NJSBA Report Seeks Major Changes in Special Education Policy

Special Education Report: Major Recommendations

Special Education Report: Exemplary Programs

Moncrief Named New Jersey Board Member of the Year

Commissioner Clarifies Permissible Workshop 2007 Hotel Rate

Registration Deadline Approaches for Advanced Board Member Training at Workshop

What Not to Miss on the Exhibit Floor at Workshop

Retiring Board of Directors Members Honored

Ethics Decisions: Update

Change of Meeting Date: NJSBA Resolutions Subcommittee

Calendar

Click here for a pdf version of this issue of School Board Notes

Major Recommendations:

Increase funding—The state and federal governments should fund all excess costs of special education (i.e., expenditures above the cost of general education). As an initial step toward this goal, the state should provide full funding of Extraordinary Special Education Costs Aid, a program designed to help districts support individual programs that exceed $40,000 annually per student. For 2007-2008, full funding of extraordinary costs aid would have equaled an additional $171 million in state aid.

Develop in-district programs for severely disabled and autistic students—The state and local school districts should invest in programs that would enable more students, now educated in private and specialized public schools, to attend school in their home districts.

Provide training—As the number of classified students attending school in general education classroom grows, the state needs to support training for classroom teachers in differentiated instruction, the nature of various disabilities and other special education issues.

Curb incentives to classify in higher-cost categories—The state’s current four-tier special education funding formula inadvertently encourages higher-cost placements. The report recommends a single-factor special education funding formula.