Review: No abuse at Elm Hill Primary School

Investigation reveals no abuse of seclusion rooms at Elm Hill Primary School. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120428/NEWS02/704289887

ublished April 28, 2012 in the Rutland Herald Review: No abuse at Elm Hill Primary School “Our efforts now are going to be working with families and employees to make sure that everyone, not just at Elm Hill, is completely trained in de-escalation, understands state regulations, and is familiar with positive behavioral intervention techniques.” Frank Perotti, Springfield superintendent of schools By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — An investigation by the Springfield School District and the state Department for Children and Families concluded there was no evidence of abuse and neglect at Elm Hill Primary School with the use of seclusion rooms, according to Superintendent of Schools Frank Perotti. Perotti released a statement on Thursday stating a thorough review was conducted on the faculty and staff’s use of discipline, reporting and employee conduct. The investigation revealed that employees “did not always completely follow state disciplinary regulations” but there was no “lasting harm to any students as a result of (their) mistakes,” Perotti wrote. Some Elm Hill employees faced disciplinary measures but Perotti did not provide specifics or the number of people involved. “All I can say is appropriate disciplinary measures have been taken. There were not many, only a few. It’s a done deal,” Perotti said. “Our efforts now are going to be working with families and employees to make sure that everyone, not just at Elm Hill, is completely trained in de-escalation, understands state regulations, and is familiar with positive behavioral intervention techniques.” According to school rules and regulations, seclusion rooms should be used sparingly when children pose a threat to themselves or others. Earlier in the school year, Elm Hill Primary School parents complained that children were placed in seclusion rooms when they were not a threat to themselves or others. This winter, a grandparent complained that her grandson was placed in a seclusion room at Elm Hill. She told the School Board that a teacher allegedly closed the door and prevented him from leaving. Another Elm Hill parent said her son was placed in seclusion but she was never notified by school administrators that it happened. The information prompted School Board members to remove seclusion room doors, conduct an investigation, and re-examine school policies. While Perotti acknowledged appropriate disciplinary measures were taken, he also said he believed Elm Hill employees were not up to speed with state disciplinary rules and regulations. He said there was a communication breakdown between Springfield teachers and the state and it may have caused confusion about seclusion room policies. “The state was very unclear when administrators asked that question at a summer training,” Perotti said. “Administrators were not able to communicate information back to staff members clearly and staff members were not clear when there were situations for seclusion. There was a misunderstanding of the regulations.” Regardless of the miscommunication, the school district addressed the situation at Elm Hill. Seclusion rooms have been discontinued and a policy committee is drafting language to clarify disciplinary procedures throughout the district. Faculty and staff will work with students on an individual basis, parents will be promptly notified when difficult situations arise, and seclusions will used much more sparingly in the future. “It’s going to be much more difficult to use seclusion as a strategy. It’s a safety issue and it was never used for discipline or punishment. We have no evidence it was,” Perotti said. “(The Department for Children and Families) were quite complimentary about the room and said they had seen far worse.”