by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue
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. The bill, S-1812, prohibits the use of a ‘severe...
by Common Ground | Apr 5, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue
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. In February 2024, lawmakers in Trenton introduced measures to do away with...
by Common Ground | Apr 4, 2024 | Capitols, Current-Issue
In a rare “turn around,” the NJDOE has rescinded a controversial proposal to cut funding to state approved specialized schools serving students with complex disabilities. In January, NJDOE proposed more than 200 changes to NJAC 6A:23A, Subchapter 18, which...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education say 55% of preschoolers with disabilities receive special education services in classrooms separate from their peers. In a joint policy statement, they called for more young children with...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols
In January, Governor Murphy signed legislation, P.L. 2023, c. 212 (A1174/S2057) concerning emergency planning for students with disabilities in school settings. The bill clarifies the ways in which students with disabilities—specifically, those with an IEP, 504 Plan,...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols
With new guidance, the U.S. Department of Education is pushing schools to ensure that all students with disabilities have the assistive technology they need and the supports to use it effectively. The agency issued a “Dear Colleague” letter and a 24-page...
by Common Ground | Feb 22, 2024 | Capitols
Kevin Dehmer was sworn in in mid-February to serve as the next Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), succeeding Acting Commissioner Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan. Dehmer spent more than 15 years at the New Jersey Department of Education, during...
by Common Ground | Nov 28, 2023 | Capitols
In early fall, the NJDOE released an updated version of The Autism Program Quality Indicators-Revised (APQI-R). The 116-page guidance document is meant to serve as a resource for educators in developing, implementing, and evaluating quality programming for all...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Capitols
Proposed changes to federal rules around Medicaid billing could make it easier for schools to pay for certain special education services. Currently, schools can bill Medicaid for health-related services in a student’s IEP, such as speech, occupational and...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Capitols
According to Pew Research Center, the number of students in special education in the United States has doubled over the past four decades, creating a rising share of public-school kids who need special education services. The data is part of the National Center for...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Capitols
The USDOE’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has published policy guidance reaffirming states’ obligations to ensure implementation of The Individuals with Disabilties Education Act (IDEA). The guidance and accompanying “Dear...
by Common Ground | Aug 24, 2023 | Capitols
This spring, the USDOE’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) addressed preschool suspension, expulsion, and informal removals. OSEP Director Valerie C. Williams wrote in her blog about the “stressful and isolating experiences” created by...