by Common Ground | Dec 20, 2021 | Q&A
As schools returned to in-person instruction this fall and faced a host of challenges, the US Department of Education received multiple requests from a variety of special education stakeholders to issue guidance interpreting the requirements of the IDEA. The guidance,...
by Common Ground | Oct 4, 2021 | Q&A
Q: What is Employment First? A: New Jersey is part of national movement that is centered on the belief “that all citizens, including individuals with significant disabilities, are capable of full participation in integrated employment and community life.” The...
by Common Ground | Aug 27, 2021 | Q&A
Q: What is compensatory education? A: Compensatory education is designed to get a student to the place they would have been had they not been deprived of special education and related services. The content of a compensatory education program should be based on a...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2021 | Capitols, Q&A
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...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Parents, Q&A
By Adam Wilson, Esq. | Hinkle Prior & Fischer, Attorneys at Law 1) My child is turning 21 and is scheduled to graduate in June. After being out of school since mid-March, I don’t think he is ready, and his post-secondary program is not ready for him. He...
by Common Ground | Feb 24, 2020 | Q&A
Q: What is Extended School Year? A: ESY means educational programming beyond the traditional 180-day school year. Q: Who determines ESY eligibility? A: Every student with a disability under IDEA must be considered for ESY services. The determination is made on an...
by Common Ground | Nov 19, 2019 | Q&A
Editor’s note: The New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education Policy and Procedure has completed its piloting of Facilitated IEP meetings, and the option is now available statewide for school districts and parents. This Common Ground...
by Common Ground | Oct 29, 2019 | Q&A
Q: Can I ask for time off from work to attend my child’s IEP meetings? A: Yes In August, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a letter clarifying that parents and guardians are allowed to use the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittently to attend...
by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Q&A
By Melissa Powers, Esq. The do’s and don’t’s of school observations are tricky; it is an area of law that is underdeveloped and incredibly fact sensitive. As you read the Q&A, keep in mind that schools often err on the side of being too restrictive and protective,...
by Common Ground | May 6, 2019 | Parents, Q&A
By Ira M. Fingles, Esq. Q: What is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)? A: Independent educational evaluations are one of a parents’ most powerful rights in the special education system. Under Federal special education law, an IEE is defined as “an evaluation...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Q&A
Q: What is Supported Decision-Making? Supported decision-making (SDM) allows individuals with disabilities to make choices about their own lives with support from a team of people. Individuals with disabilities choose people they know and trust to be part of a support...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Q&A
Q: What is a trauma-sensitive school? A: A trauma-sensitive school is one in which all students feel safe, welcomed, and supported. Addressing trauma’s school-wide impact on learning is at the center of its educational mission. It is a place where an ongoing,...
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