Sept. 18th, 2024

❗Important Dreamcatcher Project Update❗

Any initial evaluation of special education services, or request to move to a more restrictive setting of any American Indian students, MUST include a representative from the American Indian Education Department, please see this document for which staff member is your schools liaison from the department.

For questions about compliance, contact Nolan Murphy, 668-0169 or Aquila Tapio 612-668-4349.

Staff Assignments - American Indian Education 24-25

Restrictive Procedure Reporting Form

It is now a MDE requirement to report physical holding for all students. Reporting of a restrictive procedure should be done within Infinite Campus for all students. The Special Education department will phase out the use of this form in 24-25. Please direct questions to your site assigned Director of Special Education.

Read 180

Attention teachers using Read 180. Please watch this video regarding how to place students using Fast Bridge Data.

New Training Option for Verbal De-escalation and Physical Intervention as a Last Resort: MPS Foundations

Minneapolis Public Schools appreciates your commitment to providing a safe and welcoming school environment. In order to assist you with these efforts, we are pleased to share our new training option for verbal de-escalation and physical intervention as a last resort, MPS Foundations. MPS Foundations will replace “CPI”, “NCI” and “iNCI” and will meet the mandate of restrictive procedures training for staff who work with students with disabilities.

Linked here you will find a year long scope of scheduled training for MPS Foundations. Please register and make plans to attend a course. This training opportunity will satisfy the relicensure requirement for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for licensed educators.

We appreciate your collaboration as we work to ensure staff are prepared to maintain safety and wellbeing for our school communities. If you have any questions or concerns, please connect with Dr. Meghan Hickey and Andrew Meierding.

Guidance for SpEd Curriculum

Don't know where to start with curriculum? Check out the previously-shared PD guidance linked below; curricula listed here would be great places to start with your students:

SPED Elementary (K-5) Guidance

SPED Middle School (6-8) Guidance

SPED High School (9-12+) Guidance

If you have any questions, please email mps.pic@mpls.k12.mn.us

Monitoring and Compliance Update

MDE DAPE Update

MDE is now allowing stand alone DAPE evaluations. Please see the link above for more detailed information. That said, the special education department is recommending teams complete stand alone DAPE evaluations with caution. If a team would like to do so they can, they need to contact our DAPE lead (Angie Powell) or a member of the monitoring and compliance team. Any general questions regarding this change please contact: Nolan Murphy, 668-0169

Additional SEA Collaboration Time

We are writing to inform you about an important update regarding an opportunity supported by our Special Education Department. Given the feedback we have received from many stakeholders, we see value in this opportunity. Beginning SY 24/25, extended time will be offered as optional/opt-in for Special Education Assistants at your buildings. This extended time, supported by the Special Education Department, is intended to be used to support and expand the professional development, collaboration, and teaming between SEAs and Special Education Teachers/Related Service Providers to support instruction for our students who receive special education services. Each SEA will be provided 1 hour of extended time per week funded by the Special Education Department budget. We are excited to offer this opportunity.

To begin, you will connect with your SEAs and gather a list of those who are interested in this opportunity. As you finalize a list of these staff members' names, please include staff ID numbers as well. Please send your list to Tamala Washington-Green and Andrew Meierding. As we receive your list, we will provide you with the correct extended time codes to be used by your SEAs. Your building time approver will ensure that they are submitting the accurate amount of time. Please utilize the website linked here for resources, tools, and training options as you are planning out this additional extended time option for your interested SEAs.

If you have questions, please contact Andrew Meierding.

Special Education Placement Policy

A SEPP needs to be completed anytime a student is:

Changing settings
Changing programs

(This pertains to students who are DD turning 7 and are found to need a more restrictive setting or specialized program, OR students who are changing setting/program through a re-evaluation. A SEPP is needed even if a student is remaining at their school site from FS2--> FS3 OR changing programs within a school building)

Please review the SEPP policy and procedures section in the due process notebook HERE.

If you have further questions or need clarification reach out to your DPF or director.

School Based (SB) Programming Guidance:

This is an image of three kids behind the text that says "highly specialized pathways"

School Based (SB) Guidance:

Please locate the SB Guidance document linked here. This document was created in consultation with our Special Education Labor Management (SELM) team. Please reach out to your building’s Special Education Director if you have any further questions or concerns.

Due Process Support:

Due Process Notebook

Your how-to guide for everything due process!

Special Education Office Hours!!!

Talk to a LIVE person who can answer ALL your

Special Education related questions!

Please check the schedule for Tuesdays to see what time they are offered.

Go to: https://meet.google.com/?hs=197&authuser=0

Type in Google Nickname: spedofficehour2425

NEW EdPlan Asynchronous Course

EdPlan Fundamentals SF

Due Process Classes for Evaluations and IEPs

Our online course on IEP and Eval Development is finally LIVE on Success Factors! Follow the directions below to find it!

How to find IEP/Eval Course Link in Success Factors

Special Ed Request Form:

Special Ed.

Request Form

Have a problem or need information?

Not sure who to ask?

Fill out a Sped Request Form

Where is my DPF assigned?

Special Education DPF Portfolios

Programming/Teaching Support

Resources from August PD

To see the slide decks and resources from August PD check out this google drive Folder.

News:

Disability In the News:

Fully-accessible resort, first of its kind, opens in Ely: North of North Resort and Outfitters in Ely is an all new resort built with accessibility in mind.

Inclusive Playground Survey

After some recent advocacy efforts by students, families, and staff around the need for inclusive playgrounds in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), the school board has expressed some interest in updating or rewriting its playground policy. While new playground designs recently proposed at MPS schools have met ADA requirements, they have sometimes fallen short of meeting the play needs of all students.

This survey aims to collect feedback to help inform the creation of a new policy concerning the inclusiveness of playgrounds in MPS. Such a policy could cover the general process a school would go through when getting a new playground as well as specific design requirements for new playgrounds. For more background info on this issue, this local news story is informative (https://www.mplsschoolsvoices.news/posts/ella-baker-community-asks-district-to-add-accessibility-features-as-part-of-new-playground).