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IN THIS EDITION |
Monday, Governor Mark Dayton launched Water Action Week in Minnesota—a week-long effort to engage Minnesotans in conversations about the challenges facing our lakes, rivers, and drinking water systems. Throughout the week, Governor Dayton and members of his cabinet will visit school classrooms, water treatment facilities, research institutions and farms to encourage Minnesotans to learn more about the challenges facing Minnesota’s waters, and empower every individual to take actions in their own lives to be part of the solution.
We all know that establishing an ethic of responsible stewardship needs to start early. That is why I am urging parents, teachers and school leaders to talk with young people this week about the importance of water in our lives, and what Minnesotans can do—even as children—to leave a lasting legacy of clean water for this generation, and generations that follow.
There are many ways to start this important conversation with students, and I cannot think of a better time to engage students in this topic with Earth Day happening on Friday. There are tips and useful resources listed on the Water Action Week website that you may find useful. Visit http://mn.gov/governor/issues/wateraction for more information. Also, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s website has a wealth of information about the state of our water, efforts that are underway to protect this vital resource, and suggestions on how to take part in the action. Visit https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/hows-water to learn more.
As always, thank you for the work you do every day on behalf of our state’s youngest learners.
Brenda
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PRESS RELEASE |
Today, U.S. Secretary of Education John King announced the 2016 Green Ribbon Schools. The three awardees from Minnesota are
Glendale Elementary School, Savage; Henry Sibley High School, Mendota Heights; and Macalester College, St.
Paul. Read April 22 press release.
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ACTION ITEMS |
Superintendents and charter school directors are invited to participate in the monthly audio conference call hosted by Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. We hope that these calls are informative and want to provide an opportunity for you to ask questions and share comments. Below is the new schedule for the 2016-17 school year. The conference call dates are normally scheduled for the 3rd Wednesday of each month, but there are two exceptions noted.
Conference Call Schedule: *Thurs., September 22, Wed., October 19, Wed., November 16, *Wed., December 14, Wed., January 18, Wed., February 15, Wed., March 15, Wed., April 19, Wed., May 17. All calls are from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
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Please read the April 18 memorandum from the Division of School Finance. Annually, the Division of School Finance, Special Education Funding and Data Team, reviews the MOE of each Local Education Agency (LEA) (local school district, charter school and special education cooperative). If the review process indicates that an LEA has not maintained effort, a letter of notification will be sent. This memorandum provides a summary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements used in that review.
If you have any questions, contact the Special Education Funding and Data Team at mde.spedfunding@state.mn.us.
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Please read the April 13 memorandum from the Division of School Finance. This memo provides details on the SFY 2017 special education state and federal Electronic Data Reporting System (EDRS) data lines, application materials, eligibility for program approval and initial MOE.
If you have any questions, please contact the Special Education Funding and Data Team at mde.spedfunding@state.mn.us.
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All school districts using state staff development revenue under Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.10, subdivision 2, and section 122A.61, are required to report staff development activities for both district and school sites annually by October 15. School districts must use the state-designated online staff development reporting site to submit the annual staff development report. All districts, including those not reserving funds, must complete a program report and submit a Statement of Assurances. Access the Staff Development Report site to begin completing the district and school sites report. There you will find an Online Staff Development Report FAQ.
If you need further assistance, you may direct your questions to Michael Foster at michael.foster@state.mn.us.
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It is time to recertify your Identified Official with Authority for the MDE External User Access Recertification System for FY17. The External User Access Recertification System was first introduced in March of 2015 for the FY16 school year. Districts, charters and educational organizations designated an Identified Official with Authority for the purpose of assigning job duties to LEA staff and authorizing access to MDE secure systems. The Identified Official with Authority needs to be designated and reviewed annually in accordance with State Access Security Standard 1.0.
For further information, please refer to the MDE External User Access Recertification page. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Pat Olsen at 651-582-8624 or by email at mde.school-verify@state.mn.us.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY |
This free session will be held Monday, June 20, at the Minnesota Department of Education, Conference Center B, Room CC-15, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. Presenters will include specialists from the department's Divisions of Compliance and Assistance and Special Education. The session will provide both general education and special education administrators with additional perspectives and tools to use in addressing challenging behaviors in positive and preventative ways within the parameters of a district’s legal obligations. Presenters will share information on the student maltreatment reporting and intake processes, student discipline and student rights, restrictive procedures, and positive support interventions. Within a panel format, presenters will explore the intersection of student maltreatment, discipline, and special education issues and how they shape district policy and guide districts in addressing challenging situations in schools.
If you have any questions, contact Virginia Davis by phone at 651-582-8338.
Register for Legal Obligations and Positive Interventions Training.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST |
For Postsecondary Education – 2016-2017
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Office of Indian Education is pleased to announce that the Ethel Curry American Indian Leadership Scholarship program is seeking applications for the 2016-2017 academic year. These awards are quite competitive; therefore, we have set a FIRM deadline of May 31, 2016, for completed applications to be postmarked.
To be eligible for priority consideration, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- An enrolled member of a federally-recognized tribe.
- Attending an accredited college or university in the State of Minnesota.
- Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree.
- Possess a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 for undergraduate applicants and 3.0 for graduate applicants.
A complete list of required documents necessary for consideration appears on the Ethel Curry Scholarship Application form, which can be downloaded from the Indian Education page of the MDE website (http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/StuSuc/IndianEd/index.html), or by contacting LaDonna Mustin at ladonna.mustin@state.mm.us or 651-582-8832.
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The U.S. Department of Education has just released new school climate surveys and school climate improvement resources. The ED School Climate Surveys and the Quick Guide on Making School Climate Improvements are free tools that can help schools, school districts and charter schools measure school climate and take steps to create safe and supportive learning environments. "School climate surveys and improvement tools will become even more important resources as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) takes effect," said Craig Wethington, director of the School Safety Technical Assistance Center. "ESSA will require state agencies and local school districts to address school climate and to improve school conditions for student learning through reducing: incidences of bullying and harassment; the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom and the use of aversive behavioral interventions that compromise student health and safety."
In addition to the U.S. Department of Education resources, the National School Climate Center offers the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI), a nationally-recognized school climate survey and the University of Minnesota’s School Climate research team is offering a new and free service. The research team will create customized Climate Insight reports for Minnesota school districts that participated in the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey. The research team will provide a report that compares the school district’s scores to Minnesota averages. To learn more or to order a report for your school district, contact the research team at schlclm@umn.edu.
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Register Now for Restorative Practices in Schools Training – June 20-24
New research published in the “Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation” indicates that restorative practices can improve student-teacher relationships as well as decrease disciplinary referrals. “Teachers who were perceived by their students as frequently implementing many of the Restorative Practice (RP) elements tended to have better relationships with their students compared with infrequent implementers of RP,” researchers wrote in the article, “The Promise of Restorative Practices to Transform Teacher-Student Relationships and Achieve Equity in School Discipline.”
On the heels of the new research, the School Safety Technical Assistance Center is offering Restorative Practices in Schools Training Workshops, June 20-24. Eight trainings are being offered. Some of the workshops are designed for people new to restorative practices and others are for those who have experience in the field. View a list of all the training workshops offered and register.
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ED Review provides a biweekly update on U.S. Department of Education initiatives and activities. See the latest ED Review posting on the U.S. Department of Education website.
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