by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Features
There are many things that can cause or prompt challenging behavior in a student with disabilities. Recognizing that behavior may be rooted in prior traumatic experience can help educators develop effective responses that not only reduce unwanted behavior, but also...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Professionals, Teachers
Children are very resilient — but they are not unbreakable. No matter their age, children are deeply hurt when they are physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. When children see and hear violence, their world feels unsafe and insecure. Exposure to violence can...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has issued a “Dear Colleague” letter reminding schools that speech services for students on the autism spectrum should not be overlooked. In the letter to states, officials report that an increasing number of students with autism...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) notified local school districts that the level of state aid for “extraordinary costs” related to special education would be reduced once again. “Extraordinary costs” aid for special education was...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The NJ Assembly Education Committee advanced a bill designed to help protect the rights of students with disabilities. The measure (A-1103) would establish an Office of the Special Education Ombudsman in the Department of Education. The office would function as a...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that states will no longer be allowed to administer tests to students with disabilities that are based on modified academic achievement standards. Previously, states were allowed to count up to 2 percent of all students...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge has order a Passaic County school district to reimburse parents for out-of-district tuition they paid because the district failed to provide FAPE. The case involves a teen with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD who was classified as...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge has ordered the parents of a Morris County student with disabilities to consent to evaluation. The case involves a 6th grader classified as “Other Health Impaired.” At the time of the child’s classification in the 3rd grade, the...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a case involving an interpretation of federal law addressing the “stay put” provision of IDEA. “Stay put” allows a student with disabilities to remain in his or her current special education placement...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Snapshot
In 2014, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) received a record-setting 9,989 complaints. In 2014, OCR initiated 38 compliance inquiries, up from 30 in 2013. While the number of OCR staff dropped from a high of 1,148 in 1980 to 544 in 2015, the number of complaints...
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