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BRIDGE Project FAQs
As North Dakota transitions to Infinite Campus, here are some recent questions from the field, along with answers to keep you informed.
Q: What is the scope of support Infinite Campus will provide to LEAs post-implementation?
A: After implementation, your support journey continues with a seamless transition to the Infinite Campus SIS Support Team. This team consists of highly knowledgeable experts with advanced troubleshooting skills, ready to assist you with SIS-related needs.
Each LEA will designate 2-3 Authorized Contacts who can submit support cases through the online portal or by calling the helpline.
Learn more about Infinite Campus Customer Support
Additionally, every LEA will be assigned a Client Relationship Manager (CRM)—your dedicated advocate within Infinite Campus. Your CRM will:
- Schedule user group meetings
- Provide strategic recommendations
- Help you maximize the value of Infinite Campus
- And much more!
Meet your Infinite Campus Client Relationship Manager, Scott Sinclair.
Q: Is there granular access to different registration types, specifically "new to district" (or transferred out and returning) vs annual updates of continued students?
A: Infinite Campus Online Registration does not have granular access controls for our application processing tools. A level of control that can be used through the application processing tools that have filtering capabilities that can be used to differentiate between application types.
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Engagement Review with Guided Work Sessions
Registration is now open! Cognia is presenting Preparing for the Engagement Review with Guided Work Sessions this fall. The Cognia Accreditation protocol guides a deep dive into your data, identifies strengths, and uncovers opportunities for growth. If your Engagement Review is coming up in the next couple of years, now is the time to start.
Who Should Attend:
- Priority will be given to institutions hosting in 2026–27 and 2027–28.
- Districts and schools scheduled for those years are encouraged to send a small group of members from their Continuous Improvement Leadership Teams.
- All ND educators are welcome. Space is limited.
Step 1: Accreditation Orientation (Foundational)
Join us for an Accreditation Orientation Webinar to learn about the protocol, Performance Standards, and their connection to your improvement efforts. We’ll share required documentation, logistics, and available training. Insert attached.
Step 2: Engagement Review Training with Guided Work Session
In-Person Training
- Covers current Performance Standards, protocol, and ND-specific information.
- Morning to Mid-Day: Training. Afternoon: Guided work session with your team and Cognia support.
Dates & Locations:
Optionally: Online Training for Those Unable to Attend Face-to-Face Sessions
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Asynchronous Course – Self-paced; complete all modules.
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Virtual Live Training – Two 90-minute sessions + one 60-minute session.
Register here: Accreditation Training
The Wellness Wire: News for Safe and Healthy Learning
New Law Expands Definition of Emergency Epinephrine Devices
What Changed?
North Dakota’s Senate Bill No. 2196 (2025) updated the law regarding student access to emergency allergy medication at school, effective immediately.
- Old Law: "Epinephrine auto-injector"
- New Law: "A device that contains a pre-measured dose of epinephrine to prevent or treat a life-threatening allergic reaction."
What This Means for You:
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More Devices Allowed: Students can now carry and use any medically approved pre-measured epinephrine device — not limited to just auto-injectors such as EpiPens.
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Updated School Forms & Policies: Health forms and emergency plans need to be revised to reflect this change. For all students with anaphylaxis action plans, confirm whether their prescribed epinephrine format has changed and update records accordingly.
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Staff Awareness & Training: Ensure school staff are updated and trained on a broader range of epinephrine devices.
Need Help?
Contact your school nurse or the State School Nurse Consultant, Heather Kapella, at 701-328-4814
Safety First: Meeting the Requirements for School Emergency Drills
North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 15.1-06-12 has the following requirements regarding Lockdown and Fire Drills:
The International Fire Code (IFC) Section 405.1 First emergency evacuation drill states:
- The first emergency evacuation drill of each school year shall be conducted within 10 days of the beginning of classes.
The North Dakota Office of Attorney General, Fire Marshal Division, clarifies the IFC 2015 Edition, Chapter 4 requirements for fire and evacuation drills:
- A minimum of at least four (4) dedicated fire drills must be conducted annually.
The North Dakota State Fire Marshall may be contacted at (701) 328-5555 for further clarification or questions.
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Change in Claim Submission Policy as of July 1, 2025
The claim submission process for all subgrantees was updated July 1.
