ACTION ITEMS
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is pleased to provide districts with a streamlined reporting process for the World’s Best Workforce (WBWF) summary, the Achievement and Integration (A&I) progress report, as well as requirements for districts serving schools prioritized for support in the state’s North Star system. We hope this will help districts build connections between the work and simplify reporting with one combined report.
This new 2017-18 Combined WBWF Summary and Achievement and Integration Progress Report fulfills the three requirements:
- Under the WBWF legislation, districts are to develop and implement a comprehensive, long-term strategic plan aligned to the five goals of the WBWF. Each year, districts develop and post an annual report to district websites and submit to MDE a short summary of that report. This serves as the WBWF summary template for submission to MDE.
- Districts that participate in the A&I program have established goals and strategies in their approved plans, and on an annual basis, report progress toward those goals. This serves as the A&I progress report template for submission to MDE.
- Districts that have schools prioritized for comprehensive or targeted support (CSI or TSI) under the new North Star accountability system are required to provide assurances related to supporting required school improvement activities in CSI and TSI schools. This serves as the reporting mechanism for those districts.
All districts should use the 2017-18 Combined WBWF Summary and Achievement and Integration Progress Report template that has been posted to both the WBWF webpage and the A&I webpage. Only districts that participate in the A&I program are required to complete Part B of the report. This completed report should be submitted between October 15, 2018, and December 15, 2018, to mde.worldsbestworkforce@state.mn.us.
Please note that a review rubric is also being developed for the WBWF summary portion of this combined report and will be posted to the MDE website soon. This rubric will be used by MDE staff to review and provide all districts with feedback to spark reflection and conversation within districts to inform WBWF continuous improvement efforts.
Please contact mde.worldsbestworkforce@state.mn.us with questions about the WBWF portion of the summary and mde.integration@state.mn.us with questions regarding the A&I section.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on the backup date of October 3, 2018. The WEA portion of the test commences at 1:18 p.m. CDT, and the EAS portion follows at 1:20 p.m. CDT. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed. Read details about the test from FEMA.
Since learning time may be disrupted, school safety partners, including the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students, encourage schools to use the time to provide a teachable moment about emergency preparedness. For example, some schools are planning a drill or exercise to coincide with the IPAWS notification. Others are taking the opportunity to review federal emergency planning resources to help establish a Communications and Warning Annex, an important part of a comprehensive and high-quality school emergency operations plans, as recommended in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
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Read the September 20 memorandum from Mary Barrie. Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Concurrent Enrollment is a program authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, subdivision 10, in which courses are taught in the high school by either a postsecondary professor or an accredited high school teacher. PSEO allows students to earn both high school and postsecondary credit (dual credit). For high schools partnering with postsecondary institutions that are not accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), the signed concurrent enrollment program aid application for FY 2019 and required documentation are due to the Minnesota Department of Education no later than October 30, 2018. This deadline has been set so that information can be gathered to determine payments to districts in a timely manner. The application allows the high school to generate concurrent aid for the dual credit courses that are offered at the high school during the 2018-19 school year. A new signed application is required each school year. An application is not required for partnerships with postsecondary institutions that are NACEP accredited.
Access the concurrent enrollment program aid application.
For more information, visit the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) in Minnesota 2018-19.
If you have any questions, please contact Jacqui McKenzie.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
All high schools are invited to participate in Minnesota Goes to College!
Minnesota Goes to College consists of two statewide college-going campaigns. College Knowledge Month, Minnesota’s college application initiative, occurs annually during the month of October. Minnesota College Goal, our state’s FAFSA completion effort, organizes free events for students and families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The goal is to provide every graduating high school senior with the preparation, opportunity, and support needed to apply to college, especially underrepresented students (students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students).
Registration ensures that your school will have access to the following:
- Important updates and announcements about these campaigns.
- Information about upcoming site coordinator and/or FAFSA training.
- The list of postsecondary institutions waiving application fees during the month of October.
- Access to college admissions and financial aid volunteers for your event, if requested.
- Eligibility for high school seniors to be entered to win a scholarship.
Visit the Minnesota College Goal website for more information and site registration form. For questions contact Beth Barsness.
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The Minnesota Department of Education recently rolled out version two of the Minnesota Early Indicator and Response System (MEIRS). The seven-step MEIRS process remains fundamentally the same and works as an early warning intervention and monitoring system that identifies and supports students at risk of not completing high school in four years. However, school staff familiar with the first version of MEIRS will notice that the MEIRS 2.0 Guide does not refer to MEIRS secure reports. To ensure that schools rely on locally available real-time data and actionable indicators, the MEIRS secure reports will be discontinued. School staff with prior access will have continued access to the current MEIRS secure reports through December 31, 2018.
The MEIRS process is an evidence-based practice under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act for schools identified for support and improvement and for federal Title I programs. The process remains centered around a team that has relationships with students, and uses data-based decisions to match students with appropriate and proactive supports and then monitors students’ progress regularly.
Please visit the MEIRS webpage for more information, supporting resources, and MERIS 2.0 training opportunities. Email mde.meirs@state.mn.us if you have any questions regarding MEIRS.
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Applications are now available for the 2018-19 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Each year, all 50 states and the District of Columbia select two high school juniors or seniors to participate in the USSYP. The delegates receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship and will attend a one-week, all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., from March 2-9, 2019. Students must be in grades 11 or 12 and hold an elected office (student government, civic, community, etc.) during the 2018-19 school year to be eligible. More information and application.
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WEBINAR and PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The School Safety Technical Assistance Center invites district leaders and school leaders to participate in a webinar series focused on approaches to improve school climate, which is referred to as conditions for learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act. School climate improvement is an evidence-based approach to support student learning by preventing disruptive behaviors such as bullying and harassment. It is also the most effective way to foster student engagement and school connectedness.
During the webinars, center staff and partners will provide district and school leaders with information on how they can best lead and support school climate improvement efforts. The webinars will also highlight effective practices that work to improve school climate outcomes. The webinar, An Overview of School Climate Best Practices, launches the series on Wednesday, September 26, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. There is no need to pre-register for the webinar. Please mark your calendar and simply log in to An Overview of School Climate Best Practices at 11:30 a.m.
Other upcoming school climate improvement webinars are:
If you have questions about the webinars, contact the School Safety Technical Assistance Center, 651-582-8364.
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Every Student Can Learn Mathematics is a three day leadership series sponsored by Minnesota Math Leaders and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).
Join us October 23, 2018, February 6, 2019, February 7, 2019, at MDE, in Conference Center B, Room CC 15-16, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Cost is $175 per person for each session or $450 per person to attend all three days.
For each team of four attendees from a district, one administrator may attend for free.
Registration fee includes lunch, a book, and session materials.
For more information view the Every Student Can Learn Mathematics flyer.
Register for the Every Student Can Learn Mathematics 3-Day Leadership Series.
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