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This communication contains required action items, upcoming deadlines, and reporting updates from the Office of School Approval and Opportunity. Each section includes links to relevant resources, guidance, and contact information.
Office of School Approval & Opportunity Webpage
2025–2026 Due Date Calendar
Rolling Deadline: Applications must be received at least 15 days before your program start date.
STARS is now open for submissions of state-funded summer school programs for students in grades K–12. Only programs that meet administrative rule provisions and receive NDDPI approval before the program start date are eligible for state aid payments.
Not holding a summer school program? Do not submit an application or MIS03.
Step 1: Submit Your Application
Two reports are required and must be submitted at the same time:
- Summer School Application
- Summer School Licensed Personnel Report (MIS03)
NDDPI will send a confirmation letter to the district once your program is approved.
Resources:
Step 2: Once Summer School Opens-Enrollment & Tracking
Once your program is approved and underway, complete the following:
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All public and nonpublic schools planning structural changes must receive NDDPI approval BEFORE implementation. Approval is required for any of the following:
- Opening a new school
- Closing a school
- Reconfiguring grade levels
- Changing a school name
- Consolidating with another school or district
School board approval is required before submitting to NDDPI. Signed school board minutes documenting approval of the proposed change must be attached in the online application.
Submit the correct form for your situation—forms are available at the link below:
- Public School Initial Approval Form – New School Opening
- Nonpublic School Initial Approval Form – New School Opening
- Public/Nonpublic School Change Request – Grade Reconfiguration or Name Change
- Public School Consolidation or Closure
Operating without prior NDDPI approval may result in compliance issues and delays. Submit forms by April 1 to allow for sufficient review time.
Resources: School Approval & Opportunity Website
Questions? Contact Angie Thomas.
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Cognia's enhanced platform brings improvement planning, surveys, evaluations, and reporting into one unified, intuitive experience. North Dakota went live the week of March 16—check your inbox for a welcome email with login instructions. Updated Quick Start and User Guides are available on the NDDPI partnership page (select Continuous Improvement Resources in the top right corner).
Know Which Platform to Use
This is important—two platforms are running simultaneously during the transition.
Stay in myJourney for:
- Schoolwide Title reporting (Spring 2026)
- Accreditation Engagement Reviews (AERs) for 2025-2026
- Diagnostic Reviews for 2025-2026
- eleot 2.0 (until eleot 3.0 becomes operational)
Move to the new Cognia Improvement Platform for:
- 2025-2026 Annual Plans (Strategic Thinking & Planning —due Sept. 1, 2026
- Accreditation and Diagnostic Reviews for 2026-2027 and beyond
Get Trained—Seats Are Limited
In-person training sessions are available across the state. CLICK HERE to register for one of the upcoming events:
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Date
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City
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Location
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April 14
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Bismarck
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State Capitol, Brynhild Haugland Room – 600 E Boulevard Ave
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April 15
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Dickinson
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Roosevelt Grand Dakota Hotel – 532 15th St W
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April 16
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Williston
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Hampton Inn – 1515 14th St W
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April 17
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Minot
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Sleep Inn and Suites – 2400 10th St SW
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April 21
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Fargo/West Fargo
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Avalon Events Center 2525 9th Ave S, Fargo, ND 58103
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April 22
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Grand Forks
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Alerus Center – 1200 S 42nd St
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Can't make it in person? Live virtual trainings, Office Hours, recorded micro-trainings, and Quick Start Guides are also available. Look out for more information on these trainings on the NDDPI/Cognia Partnership page.
Technical Support
Cognia's Client Care Center is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
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Email: Client Care Center (via Cognia portal)
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Phone: (888) 413-3669
The Office of School Approval and Opportunity is shifting the annual Strategy Map due date from June 1 to Sept. 1, effective this year and going forward. The change aligns with the rollout of the new Cognia Improvement Platform and other NDDPI reporting timelines, and gives districts and schools more time to finalize plans using current data and staffing.
Plans can still be completed earlier if that works better for local planning. Schools are welcome to develop Strategy Maps in the spring as they always have—however, all new 2026-2027 plans must be built or copied into the new Cognia Improvement Platform. This is a required change, so please plan accordingly.
Resources: Continuous School Improvement-Strategy Map Webpage
Questions? Contact Arlene Wolf.
As the school year comes to a close, districts are preparing to submit end-of-year data that directly impacts accountability determinations. To support districts in this important process, NDDPI is hosting a series of informational webinars focused on reviewing data prior to submission to help ensure accuracy and completeness.
Each session will cover the same content, so participants will only need to attend one.
Webinar Dates (2-3 p.m. Central Time):
- March 18
- March 25
- April 1
- April 8
During these sessions, NDDPI staff will walk through the data review process, highlight common issues, and provide guidance to help districts confidently finalize submissions.
Microsoft teams invitations will be sent prior to the selected meeting date.
For questions, please contact Angie Thomas.
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Before submitting your spring calendar, complete the following steps:
- Verify that what was entered in the fall calendar is accurate. Add or delete exception days as needed (e.g., storm days, late starts, early dismissals).
- Public schools must complete the Student Performance Strategist section, which is submitted simultaneously with the calendar.
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The spring calendar directly impacts your ADM calculation and must be submitted before the Enrollment Report. Review the Pupil Membership Summary Detail Report to verify that students enrolled for the year show 1.0 ADM.
- Validate and submit — you should see both your fall and spring submission dates confirmed.
Resources: Spring Calendar Submission Guide
Questions? Contact Katie Wald.
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Waiver extensions for high school unit instructional time and for schools operating on a 4-day school week are due July 1, 2026.
Resources: Waiver Submission & Information
Federal Meal Reimbursement Notice — 4-Day School Week Schools
Under both the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), reimbursable meals may only be claimed on days when school is officially in session. For schools on a four-day week, the non-operating fifth day is not a regular school day—meals served on that day are not eligible for NSLP or SBP reimbursement. Districts must plan accordingly to ensure full compliance with federal program requirements.
Questions? Contact Rhonda Amundson, NDDPI School Nutrition Programs Manager.
The Teacher Effectiveness report opens in STARS on April 15 and closes June 30. Minor updates have been made to the report this year to improve accuracy and better align with the ND State ESSA plan. Nothing major has changed, but all districts should review the updated guidance and resources before submitting.
Resources:
Questions? Contact Arlene Wolf.
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Mark your calendars! The annual Back-to-School Drilldown is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, at the Bismarck Radisson Hotel. Please note the change in location this year and plan accordingly. Watch the NDDPI Messenger for upcoming registration information and additional details.
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