by Common Ground | Nov 16, 2025 | Capitols, November 2025
Since 1972, the Department of Education (DOE) has collected data that has been used by researchers, educators, and policymakers to draw conclusions and develop policies that influence American education. Local school administrators would use the data to track...
by Common Ground | Aug 28, 2025 | Capitols, September 2025
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that requires New Jersey public schools to provide parents of students with disabilities with more information about a child’s annual special education program meeting ahead of time. Under the new law, schools must...
by Common Ground | Aug 28, 2025 | Capitols, September 2025
The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill that would help ensure safer transportation for students with disabilities by requiring that school bus personnel who work with students with disabilities call 911 in potential life-threatening emergencies. Currently, there is...
by Common Ground | Oct 3, 2024 | Capitols, October 2024
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued four fact sheets on the disability-related rights of students with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Each fact sheet describes the condition, explains how the condition may affect a student at...
by Common Ground | Oct 3, 2024 | Capitols, October 2024
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report showing Black girls had the highest rates of exclusionary discipline in schools and were the most disproportionately disciplined group among girls, according to an analysis of civil rights data. Although...
by Common Ground | Sep 27, 2024 | Capitols, Parents, Professionals, September 2024, Teachers
While restraint continues to occur in New Jersey schools, the state has made progress in addressing the issue of seclusion and restraint. In 2020, the state enacted a law requiring the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to collect data on incidents of...
by Common Ground | Sep 27, 2024 | Capitols, September 2024
Q: What is KASSA? KASSA, Keeping All Students Safe Act, is a proposed federal bill designed to restrict the use of these controversial seclusion and restraint practices in educational settings. First introduced in 2010, the bill and its subsequent iterations have...
by Common Ground | Jun 12, 2024 | Capitols, June 2024
The New Jersey Legislature passed, and New Jersey Governor Murphy signed into law, a bill modifying New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, known as OPRA. OPRA guarantees the public’s right to some government records. The changes further restrict the...
by Common Ground | Jun 12, 2024 | Capitols, June 2024
A U.S. District Court judge has approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit between the New Jersey Department of Education and 5,000 families of New Jersey students receiving special education services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
This spring, the New Jersey Senate Education Committee advanced legislation to establish new State requirements on how to determine whether a student has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) under IDEA. The bill, S-1812, prohibits the use of a ‘severe...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
A new report from The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, shows that New Jersey is among nine states still require high school exit exams as a graduation requirement for their students. In February 2024, lawmakers in Trenton introduced measures to do away with...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | April 2024, Capitols
In a rare “turn around,” the NJDOE has rescinded a controversial proposal to cut funding to state approved specialized schools serving students with complex disabilities. In January, NJDOE proposed more than 200 changes to NJAC 6A:23A, Subchapter 18, which...
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