by Common Ground | Mar 17, 2022 | Snapshot
The national average for students with disabilities who receive special education services included in the general education classroom is 64.8 percent, according to the 43rd annual report, up from the 47.4 percent national average reported in the 23rd annual report....
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2021 | Courts
In October 2020, the United States District Court in New Mexico issued an important ruling related to COVID and IDEA in Hernandez v. Grisham, a case originally filed as a class action. Plaintiffs challenged the state’s COVID-19 reentry policy for the public...
by Common Ground | May 5, 2020 | Watch This
A virtual roundtable exploring how to serve the needs of special education students in a changed landscape. While this video is longer than our usual Watch This features, this NJ Spotlight virtual roundtable is a must see. With remote learning having become the norm...
by Common Ground | Feb 3, 2020 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
By Denver Leigh When we talk about IEPs (Individualized Education Plans), often the goals, objectives, accommodations and modifications get all the attention. True, those four components form critical parts of an IEP; however, in my experience as both a parent and...
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 | Features, Parents, Professionals, Teachers
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, states that “Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually, thereafter, the IEP must include...
by Common Ground | Jan 24, 2019 | Features, Students
By Josie Badger, PhD Inclusion is Fantastic and… As an individual with a significant physical disability, I was fully included in mainstream education classes, and I believe in the academic and social importance of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). I graduated...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2018 | Features
Schools are filled with students who have experienced recent trauma, or whose lives include ongoing trauma. Children who are traumatized may experience considerable difficulty in the school setting. This occurs not only in terms of focus and learning, but in being...
by Common Ground | Sep 6, 2018 | Capitols
The Trump administration has delayed for two years the implementation of an Obama-era rule designed to prevent students from certain backgrounds from being wrongly placed in special education, halting the so-called “significant disproportionality” rule. Under the...
by Common Ground | May 25, 2018 | Capitols, Uncategorized
Legislation introduced this spring by State Senator Teresa Ruiz (D-29), Chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, would establish a new way for districts to identify students with learning disabilities and find them eligible for special education services. Current...
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