As the 2022-2023 school year draws to a close, the deadline to submit Physical Restraint, Time Out and Isolated Time Out (RTO) Plans for the 2023-2024 school year, as well as progress reports for the 2022-2023 school year, is fast approaching. The District’s oversight team, which must include teachers, paraprofessionals, school service personnel, and administrators, should use the updated directions, checklist, and 2023-2024 templates released by ISBE when developing their school-specific RTO Plan for reducing the use of restraint, time out, and isolated time out and procedures to implement the Plan. The updated template includes a new section that streamlines the submission of progress reports and RTO Plans by combining the progress reports for the 2022-2023 school year and the 2023-2024 RTO Plan into a single document. As a reminder, the 2022-2023 progress report and 2023-2024 RTO Plan need to be submitted to ISBE at rtoreductionplan@isbe.net by July 1, 2023.

If any school districts plan to submit an alternative RTO reduction goal application, they must apply by April 15, 2023. As a reminder, a school district may only apply for an alternative RTO reduction goal if the school district has 20 students or fewer who experienced physical restraint, time out or isolated time out in the previous school year and has not had a systemic complaint finding for a complaint regarding restraint, time out, or isolated time out in the previous or current school years. If ISBE approves the alternative RTO reduction goal application, it will notify the school district by April 30, 2023.