Section 400
Policy 422

Time-Out Practices

1. "Time-out" refers to the practice of removing a student from his/her current setting to another setting that excludes the student's participation in class/group activities or that removes the student from reinforcement of undesirable behaviors. Time-out ranges from limiting participation in an activity for a brief moment to placement behind a partition or in a corner to placement in a different room (isolation time-out) under the constant supervision of a staff member. Colorado Department of Education Guidelines for the Use of time-out limit the time to one minute per year of age of the student with a maximum time-out period of 12 minutes.
   
   
2. Time-out is not seclusion which means the placement of a student alone in a room from which egress is prevented. Use of seclusion is prohibited.
   
   
3. Time-out is not removal from a classroom or instructional setting for further discipline actions or moving a student to another educational setting for work completion or educational tasks.

1. Time-out must serve a legitimate educational (teaching/learning) function.
   
   
2. Time-out shall not be used as a punishment but is to be used as a technique to allow the student time away from the situation to reflect and regain composure.
   
   
3. The frequency and duration of time-out is to be closely reviewed and evaluated to assure that no individual student is subject to this strategy on a chronic basis.
   
   
4. For students with Individual Educational Programs (IEP), the IEP Committee is to be involved in making decisions concerning the use of time-out.
   
   
5. Written classroom procedures should be developed prior to the use of time-out including:
   
   
   
   1. Rules with clear expectations/consequences that have been taught to all students;
      
      
   2. A hierarchy of responses to behaviors of concern, from least to most intrusive;
      
      
   3. Identified areas where time-outs will occur;
      
      
   4. A process for training other personnel (paraprofessionals, volunteers, support staff);
      
      
   5. A process for documenting the use of time-out, including but not limited to date, time, behavior that precipitated the use of time-out, length of time in isolation, and results;
      
      
   6. Methods that allow the student to talk with an adult and re-enter the setting in a positive way; and
      
      
   7. Any room used for isolation time-out shall have an adequate opening to view the student, have adequate lighting, be no smaller than 6 feet x 6 feet with normal ceiling height, be a non-injurious environment, and have an unlocked door.