by Common Ground | Apr 22, 2014 | Capitols
Leaders at the New Jersey School Boards Association have issued a new report calling for changes to the state’s system of special education. Entitled “Special Education: A Service, Not a Place,” the report calls for greater accountability for outcomes and...
by Common Ground | Apr 22, 2014 | Q&A
For some students, the question of when to accept a diploma is clear, but for most, it is a decision that must be carefully weighed. There is a lot of misinformation about this issue. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions: Q: What responsibilities do...
by Common Ground | Apr 22, 2014 | Snapshot
Seventy percent of children in the juvenile justice system have educational disabilities — the vast majority have emotional disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disabilities. Children with emotional disabilities fail more courses, earn lower grade point...
by Common Ground | Nov 5, 2013 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has notified leaders at the New Jersey Department of Education that the state met the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in several...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Features
By Laura Cohen, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic, Rutgers School of Law – Newark “Roughly half of the nearly 500 children in custody on any given day are eligible for special education services…”Lost in his orange...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider two appeals involving how schools treat students in special education. The first case involves a 5 year-old Colorado girl with multiple intellectual and developmental disabilities. The girl’s school used a special...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Courts
The Cape May County Technical Board of Education and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) have entered into an agreement to change the admissions practices of the Cape May County Technical High School (CMCT). The changes are intended to give students with...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Courts
The board of education of a North Jersey school district has agreed to pay a student with severe disabilities $30,000 to settle allegations that it deliberately caused her to miss middle school graduation in 2012. The case involves an 8th grade girl who has severe...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Capitols
The Obama administration has announced plans to improve the outcomes for children with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The federal government will make available $10 million in grant money to selected states to help them establish...
by Common Ground | Nov 4, 2013 | Capitols
Governor Christie has approved the state budget for New Jersey for the 2014 fiscal year, which began on July 1. The budget includes two changes that affect special education funding. First, the amount of categorical aid for special education that districts will...
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