We hope you all enjoy a restful and well‑deserved Spring Break. As we move into the final stretch of the school year, we want to share a quick update about our communication schedule: DPF Updates will now be sent once per month for the remainder of the school year. This shift is designed to streamline information, reduce inbox volume, and ensure each update is meaningful and easy to navigate. 

With gratitude, 

💌 Your Special Education DPF Team

🟪 We Want Your Input: 2026–27 PD Planning Survey

Your voice matters. As the Special Education & Student Support Services Department begins planning professional development for the 2026–27 school year, we are asking for your input to help shape priorities and offerings.

📝 Take the Survey

👉 Click this link here for the Spring 2026 Special Education & Student Support Services PD Planning Survey

💡 Why This Matters

Your feedback will directly inform:

• The PD scope and sequence for 2026–27

• Areas of need, interest, and support across roles and settings

• How we design relevant, practical, and impactful learning opportunities

🔒 Optional & Anonymous

• You may complete the survey anonymously

• Or choose to share your contact information at the end if you’re open to follow-up

Thank you for helping shape the future of professional learning in our department!

🟦 RethinkEd Pilot Update: Expanded Access Now Available

We’ve heard your feedback—and in response, RethinkEd has expanded access within the pilot so you can explore more of the platform’s classroom and student management features.

🔍 What’s New?

A sample teacher account is now available with:

• 🧑‍🏫 2 classrooms

• 👩‍🎓 10 sample students across grade levels

This allows you to safely explore features without impacting real data.

🛠️ What You Can Try

✅ Assign lessons and activities

✅ Explore behavior & incident tracking tools

✅ Navigate the Student Center

✅ Experience the platform from a student view

🔐 Login Information

Username: teachermps@rethinked.com
Password: Welcome123

🎥 Quick Walkthrough

Watch how it works here:
👉 https://www.loom.com/share/78ceff3f303b4bd3980f7fb5490be382

💡 Why This Matters

This expanded access helps you more fully explore how RethinkEd can support:

• Instruction

• Student data use

• Classroom management

🟩 ALEKS & Achieve3000: Asynchronous Training Available

Special education high school teachers using ALEKS and Achieve3000 now have access to on-demand training sessions to support implementation, engagement, and instructional decision-making.

🧮 ALEKS Training Module

A full asynchronous session is available to support effective use of ALEKS in SPED settings. 

🎥 Access Recording

👉 Please click here to access the asynchronous recording 

🔐 Access Details
Passcode: ALEKs123!

📚 What’s Covered

• 🎯 Monitoring student progress toward program goals

• 🧩 Strategies for engagement & accountability (4 Square Model)

• 📊 Using Pie Reports & Student Data to guide instruction

⏱️ Session Breakdown

• Intro & Outcomes: 0:00–2:43

• Student Progress & Goals: 2:43–27:00

• Engagement Strategies (4 Square): 27:00–42:35

• Using Data for Instruction: 42:35–End

➕ Additional Resources

• ALEKS Educator Community (linked in training)

• Launch with ALEKS Padlet (Password: ALEKSPadlet24-25)

• 4 Square Model Planning Tool (attached resource)

📖 Achieve3000 Training Module

🎥 Access Recording
👉 https://mcgrawhill.zoom.us/rec/share/mmnSISyCr7rZ57Xy1kei3WOE2rG1s8kWbIAHYiCFggSgHcQPLRtLMxaTHCJ6BKw.KpwCBb_B4FDfds9U?startTime=1772751313000

🔐 Passcode: $9m!bkQ1

This session provides guidance on using Achieve3000 to support literacy development and differentiated instruction for students receiving special education services.

💡 Why This Matters

These trainings are designed to help you:

• Strengthen instructional alignment

• Increase student engagement

• Use data to drive decision-making

‼️Reminder: Quarter 3 Progress Reports Due – March 27th

As we approach the progress report deadline, please review the following guidance for IEP progress reports.

Key Points for IEP Progress Reports

• Frequency: Progress reports must be provided at least as often as general education report cards, though they may not always align with report card schedules.

• Timing: Reports should reflect meaningful data—issued only if there are at least 30 calendar days (or 20 school days) of data available.

• Four Reports Per Year: This refers to four written progress reports per IEP year, starting 30 days after IEP services begin.

Thank you for your attention to this important process. By issuing meaningful, data-driven reports, we ensure parents receive valuable updates on their child's progress toward meeting individualized goals.

Need a tutorial? Click below for a demonstration on how to enter a progress report in EdPlan. You can also click here if you'd like to learn how to do batch progress reports. 

📌 Reminder for Teams: Update PWNs When Students Return In‑Person

If a student transitions from online learning back to in‑person instruction before April 6, and their most recent Prior Written Notice (PWN) indicates an online placement through that date, please ensure your team completes a new PWN reflecting the updated return date and placement change.

Thank you for helping us keep documentation accurate and up to date as students shift learning environments.

🌞 Extended School Year (ESY) Updates

We are excited to share that we are now hiring for Extended School Year (ESY) positions. If you’re interested in joining our ESY team this summer, we encourage you to apply by clicking here. 

The resources below are designed to support your planning and implementation throughout the ESY season.

📚 Helpful ESY Resources

• ​​ESY Webpage​​

• How to ESY Plan

• How to ESY Implementation Plan

• Summer Scholars

If you have any questions or need any support please reach out to Taherah Shamsulbahri-Cobb or James Menke.

🌐 Accessibility Awareness: Required Digital Accessibility Training

As part of a commitment to creating inclusive, barrier‑free digital experiences, all staff who create, post, upload, or share digital materials are now required to complete the 30‑minute Intro to Digital Accessibility course in SuccessFactors. You may have already received an email prompting you to begin this training.

🏛 Why This Training Is Essential

A recent update from the U.S. Department of Justice provides a clear definition of what it means for digital content to be accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As a public school district, we are legally required to ensure that all digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities by April 24, 2026.

Digital materials include any resource that may be viewed by students, staff, families, or community members—such as instructional materials, slideshows, PDFs, website content, SOPs, and any other digitally shared documents.

🔄 DPF Alignment and Upcoming Changes

DPFs are currently learning alongside staff about digital accessibility expectations, and future DPF updates may include some changes to reflect this new learning. This ensures that accessibility is not just an individual responsibility but a shared, embedded practice across the district.

💡 Supporting Individuals With Disabilities Through Accessible Design

Accessible content is more than a compliance requirement—it’s a meaningful way to support individuals with disabilities and ensure equitable access to information. Thoughtful digital design helps:

• People who use screen readers or assistive technology

• Individuals who rely on captions, transcripts, or alt text

• Users who benefit from clear structure, predictable navigation, and readable formatting

• Community members accessing content on different devices or with varying abilities

A few simple habits can make a big difference:

• Add alt text to images

• Use headings to organize content

• Ensure high color contrast

• Avoid text embedded in images

• Provide captions or transcripts for videos

• Share documents in formats compatible with assistive tools

🙏 Thank You

Thank you for your commitment to building accessible digital spaces and ensuring that every member of our community can fully engage with the content we create.

Frequently Used Sped Tools & Resources in One Place

💻 EdPlan Video Tutorials

📊 WJ-V One-Stop Shop Link

🔧 A Helpful Tool: The MPS Evaluation Planning Guide Link

📘 Curriculum Guidance Links

🧾 Sped Consumables Request Form (PIC)

🛠️ EdPlan Request Help Form

📁Due Process Notebook

Updated 30 day Calendar