuries, whether to the student or others, and any property damage;

k. A description of future approaches to address the student's behavior, including any consequences or disciplinary actions that may be imposed on the student; and

l. The time and manner by which the school notified the student's parent of the use of physical restraint or seclusion, including why it was not possible to attempt to give notice within the time specified by paragraph 103.7(2)"b."

Schools must provide the student's parent with a written copy of the report by the end of the third school day following the occurrence. The report will be accompanied by a letter inviting the parent to participate in a debriefing meeting, if necessary under subrule 103.8(3), to be held within five school days of the day the report and letter are mailed to or provided to the parent. The letter will include the date, time and place of the meeting and the names and titles of employees and other individuals who will attend the meeting. The parent may elect to receive the report and the letter via electronic mail or facsimile or by obtaining a copy at the school. If the parent does not provide instructions to the school or enter into an agreement with the school for alternate dates and methods of delivery, the school must mail the letter and report to the parent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, postmarked by end of the third school day after the occurrence.

(3)Debriefing.

a. Schools must hold a debriefing meeting as soon as practicable whenever provided by paragraph 103.8(3)"f," but within five school days of the day the report and letter are mailed or provided to the parent, unless a parent who wants to participate personally or through a representative asks for an extension of time, or the parent and school agree to an alternate date and time. The student may attend the meeting with the parent's consent. The parent may elect to be accompanied by other individuals or representatives. The meeting must include employees who administered the physical restraint or seclusion, an administrator or employee who was not involved in the occurrence, the individual or administrator who approved continuation of the physical restraint or seclusion, other relevant personnel designated by the school (such as principal, counselor, classroom teacher, special education teacher), and, if indicated by the student's behavior in the instances prompting the debriefing, an expert in behavioral health, mental health, or another appropriate discipline. The meeting, and the debriefing report that is to be provided to the parent after the meeting, will include the following information and subjects:

(1) The date and location of the meeting, and the names and titles of the participants;

(2) The documentation and report completed in compliance with subrule 103.8(2);

(3) A review of the student's BIP, IHP, safety plan, and IEP as applicable;

(4) Identification of patterns of behavior and proportionate response, if any, in the student and the employees involved;

(5) Determination of possible alternative responses to the incident/less restrictive means, if any;

(6) Identification of additional resources that could facilitate those alternative responses in the future;

(7) Planning for follow-up actions, such as behavior assessments, revisions of school intervention plans, medical consultations, and reintroduction plans.

b. Schools must complete the debriefing report and provide a copy of the report to the parent of the student within three school days of the debriefing meeting. The parent may elect to receive the report via electronic mail, or facsimile, or by obtaining a copy at the school. If the parent does not provide instructions to the school or enter into an agreement with the school for alternate dates and methods of delivery, the school must mail the debriefing report to the parent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, postmarked no later than three school days after the debriefing meeting.

c. If the debriefing session results in a recommendation that a child might be eligible for a BIP, IHP, safety plan, or IEP, the public agencies will promptly determine the child's eligibility in accordance with the procedures for determining eligibility, including rules contained in 281-Chapter 14 and 281-Chapter 41, as applicable.

d. Any recommended change to a student's BIP, IHP, safety plan, or IEP, or a student's educational placement, will be made in accordance with the procedures for amending said plan or changing said placement, including rules contained in 281-Chapter 14 and 281-Chapter 41, as applicable.

e. Nothing in this subrule will be construed to require employers to include information about employees that would be legally protected personnel information, including employee disciplinary information under Iowa Code chapters 279 and 284, or to allow discussion of that personnel information, in debriefing meetings.

f. For purposes of this subrule, a debriefing session is necessary:

(1) Upon the first instance of seclusion or physical restraint during a school year;

(2) Whenever any personal injury occurs as a part of the use of seclusion or physical restraint;

(3) Whenever a reasonable educator would determine a debriefing session is necessary;

(4) Whenever suggested by a student's IEP team (if any);

(5) Whenever agreed by the parent and the school officials.

However, in any case a debriefing session will occur after seven instances of seclusion or physical restraint. Nothing in this paragraph will be construed to prevent a school from offering more debriefing meetings.

(4)Confidentiality. Schools are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99, both as effective on February 7, 2024); Iowa Code chapter 22, "Examination of Public Records (Open Records)"; and other applicable federal and state laws, when taking action pursuant to this rule.

(5)Reporting to department. Schools will report to the Iowa department of education, in a manner prescribed by the department, an annual count of all instances of seclusion or restraint, an annual count of the number of students who were subjected to seclusion or restraint, and any other data required for the department to implement the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, Public Law 114-95, as of February 7, 2024.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-103.8

ARC 9378B, IAB 2/23/11, effective 3/30/11

Amended by IAB December 16, 2020/Volume XLIII, Number 13, effective 1/20/2021

Adopted by IAB April 17, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 21, effective 5/22/2024