Bill Text: NJ A245 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOE to establish working group to develop a plan for the regional provision of special education services.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A245 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A245-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CHARLOTTE VANDERVALK
District 39 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOE to establish working group to develop a plan for the regional provision of special education services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a working group in the Department of Education to develop a plan for providing special education services on a regional basis.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that: the number of pupils classified for special education services has been steadily increasing in the State; from 1997 to 2003 there has been a 29.5 percent rise in the number of classified pupils; this trend is expected to continue and will result in the State and local school districts facing considerable and constant increases in the costs associated with providing services for these students; one factor that impacts on the increasing costs in this area is placements of special education students in private schools for the disabled either in-State or out-of-State; and regional centers established by the Department of Education which would provide a continuum of programs and services for classified pupils from local school districts could be a means of reigning in the escalating costs of special education, while improving the delivery of programs and services for these students.
2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a working group in the Department of Education to develop a plan for establishing regional centers throughout the State for the provision of special education services. The working group shall ensure that the plan provides school districts, through the regional centers, with settings in which the districts' special education students would be able to receive a broad-range of programs and services according to the students' individualized education plan. In developing the plan for regional centers the working group may consider existing county special services school districts or educational services commissions as possible regional centers.
b. The working group shall include: experts on the provision of special education in the State; a representative of a county special services school district; a representative of an educational services commission; a representative of a county vocational school district; a county superintendent of schools; a superintendent of schools; a school business administrator; a teacher of special education; and parents of special education students.
c. The working group shall submit a final report to the Commissioner of Education and to the chairs of the Assembly and Senate Education Committees no later than 120 days after the effective date of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the final report to the Commissioner of Education and the chairs of the Assembly and Senate Education Committees.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to establish a working group to develop a plan for establishing regional centers throughout the State for the provision of special education services. The working group will be required to ensure that the plan provides school districts with regional settings in which the districts' special education students will be able to receive a broad-range of programs and services according to the students' individualized education plan. In developing the plan for regional centers the working group will be permitted to consider existing county special services school districts or educational services commissions as possible regional centers.
The working group established by the commissioner will include: experts on the provision of special education in the State; a representative of a county special services school district; a representative of an educational services commission; a representative of a county vocational school district; a county superintendent of schools; a superintendent of schools; a school business administrator; a teacher of special education; and parents of special education students.
A final report will be submitted by the working group to the commissioner and to the chairs of the Assembly and Senate Education Committees no later than 120 days after the effective date of the bill.
