by Common Ground | Feb 23, 2020 | Courts
A federal judge heard oral arguments in the case against the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) for failing to meet federal and state timelines for hearing disputes between families and school districts over services provided to students with disabilities. The...
by Common Ground | Feb 5, 2020 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers, Watch This
Our friends at the Regional Center for Independent Living (RCIL) in New York made this fun video, Get the Job… Keep the Job! on seeking work for young people. This student production contrasts the right way — and the wrong way — to apply for a job in person,...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers, Uncategorized
Students can learn a lot in a classroom, but a good field trip lets them see, feel, and touch the curriculum in ways that make learning come to life. When trips are well planned, relevant, and linked to classroom instruction, students gain a better understanding of...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Capitols
A dozen democratic federal lawmakers, most from Illinois, have written a letter to the Trump administration calling for the Department of Education to update its 2016 guidance on restraint and seclusion. They have urged that the USDOE specifically ban seclusion; ban...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Capitols
A measure introduced in the New Jersey Senate would require criminal background checks for certain school employees and prohibit interference with school bus monitoring devices. The “School Bus Safety and Child Protection Act,” sponsored by Senators Beach...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Capitols
The USDOE, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) issued additional guidance on the role of parental involvement in placement decisions, and in particular, the decision about how far from home a child with disabilities can be educated. The guidance came in...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
By Denver Leigh When we talk about IEPs (Individualized Education Plans), often the goals, objectives, accommodations and modifications get all the attention. True, those four components form critical parts of an IEP; however, in my experience as both a parent and...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Features
By Amanda Morin Children with sensory processing issues have trouble organizing information from the senses. This means they can be sensitive to and misinterpret information from the five traditional senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Some kids may also...
by Common Ground | Dec 2, 2019 | Features
By Anfal Muhammad Jenkins Effective family engagement is a cornerstone of positive student outcomes, especially for students receiving special education services. It is not easy to sustain, but is always rewarding for parents, schools, communities, and students...
by Common Ground | Nov 19, 2019 | Courts
A Florida judge has ruled that a southwest Florida school district placed a child with disabilities into a program for students with the lowest IQ’s in order to avoid reporting his state test scores. The case involves a 3rd grade student from Sarasota Florida who had...
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