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September 17, 2021
Special Education Recovery Services FAQ Available
The frequently asked questions document on the start of the 2021-22 school year and Minnesota's special education recovery services law has been posted to the Special Education COVID-19 Due Process guidance and main Special Education pages of the Minnesota Department of Education website. This document and the guidance posted earlier this month should assist school districts and charter schools in continuing to provide equitable access to high-quality special education and related services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and to support families of students with disabilities and school districts and charter schools as they address the impact of disruptions to in-person instruction related to the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
View the Guidance for Part C/Early Intervention and the Application of Special Education Recovery Services and Supports and Frequently Asked Questions: The Start of the 2021-22 School Year and the New Minnesota Special Education Recovery Services Law on the MDE website.
September 30, 2021, Stepwell Training: Seclusion Reporting
The Stepwell web-based system is a collaborative workspace where MDE and districts work together to improve results for all students with disabilities and ensure compliance. Stepwell is MDE’s official platform for monitoring and supporting activities related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Minnesota’s special education statues and rules.
On September 30, 2021, MDE is offering training on how to report seclusion using the new Stepwell system. District personnel may attend a training session from 9 to 10 a.m., or 1 to 2 p.m. Both training sessions will include the same information, and the training will be recorded for viewing at a later time in the event district personnel are unable to attend.
Districts will be notified when future Stepwell trainings are available.
Attendee Instructions
We will be using Zoom Webinar for this virtual training. Register for the 9-10 a.m. training or the 1-2 p.m. training on the Zoom website. Registered attendees will receive a personalized link to join the September 30 training. Attendees may not be able to log in to the webinar until a few minutes before the scheduled start. Training attendees will be muted. For assistance, contact Doug Gray.
We look forward to seeing you. Thank you for everything you do for Minnesota students receiving special education services.
Links from Directors' Forum Presentations
Thank you for your suggestions regarding advance copies of PowerPoint presentations for our online Special Education Directors' Forums. After reviewing available options and in the interests of continuing to provide directors and others with the most up-to-date information, for future Forums we will be sharing an accessible document containing all the hyperlinks from the current presentation. These documents will be made available for download from the Zoom webinar chat feature at the beginning and end of each Forum. We will continue to make complete copies of the Forum presentations available as soon as they are made accessible.
Part B and Part C Determinations for 2021
MDE is required by federal law to make annual determinations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding the performance of each Local Educational Agency (LEA) and each Special Education Administrative Unit (SEAU). A random statewide representative sample of districts’ data was reviewed for MDE’s 2021 determination report.
Part B and Part C determinations reported by MDE for 2021 were based on information gathered during the 2019-20 school year. Specifically, MDE considered performance on:
- Part B compliance indicators 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13; whether data submitted by districts was valid, reliable and timely (Indicator 20); any uncorrected noncompliance from other sources (Indicator 15); and any fiscal audit findings.
- Part C compliance indicators 1, 7, 8a, and 8c; whether data submitted by districts was valid, reliable, and timely (Indicator 14); any uncorrected noncompliance from other sources (Indicator 9); and any fiscal audit findings.
Using this information, MDE is able to determine whether a district meets requirements, needs assistance, needs intervention, or needs substantial intervention.
Based on data gathered during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, MDE has determined nearly all Minnesota districts have earned the status of Meets Requirements for Part B and Part C.
All districts randomly selected for the 2021 determination review have been notified of their statuses.
MDE commends all districts for their performance in these areas. We are committed to supporting your efforts to improve results for children with disabilities and will continue our efforts to help build staff capacity and provide technical assistance.
If you have any questions regarding your determination status, please contact Deb Humann at or 651-582-8239.
Over the summer, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released Best Practice Recommendations that align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools this fall. The guidance is designed to support school leaders and school boards make decisions that protect the health and safety of students, staff and families while prioritizing in-person learning.
The Delta variant is proving to have an alarming ability to spread easily and cases are increasing in schools, camps and childcare. This means that it’s more important than ever that we use our available tools to slow transmission.
Given the ongoing pandemic challenge at hand, it is critical that schools implement layered prevention strategies. In order to protect the health and safety of students, staff and families, schools should adopt local policies that require universal masking, social distancing, contact tracing, quarantining and other practices outlined in the MDH guidance.
We all need to do our part to help keep students and school communities safe and healthy this school year. We’ve created two graphics to promote local health and safety plans and encourage families to do their part to help keep our communities safe:
This school year will certainly have challenges—some new ones and some that we have seen before. Families may be wondering how this year will be different than last year. We have created an overview for families to outline some of the health and safety strategies, resources available for schools, information about online learning options and school meals for the 2021-22 school year.
See the family guide and please share it with your school communities.
