State Special Education Advisory Council Celebrates 2026 Innovations in Special Education

The New Jersey’s State Special Education Advisory Council (NJ-SEAC) held its Fourth Annual Special Education Celebration – Collective Impact: Celebrating What We Built Together on June 11, 2026. The council advises the NJ Department of Education on the unmet needs of students with disabilities across the state. The celebration is a significant event recognizing a range of student achievements and innovative programs. Among the highlights was the presentation of the 2026 Innovations in Special Education award winners, a cooperative program of the New Jersey School Boards Association and the New Jersey Association of Special Education Partner Schools (NJASEPS). 

During the ceremony, three Innovations in Special Education award winners were acknowledged: Linden Public Schools School #2 for its Sensory Night, Celebrate the Children School for its Parent Partnering Program and Windsor Bergen Academy’s RISE program. NJSBA President Michael Jacobs, accompanied by Irene LeFebvre, past president and NJ-SEAC Resource Member Representative, presented the awards along with representatives from NJASEPS.

President Jacobs expressed gratitude on behalf of the NJSBA leadership for the Council’s recognition of the awardees. He emphasized the broader significance of Special Education Week in celebrating not only the efforts of teachers, administrators, board members and parents, but particularly the remarkable achievements of students who have worked so hard and accomplished so much.

Below are highlights of the award-winning programs. 

The Celebrate the Children School and its remarkable Parent Partnering Program stands out not only for their innovation but also for their deep understanding of what families truly need.

This program acknowledges the challenge parents face in balancing the roles of parent, teacher, and therapist and helps them reconnect with the heart of parenting while simultaneously building confidence and practical skills. The Parent Partnering Program is especially unique for its recognition that families are an essential part of a child’s growth, emotional security, and long-term success. By extending support beyond parents to include siblings and other family members, Celebrate the Children School also recognizes that developmental growth happens within the family system as a whole.

The Parent Partnering Program is a model of partnership, empowerment, and human connection. It reflects a profound commitment to helping families grow together with confidence, understanding, and joy.

The Linden Public School District, School #2’s Sensory Night Program gives students, who often can’t attend large community events, a chance to engage in a low-stimulation, structured setting where they can explore and succeed. The event encourages parents and caregivers to participate alongside their children and connect with staff in a structured, predictable, and supportive setting where students focus on learning and social interaction rather than managing stress or dysregulation.

The program also provides an opportunity for the district to build relationships with community partners. Over the years, the school has worked with therapy dog organizations, local restaurants, and other vendors.  Service providers attend to share information and strategies, helping families access resources beyond the school setting.

Sensory Night is about more than activities — it’s about creating opportunities for connection, participation, and inclusion for every student and their family.

The Windsor Bergen Academy’s RISE program stands apart by focusing on addressing a critical gap in early childhood education: supporting young learners whose significant emotional and behavioral needs do not align with traditional special education classifications. These children are entering school already carrying a history of exclusion, many having experienced multiple expulsions from daycare, preschool, or kindergarten before the age of six. RISE was designed to intervene at this pivotal moment.

The program focuses on changing trajectories from an early age to enable students to return successfully to the general education classroom. Students are met where they are, helped to feel good again, and guided toward a future where they can succeed-both in school and in life.

These early interventions for a previously underserved population, a flexible developmental model, and the integration of play therapy create a program that is highly specialized, ensuring that when students leave RISE, they are not just placed into the next setting – they are truly prepared for it.

The State’s Special Education Advisory Council annual celebration underscores the profound impact these award-winning programs have on New Jersey’s special education community.