📌 Special Education Curriculum Survey Highlights

Thank you to all staff who participated in the recent curriculum feedback survey. Your input is invaluable and will directly inform our department’s planning and continuous improvement efforts. Below you will find a summary of identified curriculum gaps based on your feedback from completing the survey. Thank you!

Writing Instruction

• Strong interest in a consistent, structured writing curriculum across grade levels.

Science & Social Studies Access

• Staff at the secondary level in particular indicated a need for specialized science and social studies curriculum option

Functional & Life Skills

• Limited resources for self-help skills, functional academics, study skills, and life skills.

Instructional Supports

• Inconsistent access to tools that create visuals and visual supports for learning.

Transition Planning

• Need for structured curriculum around the areas of Transition

Social-Emotional Learning

• While liked as a program, Zones of Regulation is being used too broadly; additional frameworks may be needed.

Additional Planning Time

• Staff noted timing constraints for collaboration and planning.

How the Special Education Department Will Use These Results

Your feedback is helping us identify curriculum gaps, resource needs, access to core content, transition supports, and planning time. We will use these results to guide curriculum review, resource selection, and future professional learning.

Updates will be shared as processes move forward.

📣 Vizzle and Read 180 Curriculum Coaching Opportunities Now Available!

We are excited to offer vendor-provided coaching sessions designed to support any and all implementation needs for Read 180 and/or Vizzle. These sessions are individualized and can include:

✅ Instructional planning
✅ Troubleshooting & workflow support
✅ Using student data to drive instruction
✅ Differentiation strategies
✅ Classroom management within the program
✅ Progress monitoring guidance

Whether you’re new to Read 180 or Vizzle, or looking to deepen your practice, these coaching opportunities are a great way to get targeted support. See the links below to access. 

WJ V Testing Window Update

We recently learned that the Woodcock-Johnson V (WJ V) requires all subtests to be administered within 30 calendar days to maintain score validity and alignment with national norms. This differs from Minnesota’s 30 student-contact-day evaluation timeline, which may create challenges during planning.

What You Need to Know

• This is a new requirement from the test publisher.

• We are actively working with the vendor on this misalignment.

• Teams should schedule WJ V testing efficiently and intentionally.

Action Required

Please plan to complete all WJ V testing within 30 calendar days of beginning the assessment.

If completion is not feasible, please document the following:

In Due Process Contacts, include:

• Start date and expiration date of testing access

• Note that access closed due to a vendor lockout

Suggested language:

“The WJ V assessment could not be completed within the designated 30-day testing window due to a system-imposed lockout from the vendor. This limitation prevented continued access for scoring and reporting. The issue has been reported to administration, and the vendor is actively working on a resolution.”

In the Evaluation Report (if applicable), document:

• Completed vs. incomplete subtests

• That this was a technical/vendor limitation

• Whether missing data impacts eligibility

Suggested language:

“Administration of the WJ V was initiated on [date]; however, completion was not possible due to a vendor-imposed 30-day testing window that automatically closed access prior to scoring. This system limitation is currently under vendor review.”

We Will Keep You Updated

We appreciate your flexibility and commitment to high-quality evaluations. Please reach out with any questions as we continue working toward a resolution.

📰 MPS Policy Update for Special Education Teams

At the start of the school year, administrators were informed of a key policy change in MPS this year: special education teams are now expected to convene a Manifestation Determination (MD) meeting when a student with an IEP reaches 5 cumulative days of suspension, reduced from the previous threshold of 10 days. This shift is intended to promote earlier intervention and more proactive support for students with disabilities.

What to Prepare Before a MD Meeting:

To ensure a legally compliant and productive meeting, please gather and review the following documents in advance:

• Notice of Suspension

• The student’s current IEP

• Evaluation Report

• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

• Two years of behavioral referral data

• Notice of Team Meeting (must document that a full legal IEP team will be present and be provided to the parent)

• Ensure your Designated Program Facilitator (DPF) is aware of the meeting and invited

 What to Consider During the MD Meeting:

If the behavior is determined to be a manifestation of the student’s disability, the IEP team should thoughtfully examine:

• Effective and measurable Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) goals and services

• How SEL instruction is currently delivered and what adjustments may be needed

• The social-physical climate and operations of all classrooms the student accesses

• Proactive supports available in general education settings

What to Do After the MD Meeting:

Following the meeting, schools are encouraged to take steps that promote equity and reduce exclusionary discipline:

• Collaborate with administrators to explore alternatives to suspension and implement restorative practices

• Review the student handbook with teams to clarify how suspension decisions are made

• Re-teach and reinforce de-escalation strategies and ensure fidelity to the student’s Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

For questions or support in implementing this policy, please connect with your administrator, or reach out to your district program facilitator for further clarification.

Let’s continue working together to support our students with timely, thoughtful, and inclusive practices.

🌟Third Party Reimbursement Updates

The processes highlighted below impact the district's ability to seek reimbursement for special education student services, which impacts funding for the special education program. Please ensure you are completing the following: 

OOD Verification: When a student starts in our district, it is vital that you complete the Out of District IEP Verification Process in EdPlan.

IEP Consent: Please check the documents section in EdPlan for all of the students on your caseload and mark a response to IEPs if they have been accepted, rejected, or gone into implied consent. Take this time to also note when IEPs are going to be expiring so that you can mark your calendar or set a reminder to start the renewal process before the current IEP ends.

Interpreters: If you are utilizing interpreter services with any of your students, it is important to include interpreters as a supplemental service on the IEP. 

MA Consent Form: As a reminder, please ensure you have had all your families complete the MA consent form and it is uploaded in the student's edplan file . The form is available in EdPlan → Documents / Letters (in four languages). For convenience, you can also find the forms linked here. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email: amanda.robinson@mpls.k12.mn.us  

Resources:

• IEP OOD Verification report

• Interpreter Services-IFSP

• Amend IEP Interpreter Directions

🛡️ MPS Foundations Training: De-escalation & Personal Safety

Special Education Staff — Don’t miss this essential training!

Join us for the Foundations of De-escalation and Personal Safety Training, designed to equip you with vital skills in:

• Crisis response

• Situational awareness

• De-escalation strategies

📅 View the full MPS Foundations Training Schedule for sessions being offered throughout the school year here.

🏠 Opportunity: Homebound Tutor Interest

Minneapolis Public Schools is seeking staff interested in serving as homebound tutors for students who are unable to attend school due to medical or other approved circumstances.

Homebound tutors play an essential role in maintaining student connection and progress during extended absences—helping ensure every learner continues to access their education and receive support aligned with their IEP or academic plan.

If you are interested or would like additional information about becoming a homebound tutor, please contact:
📧 Tracy McCoy – Tracy.McCoy@mpls.k12.mn.us