|
September 28, 2026
Join us in two weeks 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, October 9, 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. If you have any questions, please email the Division of Special Education (mde.special-ed@state.mn.us).
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
- Agency and Legislative Updates
- Special Education Funding Update
- Print Disability, National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC), and Local Educational Agency (LEA) Responsibilities
- Dispute Resolution Programs: Data and Trends
- Special Education and COMPASS Collaboration Update
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 may bring your own lunch, visit a nearby restaurant, 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.
-
Special Education Funding Q&A: Paul Ferrin, Special Education Funding and Data Supervisor, will be available to answer any and all questions related to special education funding, reporting, and data.
-
Exiting Special Education: This training will cover the four ways in which students can exit: 1) evaluation, 2) revocation of consent, 3) graduation with a regular diploma, and 4) aging out. This presentation will discuss the recent clarification that students remain eligible for FAPE through age 22, even if they “graduate” with an identical diploma.
-
Due Process Support: This will be a panel discussion with Janet Fimmen (RAVE), Billie Jo Steen (Northern Lights), Tanya Tacker (Rum River), and Erin Lavery (Indigo). We are asking directors to share with their peers some of the things they do in their district(s) to facilitate due process compliance and ease the paperwork burden for teachers. Each director will share some things they have done and then answer questions from the audience.
-
Dispute Resolution Panel: Special Education State Complaints: Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Special Education State Complaints: Data, Trends, Reminders, and Discussion.
-
Special Education and Cultural Liaisons: Partnering for Student Success: This session explores how districts can strengthen special education programming by intentionally integrating cultural liaisons. Participants will examine the roles of cultural liaisons within culturally responsive school environments, including alignment with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Check & Connect, Alternative Delivery of Specialized Instructional Services (ADSIS), Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS), and overall Special Education Due Process.
-
Program Monitoring: SharePoint Support: This will be a drop-in session for directors to meet with MDE staff to help directors access or navigate the Program Monitoring SharePoint site.
Minnesota is engaged in a multiphase plan to assess and improve its Children’s Mental Health System of Care. State leaders have been working with many partners to identify what is working, where gaps exist, and what should be prioritized to make mental health care easier for children and families to navigate. If you haven’t offered feedback yet on the mental health system of care for youth, now is your chance.
A new Children’s Mental Health System of Care EngagementHQ webpage is now available with information about this ongoing work, updates, and opportunities to provide feedback, including a survey that closes on October 1.
Since September 2025, the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and the Behavioral Health Administration have been partnering with state agencies, local governments, providers, community organizations, families and people with lived experience to help shape this work. As part of this initiative, Minnesota has been hosting a variety of listening sessions with these partners, and plans to publish an initial report focusing on barriers and gaps later this fall. But first, state leaders want to ensure they’re capturing all voices.
Take the survey by October 1
Anyone with experience with Minnesota’s children’s mental health system of care is invited to share their perspective. Families, providers, educators, Tribal leaders, advocates, and other partners are encouraged to participate.
The Children’s Mental Health System of Care survey is anonymous and asks about experiences with Minnesota’s current system of care, including strengths, challenges, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. You must be 18 or older to take the survey.
Stay connected
Want to receive the latest news and updates about this project? Subscribe to the new Children’s Mental Health System of Care mailing list to learn about upcoming engagement opportunities and other key updates, like when reports are published.
Your feedback will help inform the statewide plan and shape priorities for building a more coordinated, equitable, culturally responsive, and easier-to-navigate system of care for children, youth, and families.
School staff can register students with disabilities for online career classes that cover the following Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS):
- Job Exploration
- Work-Based Learning Experiences
- Postsecondary Education Exploration
- Workplace Readiness Skills
- Self-Advocacy
To get more information:
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
This training is recommended for anyone beginning a leadership role or seeking a clearer understanding of the Minnesota Department of Education's (MDE’s) processes and expectations.
Register for the training. You will receive the Zoom meeting link after you register. If you have any questions, please email the Division of Special Education (mde.special-ed@state.mn.us).
The Special Education New Leaders Training provides foundational knowledge and practical guidance for educators stepping into special education leadership roles across Minnesota. Designed by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Division of Special Education, this course introduces participants to essential state processes, data systems, and compliance expectations that support effective program administration.
Through a series of targeted presentations, participants will learn key components of MDE workflows and receive actionable tips for navigating critical responsibilities, including:
- Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) Special Education reporting
- Overview of Fiscal Monitoring requirements
- Overview of Program monitoring systems and platform (SharePoint)
- Understanding timelines, communication channels, and support resources within MDE
This training aims to equip new leaders with the knowledge and confidence needed to manage special education programs effectively, uphold compliance, and support positive outcomes for students with disabilities.
