ACTION ITEMS
Please read the memo from Chief Financial Officer Denise Anderson titled Appropriate Use of Federal Funds for Conferences and Meals on the Special Education Funding webpage. This document provides guidance on federal regulations relating to allowable expenses for conferences and meals.
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The annual reporting of E-Rate cost data for the purpose of calculating the FY18 Minnesota Telecom Access Equity Aid begins February 1, 2018, and continues until February 28. Details on data submission and telecom cluster addresses are included in the memorandum from Lonn Moe, titled Minnesota Telecommunications/Internet Access Equity Aid Superintendent Memorandum. Further information is available on Minnesota Department of Educations Facilities and Technology webpage. If you have any questions, contact Lonn Moe, Division of School Finance.
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The Minnesota Legislature has appropriated $4.5 million dollars to provide financial incentives to schools for student exam subsidies and teacher training for the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate programs. Read January 2018 memorandum from Mary Barrie, Ed.D.
Advanced Placement Student Exam Reimbursement Policies and Procedures 2018
Exam subsidies are available for public and non-public school students. The state will reimburse $53 per exam for category one (fee-reduced, low-income) students and $40 per exam for exams taken by category two (non-fee-reduced) students. To qualify for exam fee reimbursement for your students, each school must complete and submit the advanced placement 2018 program application to the department by April 20, 2018.
Advanced Placement Teacher Training Scholarship Process 2018
Minnesota scholarships are available for public and non-public teachers who are teaching or plan to teach an AP course in 2018-19. The school or district will be responsible for the initial cost of the training. Approved scholarships are paid directly to the school or district.
Questions about Advanced Placement program policy and development: Mary Barrie, Ed.D, supervisor, High School to Postsecondary Initiatives, 651-582-8478.
Questions about Advanced Placement program application, reimbursement processes, payments, scholarship forms, and administration issues: Jacqui McKenzie, Dual Credit program administrator, 651-582-8852.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
The public release of statewide assessment results and district accountability ratings will be released on the same day in late August. As a reminder, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is streamlining our public release of assessment and accountability data in order to provide clearer context of assessment scores and accountability ratings and to ensure consistency with regards to ESSA and the World’s Best Workforce.
An updated timeline is provided below. Further details will be provided through the appropriate program areas.
Date and Deliverable:
June 25 - Districts retrieve embargoed final individual student test results
July 23 - Districts retrieve embargoed final school and district summary results
August 8 - Districts retrieve preliminary embargoed accountability results
August 8-17 - District appeals window for accountability results
August 27 - Districts retrieve embargoed summary accountability results
August 28-29 - Media embargo of final assessment and accountability results
August 30 - Public release of final assessment and accountability results in data center
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The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) released the official 2018 Academic Standards in Physical Education document on February 1, 2018. The standards are to be fully implemented in all Minnesota school districts by the 2021-22 school year. Full implementation of the 2018 Minnesota Academic Standards in Physical Education is defined as:
- By the 2021-22 school year, instruction in physical education in grades K-8 must include all the 2018 Minnesota physical education standards and grade-level benchmarks.
- Instruction at the high school level must include all the 2018 Minnesota physical education standards and grade-level benchmarks for grades 9-12 beginning with the 2021-22 freshman (9th grade) class.
- All school districts are required to develop assessments to ensure students are meeting the benchmarks.
MDE also released a recommended Minnesota physical education standard transition timeline chart comprised of the following stages:
- Development Stage, February 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018
- Transition Phase 1, District Planning, January 1, 2019 - June 30, 2019
- Transition Phase 2, District Alignment/Optional Phase-in 1, July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
- Transition Phase 3, District Alignment/Optional Phase-in 2, July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021
- Full Implementation, 2021-22 school year
These documents and additional information can be found on the department’s Physical Education webpage.
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The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) has taken the following licensure actions:
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Ochalla, Ojulu T. (FF #472539) Mr. Ochalla’s license was suspended on January 29, 2018, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 214.101, subdivision 1 (b), until he meets requirements of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.
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Gailloux, Deborah (FF #431571) Ms. Gailloux’s license was suspended on January 29, 2018, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 214.101, subdivision 1 (b), until she meets requirements of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.
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Evans, Jr., Herandez C. (FF #459792) Mr. Evans’s license was suspended on January 29, 2018, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 214.101, subdivision 1 (b), until he meets requirements of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.
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WEBINAR
The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to announce that the Electronic Data Reporting System (EDRS) is transitioning to the web-based Special Education Data Reporting Application (SEDRA). We are providing various webinar dates to provide an overview of the important aspects of the new SEDRA web application. Topics include preauthorization access, website navigation and expenditure entries.
Webinars are presented as repeat sessions, once a week from February 12 to March 27. Please share with anyone who will be entering special education expenditures. Visit the MDE Calendar to register for one of the upcoming EDRS web-based training webinars.
Contact the Special Education Funding and Data Team with questions.
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