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Unlike last year, the listening sessions will not be limited to the Annual Performance Report. Instead, the February sessions will focus on all things related to education in the most integrated setting. We are interested in your stories and experiences about instructional settings and getting students into settings that will support students to thrive. How has your district, school, or staff supported your child to receive their instruction in a setting that helps students flourish and grow? What is working well for your child or student? What do you wish was working better? How can MDE support districts, schools, students, and families to ensure that students are in the most appropriate instructional setting?

​If you are interested in attending one of the sessions listed above, please select the link. You will be taken to a form to register for the community listening session

​​The Division would appreciate your help recruiting families for the listening sessions. Below is an email invitation you can send to families of your special education students. You can also support MDE by forwarding the invite as a handout or copying its contents into an email to share with families of students with disabilities in your district.

Thank you for your attention and continued unwavering support of students with disabilities in Minnesota. If you have any questions about the community listening sessions, please do not hesitate to contact Kirsten Rewey (kirsten.rewey@state.mn.us or 651-582-8638), Data Reporting and Evaluation Manager.

Each year, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Division of Special Education hosts listening sessions to get feedback from community members about the education of special education students in our state. The last round of 2025-26 community listening sessions will be held on May 21, June 2, and 3. The sessions will be virtual and will be held between 10 am and 3 pm, and you can see the schedule below.  

Unlike last year, the listening sessions will not be limited to the Annual Performance Report. Instead, the sessions will focus on all things related to education in the most integrated setting. We are interested in your stories and experiences about instructional settings and getting students into settings that will support students to thrive. How has your district, school, or staff supported your child to receive their instruction in a setting that helps students flourish and grow? What is working well for your child or student? What do you wish was working better? How can MDE support districts, schools, students, and families to ensure that students are in the most appropriate instructional setting?