The Illinois School Code requires our district to annually submit a Restraints, Timeout and Isolated Timeout (RTO) reduction plan to the Illinois State Board of Education. Definitions of these terms can be found at the bottom of this page.
A RTO Reduction Plan requires that school district teams create district-specific plans that include procedures to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out.
Physical Restraint, Time Out, Isolated Time Out (RTO) Reduction Plan 2022-2023
. Physical Restraint, Time Out, Isolated Time Out (RTO) Reduction Plan 2023-2024
Parents can find a copy of ISBE’s Parent Bill of Rights and the State’s RTO Complaint Procedures on ISBE’s website here.
Definitions
“Physical Restraint” means holding a student or otherwise restricting the student’s movements through use of a specific, planned physical hold (e.g. “children’s control hold” and “team control”) by qualified personnel, without the aid of mechanical or chemical restraints.
“Physical Restraint” does not include momentary periods of physical restriction by direct person-to-person contact, without the aid of material or mechanical devices, accomplished with limited force and designed to prevent a student from completing an act that would result in potential physical harm to the student or another or damage to property.
“Isolated Time Out” refers to the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a time out room or some other enclosure, outside of the classroom, without a supervising adult in the time out room or enclosure.
“Time Out” refers to a behavior management technique for the purpose of calming or de-escalation that involves the involuntary monitored separation of a student from classmates with an adult trained as required by law, for part of the school day, only for a brief time, in a non-locked setting.
These terms do not include a student initiated or student requested break; a student or teacher initiated sensory break, including a sensory room containing sensory tools to assist a student to calm and de-escalate; an in-school suspension or detention or other appropriate disciplinary measure, including a student’s brief removal to the hallway or similar environment.