The Toolbox is a full day training program that focuses on serving students with disabilities who engage in serious misconduct.  There is no giving up on these kids.  The law requires that schools must continue to serve students, even when they may be dangerous or disruptive.  Moreover, the district is to serve all students in the “least restrictive environment.”  At the same time, the law requires districts to maintain a safe and educationally appropriate climate for the education of all children.  Sometimes, therefore, it’s appropriate to move one student out of the mainstream.  Sometimes a student is so disruptive, defiant or dangerous that a long term change of scenery is called for.

The law refers to this as a “change of placement.”  In the Toolbox, we divide changes of placement into “educational” and “disciplinary” changes.  The difference is in the manifestation determination.  If the ARD Committee concludes that a student violated the Code of Conduct in a manner that is not a manifestation of the student’s disability, then a “disciplinary” change of placement is called for.  We call that Tool #6.

Sometimes, however, you have a student who has seriously disrupted school in ways that are a manifestation of disability.  It would not be proper to impose a disciplinary penalty.  That would be like punishing the student for having a disability.  So Tool #6 is not available.  However, there are two “educational” changes of placement that are available.  The ARD Committee might decide to change the student’s placement to a more restrictive, or at least a different, setting.  If this is done with parental agreement, you are using Tool #2.  If the ARDC ends in a disagreement, you are using Tool #3.

Sound interesting?  If so, let me know if you’d like us to bring the Toolbox to your district or ESC.

DAWG BONE: THREE TOOLS CAN BE USED TO CHANGE PLACEMENT.

 Tomorrow: Remember the “clock boy” in Irving?  There is news!!