Grant funding is now available to support the implementation of COVID-19 school testing programs for school year 2021-22. Every school district, charter school and tribal school is eligible to apply.
Minnesota has designated $55 million of its Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Reopening Schools Grant supported through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 with an aim at providing support for schools to detect and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within schools. Grants funds can be used for staffing, to purchase tests, personal protective equipment (PPE), and any necessary supplies to conduct COVID-19 school testing programs.
Program allocations have been loaded into the State Educational Record View and Submission (SERVS) financial system. Eligible districts should accept their award and complete the short application in SERVS. Once the application is approved in Grant Management, create and submit a budget in the Manage Applications and Budgets area of SERVS. This budget will serve as a description of uses of the funds. MDE staff will review and approve the budget.
COVID-19 Testing Options Available to Schools
Through Minnesota's first-in-the-nation statewide education COVID-19 testing program schools have a variety of testing options available to keep kids and staff healthy, safe and in their classrooms.
This school year, schools will have access to individual PCR tests, pooled PCR tests and rapid tests—both antigen and molecular. Districts, charter schools, tribal schools, and nonpublic schools will be able to assess which tests work best for their school community and have autonomy in developing their individual testing program.
More information about the resources available for schools, including detailed information about each individual test option, can be found on the COVID-19 testing for schools page of the MDH website. Please note that information on ordering each type of test can be found in the PDF listed under the Available testing resources section.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is suicide prevention awareness month—a time to raise awareness on this often stigmatized and challenging topic. Together we can lift our voices to share hope and vital information across Minnesotans. MDH, along with the State Suicide Prevention Taskforce, developed materials to promote suicide prevention in Minnesota. The materials can be used by state agencies, schools, community organizations and anyone interested in sharing messages about these services.
We encourage everyone to participate in sharing messages and resources to prevent suicide this month. The toolkits are designed to be customizable, and we encourage you to edit the messages to fit your community’s needs. We also encourage you to add images and graphics that best reflect your community.
Resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line are critical services for Minnesotans. The services provide support, referrals and guidance to those who need mental health support and help preventing suicide. The message “You Matter” was developed by the taskforce to emphasize the important role we all have to play in preventing suicide. We encourage anyone interested in using these resources to do so.
Download the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Toolkits.
Download the You Matter Crisis Resources Messaging materials.
Applications open for Full-Service Community School Start-Up and Expansion Competitive Grants
Applications are due Friday, October 8. Applications, instructions, timelines and further information can be found on the Full-Service Community School Grant – FY 22 grant opportunity site.
Grant funding is available to expand systemic supports for students, families, and communities across Minnesota. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to increase the number and capacities of school sites implementing the full-service community schools evidence-based model across Minnesota. $5 million is available to fund an estimated 10-15 grants from the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (CFDA 84.425U). Of the total available, we will award at least $3 million for Start-Up Grants and no more than $2 million for expansion grants. Grant amounts may range from $150,000 to $500,000.
Energy Assistance Program
The Energy Assistance Program helps people pay their electric and heating bills. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we have an unprecedented amount of funding for Energy Assistance—additional $167 million—and people can apply for Energy Assistance throughout the year. Find more information on how to promote this by viewing the communication toolkit on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website.
Host an On-Site Vaccination Event in Your Students' Community
To increase vaccination rates, Minnesota launched "Vax to School"—a statewide campaign encouraging students and families to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the beginning of the school year.
If a school in your district is interested in hosting an on-site vaccination clinic, please fill out the following interest survey: Community Vaccination Event Request Form.
Schools May be Eligible for up to $10,000 for Ventilation or Air Filtration Improvements
Minnesota schools may be eligible for up to $10,000 in grants to improve workplace safety from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). DLI’s Safety Grant Program provides matching funds of up to $10,000 for projects that will reduce the risk of injury or illness to workers. A grant project must be based on findings of a hazard survey that identifies injury or illness risk(s) to workers and provides recommendations to minimize/eliminate the risk. Grants may be awarded to help schools related to ventilation and other COVID controls. Learn more about the program on the DLI website.
Emergency Operating Cost Reimbursement Program
The Emergency Operating Cost Reimbursement Program provides temporary assistance for School Nutrition Program sponsors who experienced decreased meal reimbursement from March to June 2020 due to COVID-19 related restrictions and closures.
No application to MDE is required to receive this funding. MDE will disburse funds in fall 2021 to eligible School Food Authorities (SFAs) who are due a payment using the statutory formula established under Section 722 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Business managers will be apprised of Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards (UFARS) coding requirements.
For more information on eligibility requirements, the payment calculation, and more, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Program Emergency Operating Costs During COVID-19: Implementation Guidance or contact Jenna Kiepke
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