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May 15, 2026
Join us next week for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Special Education Directors' Forum, a full-day event filled with essential learning, updates, and community gathering.
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Registration is required to confirm your attendance and preferred format. Please complete the registration form to let us know how you plan to attend and to register for the afternoon breakout sessions.
Morning Forum Webinar (Hybrid)
9:30-11:30 a.m.
This session will be held in a hybrid format, allowing you to participate either in-person or virtually via webinar. We will cover key updates and presentations relevant to all directors.
- Division of Special Education Updates
- Greeting and Updates from Commissioner Willie Jett
- Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) Update
- Agency and Legislative Updates
- Special Education Funding Update
- Early Childhood Special Education Update
- Summary of Special Education Workforce and Licensure Updates
- Special Education Due Process Updates
Lunch Break
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Following the morning session, there will be a one-hour lunch break for those attending the in-person afternoon sessions. You are welcome to bring your own lunch, visit one of the nearby restaurants, or purchase food from the Food Truck parked in the MDE parking lot.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions (In-Person Only)
12:30-3:30 p.m.
Following the morning session and break, we will offer in-person breakout sessions for deeper engagement, interaction, and specialized learning.
Assessment Café: Rethinking assessments for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) eligibility and program planning
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This session provides participants with the opportunity to explore achievement measures that could replace large batteries and IQ tests with more diagnostically precise measures. Come explore the technical manuals, protocols, and related materials, and determine for yourself which tools will give your team greater precision in program planning and eligibility determination.
Integrated Supports for Resilient Youth (ISRY) in the context of students experiencing Homelessness/Foster Care/Neglected or Delinquent placements and Migratory students
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This session will focus on the basics of services for youth and children experiencing Homelessness, placed in Foster Care or Neglected and Delinquent facilities, and Migratory students. Program specialists from MDE will present information about identification, requirements, and services to support this student population.
Drop-in Session hosted by the Program Monitoring Unit
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The purpose of this session is to assist individuals with our new SharePoint site. Program Monitors will be on hand to provide guidance on navigating the site, gaining access, and locating different resources. We will also be on hand to help individuals figure out what activities they still have to complete and how to complete them.
Updated District Determination Process
Minnesota’s Statewide Children’s Mental Health Plan and System of Care Initiative
- MDE is working with other state agencies to develop and implement a statewide plan for children's mental health services and supports that uses the "system of care" model. As part of this effort, MDE is seeking input from special education directors to help design a system of care that optimizes partnerships between school districts, counties, and other mental health providers in local communities. The system of care approach will be reviewed, including its connection to PBIS and comprehensive school mental health systems, and directors will have the opportunity to provide input for the plan.
Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA) Overview and the upcoming MnKFA Pilot
- Join the Division of Early Education for (1) an overview of the Minnesota Kindergarten Fall Assessment (MnKFA) Overview and the upcoming MnKFA Pilot this fall, and (2) opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback.
This is a reminder to please share the information from last week’s email about the upcoming May/June Special Education Community Listening Sessions by forwarding the registration links and the template email to families of students with disabilities so they can participate and share their experiences. These virtual sessions will be held on May 21, June 2, and June 3.
This session’s theme focuses on education in the most integrated setting. We are seeking family perspectives on instructional settings, what is working well, what could work better, and how MDE can better support districts, schools, and students.
Thank you for your continued partnership in elevating family voices across Minnesota.
MDE will host a series of technical assistance webinars for local educational agencies (LEAs) that utilize and/or indicated use of CEIS under either Voluntary CEIS (FIN 425) or Mandatory CEIS (FIN 429).
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Recording will be available soon for CEIS Webinar 1: Fiscal and Program Requirements. Topics include CEIS/Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) state and LEA requirements, and their applicability to charter schools, education cooperatives, and traditional LEAs. Download the webinar PowerPoint for CEIS Webinar 1.
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Recording will be available soon for CEIS Webinar 2: Minnesota Methodology and CEIS Data. Topics include CEIS computations, formulas, and data used to identify LEAs for significant disproportionality.
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Friday, May 29, 2026, 10-11 a.m. 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 the scaling up of the use of an evidence-based practice to qualify for reasonable progress. Register for CEIS Webinar 3 to receive the ZoomGov meeting link.
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Monday, June 1, 2026, 10-11 a.m. 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). Register for CEIS Webinar 4 to receive the ZoomGov meeting link.
MDE has updated our Federal Updates webpage with recent communications and resources for schools and families, including the new resource, Learning Choices for Minnesota Families, for parents and caregivers. Other languages are available on the Federal Updates webpage. Please feel free to share this resource in your school communities.
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