New DRO Report Examines ODE's Restraint, Seclusion Data

March 11, 2015

Based on advocacy efforts by Disability Rights Ohio and a host of other stakeholders, including the ACLU of Ohio and parents and students with disabilities, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) adopted Rule 3301-35-15: Standards for the implementation of positive behavior intervention supports and the use of restraint and seclusion. This rule governs the use of restraint and seclusion in Ohio's public schools starting in the 2013-14 school year. In 2014 the Ohio General Assembly expanded the rule to include a host of other school settings, including community or charter schools, beginning in the 2015-16 school year.

As part of the rule, school districts must submit restraint and seclusion data to ODE as part of an effort to make the use of these aversive interventions more transparent to the public. Accordingly, Disability Rights Ohio has analyzed the 2013-14 school district data submitted to ODE and created a new report, which outlines deficiencies in the data reporting, highlights matters for further review, and offers suggestions going forward.

View the report:

The State of Restraint and Seclusion in Ohio: An Analysis of Data from Ohio's Public Schools