Director of Special Education and Pupil Services
Note: This email list will be taking two weeks off and will not be sent out since many districts are on holiday break. We will resume on Friday, January 06. If there is urgent news, we may do a special edition but will also summarize that information when we resume in January. Thank you for all you do and we wish you a restful, rejuvenating, and peaceful time with family and friends.
Timely Information
Legislative Update: Key Points from 2025 Wisconsin Act 17
2025 Wisconsin Act 17 updates regulations for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), creating a separate licensure category and revising requirements for advanced practice. These changes do not authorize school district administrators to direct or require a school nurse to perform or supervise any activity that conflicts with their licensure, the Nurse Practice Act, or their professional judgment.
Under Wis. Admin. Code N 6.03(2)(c), nurses must refuse tasks that violate statutes, rules, or professional standards. Act 17 does not change delegation rules or scope-of-practice authority under Chapter 441 — school nurses cannot be directed to act outside their legal or professional boundaries. Registered nurses, including school nurses cannot diagnose medical conditions. They may assess students and make professional nursing diagnoses, including determining when a student is temporarily unable to attend school.
New Resources
EL-TAI Professional Learning: Check These Out
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Book Study with a National Author: Every Child Can Fly! Get a unique, personal, and research-based look at high-quality inclusion practices for preschoolers with IEPs. Learn directly from author Jani Kozlowski starting January 14, 2026. Click for details and registration: "Every Child Can Fly: An Early Childhood Educator's Guide to Inclusion". All participants will receive a copy of the book.
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Missed a Professional Learning Registration from EL-TAI? Take a look at all EL-TAI second semester professional learning opportunities. See the full, running list of all EL-TAI state professional learning offerings HERE. All links are live for details and registration!
Other DPI News
Ed Leaders Dispatch, December 18, 2025
- Phishing Email Impersonating DPI
DAC Digest, December 17, 2025
Upcoming Learning Events
01/07/2026- January Special Education/Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy
02/04/2026- February Special Education/Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy
03/04/2026- March Special Education/Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy
04/08/2026- April Special Education/Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy
05/06/2026- May Special Education/Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy
04/23-25, 2026: Autism Society’s 37th Annual Conference
Recurring Events
1/22/26, 2/19/26, 3/19/26, 4/16/26: Functional Behavioral Assessment Community of Practice
Monthly, every third Wednesday, 12:30-1:15: Specific Learning Disabilities Community of Practice registration link
November 2025 - January 1, 2026: 2025 WI CEC ON Demand Conference, Synergy: The Power of Working Together
Monthly October 2025 - March 2026: Supporting Neurodiverse Students: Year Long Cohort
Second Tuesdays, 1-2pm: New School Social Worker Resource Sharing Sessions
Ongoing in-person events through January: Big Feelings, Bright Futures: Understanding, Responding, and Teaching Emotional Skills in Early Childhood, Early Learning Technical Assistance and Implementation Project
For questions about this email list, please contact Daniel Parker, daniel.parker@dpi.wi.gov. Past updates for this email list can be found on the DPI Weekly News webpage.
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