Chalkbeat

Tennessee may soon make it easier for schools to temporarily remove some students with disabilities from their classrooms. The proposed rule being considered by the Tennessee Board of Education would amend existing guidelines to allow schools to move a student deemed a “disruptive force” to a more restrictive environment before they’re evaluated in a functional behavioral assessment. A 2022 state rule requires schools to perform these formal assessments, which identify behavioral causes and guide behavior intervention plans, when a student has exhibited dangerous or highly disruptive behavior. The proposal has cautious support from disability advocates, who acknowledge that the rule guidance could be needed to allow schools to safely educate students. But they caution that the move should be a carefully considered option, not the norm.