by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
On his final days in office, NJ Governor Chris Christie signed into law a measure that establishes requirements for use of restraint and seclusion on students with disabilities in special education. The bipartisan bill, which was passed unanimously in both houses of...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
Governor Christie has signed a measure (S1474) that requires teacher preparation programs to include instruction or clinical experience in special education, and for students with disabilities endorsement to include credit hours in autism spectrum disorders. The bill...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
In June, the State Board of Education voted to adopt a resolution supporting new state guidelines to assist schools in teaching social and emotional skills. Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process by which children and adults acquire and effectively...
by Common Ground | Sep 11, 2017 | Capitols
The Office of Special Education Programs, OSEP, issued a response last year to a letter seeking clarification on a school district’s options when a parent brings an attorney to an IEP meeting without giving the district prior notice. The letter addressed two...
by Common Ground | Jul 26, 2017 | Capitols
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bipartisan budget bill, following a 4-day government shut down that brought public services to a standstill. The $34.7 billion spending plan adds $150 million for schools and shifts $31 million from ‘overfunded’...
by Common Ground | Jul 26, 2017 | Capitols
Less than half of states in the country are meeting their obligations to appropriately serve students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In its annual review, the U.S. Department of Education found that only 22 states – New...
by Common Ground | Jul 26, 2017 | Capitols
In early July, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a measure that will require the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to maintain an electronic database of legal decisions concerning special education in New Jersey. Under the new law, NJDOE must...
by Common Ground | Jun 5, 2017 | Capitols
Federal funding for services to the nation’s 6 million students who receive special education saw a modest boost under a bipartisan agreement approved by Congress in late April. The agreement was rushed in order to avert a government shutdown. Grants to states under...
by Common Ground | Jun 5, 2017 | Capitols
In early May, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve deep cuts to Medicaid when they passed the American Health Care Act. The measure is intended to ‘repeal and replace’ The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”)....
by Common Ground | May 2, 2017 | Capitols
The number of students ages 6 to 21 enrolled in special education rose in the most recent year for which the federal government has data, driven by increases in the number of students classified as having autism or “other health impairments.” It was the...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Capitols
Last month, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, A Michigan billionaire and businesswoman, DeVos has championed school choice, charter schools and vouchers programs as a strategy to improve schools. She was approved despite...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Capitols
On December 30, 2016, the New Jersey Department of Education proposed new special education regulations that will affect tuition rates and accounting practices at state-approved private schools for students with disabilities. In more than 80 pages of code, the NJDOE...
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