Special Education Division
- March Special Education Directors' Forum
- Apply Now for Alternative Delivery of Specialized Educational Services (ADSIS)
- PBIS Recognition System: Deadline March 29, 2019
- Interagency Coordinated Individualized Education Program (IEP) Pilot Project
- Minnesota Assistive Technology Teams Project
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Postsecondary Outcome Survey
- Second Annual Minnesota Assistive Technology (AT) and Accessibility Summit, June 13-14
Academic Standards and Instructional Effectiveness Division
- Provide Feedback on Minnesota's English Language Arts (ELA) Standards
Nutrition, Health and Youth Development Division
- 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) – Cohort 8 Request for Proposals: Deadline April 19, 2019
Special Education Division News
Director: Robyn Widley
March Special Education Directors' Forum
The first Special Education Directors' Forum of the year will be held Friday, March 22, beginning at 9 a.m., in Conference Center B, Rooms 15 and 16, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), 1500 Highway 36 W., Roseville, Minnesota 55113. The March Forum will feature updates from MDE and Minnesota Administrators for Special Education on workforce strategies, legislation, the Annual Performance Report, Compliance and Assistance manifestation determinations, school finance, and dyslexia and specific learning disabilities. The forum will be available for remote viewing courtesy of MediaSite. Watch the Special Education Directors' listserv for more information. We look forward to seeing you.
For more information, contact Aaron Barnes, 651-582-8592.
Minnesota public school districts and charter schools may now apply for Alternative Delivery of Specialized Instructional Services (ADSIS) funding to provide direct instruction and services to K-12 and preschool students who are part of district programs that generate general education revenue, who may need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in the general education environment and who may eventually qualify for special education if the prevention services were not available. An approved program may provide instruction and services in a regular education classroom or an area learning center to eligible pupils. Pupils may be provided services during extended school days and throughout the entire year. Cooperatives, education districts and intermediate school districts may not apply on behalf of member districts.
ADSIS funding is state aid that goes through the special education funding formula, not a grant. The cap for fiscal year 2020 will be $1,089,351.74.
An informational webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. on the Minnesota Department of Education WebEx site (Meeting Number 801 700 514).
The application and instructions can be found on the MDE’s competitive grants site. Refer to the ADSIS statute or ADSIS funding statute for additional information. Signed and submitted applications must be received (not postmarked) by April 5, 2019, 3:30 p.m. CDT.
For more information, contact Rebecca Nies, Program Coordinator, at 651-582-8648, by March 27, 2019. A question and answer document will be published on the grant opportunity site. View the questions and answers document.
PBIS Recognition System: Deadline March 29, 2019
Minnesota schools and districts are invited to apply for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Recognition System. The purpose of Minnesota PBIS Recognition is to identify and recognize exemplar schools and districts that have completed PBIS implementation and are continuing to achieve positive student outcomes. These schools and districts are able to demonstrate exemplary status by sustaining school-wide PBIS with fidelity in the current 2018-19 school year. Criteria are based on effective implementation of the essential components outlined by our national Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. Applications for PBIS Recognition are due March 29, 2019.
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Interagency Person-Centered Individualized Education Program (IEP) Pilot
The Interagency Person-Centered IEP is a model that coordinates efforts across home, school and community to improve outcomes and engagement of children/youth and their families and effective interagency partnerships with support for active interagency system leadership teams, planning protocols to support coordination of services around individual students and their families and tools for enhancing students' strengths and interests in an IEP.
These practices help multiple agencies/programs work together to improve services and outcomes for families and their children and youth with disabilities and mental health concerns. Person-centered practices empower students with disabilities and their families to make decisions about their own lives.
Download the application for participation in the Interagency Coordinated IEP pilot project. For more information, contact MDE’s person-centered practices team or call 651-582-8590.
Minnesota Assistive Technology Teams Project
MDE has completed our seventh year of the Assistive Technology (AT) Teams Project. To date, over 50 district teams have participated in the three-year project. The project includes monthly professional development activities focusing on the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) for students with disabilities from birth through high school graduation. AT Teams Project participants will increase their ability to identify and implement quality AT practices; make AT consideration, provision and implementation more consistent; build local capacity to address students' AT needs; establish teams of local coaches, mentors and supports for educators implementing AT; and make better and more accepted AT decisions.
