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The Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education

special education basics badge Common Ground is committed to informing families and guardians about parental rights and special education advocacy.

In this and upcoming editions we will share a series of basic and important special education topics on the rights, responsibilities, administrative processes, and legal remedies parents and students may encounter, and to which they are entitled.

Read the Full Article and Others in this Series

Feature Articles & Resources

Feature articles • In-depth consideration of current special education topics and practices. • Experienced and authoritative writers. • Resources for parents, teachers, and professionals. • Fostering dialogue among special education stakeholders.

From the Courts & Capitols

Covering legal and legislative developments that shape special education in New Jersey and nationally. • Specific cases from administrative, state and federal courts. • Legislative and administrative policy developments at state and federal levels.

Information Parents & Educators Can Use

By and for parents, teachers and professionals. • Teaching and assessment strategies for specific learning and behavioral challenges • Peer-to-peer advice and experience sharing • Q&As and FAQs for use on the front line • Statistics and data for trend identification.

Latest CG Articles

Legally Speaking: A School Board Member’s Role in Special Education

by Common Ground | April 5, 2024 | Current-Issue, Features | 0 Comments

As a school board member, you know your job is not to run the schools but to see that they are well run. To do so, you perform critical oversight functions like selecting the superintendent, formulating district policies, and adopting an annual school budget.

From the Capitol: Legislation Revising Evaluation for Students with Learning Disabilities

by Common Ground | April 5, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue | 0 Comments

This spring, the New Jersey Senate Education Committee advanced legislation to establish new State requirements on how to determine whether a student has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) under IDEA.

Reading Disabilities and the Behavior Connection: Insights and Understanding

by Common Ground | April 5, 2024 | Better IEPs, Current-Issue, Features, Parents, Teachers | 0 Comments

Reading disabilities, such as dyslexia, pose significant challenges for students. They not only affect a student’s academic progress, but frequently also impact their behavior in the classroom.

From the Capitol: States Poised to Drop High School Exit Exams

by Common Ground | April 5, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue | 0 Comments

A new report from The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, shows that New Jersey is among nine states still require high school exit exams as a graduation requirement for their students.

From The Courts: Failure to Provide Door-to-Door Transportation Did Not Violate IDEA

by Common Ground | April 5, 2024 | Courts, Current-Issue | 0 Comments

A U.S. District Court has upheld the ruling of a New Jersey Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) that transportation to and from the corner bus stop, rather than to and from the child’s front door, did not result in denial of a free appropriate public education and did not deprive the child of educational benefits.

Q&A: Emergency Planning for Students with Disabilities: What Students and Parents Need to Know

by Common Ground | April 4, 2024 | Current-Issue, Q&A | 0 Comments

Questions and answers about: An law concerning emergency planning for students with disabilities in school settings was signed in January 2024 by Governor Phil Murphy. The bill clarifies the ways in which students with disabilities – specifically, those with an IEP, 504 Plan, or Health Plan – must participate in school safety drills.

From the Courts: Seclusion and Restraint Under Investigation

by Common Ground | April 4, 2024 | Courts, Current-Issue | 0 Comments

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating an Essex County school district to determine whether they discriminated on the basis of race and disability when placing African American students into a self-contained therapeutic behavior special education program, and in their use of restraints.

From the Capitol: Funding to Special Education Schools Restored

by Common Ground | April 4, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue | 0 Comments

In a rare “turn around,” the NJDOE has rescinded a controversial proposal to cut funding to state approved specialized schools serving students with complex disabilities.