Schedule of sessions:
- 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction to the Division of Special Education
- 9:30 a.m. MARSS Reporting for Special Education
- 10:30 a.m. Fiscal Monitoring Process Overview
- 11:30 a.m. Program Monitoring Overview
- 12:30 p.m. Lunch Break
- 1:00 p.m. Program Monitoring Workflows
- 2:00 p.m. SharePoint Collaboration Sites
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that submitted CEIS Applications on July 1, 2025, will be required to report to these students in the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) with a Special Education Evaluation Status (SEES) 8 by October 8, 2026.
Student Reporting Requirements
LEAs under Mandatory CEIS (FIN 429) and Voluntary utilizing CEIS (FIN 425) funds on students without disabilities, those without individualized education programs (IEPs), in the 2025-26 school year will be expected to report these students in the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) with a Special Education Evaluation Status (SEES) 8 by October 8, 2026, through the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) MARSS webpage.
LEAs under FIN 429 Mandatory CEIS who choose to utilize CEIS funds on students with disabilities/IEPs in the 2025-26 school year will be expected to separately report these students using the MDE CEIS IEP Student Data Tracker in the Minnesota Education Grant System (MEGS) system through the MDE MEGS webpage. The deadline for reporting students in MEGS is October 8, 2026.
Public Reporting Requirements
LEAs identified as being in Mandatory CEIS in spring 2026 are required to publicly report on the revision of policies, practices, and procedures if the change in policies is a result of significant disproportionality in identification, placement in restrictive settings, and/or discipline, including suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities. Public reporting may include, but is not limited to, presenting information at a local school board meeting or other public forum, disseminating information to the public via mail, and/or posting updated documents or narratives on the district website. The public reporting deadline for LEAs identified in spring 2026 is July 1, 2027. LEAs who have completed their public reporting requirements should submit a copy of the presentation or minutes from the school board meeting and/or appropriate public forum. These documents should be submitted via email to MDE.CEIS@state.mn.us by July 1, 2027.
- Emotional or Behavioral Disorders (EBD)
- Other Health Disabilities (OHD)
- Speech or Language Impairments (SLI)
- Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
High Incidence Disabilities Office Hours provide a dedicated space to share updates, resources, and high-leverage practices related to high-incidence and often co-occurring disabilities (EBD, OHD, SLI, SLD). Each session highlights current research, upcoming training opportunities, helpful online and print resources, team-based problem-solving, and strategies to strengthen specialized instruction in both behavior and academics.
These sessions are interactive, with opportunities for group discussion, questions, and shared concerns.
Registration Information
Sessions are recorded and posted for later viewing. CEUs will be available.
October 8, 2026, 11 a.m.-noon: Register for Beyond the Checklist: Turning IEPS into Shared Commitments
This session will focus on how parents and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams work together to distinguish between student wants and documented educational needs when developing an IEP. Participants will explore how to interpret and synthesize multiple sources of evaluation and progress monitoring data to identify meaningful patterns rather than focusing on isolated data points—learning to "see the forest for the trees."
If you have any questions, please email the Division of Special Education (mde.special-ed@state.mn.us).
Educators are invited to attend the Co-teaching Community of Practice (CoP). These virtual sessions provide a space to connect with colleagues across the state, share challenges and strategies, and engage in collaborative problem-solving focused on co-teaching practices. By joining this CoP, you will increase your ability to use practical, innovative, and research-based strategies to improve co-teaching practices.
These CoP sessions are spaces MDE facilitates by providing some framing for each session, but they are flexible based on attendees’ needs at the time. Attendees are encouraged to bring their co-teaching questions, issues, and barriers, as well as examples of co-teaching practices that are working well.
K-12 classroom educators are the target audience, but other school employees in various roles are welcome.
Registration
After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the meeting.
Contact
Holly Andersen (Holly.Andersen@state.mn.us)
Billy Brooks (billy.brooks@state.mn.us)
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has established a grant program to support the remediation of identified sources of lead in drinking water in schools and licensed child care settings. This funding is intended to help reduce lead exposure and improve the safety of drinking water for children.
Eligible Applicants: Schools and Licensed Child Care Settings
Rolling Submission Window:
Submit applications by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on the last day of each month. Submissions received after the monthly deadline will be reviewed and scored during the following month’s cycle.
Learn more at Lead Remediation in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Settings.
|
