From the Capitol – Governor Proposes Continued Increases to Funding for Extraordinary Costs
The Governor’s 2023-24 proposed Budget includes $420 million of extraordinary special education aid to reimburse districts for special education “extraordinary” costs. This represents a 5% increase from the $400 million in fiscal year 2021. Over the most recent...
From the Capitol – New Grants to Improve Transition For Students With Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration has announced $224 million in grants for innovative demonstration projects “focused on the creation of systemic approaches to improve access to pre-employment transition services for children...
From the Capitol: Few Students Take Advantage of Extra Year of Special Education
In June of 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and state lawmakers approved a three-year extension of special-education eligibility for students whose lives had been disrupted by the pandemic (sometimes referred to as “S3434”). The state earmarked $600...
From the Capitol: Students with Disabilities Are Waiting for Evaluations and Services
New guidance from the US Department of Education warns that children suspected of having disabilities are waiting too long for evaluations, and special education services are not being fully implemented in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education...
From the Capitol: School Discipline
The Biden administration has issued new school discipline guidelines aimed at cutting back on high rates of suspension and expulsion for students with disabilities by clarifying rules that the nation’s schools are required to follow. The guidance is considered to be...From the Capitols: Strengthening Section 504
The U.S. Department of Education has announced plans to strengthen and protect rights for students with disabilities by amending regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Department’s Office for Civil Rights(OCR) will solicit public...From the Capitols: National Effort to Address Mental Health for Students
As part of President Joe Biden’s Unity Agenda, the administration has announced a comprehensive strategy to address our nation’s mental health crisis. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will solicit public input regarding improvements to the Department’s...From the Capitol: Bill Could Expand Timeframe to File for Compensatory Education in NJ
A bill now on the governor’s desk would give families extra time to apply for compensatory special education services if their child with disabilities experienced learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current statute of limitations to file for full...From the Capitol: U.S. Secretary of Education Calls for More Funding for IDEA
Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, has called on Congress for more funding to meet the needs of students with disabilities and to support special education teachers. In a major speech, Cardona said the United Stated must do more to “ensure that children,...From the Capitol: Flurry of New Laws Signed by Governor Murphy Address Issues in Special Education
Tracking Discipline and Reporting – S-1020 was signed, requiring New Jersey school districts to collect and report data on suspension and other disciplinary actions. Each district must now collect and report school-level demographic breakdown of students who...From the Capitol: International Day of Social Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning Alliance, (SEL4NJ) is a voluntary, grass-roots organization of individual educators, schools, districts, professional organizations, parents, advocacy groups, and anyone else deeply concerned about the future of our youth, our schools, and...NJCommonGround.org, and the Common Ground E-newsletter are projects of the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
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- The Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education
- What to Do if You Suspect Your Child has a Disability Impacting Their Education
- Initial Special Education Evaluations and Eligibility
- The Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Special Education Placement
- Q&A: What are Extended School Year (ESY) Services?
- Q&A: Dispute Resolution