This guide is designed to help advocates--including biological and adoptive parents, resource parents, adult students in foster care, and service providers--understand and advocate for the educational rights of children in New Jersey's foster care system. The guide explains the requirements of federal and state laws that particularly affect these…

The topic of special education can be confusing and frightening for parents who suspect their child has a disability or has difficulty learning. Parents in this situation want to know how to get help for their child. This guide is intended as a reference for people who have questions about special education for a child. It summarizes the basic…

This qualitative study situates parents' perceptions of their participation and role in special education planning in multiple contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 diverse parents of children with disabilities. The findings reveal the existence of special education discourses and practices that are entrenched in a…

The topic of special education can be confusing and frightening for parents who suspect their child has a disability or has difficulty learning. Parents in this situation want to know how to get help for their child. This guide is intended to help parents navigate the system and services available for children with special learning needs and to…

Post-school transition is the movement of a child with disabilities from school to activities that occur after the completion of school. This paper provides information about: (1) post-school transition; (2) transition plan; (3) transition services; (4) transition planning; (5) vocational rehabilitation services; (6) services that are available…

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…

New Jersey lawmakers recently changed state law to require schools to bear the burden of proving, if there is a dispute with parents, that the educational plans they create for students with disabilities are appropriate. The state's action, which follows a similar move by New York state in August, is considered a success by parents and advocacy…

In September 1997, the Ridgewood, New Jersey, school district placed J.N., then age 11, in the Windsor School, per the IEP (individualized education program) team's identification of his special needs for structure, safety, and security. As a state-approved private special education school, Windsor signed an agreement with Ridgewood for the…

The guide suggests procedures for school district personnel and parents to use in planning for, developing, and recording an individualized education program (IEP) in compliance with New Jersey law. Separate sections addresss the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): New Jersey law regarding IEPs; components of the classification and…

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 booklet is intended to acquaint parents of handicapped children in New Jersey with their rights. Information is provided on types of handicaps and the rights of a handicapped child (free appropriate public education, evaluation, classification, Individualized Education Program, and placement). Parental rights are explained, with special…

The paper addresses New Jersey and federal regulations and legislation regarding discipline for handicapped students. Policies regarding such minor disciplinary action as detention, work assignment, in-school suspension, or temporary assignment to a time-out room are considered. The role of the Individualized Education Programs in determining…

Using a question and answer format, this booklet explains state high school graduation requirements for classified special education students in New Jersey. Classified pupils must meet all state and local graduation requirements unless exempted in their individualized educational programs (IEPs). Fulfilling IEP requirements qualifies a classified…

A product of the Project on Vocational Education Models for Linking Agencies Serving the Handicapped, this handbook is designed to assist state and local level personnel to develop effective linking strategies that will help meet the needs of handicapped students. It consists of 11 chapters. Following an introductory explanation of the purpose and…

Compiled for beginning teachers who have not had much experience working with special learners, this handbook provides brief descriptions of the different categories of special learners in vocational education. Information is arranged in abstract form and presents a summary of the characteristics of these learners, how to recognize them in the…