New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that requires New Jersey public schools to provide parents of students with disabilities with more information about a child’s annual special education program meeting ahead of time. Under the new law, schools must provide parents with a written statement of items to be discussed at an annual IEP meeting at least two business days before the meeting.
The statement must include the student’s current academic levels and functional performance, a list of the names of any required IEP team members who will miss the meeting, along with their input on any services or programs they oversee for the student, and an invitation for parents to provide feedback about the proposed services.
The law updates and enhances the information that Child Study Teams are required to provide to parents before an IEP meeting. The law also establishes an IEP working group to review the IEP process and make recommendations for improvements.
The bill’s sponsor, Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex County), introduced the legislation last year to give families more time and information to prepare for the IEP meeting. The law takes effect this school year. Click here to access the new law: https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/S4000/3982_R1.PDF
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