by Common Ground | Oct 6, 2015 | Courts
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a case involving an interpretation of federal law addressing the “stay put” provision of IDEA. “Stay put” allows a student with disabilities to remain in his or her current special education placement...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Courts
A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge recently ruled that a family in which the father worked overseas was entitled to have their son’s special education services paid for by the Hunterdon County school district in which they maintained an apartment. The case involves...
by Common Ground | May 14, 2015 | Snapshot
Nearly 1 in 5 students with disabilities were placed on out-of-school suspensions during the 2011-2012 school year, a rate two to three times that of typically developing students. In North Dakota, 5% of students with disabilities were suspended statewide, while in...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Features
By: Nina Peckman, Esq. and Mary Coogan, Esq. In New Jersey, approximately 7,600 children live in foster care situations; many of them have learning issues, some of which have not yet been identified. Because of the complexity of the special education system, it can be...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Letters
By: Emerson Dickman, J.D. Too often, advocacy is seen as a contest — parents versus the system. The primary goal of an advocate should be to develop an atmosphere of collaboration and open communication between the family and the school district. The purpose of...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Q&A
By: Lynn Abelson, MA, CCC-SLP, OTR Q: What is the DIR® Model? A: The Developmental, Individual-Differences, Relationship-based (DIR®) model, pioneered by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Wieder, Ph.D, provides a framework for assessment and intervention for those...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Courts
Young adults incarcerated in county jails who are eligible for special education services are the responsibility of the school district where their parents reside, according to a California Supreme Court ruling released earlier this year. The case involves a student...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Courts
Leaders in the field of education have called on the Supreme Court of the United States to examine longstanding special education rules that protect the placement of students with disabilities during the course of litigation. Under the provision in the Individuals...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Capitols
The United States Department of Education (USDOE) has announced that it will begin to look at graduation rates, test scores, and other measures of academic performance to help determine whether states are meeting the needs of students with disabilities. The focus on...
by Common Ground | Sep 25, 2014 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to charter schools underscoring their responsibility to provide special education services. In a seven-page “Dear Colleague” letter, the U.S. Department of Education said that charter schools have the same...