- Per the 2 CFR § 200.305(b), subgrantees, including Local Education Agencies (LEAs), must minimize the time elapsing between disbursement by the subgrantee and the transfer of funds from the State. To promote timely and efficient cash management, claims should be consolidated and submitted on a whole-month basis.
For example, a claim period of Sept. 15, 2025-Oct. 14, 2025, will not be processed, however Sept. 1, 2025-Oct. 31, 2025, would be accepted. This policy ensures that each claim reflects a full month's worth of data and allows for more efficient fiscal oversight.
- The request that subgrantees attach invoices if they are claiming expenses greater than 120 days will no longer be mandatory but may still be requested at ND DPI’s discretion. Subgrantees will need to provide a justification why the expenses are greater than 120 days. Filing claims with expenditures older than 120 days could place a district in the high-risk category resulting in increased monitoring.
These updates are intended to improve consistency and accuracy in reimbursement processing and address overall processing time.
We appreciate your cooperation as we implement this updated procedure.
 Understanding the difference between accreditation and school approval is important for school leaders as they plan for the year ahead.
Accreditation, whether through Cognia or another nationally recognized vendor, is not a requirement for school approval, nor is it mandated by any other law. There is no provision in the NDCC or the school approval process that requires accreditation.
What is required for school approval is that a school “participates in and meets the requirements of a review process designed to improve student achievement through a continuous cycle of improvement.” Schools meet this requirement by annually developing or updating their continuous improvement plan (strategy map), which serves as evidence to our office of their engagement in the review process. Cognia’s eProve Strategies platform remains the designated reporting platform for submitting the annual continuous improvement plan. This platform will also continue to be used by Schoolwide Title I schools for their Annual Reporting requirements.
To reiterate, accreditation is not required, but if a district chooses to pursue accreditation, they may use the state-provided Cognia accreditation at no cost to the district. If a district wishes to pursue accreditation and opts to use a different accreditation framework or model, all costs of that process are the district’s responsibility.
As you prepare for the upcoming reporting cycle, please keep these distinctions in mind to ensure your school remains in good standing with approval requirements while making informed decisions about pursuing accreditation. You can contact Arlene Wolf with any questions.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES |
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Upcoming Training Sessions
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Thursday, Aug. 28
Friday, Aug. 29
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS |
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North Dakota Health Content Standards Review
NDDPI will begin revising the North Dakota Health Content Standards in October 2025. To support this effort, we invite qualified educators from K-12 schools, districts, and higher education institutions to apply for the Health Standards Writing Committee. The committee will meet for four two-day sessions throughout the year to review current standards, examine research and best practices, and draft revisions. The work is expected to be completed in spring 2026.
Educators interested in serving on the committee must submit applications by Sept. 5, 2025.
In addition, all teachers are encouraged to share feedback through a statewide survey. Responses will help identify areas for revision and improvement. The survey is open until Sept. 19, 2025.
For more information, contact Davonne Eldredge at (701) 328-4525.
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS |
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College Ready English and Math Program: Helping Students Save Time and Tuition
North Dakota high schools now have the opportunity to offer the College Ready English and Math program (CREAM)—a powerful tool to help students prepare for college-level coursework while saving both time and money.
This fully online program is designed for high school students who haven’t yet met benchmark scores for English (Composition 110/120) or math (College Algebra). Through a diagnostic pretest, students are placed into customized learning modules and then complete a post-test. Those who score 70% or higher qualify for college-level courses.
The results speak for themselves:
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85% average completion rate
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Students enter with an average 47% pretest score, and finish with an average post-test score of 84%
- Saves students time and money
In addition to saving tuition, the program offers multiple benefits:
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Students may use it to fulfill high school credit requirements for graduation.
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Those who finish during first semester can enroll in dual credit courses for English 110 and/or College Algebra, helping them meet an additional Choice Ready option.
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District facilitators simply monitor progress—no lesson planning required.
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NDDPI covers platform fees, and facilitator stipends are available when work extends beyond contracted hours.
All program content aligns with North Dakota State Content Standards and requires only computer access—making it easy for schools to implement and for students to succeed.
📌 Encourage your students to take advantage of this opportunity today!
For more information, contact:
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The NDDPI Messenger is sent out on a weekly or as-needed basis. Visit our website to view previous NDDPI Messenger/Weekly Blast bulletins.
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