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ACTION ITEM
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 forward this information to staff and other stakeholders in your organization and community. To complete the survey, participants should follow the ELA Standards Review Survey. The survey will be open from March 5 through March 20, 2019. For alternate ways to complete this survey, please contact Terry Alvarado.
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. Another announcement will be made with appropriate links when the application process opens.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
We’ve received a number of questions about the timing of the release of 2018 graduation rates, as they are usually available in late February. Graduation rates will be available later this spring, while we put in place additional rules around the way we protect personally identifiable information in reported data. We plan to provide you with a detailed timeline of the release of graduation data soon. The new rules, called complementary suppression, will make it so that when a group’s data are suppressed because there are fewer than 10 students, the next smallest group in the report will also suppressed so that users cannot use basic math to find the value that was suppressed. Read more about the new ways we are protecting personally identifiable information in our reports.
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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 Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) help 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 LEA 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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The FY 2019 Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) grant application is now open in Grants.gov. SRSA-eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) have until April 26, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time to submit an SRSA application. Applicants must complete the following pre-application actions in order to complete and submit an FY 2019 SRSA application in Grants.gov:
- Check Column K on the FY 2019 REAP Eligibility Spreadsheet for your LEA's SRSA eligibility status. Only those LEAs listed as eligible on this spreadsheet can receive an FY 2019 SRSA grant award.
- Make sure you accurately record your LEA’s NCES ID number from Column A of the spreadsheet. You will need this number to successfully complete the SRSA application in Grants.gov.
- Make sure your LEA’s DUNS number is active and registered in SAM.gov.
- Register in Grants.gov as an Organization Applicant.
- Create a Workspace profile in Grants.gov for your SRSA application.
The REAP Team will offer SRSA APPLICATION WALK-THROUGH WEBINARS again this year. Registration for the webinars is noted below:
Register for Thursday, March 21, 3-4 p.m. EST.
Register for Wednesday, April 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST.
Please send any questions regarding this email to REAP@ed.gov.
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As districts and charter schools move forward in preparation of the release of the 2019 Title IV, Part A, SERVS application, a number of helpful documents have been posted to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)/Federal Title Programs webpage for Title IV, Part A.
At this time, districts and charter schools should:
- Review the program requirements and projected allocation.
- Review the LEA's completed comprehensive needs assessment summary to determine needs identified in the three Title IVA program areas – well-rounded education, safe and healthy students and technology.
- Complete the budget worksheet (worksheet will be uploaded into the SERVS application).
- Complete the narrative questions (narrative document will be uploaded into SERVS).
It is anticipated that the release of the 2019 Title IV, Part A, application in SERVS Financial will be during the first two weeks of March. Having the identified tasks noted above completed or well in progress before the SERVS application release date will expedite the completion of the SERVS application.
Contact Doug Paulson (651-582-8471) if you have program questions.
Contact Dwayne Strand (651-582-8641) for assistance with SERVS application questions.
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TRAININGS AND WEBINARS
The Minnesota Department of Education is partnering with WIDA in a 2018-19 pilot project that provides free, on-demand access to four, self-paced e-learning courses through August 31, 2019.
Who is this for?
- Administrators looking for self-paced, online professional development in meeting the instructional needs of multilingual learners.
- Content teachers looking to earn an online certificate for license renewal.
- ELD teachers and multilingual learner education program coordinators looking for help offering professional development.
- Other staff looking for asset-based approaches to working with multilingual learners.
District staff can obtain a WIDA e-Learning account by sending a request to their district WIDA eLearning coordinator. Read more about the WIDA e-learning courses at the WIDA website.
Additional details on how to access these courses are outlined at Minnesota’s WIDA page (under Professional Learning).
Contact Mai Yang if you have any questions.
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The School Safety Technical Assistance Center is offering three Bullying and Harassment Investigation Trainings: From Complaint Intake to Investigation this spring. In the training, participants will learn how to conduct formal investigations with multiple witnesses and disputed facts. Participants will walk through all the steps of intake, inquiry and investigation of bullying and harassment reports. They will also receive training on conducting interviews with students and school staff. This training is recommended for school building principals or their designee and other staff responsible for handling bullying complaints and investigations.
Upcoming Bullying and Harassment Investigation Trainings:
- Tuesday, April 10, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Minnesota Department of Education, Conference Center A, Room 13, 1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville.
Register for the April 9 training.
- Thursday, May 9, Minnesota Department of Education, Conference Center A, Room 13, 1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville.
Register for the May 9 training.
- Tuesday, May 14, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Resource Training & Solutions Center, 137 23rd St. S., Suite 201, Sartell.
Register for the Tuesday, May 14 training in Sartell.
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The Minnesota Department of Education invites district leaders to join a new Supportive Discipline Community of Practice. The School Safety Technical Assistance Center is partnering with Engaging Schools to launch this effort to help district and school leaders rethink their discipline systems, policies and practices.
The community of practice will give school district staff the opportunity to engage with and learn from Minnesota and national experts as well as each other. Participants will deepen their understanding of a school wide discipline and student support approach that is accountable, restorative, and respectful.
The community of practice will consist of seven workshops co-facilitated by the center. It is best if school district teams of three to five members participate, including the superintendent or assistant superintendent, director of student support, lead secondary school principal, union representative/lead teacher and a school board member. Teams can choose to attend workshops in one of two locations – Sartell or Roseville. Space is limited and positions will be reserved on a first-come basis. Learn more about and register for the community of practice on the center’s webpages. You can also get more information by emailing the center (MDE.SSTAC@state.mn.us) or calling 651-582-8364.
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Focusing on the steps required for continuous improvement, the Division of Student Support and Federal Programs (Titles IA, II, III and IVA) will be offering an interactive training that will focus on building strong Title I, II, III and IV programs to increase student achievement. Using the five-step process, a pre-K through grade 12 continuous improvement process, participants will strengthen their leadership team and current programming. Participants will also be introduced to best practice strategies and setting priorities. By the end of the day, initial federal program planning for the 2019-20 school year and beyond will have taken place. Recommended team attendees include principals, federal program coordinators, Title I teachers or interventionists, classroom or other teachers or members of leadership teams. This workshop will include resources, tools, and practical application, as well as team time to begin using the five-step process. A list of training dates and sites is available on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA/Federal Title webpage.
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March 11, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and March 15, 8-9 a.m.
The prolonged weather-related challenges facing schools this year have led to many questions about e-Learning days.
Schools and Districts may develop plans to provide e-Learning to their students during unforeseen closure events and may count up to five e-Learning days as regular instructional days. (Minnesota Statutes, section 120A.414)
What does it take to develop an e-Learning day plan that provides instruction to all learners?
Come to this webinar hosted by the digital learning specialist and School Finance to find out.
Register for the March e-Learning Days webinar.
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