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May 23, 2025
The next Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Special Education Directors' Forum is scheduled for June 6, 2025, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
This Forum will be held in a hybrid format, allowing you to attend in person or virtually.
Please complete the registration form to let us know how you plan to attend.
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Virtual attendees: You will receive the Zoom link upon registration. Please note you may be unable to log in until a few minutes before the start time.
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In-person attendees: Parking information will be sent to you after registration.
Important Notes for the Forum:
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Questions: For virtual attendees, please use the Q&A function in Zoom. In-person attendees can submit questions to staff. All questions will be gathered and responded to after the Forum at mde.special-ed@state.mn.us.
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Accessibility: Live transcription will be available via Zoom (Closed Caption button). If you need ASL interpretation (available virtually and in person), please contact the Special Education Division at mde.special-ed@state.mn.us.
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Recording: The Forum will be recorded, and a captioned version will be available for later viewing.
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CEUs: Four Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available.
If you need to change your attendance selection before June 6, please contact the Special Education Division at mde.special-ed@state.mn.us.
We are excited to share new trainings and resources to support special education providers!
Training Drawer: Preschool and School Age Compliance Topics (ages 3-22)
The More You Know: IEP Team Members and Excusal and Fast Facts: IEP Team Members: This brief recorded presentation illustrates and broadly describes the different IEP Team members and excusal of team members from an IEP meeting, along with a resource defining each IEP team member and their role. These resources are intended for district staff, parents and community members to learn more about IEP teams and membership roles and responsibilities.
District Representative: This resource addresses frequently asked questions regarding required qualifications and best practice considerations related to the role of the district representative on the IEP Team.
Training Drawer: Special Education Paperwork under Disproportionality Policy and Procedure Review
Disproportionate Representation versus Significant Disproportionality recording and Disproportionate Representation versus Significant Disproportionality presentation slides clarify the distinction between the Coordinated Early Intervention Systems (CEIS) program addressing significant disproportionality, and disproportionate representation from Indicators 4, 9 and 10.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Division of Special Education is continuing the webinar series to help support educators in the implementation of proactive and positive evidence-based strategies and resources, to highlight local examples of work done to align systems of support across needs of diverse learners, and to provide information on specific disabilities that include voices of individuals and families within the community alongside educators and community organizations.
The Vital Role of Indian Home School Liaisons (IHSL) in Special Education
Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 3-4 p.m. with presenters Dan Torrez, Division of Special Education, MDE; Jill Bemis, Special Education School Finance, MDE
Register on Zoom for The Vital Role of Indian Home School Liaisons (IHSL) in Special Education
Join us for an informative webinar hosted by MDE that explores the essential responsibilities and impact of Cultural Liaisons in special education. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Cultural Liaison roles, funding guidelines, and best practices for supporting culturally responsive evaluations, individualized education program (IEP) development, and parent engagement.
You’ll learn how Cultural Liaisons bridge communication between schools and families, ensure cultural and linguistic differences are considered in educational decisions, and contribute to equitable outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds, especially American Indian communities.
Topics include:
- State definitions and requirements for Cultural Liaisons
- Key responsibilities across the special education process
- Funding and personnel coding
- Communication strategies with families and service agencies
- Data on statewide implementation and trends
- This webinar is ideal for educators, administrators, special education staff, and community partners seeking to build inclusive practices through cultural competence.
2025 Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Technical Assistance Webinars
MDE will host a series of technical assistance webinars for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that used and/or indicated use of CEIS under either Voluntary CEIS (FIN 425) or Mandatory CEIS (FIN 429). Access the MDE CEIS webpage for more information.
Next Webinar
Previous Webinars: The recordings of these webinars will be posted to the CEIS webpage once they have been remediated for accessibility.
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CEIS Webinar 1: Fiscal and Program Requirements. Topics included CEIS/Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) state and LEA requirements, applicability to charter schools, education cooperatives and traditional LEAs. View the captioned recording of CEIS Webinar 1.
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CEIS Webinar 2: Minnesota Methodology and CEIS Data. Topics included CEIS computations, formulas, and data used to identify LEAs for significant disproportionality.
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CEIS Webinar 3: Minnesota's Reasonable Progress Standard (for Year 3 sites). Topics include understanding Minnesota's standard for LEAs that meet the state threshold for significant disproportionality but are making reasonable progress and understanding the criteria for meeting scaling up the use of an evidence-based practice to qualify for reasonable progress.
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CEIS Webinar 4: CEIS Program and Public Reporting Requirements. Topics include CEIS reporting requirements in the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) for charter schools, education cooperatives and traditional districts. The webinar will also provide guidance for how LEAs should publicly report on the revision of those policies and practices that led to the significant disproportionality under 20 USC § 1418(d)(2)(c).
Helpful Past Webinars for Review
In addition to the current webinar offerings, MDE has an accessible database of previous webinars that may be helpful for general educators to review during the current school year. All recordings are closed captioned with links to accessible slide shows and other materials. Access webinar recordings from MDE Special Education webpage.
Students, parents and teachers are invited to share their stories
MDE is engaging in conversations with students, families, and education partners to gauge the impact of federal actions on Minnesota school communities. We invite you to visit the new public feedback portal on the homepage of our website to share your story about the impacts you are seeing and experiencing.
As a reminder, Commissioner Jett's previous communications to Minnesota families and educators are available on the MDE News Release website for easy access and sharing. Thank you for your continued dedication to serving our students, educators, schools, and libraries.
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