by Common Ground | Jun 5, 2017 | Q&A
The NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is presently piloting a new program of IEP Facilitation. The initiative is in four districts in NJ-Hamilton, Elizabeth, Cherry Hill, and Plainsboro, and will be launched statewide in...
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...
by Common Ground | Sep 4, 2016 | Capitols
Legislation to establish a Response to Intervention initiative (RTI) within the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has been signed by Governor Christie. The bipartisan measure (S-496 and A-2566) was co-sponsored by a long list of education leaders and...
by Common Ground | Sep 4, 2016 | Capitols
A bi-partisan measure introduced by leaders in the Senate and Assembly would require the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to train teachers and administrators, and monitor districts on bias and discrimination in special education classification. If passed...
by Common Ground | Apr 15, 2016 | Features
When it comes to standardized testing, New Jersey students consistently score in the top half of test-takers nationally. But quality curriculum and instruction matter little when a student is not in school. “Chronic absenteeism” is typically defined as missing 10...
by Common Ground | Apr 15, 2016 | Capitols
A fact sheet produced by a group of New Jersey special education attorneys and advocates outlines a problem affecting students with disabilities who are placed in New Jersey’s state approved private schools for students with disabilities. In June 2015 the New Jersey...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) notified local school districts that the level of state aid for “extraordinary costs” related to special education would be reduced once again. “Extraordinary costs” aid for special education was...
by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Capitols
The NJ Assembly Education Committee advanced a bill designed to help protect the rights of students with disabilities. The measure (A-1103) would establish an Office of the Special Education Ombudsman in the Department of Education. The office would function as a...
by Common Ground | Aug 11, 2014 | Capitols
Nearly a year after the NJDOE backed away from sweeping changes to state special education code, the Department has put forth a modest proposal to make technical changes to the code. The changes, which were submitted to the State Board of Education, are mostly...
by Common Ground | Apr 22, 2014 | Courts
Earlier this year, advocate groups in New Jersey entered into a settlement agreement with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) in a seven-year-old law suit intended to help ensure that children with disabilities are educated in the “least restrictive...
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