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?...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Snapshot
Just 20 percent of students diagnosed with mental disorders receive the mental-health services they need. More than 45 percent of K-12 students have had three or more adverse childhood experiences. According to research, these experiences impact learning and behavior....
by Common Ground | Sep 6, 2018 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education has issued a Guidance Document on the issue of restraint and seclusion in school settings. In January, former Governor Christie signed into law a bill establishing certain requirements for the use of restraint and seclusion with...
by Common Ground | Sep 6, 2018 | Q&A
If a school identifies 15 percent of black students as having disabilities, but only 5 percent of white students, is that a problem? What if the black students with disabilities are disciplined more frequently or with tougher consequences? This is known in special...
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