by Common Ground | Jun 13, 2018 | Capitols
Under new guidelines at the US Department of Education that went into effect in March, 2018, the Office for Civil Rights can dismiss reports if “a complaint is a continuation of a pattern of complaints previously filed with OCR by an individual or group against...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Features
By Maria Docherty and Lauren Agoratus, M.A. With the increased focus in the United States on charter schools and the use of vouchers to support student attendance at private schools, more and more parents of students with disabilities are asking questions about how...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
As part of a larger effort to reduce rules and regulations deemed unnecessary, the Trump administration has proposed a two-year delay of a new rule that would require states to take a stricter approach to identifying whether local school districts have wide racial or...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Capitols
Earlier this fall, the USDOE rescinded scores of policy documents that outline the rights of students with disabilities as part of the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate regulations it deems superfluous. A total of 72 documents — 63 from the Office of Special...
by Common Ground | Jul 26, 2017 | Capitols
Less than half of states in the country are meeting their obligations to appropriately serve students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In its annual review, the U.S. Department of Education found that only 22 states – New...
by Common Ground | Feb 26, 2017 | Snapshot
Newly released data from UDOE show that the number of students receiving special education is increasing. Newly-released data from the U.S. Department of Education indicates that 6,050,725 students ages 6 to 21 across the country were served under the Individuals with...
by Common Ground | Dec 12, 2016 | Features
Students without a home face steep educational challenges: the absence of basic necessities such as food and clothing; poor healthcare and medical services; a lack of quality mental health services; interruption of education due to mobility; and trauma.Poverty...
by Common Ground | Dec 12, 2016 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Education has earmarked $7 million to help recruit and train teachers and administrators serving children with disabilities. The funding will go to seven states, including New Jersey, to enhance preparation and professional development focused...
by Common Ground | Dec 12, 2016 | Capitols
In a five page letter to governors and state education officials the U.S. Secretary of Education has called on schools to stop using physical punishment to address behavior issues. Calling school-sponsored corporal punishment an “ineffective” and...
by Common Ground | Oct 25, 2016 | Capitols
The United States Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a “Dear Colleague” letter reminding school districts of their obligations to students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under Section 504 of the...