Parents, guardians, caregivers and school administrators will sometimes disagree over whether a student may enroll in or continue to attend a public school based on the student's place of residence. The information in this manual is designed to help parents, guardians and caregivers understand New Jersey's public school residency rules and to…

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shift to virtual learning brought into sharp relief the inequities that English Learners (ELs) experience in New Jersey's public education system. Despite tremendous work on the part of educators, parents, and other caregivers to provide continuity of learning during this time, their efforts were hindered by…

A core responsibility of the local education agencies (LEAs) that operate kindergarten-through-12th grade (K-12) schools across the United States is creating safe and secure environments that support effective teaching and learning. To help them meet this obligation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Cybersecurity and…

The information provided in this guide helps explain the laws affecting the rights of students with disabilities in transition planning cases in New Jersey. Sections include: (1) What Does "Transition" Mean for High School Students with Disabilities? (2) When Must Transition Planning and Transition Services Begin? (3) What Is the…

The Supreme Court's 1925 ruling in "Pierce v. Society of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary" ("Pierce"), striking down a law from Oregon that would have required all children, other than those needing special education, between the ages of 8 and 16 to attend public schools, essentially upheld the right of nonpublic…

This document has been developed by the New Jersey Department of Education with the assistance of the TA Customizer Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education Charter Schools Program (CSP) and conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). Its focus is on providing information and technical…

This manual is designed to help advocates, including parents, obtain special education for children with disabilities residing in New Jersey. It explains the requirements of the federal statute governing special education--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--and the federal regulations implementing IDEA, as well as the state…

The study reported here focused on whether some special education disputes are resolved more effectively and efficiently by mediation than by a due process hearing, and whether parents and school officials feel satisfied about the process, outcome, and implementation of the agreement. Researchers analyzed requests for due process hearings filed…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a federally supported 5-year New Jersey project, the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). Project SPAN provides information, training, technical assistance, leadership development and support to families of children with special emotional/behavioral or health needs and/or…

An important civil-rights issue concerns educational enfranchisement. Wealthy parents can consider both public and private schools for their children, but poor parents must send their children to public schools nearest them, regardless of their quality. This paper describes New Jersey's takeover of urban Jersey City's public schools, explaining…

This booklet on the rights of New Jersey's special needs students and their parents begins with general suggestions on learning about the child's condition and working with school personnel. The booklet outlines conditions that are defined as handicapping and then discusses such rights as the right to a free and appropriate public education,…