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April 7, 2023
Updates in this email:
The Minnesota Department of Education, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Center is offering trainings on restorative practices during the month of June for people who work in education, offer restorative justice/practices and otherwise support youth. Trainings are being offered online, in the metro area and in Greater Minnesota.
Training registration fees range from $135 to $300. Continuing Education Units (CEUs), including administrative CEUs will be offered. Go to the Implementing Restorative Practices web page for descriptions of the trainings and for answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Restorative Practices Trainings.
If you have any questions about the trainings, contact Nancy Riestenberg, 651-582-8433, Grace Yang, 651-582-8777, or Gregg Campbell, 651-582-8796
MDE continues to move the Minnesota Education Grants System (MEGS) Implementation Project forward. MEGS will replace the grant management and payment processing system SERVS Financial. MDE will continue to communicate updates as this project progresses.
Recent updates:
- MDE and vendor MTW Solutions are on track to have Phase I grants operational in the new system at the start of the 2023-24 school year.
- A designated group of internal and external users will be involved in testing at the beginning of April.
- MDE will be offering MEGS training to MDE and district/school staff who use SERVS at the beginning of May. Watch for additional communication about the trainings through this newsletter and the MDE Calendar.
- The MDE steering committee is working with MTW Solutions to plan a presentation and training on MEGS at the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) annual conference in May.
The transition to MEGS will bring many enhancements over the various existing grant management and payment processing solutions used by MDE. A few highlights include communication between MDE and subgrantees within MEGS, with notifications sent to entered email address(es); an easily-viewed record of all versions of applications and budgets submitted; improved payments and reconciliation process; and more!
Project Background
MDE has contracted with the vendor MTW Solutions to replace SERVS Financial, our grant management and payment processing system, with an improved, modernized system. The new system will be called Minnesota Education Grants System (MEGS). MEGS will support overall grant business needs while being flexible, reliable, and easy to use and support. SERVS continues to function as-is until active grant programs are closed. Grant programs moving in Phase I of this project: Title I-A, Title I-D, Title II-A, Title III-A, Title IV-A, IDEA, McKinney Vento Homeless (FIN 868), ARP ESSER III (FIN160, FIN161, FIN169), ARP Homeless (FIN 159), and Library Support Programs. MDE will continue to use SERVS for grant programs not included in Phase I.
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.
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.
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