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...
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...
.