Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that all District-run schools have met the first-day-of-school benchmark for training staff on physical restraint and time out (PRTO), as agreed upon with the Illinois State Board of Education. Over the past several months, CPS prioritized PRTO training to ensure personnel at every school were properly trained by August 21, 2023, a deadline that was set in collaboration with ISBE. This marks the first milestone in the District’s efforts to reduce incidents of physical restraint or time-out procedures, and build a sustainable plan for training and support. As of today, all 517 District-run schools are in full compliance with having at least two staff members trained to de-escalate and manage student safety. School districts in Illinois are required to have a plan to ensure school staff are trained to manage situations where a student may be in imminent danger of hurting themselves or others. As part of an agreement with ISBE, every District-run school within CPS now has at least two staff members trained in de-escalation, physical restraint, and time-out procedures. As a District, CPS has committed to reducing incidents where a student would need to be physically restrained. The Chicago Board of Education recently formed the Special Education Advisory Committee to CPS will continue to provide staff training this year. For more information, please visit the CPS website page on Physical Restraint and Time Out Procedures.