The NJDOE released its 2026 Local Special Education Profiles and Determinations this week which gives us an understanding of how well Districts are complying with federal and state special education targets:
Evaluation timelines
Disproportionate representation
Transition
Least restrictive environment
Correction of noncompliance
Data quality
Required submissions.
We pulled the reports for the seven Districts on our dashboard- Berkeley Heights, New Providence, Summit, Westfield, Madison, Chatham and Millburn- which all received an overall determination of “Meets Requirements.”
But the underlying data is important.
Because NJDOE assigns different point totals depending on which factors apply to each district, the raw scores could be misleading because a district with more raw points may also have more possible points- so we calculated a score share for each district by dividing points awarded by points possible.
| District | Determination | Score | Evaluation Timeline | Inclusion / LRE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit | Meets Requirements | 86.8% | 95.0% to 99.9% | 45.0% to 59.9% |
| Millburn | Meets Requirements | 86.8% | 95.0% to 99.9% | 45.0% to 59.9% |
| Berkeley Heights | Meets Requirements | 83.3% | 80.0% to 94.9% | At least 60% |
| Chatham | Meets Requirements | 80.0% | 80.0% to 94.9% | 45.0% to 59.9% |
| New Providence | Meets Requirements | 77.8% | 50.0% to 79.9% | At least 60% |
| Madison | Meets Requirements | 73.4% | 50.0% to 79.9% | At least 60% |
| Westfield | Meets Requirements | 69.4% | 50.0% to 79.9% | 45.0% to 59.9% |
Summit and Millburn had the highest score share of the group, each at 86.8%.
Berkeley Heights followed at 83.3%, Chatham at 80.0%, New Providence at 77.8%, Madison at 73.4% and Westfield at 69.4%.
Initial evaluation timelines are often the first pushback for families seeking special education services, and so that’s an important measure to look at.
Summit and Millburn fell in the 95.0% to 99.9% band.
Berkeley Heights and Chatham fell in the 80.0% to 94.9% band.
New Providence, Westfield and Madison fell in the 50.0% to 79.9% band.
Least Restrictive Environment is also important, and it’s also important to understand that children in more restrictive environments does not mean the District is doing anything wrong. However, on the District level it’s an important data point to look at because federal law is built around the idea kids with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
Berkeley Heights, New Providence and Madison were listed as serving at least 60% of K-12 students with IEPs inside the general education classroom for 80% or more of the school day.
Summit, Westfield, Chatham and Millburn were listed in the 45.0% to 59.9% band.
Source: NJDOE 2026 Local Special Education Profiles and Determinations.
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