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March 31, 2023
Updates in this email:
This session is designed for district and site staff development committee members and other leaders responsible for staff development, who are looking to better focus their vision, purpose and structures around staff development. Participants will:
- Consider a vision and perspective for staff development;
- Review past staff development structures and designs in Minnesota; and
- Examine the Minnesota staff development statutes around the program and funding.
Participants only need to register for one of the sessions. A link will be sent out the day before each session. Registration will close at the end of the business day on April 25. Sessions:
A one-time donation will fund 20 registration scholarships for the 2023 Hormel Gifted Education Symposium. A maximum of two individuals per school may be awarded free registration to the symposium. Applicants must be a licensed Minnesota public school teacher, gifted education coordinator/specialist, school counselor/psychologist/social worker or specialist currently working in a Minnesota public school. Awardees must:
- Agree to attend the entire symposium, June 13-15 (Tuesday 8:30 a.m. – Thursday 4 p.m.)
- Agree to report on their experience at a fall building-level staff meeting
Scholarships will be allocated on a first come, first served basis until all funds have been dedicated. Applicants must send a statement of their interest and include the name of their school and district. Applications will only be accepted by email with the subject line "Hormel Scholarship" sent to Wendy Behrens, Gifted Education Specialist. This offer is available until May 1 or when all funds have been allocated.
After nearly a decade of planning, federal accountability measures will include data from the Minnesota Common Course Catalog (MCCC) in upcoming school years. While MCCC has always been mandatory, not all districts have reported their data to MDE. MCCC data is used to portray a robust picture of education in Minnesota. All districts and charter schools will be expected to submit MCCC data for the 2023-24 school year in order to prepare for future federal accountability requirements. Reporting opens in April for the current school year and due dates are listed on the Minnesota Common Course Catalogue webpage. Districts that have not regularly submitted MCCC data should refer to this FAQ document to learn how to get started.
Governor Tim Walz signed the Free School Meals for Kids bill on Friday, March 17. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is excited to implement this program for our students in Minnesota. This legislation provides state reimbursement for a free breakfast and lunch to all students at schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). The Free School Meals for Kids Program will start on July 1, 2023.
MDE will create a new webpage under Food and Nutrition Services, within the School Nutrition Programs section. This is where we will post information, guidance, training opportunities and other resources. We will also send out a series of email bulletins. If you already receive our School Nutrition Program bulletin, you will receive these updates. If not, subscribe to our bulletin or visit the Connect with Us webpage to see archived bulletins.
Any questions on the Free School Meals program should be directed to mde.fns@state.mn.us.
Minnesota schools and districts are invited to apply for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) for Cohort 9 grant. The purpose of the 21CCLC 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. Community learning centers help students meet state and local 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.
Public and private organizations focused on students enrolled in schools eligible for Title I schoolwide programs are invited to apply. This includes Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribes and American Indian organizations, public schools, private schools, charter schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, non-profit agencies and for-profit corporations. Current and previously funded 21CCLC grant recipients are eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply. See the grant opportunity instructions document for specific eligibility criteria.
Applications for 21CCLC are due May 1. The application forms and instructions are available on the Competitive Grant Opportunity page of the MDE website.
A product of 18 months of collaboration with MDE, the Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a new report outlines how Minnesota funds its dual enrollment programs and details a set of consensus recommendations to advance equity of access and student success.
Access Improving Minnesota's Dual Enrollment Funding Model: Reflections and Recommendations from the Field.
With support from the College in High School Alliance, the report was developed with input from over 230 representatives from high schools and colleges and over 340 students across Minnesota. It outlines how the current funding system contributes to a myriad of challenges faced by high schools, colleges and students—and details a list of recommendations aligned to the FY2024–25 Governor’s Budget Recommendations, including:
- A pilot program to fully fund Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) by centering equity
- Updates to the PSEO transportation formula statewide
- Collection and reporting of PSEO data by contract from all dual enrollment partnerships
- New research into Minnesota’s Dual Enrollment Programs
Design Workshop Invitation for PSEO Full Funding Pilot
The collaborative partners on this report are considering holding one or a series of design workshops for interested stakeholders across Minnesota to continue building out the PSEO full funding pilot recommendation.
Register your interest by completing the Minnesota PSEO Full Funding Pilot Design Workshop Interest Form. Please note that your browser must support Google apps for the form to open correctly. If the form does not open correctly, copy and paste the link into a different browser.
For questions, contact mde.postsecondary@state.mn.us.
Attention schools implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)! Please consider applying for Minnesota PBIS Sustaining Exemplar Recognition. Minnesota PBIS Sustaining Exemplar Recognition identifies and recognizes exemplar schools that have completed PBIS implementation and are continuing to achieve positive student outcomes. Visit the Sustaining Exemplar page for more information, including application materials and the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Application Overview recording. The deadline for applications is April 7.
Below are the links to the different applications. Please use the descriptions to determine which one your district or school should complete.
Please email mde.pbis@state.mn.us with any questions.
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