From the Capitol: Special Unit in the Office of Administrative Law to Handle Special Education Matters
The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill that would create a special education unit within the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and require an annual report. S-2160 establishes a special education unit that would consist of administrative law judges having expertise...From the Capitol: What Special Education Parents Need to Know About S-3434
Does your child with disabilities turn 21 on or before June 30, 2021? Did they miss out on vital transition services due to the pandemic? Are they scheduled to graduate because they are “aging out”? Not so fast… There is a new law on its way. S-3434 is on track to go...NJDOE Issues Guidance Regarding Compensatory Education Determinations for Students with Disabilities as a Result of COVID-19
On March 3, NJDOE issued a broadcast memo to provide guidance to schools, students, parents/guardians of students with disabilities, advocacy groups, and other key stakeholders regarding compensatory education for students with disabilities. The changes in school...From the Capitol: Keeping All Students Safe
Congressional Democrats in Washington D.C. have introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act. If passed, the measure would enact a national ban on all restraint procedures that can restrict breathing, including prone restraint (where students are held face down on the...From the Capitol: Help for Students Who Are “Aging Out”
A bill moving through the New Jersey legislature would require boards of education to provide special education, transition services, and related services to certain students exceeding the age of eligibility for special education and related services. The bill would...From the Capitol: Extraordinary Aid For Special Education Expanded
The proposed FY2022 New Jersey State budget includes $578 million in additional K-12 school aid and nearly $50 million in additional preschool funding. School districts will be able to use state funds, in conjunction with federal resources, to address COVID-19-related...From the Capitol: Diversity Divide in Education
While only 43% of NJ students are white, 67% of our state’s public school teachers are white. A package of nine bills has been introduced in the New Jersey Senate to address the lack of teacher diversity in the Garden State. In addition, the Governor’s 2022 budget...From the Capitols: NJ Senate Bill Seeks to Assess the Impact of COVID-19 on Learning
NJ Senate Bill S3214, introduced by Senators Ruiz and Turner, requires the NJ Commissioner of Education to collect data on student academic outcomes from all school districts to asses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning and achievement. The commissioner...From the Capitols: NJ Bill Advances Requiring Districts to Report Demographic Breakdown of Students who Receive Disciplinary Actions
NJ Senate Bill S1020, sponsored by Senators Ruiz (D-29) and Gopal (D-11), requires school districts to report detailed demographic information regarding students receiving disciplinary actions. The information must include race, gender, disability, grade level, and...From the Capitols: NJDOH Releases New COVID-19 Public Health Guidelines for Schools
New Jersey Department of Health has released new COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. Previous guidance called for schools in areas with high virus levels to quarantine entire classrooms or even close schools if...From the Capitols: Safe Re-Opening of Schools Included in New National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness
The safe re-opening of schools features significantly in the White House’s newly released plan, National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The plan provides a national response framework addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic....NJCommonGround.org, and the Common Ground E-newsletter are projects of the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
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- The Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education
- What to Do if You Suspect Your Child has a Disability Impacting Their Education
- Initial Special Education Evaluations and Eligibility
- The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Special Education Placement
- Q&A: What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?
- Q&A: Dispute Resolution