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July 3, 2025
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Division of Special Education in collaboration with other program and finance divisions have developed the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Personnel Support Qualification Requirements for Paraprofessionals Serving in Special Education Programs document to address questions raised by employees and school districts regarding the state personnel requirements for paraprofessionals serving in special education programs.
This guidance may be updated as additional questions arise. Currently, this guidance only applies to paraprofessionals who are not working in a Title I, Part A Schoolwide Program or programs with other minimum requirements. View the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title Program Paraprofessionals webpage for questions about paraprofessionals working in ESEA Title programs.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Division of Special Education is actively partnering with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to support school districts and charter schools in accessing available Medicaid payments for mental health services in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) through the new Mental Health Services in Special Education option. For the vast majority of school districts and charter schools, this will be an expansion of their current program to access Medicaid payments. Special Education and DHS have provided information and technical assistance for this effort at the School Mental Health Services website. Recently, Healthy Students, Promising Futures published a guide to help schools implement their Medicaid expansion, Partnering for Success: School District Strategies for Improving and Expanding School Medicaid. For more information and assistance with initial implementation or expansion of your Medicaid program, contact Tom Delaney (thomas.delaney@state.mn.us), Supervisor, Interagency Partnerships.
Below are the planned dates for our Special Education Directors' Forums for the coming school year. Agendas and registration information will be sent out in advance of each date.
- August 15, 2025
- October 10, 2025
- December 12, 2025
- February 13, 2026
- April 17, 2026 – Prerecorded
- June 5, 2026
All schools providing Individualized Education Program (IEP) services must submit the IEP Services Annual Data Report Form (DHS-5052) online form for the 2023-24 school year to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) by July 5, 2025. You must submit the report if you performed any of the following during the 2023-24 school year:
- Processed service billing, received payments, and reported all necessary cost data using the Special Education Data Reporting Application (SEDRA) administered by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).
- Documented and forwarded a detailed count of Medical Assistance (MA) service hours and interactions to DHS using the IEP Services Annual Data Report Form (DHS-5052) for the following services:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology and audiology
- Mental health services
- Nursing services
- Personal care assistance services
- Interpreter services
- Provided DHS with a comprehensive report detailing the total number of special transportation trips and the count of MA-eligible children who utilized special transportation services during the 2023-24 school year through the submission of the IEP Services Annual Data Report Form (DHS-5052).
Failure to submit the required cost data for the provided IEP services, along with received payments, by July 5, 2025, will result in the final rate for the respective service being assessed at $0.00.
For questions about the required documentation, email the DHS Rates IEP Team (dhs_rates_iep@state.mn.us).
For questions about SEDRA, email the Special Education Funding and Data Team of MDE (mde.spedfunding@state.mn.us).
Annual Physical Holding and Quarter Four seclusion reporting is now due in Stepwell MN. Please complete your reporting as soon as possible, but no later than July 15, 2025. If you encounter any issues or have questions regarding restrictive procedures reporting, please reach out directly to Ellen Seibert (ellen.seibert@state.mn.us) for assistance.
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