by Common Ground | Nov 5, 2013 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has notified leaders at the New Jersey Department of Education that the state met the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in several...
by Common Ground | Jun 28, 2013 | Courts
The New Jersey commissioner of education has issued a ruling that ensures that parents cannot be held liable for the cost of educating their child, even when that child lives in a group home and the parents move out of state. The case involves a child with multiple...
by Common Ground | Jun 27, 2013 | Capitols
New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has upheld two charges of bullying under the state’s tough new anti-bullying act. Both incidents took place in 2011 and involved middle-school students. In the first case, a sixth-grader from Middlesex County insulted...
by Common Ground | Feb 28, 2013 | Capitols
The Obama administration has issued a groundbreaking directive requiring school districts to provide equal extracurricular athletic opportunities for students with disabilities, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In a letter to schools in late...
by Common Ground | Feb 28, 2013 | Capitols
An “Education Transformation Task Force” established by Governor Chris Christie last year has released its final report. The eight-member group has asked that the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) eliminate or change more than 400 rules,...
by Common Ground | Sep 22, 2012 | Capitols
“If a parent seeks an independent evaluation in an area not assessed as part of the initial evaluation or a reevaluation, the school district shall first have the opportunity to conduct the requested evaluation.”This spring, the U.S. Department of...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education has issued a corrective action plan for a north Jersey school district. The order is in response to a complaint investigation initiated by a non-attorney advocate last fall. According to the report, students placed in a...
by Common Ground | Sep 30, 2011 | Capitols
From the Capitol – Common Ground September 2011 The state’s non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) has issued a report calling for changes in New Jersey’s special education funding system. When the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA) was enacted, it...
by Common Ground | Sep 30, 2011 | Capitols
NJDOE’s OSERS determined that New Jersey “needs assistance” in meeting the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) This summer, the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) issued a report...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2011 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education issued a policy memo clarifying the need for goals and objectives for students with disabilities who are educated in general education programs. The memo underscores the need for IEP teams to develop goals and objectives based on...
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