GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

204 West State Street, Trenton NJ 08608

gscs2000@gmail.com       732 618 5755       www.gscschools.org

Testimony before the Senate Education Committee: S2635 Senators Jennifer Beck/Sean Kean   (12-1-11)

GSCS supports S2635, which establishes a task force to study, review and recommend on various issues related to improving special education programs and services for public school students.

Issues will include funding, delivery and effectiveness of special education programs, as well as best practices for working with special education students and strategies to reduce costs of out-of-district placements counterbalanced by bringing more students to in-district programs.

GSCS has a long history of concern in special education funding and delivery services and has participated in prior statewide task forces on these issues, most notably the Special Education Review Commission established in June 2005 (S2417/Adler). GSCS has continued to maintain data analyses regarding special education funding over the years.