by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols, February 2024
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education say 55% of preschoolers with disabilities receive special education services in classrooms separate from their peers. In a joint policy statement, they called for more young children with...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols, February 2024
In January, Governor Murphy signed legislation, P.L. 2023, c. 212 (A1174/S2057) concerning emergency planning for students with disabilities in school settings. The bill clarifies the ways in which students with disabilities—specifically, those with an IEP, 504 Plan,...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols, February 2024
With new guidance, the U.S. Department of Education is pushing schools to ensure that all students with disabilities have the assistive technology they need and the supports to use it effectively. The agency issued a “Dear Colleague” letter and a 24-page...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols, February 2024
Kevin Dehmer was sworn in in mid-February to serve as the next Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), succeeding Acting Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan. Dehmer spent more than 15 years at the New Jersey Department of Education, during...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2023 | Capitols, November 2023
In early fall, the NJDOE released an updated version of The Autism Program Quality Indicators-Revised (APQI-R). The 116-page guidance document is meant to serve as a resource for educators in developing, implementing, and evaluating quality programming for all...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | August 2023, Capitols
Proposed changes to federal rules around Medicaid billing could make it easier for schools to pay for certain special education services. Currently, schools can bill Medicaid for health-related services in a student’s IEP, such as speech, occupational and...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Capitols
According to Pew Research Center, the number of students in special education in the United States has doubled over the past four decades, creating a rising share of public-school kids who need special education services. The data is part of the National Center for...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | August 2023, Capitols
The USDOE’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has published policy guidance reaffirming states’ obligations to ensure implementation of The Individuals with Disabilties Education Act (IDEA). The guidance and accompanying “Dear...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | August 2023, Capitols
This spring, the USDOE’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) addressed preschool suspension, expulsion, and informal removals. OSEP Director Valerie C. Williams wrote in her blog about the “stressful and isolating experiences” created by...
by Common Ground | Jun 7, 2023 | Capitols, June 2023
Congressional Democrats recently reintroduced legislation, the Keeping All Students Safe Act, that would block schools from secluding students in locked rooms or using certain types of physical restraints. Supporters cite investigations revealing that schools restrain...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2023 | April 2023, Capitols, Parents, Professionals, Teachers
The Governor’s 2023-24 proposed Budget includes $420 million of extraordinary special education aid to reimburse districts for special education “extraordinary” costs. This represents a 5% increase from the $400 million in fiscal year 2021. Over the most recent...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2023 | April 2023, Capitols, Professionals, Teachers
The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration has announced $224 million in grants for innovative demonstration projects “focused on the creation of systemic approaches to improve access to pre-employment transition services for children...
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