by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2012 | Capitols
“The measure requires that a provider of clinical nursing services to a medically-fragile student in a school setting meet the certification standards established by the Department of Human Services for Medicaid and New Jersey FamilyCare program for clinical...
by Common Ground | Sep 23, 2012 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has rescinded an offer it made to school districts last summer that would have allowed them to cut special education spending in exchange for a lesser financial penalty than in the past. The federal “maintenance of effort”...
by Common Ground | Sep 22, 2012 | Capitols
“If a parent seeks an independent evaluation in an area not assessed as part of the initial evaluation or a reevaluation, the school district shall first have the opportunity to conduct the requested evaluation.”This spring, the U.S. Department of...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
OCR found that school officials in a Burlington County district illegally required the family of a child with autism to pay for services.In the last two years, federal officials have launched dozens of new probes addressing civil rights issues that previously received...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education has issued a corrective action plan for a north Jersey school district. The order is in response to a complaint investigation initiated by a non-attorney advocate last fall. According to the report, students placed in a...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has introduced a bill (S.2020) that would establish national standards on the use of restraints and seclusion in school. The “Keeping All Students Safe Act” would prohibit seclusion, as well as...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
Currently, more than $1.6 billion a year in Medicaid funding is used to pay for physical, occupational and speech therapy, mental health services, transportation and counseling.The U.S. Education Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services...
by Common Ground | Sep 30, 2011 | Capitols
From the Capitol – Common Ground September 2011 The state’s non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) has issued a report calling for changes in New Jersey’s special education funding system. When the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) was enacted, it...
by Common Ground | Sep 30, 2011 | Capitols
From the Capitol – Common Ground September 2011 In signing the state budget for 2011-2012, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie increased state aid to local districts by $850 million, and at the same time, used his line item veto power to trim $900 million from...
by Common Ground | Sep 30, 2011 | Capitols
NJDOE’s OSERS determined that New Jersey “needs assistance” in meeting the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) This summer, the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) issued a report...
by Common Ground | Sep 12, 2011 | Capitols
From the Capitol – Common Ground September 2011 New Jersey’s law is the first anti-bullying law in the U.S. to set statewide deadlines for incidents of bullying to be reported, investigated, and resolved. School personnel must report incidents of bullying...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2011 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education announced it would award nearly $20 million in grants to higher education institutions to help prepare special education personnel to improve services and results for children with disabilities. $13.5 million will help current and...
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