by Common Ground | May 6, 2019 | Capitols
Under a measure introduced in the New Jersey Legislature (A-381), parents, grandparents, and guardians of a child attending school or childcare would be allowed to take up to 40 hours a year off from work, in order to participate in school-related activities. The...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Capitols
The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) releases its new position statement supporting the rights of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD). The statement reads, in part: People with intellectual and/or...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Capitols
Last fall, Michigan educator Laurie VanderPloeg was appointed to lead the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. She brings nearly 40 years of experience to the position, including many...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Q&A
Q: What is Supported Decision-Making? Supported decision-making (SDM) allows individuals with disabilities to make choices about their own lives with support from a team of people. Individuals with disabilities choose people they know and trust to be part of a support...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers, Watch This
Self-advocacy is one of the most important skills a young person with a disability can have. Here are 10 tips for self-advocacy for young people with disabilities, by young people with disabilities, produced by...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Features, Students
By Josie Badger, PhD Inclusion is Fantastic and… As an individual with a significant physical disability, I was fully included in mainstream education classes, and I believe in the academic and social importance of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). I graduated...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
There are many ways to include students in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, and every student is different. Below are some essential tips to remember when encouraging student participation in IEP meetings. Speak openly with your student about...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Capitols
A new report issued by the Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) found that teacher-licensing tests in most states fail to measure whether both elementary special and general educators have mastered the basic building blocks of reading...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Capitols
In January, New Jersey lawmakers introduced a bill that would establish a Task Force on Student Mental Health. The 16-member task force would make recommendations regarding identification of students who experience depression, anxiety, stress, or other psychological...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Courts
A federal appeals court in the Third Circuit (which covers Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands) has issued a ruling upholding the right of a student with disabilities to use a service dog at school as a “reasonable accommodation” under Section...
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