MDE Weekly Superintendent Mail - 2-21-20

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Weekly Briefing for Superintendents and School Leaders

February 21, 2020

In this edition

ACTION ITEMS

Timeline for Release of 2019 Graduation Rates

Users with access to secure accountability reports will be able to download their secure graduation rosters for 2019, on Monday, March 2. The rosters contain both private student-level data and summary data at the school and district levels. These rosters are being released under an embargo, so the summary data they contain should not become public before the official public release of results. Student-level data should always remain private.

The public files will be posted in the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Data Center and the Minnesota Report Card updated to include the 2019 results on Thursday, March 5. Media will get access to this data on Thursday, March 5.

Data and communications staff at MDE will host webinars to prepare for the public release and support interpretation of results. These will be held on:

The content of each webinar will be the same, so interested district staff can participate in whichever one is most conveniently timed.

For questions about the release timeline, contact Emily Bisek.

For questions about the calculation of graduation rates and interpretation of data, contact Michael Diedrich, 651-582-8332. A summary of the graduation rates indicator and an FAQ about the calculation of graduation rates are currently available in the Accountability Indicators section of the School and District Accountability webpage.

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FY 2020 Advanced Placement Program Application – Due April 30

The Minnesota Legislature has appropriated $4.5 million to provide financial incentives to schools for student exam subsidies and teacher training for the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate programs. Read the February 2020 memorandum from Mary Barrie, Ed.D.

Advanced Placement Student Exam Reimbursement Policies and Procedures 2020
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 Program Application for Reimbursement form to the department by April 30, 2020.

AP Teacher Training Scholarship Process 2020. Minnesota scholarships are available for public and non-public teachers who are teaching or plan to teach an AP course in 2019-20. The school or district will be responsible for the initial cost of the training. Approved scholarships are paid directly to the school or district.

If you have questions about advanced placement program policy and development, contact Mary Barrie, Ed.D, supervisor, High School to Post-secondary Initiatives, 651-582-8478.

If you have questions about advanced placement program application, reimbursement processes, payments, scholarship forms, and administration issues, contact Jacqui McKenzie, dual credit program administrator, 651-582-8852.

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Coronavirus Update from Minnesota Department of Health

Staff, parents and students may have questions and concerns about the novel (new) coronavirus outbreak, now called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly if staff or students have ties to or recent travel to China where the outbreak began. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is closely monitoring the situation. At this time, MDH has determined that the risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 is low.

Schools may be wondering what they should be doing. MDH has posted information on their website at Information For Schools, Colleges and Universities on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Please share this information with your school administrators and health personnel, and ask them to share information with parents as they deem appropriate.

This is an evolving situation, so check back to the MDH Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) website often for the latest information. For assistance with questions, call the Minnesota Department of Health at 651-201-5414 or 1-877-676-5414.

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ITEM OF INTEREST

Schools are Census Partners!

Every school serves as an important “Census Partner” to educate and encourage people throughout their community to complete the 2020 Census. Local and federal partners are working hard to be sure every person in every household is counted.

The Public Service Announcements, featuring Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, can help schools educate students about the Census. The videos encourage students to ask their families to participate in the 2020 Census and are available in English and several other languages.

Timeline: The 2020 Census will soon mail letters to most Minnesota households inviting everyone to respond to the census. The How the 2020 Census Will Invite Everyone to Respond fact sheet describes ways to respond and what to expect; the mailings begin March 12.

Importance: Getting a complete and accurate count is important so that Minnesotans receive fair representation in Congress and the Legislature. It also affects funding for government programs for Minnesota’s families and children. The Census 101 fact sheet explains what the 2020 Census is and why it is important.

Counting Children: Children under age 5 were the most undercounted age group in the 2010 Census. The Census provides materials to encourage families to participate in the 2020 Census, including why the Census is important to schools and how to ensure young children are counted. View this poster on the benefits of 2020 Census participation for schools. It is available online and can also be provided in print format to schools.

K-12 Toolkit: The state of Minnesota 2020 Census website, provided through the Minnesota State Demographic Center, has a Census toolkit for K-12 educators and administrators.

Additional information can be found at 2020Census.gov.

Thank you for encouraging schools, and their students, families and communities, to participate in the 2020 Census.

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TRAINING

2020 Restorative Practices in Schools and Communities Trainings

Registration is Now Open for Sessions in Cloquet, Bemidji and Crystal. The Minnesota Department of Education School Climate Center is offering two weeks of Restorative Practices training in three locations in Minnesota: Crystal, Cloquet and Bemidji. Restorative Practices are approaches based in Indigenous knowledge that schools can use to improve school climate, to encourage youth voice, and as an alternative to exclusionary discipline. The trainings are open to anyone who works with youth in or out of schools. Schools are encouraged to send a team to the trainings. Individuals are welcome.

Trainings will be held June 15-19 in Bemidji and Cloquet, and June 22-26 in Crystal. A list of training offerings and registration information is available on the Restorative Practices website.

For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, contact Nancy Riestenberg, 651-582-8433. The Minnesota Department of Education requires a two-week advance notice to provide accommodations and 48-hour notice to cancel the request.

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