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...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Courts
The Newark-based Education Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) for its failure to regulate local school districts as they use the internet to deliver “virtual” services to students with disabilities. In the fall of...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Better IEPs
Recent research points to one of the most effective ways to overcome adverse childhood experiences and promote more positive outcomes – relationships. These can be with typical peers, mentors, or kind and caring adults. They can provide safe and supportive learning...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Professionals, Teachers
We learned that the transformation really had nothing to do with the students; it was all about the adults. We had to stop asking, “What is wrong with you?” to our students and start asking, “What has happened to you?”By Mathew Portell As a...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Features
Schools are filled with students who have experienced recent trauma, or whose lives include ongoing trauma. Children who are traumatized may experience considerable difficulty in the school setting. This occurs not only in terms of focus and learning, but in being...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Watch This
In this compelling Ted Talk, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris discusses childhood trauma and how is affects health across a...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Q&A
Q: What is a trauma-sensitive school? A: A trauma-sensitive school is one in which all students feel safe, welcomed, and supported. Addressing trauma’s school-wide impact on learning is at the center of its educational mission. It is a place where an ongoing,...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Teachers
Research clearly documents the damaging effects of trauma are not saved until adulthood. It starts early and it affects students and teachers. And some experts claim that as much as 30 percent of students suffer from the effects of trauma. How can an educator help?...
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