Our primary trainer for 2019-20 is Dr. Joy Smiley Zabala, the creator of the Student, Environment, Task, Tools (SETT) Framework for consideration of AT and Director of Technical Assistance at CAST. Topics for 2019-20 include QIAT and AT consideration, assessment of AT needs, including AT in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and evaluation of AT effectiveness.
Learn more and complete an application for AT Teams Project 2019-20 at SurveyGizmo. Application deadline is May 1, 2019. Districts will be notified of the status of their application on or before May 20, 2019. For more information, contact Kursten Dubbels.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Postsecondary Outcome Survey
This year’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Postsecondary Outcome Survey went out to the DHH listserv on March 1, 2019. We would like all DHH 2018 graduates to be counted. Please remind your DHH teacher about doing this survey and connecting with last year’s DHH graduates. This information will help us identify gaps in services and collect data. Thank you for your attention to this. View the DHH Postsecondary Outcome Survey on SurveyGizmo.
For more information, contact Mary Cashman-Bakken.
Second Annual Minnesota Assistive Technology (AT) and Accessibility Summit, June 13-14
The AT and Accessibility Summit is a learning opportunity for public and private sector educators, IT professionals, web managers and content providers, course designers and individuals who create and disseminate information. The Summit raises awareness of information and communication accessibility issues and will provide practical tools and strategies to incorporate accessibility into the real-world environment. The Summit is designed to raise awareness, increase knowledge and encourage action around accessibility issues. Making resources and materials accessible to everyone provides equal access and equal opportunity to people with temporary or permanent disabilities and different learning and access preferences. Topics include:
- The use of information in a range of formats and settings.
- Standards, tools and strategies for identifying and correcting information accessibility barriers.
- Strategies for incorporating the issue of accessibility into the real-world environment of competing interests and limited resources.
The AT and Accessibility Summit is a joint offering of the Minnesota Office of Accessibility and MDE. Registration and additional information will be available on April 16, 2019. The cost will be $90 for one day and $125 for both days. For more information, contact Kursten Dubbels.
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Academic Standards and Instructional
Effectiveness Division News
Director: Doug Paulson
Provide Feedback on Minnesota's English Language Arts (ELA) Standards
The Minnesota Academic Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) are being revised during the 2019-20 school year and the state would appreciate your feedback on the current standards. This 17-question survey has four sections:
- Survey participant information.
- General feedback on the 2010 Minnesota ELA standards.
- Standards implementation.
- Standards and benchmarks feedback.
Please take time to reflect upon our current standards and provide your feedback. In addition, please forward this information to colleagues and other stakeholders in your organization and community. Complete the survey on SurveyMonkey. The survey will be open through March 20, 2019.
Communication concerning the application process for the 2019-20 ELA Standards Review Committee will be available a couple weeks after the close of the survey. More information will be available when the application process opens.
For more information about the standards review process, contact Cory Stai or Jennifer Wazlawik.
Nutrition, Health and Youth Development Division News
Director: Monica Herrera
21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) – Cohort 8 Request for Proposals: Deadline April 19, 2019
Minnesota schools and districts are invited to apply for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) – Cohort 8 grant. The purpose of the 21st CCLC grant is to support the creation or expansion of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for young people, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. 21st CCLC helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offer students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offer literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
Any public or private organization is eligible to apply for a 21st CCLC grant. Agencies and organizations eligible to apply under the 21st CCLC grant program include, but are not limited to city or county governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, public school districts and charter schools, non-public schools, Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribes and American Indian organizations, non-profit agencies and for-profit corporations. At least one local education agency and at least one other eligible entity must partner together to establish a community learning center. Current and previously funded 21st CCLC grant recipients are eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Specific eligibility criteria are identified in the General Information Section of the grant opportunity instructions document.
More information is available on the 21st CCLC website. Applications for 21st CCLC are due April 19, 2019. The application forms and instructions are available on the Grant Opportunity website. For more information, contact Eric Billiet.
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