The US. Department of Education just released a resource document on creating practices and policies regarding the framework for implementing Restraint and Seclusion in schools (5/15/12). Download it here.

“As education leaders, our first responsibility must be to make sure that schools foster learning in a safe environment for all of our children and teachers...I believe this document is an important step toward this goal. I also want to salute leaders in Congress for their vigilance on this issue.” - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

According to Ed.gov:The purpose of this resource document is to present and describe 15 principles for state, district, and school staff; parents; and other stakeholders to consider when states, localities, and districts develop policies and procedures which should be in writing on the use of restraint and seclusion. This resource document discusses the context within which these principles were developed, lists the principles, and highlights the current state of practice and implementation considerations for each principle.Additionally, this document provides a synopsis of ongoing efforts by federal agencies to address national concerns about using restraint and seclusion in schools. Two attachments at the end of this document provide information about state policies on the use of restraint and seclusion in our nation’s public schools and an annotated resource guide on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools.