Following the student's IEP/BIP elopement protocol — alerting the office immediately, keeping remaining students safe, and not leaving the class unsupervised to chase alone.
At a glance
When: A student runs out and you're the only adult with other students.
Remember: Don't abandon the group to chase one student — that creates a second emergency.
What strong practice looks like — and why.
The scenario you saw
A student sprints out of the classroom into the hallway and toward the building exit. You are the only adult in the room with eight other students. What do you do?
Before you read on — what would you do here? Picture your move, then reveal how strong practice handles it.
You hit the call button or phone to alert the office — immediately, loudly, clearly — and you keep the remaining students in place. You follow whatever elopement protocol is in this student's IEP or BIP, including whether you are authorized to follow the student or required to stay. You do not leave eight unsupervised students alone in the room to chase one student down the hallway; that creates a second emergency. Speed matters, but the right move is getting trained staff to the student, not improvising alone.
Why this works
The instinct to sprint after the student collides with a hard constraint: you're the only adult with eight others, and chasing one out the door turns one emergency into two. So you alert the office immediately and loudly, keep the rest of the group safe and in place, and follow what the student's IEP or BIP elopement protocol actually says — including whether you're authorized to follow or required to stay. Speed matters, but the goal is getting trained staff to the student fast, not solving it alone.
What to look for
Recall is where it sticks — a few quick scenarios.
Reading is useful, but recall is where it sticks. Three short scenarios, low-stakes, no scoring — about 3 minutes. You can stop any time.
Start the practice set →Short on time? Start with the first one.
Scope & safety
Whether you may follow an eloping student or must stay with your group is set by the student's IEP/BIP and your building's protocol — not decided in the moment. Leaving other students unsupervised to give chase creates a second emergency.
AWAARE Collaboration
Step-by-step guidance for developing school-based elopement safety plans, including proactive strategies and emergency response protocols.