NJ Education Laws To Know

NJ Educational Laws and Acts to know

C.E.I.F.A. - Comprehensive Education Improvment and Financing Act. L. 1996, c. 138 (codified at N.J.S.A. 18A:7F1 to 34)- Under CEIFA, early childhood program aid and demonstrably effective program aid are distributed to school districts in which low-income pupils comprise at least 20% of (a) the district-wide student enrollment (in determining eligibility for early childhood program aid), or (b) student enrollment at one or more schools within the district (in determining eligibility for demonstrably effective program aid), Early childhood program aid is distributed to districts for district -wide use to provide full-day kindergarten and preschool classes and other early childhood programs and services; in the case of districts in which the low-income pupil concentration exceeds 40%, the aid may also be used to provide transition and social services to primary grade students. Demonstrably effective program aid is distributed for the purpose of providing instructional, school governance, and health and social service programs. Both types of aid are computed on the basis of a per -pupil dollar figure (higher for "early childhood" aid than for "demonstrably effective" aid) that is annually adjusted for inflation; for both types of aid, if the concentration of low -income students in the relevant enrollment population is 40% or more, the dollar figure used in the aid calculation is higher than the figure used if the concentration is at least 20% but less than 40%. Under the bill, a district that qualifies in a particular budget year for early childhood program aid under CEIFA's original provisions would continue to receive such aid in the three subsequent budget years even if the district's concentration of low-income pupils falls below the 20% or 40% concentration levels during that three-year period.
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I.D.E.A. - Individuals with Disability Education Improvement Act of 2004 - The nation's law that works to improve results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. U.S. Department of Education has published regulations to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). The official version of this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is published in the Federal Register in PDF formats read more

F.A.P.E. ~ The Families and Advocates Partnership for Education project is a partnership that aims to improve the educational outcomes for children with disabilities. It links families, advocates, and self-advocates to information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The project is designed to address the information needs of the 6 million families throughout the Country whose children with disabilities receive special education services. FAPE was originally funded as one of four projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education to reach parents, administrators, service providers, and policymakers nationwide with information about implementing IDEA '97. In October 2003, the four projects were consolidated into the Unified IDEA Partnership. In 2004, IDEA was amended significantly and passed into law. Many of the provisions in this new IDEA law became effective on July 1, 2005. As the new law is analyzed and new federal regulations are developed, we will attempt to share information with you. In addition to the Federal IDEA law and regulations, visitors are encouraged to become familiar with their respective state laws and regulations affecting students with disabilities. read more

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - was amended by Section 504 in 1973, and can be found at 29 U.S.C. Section 794 as well as 34 C.F.R. 104. As it relates to special education, many valuable and important rights can be secured through this law. § 104.1 Purpose. The purpose of this part is to effectuate section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of handicap in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

The New Jersey Administrative Code, 6A:14-1.1 et seq. - has been adopted in this state in order to implement the requirements of IDEA. The Code must be strictly followed by school districts, and a synopsis is given to the parent of every classified child. However parents have a right to ask for a complete copy of Title 6A, and the district is obligated to provide same. The Code largely follows IDEA in scope and sequence. Eligibility under the Code is determined as follows: "(c) A Student shall be determined eligible and classified 'eligible for special education and related services' under this chapter when it is determined that the student has one or more of the disabilities defined in (c)1 through 13 below; the disability adversely affects the student's educational performance and the student is in need of special education and related services. Classification shall be based on all assessments conducted including assessments by child study team members and assessments of other specialists as specified below."

NJ S.1701 - The Education Budget Cap and Oversight Law - To put this law in simplistic terms the following Op-ed piece written by GSCS Parent Network Regional Representative Kim Newsome published in Monmouth's "Two River Times" July 2005 NJ Assembly passes amendment to help "fix" S1701 and now it is the Senate and Governor's turn to act. The following written by GSCS Parent Network Regional Representative Kim Newsome was published in Monmouth County newspaper “Two River Times” as op-ed piece, July 2005. Assembly passes Amendment to help “Fix” S1701, Now it is the Senate and Governor’s Turn to Act As many parents of public school students in New Jersey are now aware, we are facing a crisis in the near future. S1701 is a bill that was passed last year, which restricts our school so severely that many of our programs have been put in jeopardy. Any non state-mandated programs such as art, music, after school sports, librarians, full day kindergarten are vulnerable to cuts in order to finance the core curriculum if changes are not made to this bill. The only way to reduce the damage of this bill is to amend it. Ref:http://www.gscschools.org/gsc/S1701%20Information/Op-ed%20piece%20written%20by%20GSCS%20Parent%20%20Network%20Regional%20Representative%20Kim%20Newsome%20published%20in%20Monmouth%27s%20%22Two%20River%20Times%22%20July%202005.txt/_top

Please visit the following website for a Q&A session on NJ S. 1701 please visit: read more

Abbott vs. Burke Supreme Court Decision- This is important Case Law to know
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New Jersey Constitution, Article VIII, Section IV, paragraph 1 "The Legislature shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools for the instruction of all children in the State between the ages of five and eighteen years."
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No Child Left Behind Act - What It Means for Parents Many parents have probably heard of the No Child Left Behind Act. This law grabbed headlines when Congress passed it in 2002 because it requires major changes in public education. Yet despite all this publicity, parents may still have questions. What exactly does the law do? How will it affect my child and my child's school? How will I notice the changes? Basically, the law sets new standards for students, teachers, and schools and boosts funding to help meet the new requirements. The most obvious change for parents is that your child will now be given standardized tests nearly every year. The previous law required far less frequent testing. The law also gives parents more information and, in some cases, more choice about which school your child attends. Here's a summary of what to expect. read more