Listserv News and Updates

What is ListServ (SELs/SELs2)?

February 2000, the Office of Special Education created the Special Education Listserv (SELS).  It has been and continues to be a limited e-mail group (with listserv being a misnomer since it really isn’t a listserv) available to only one contact person per school district/responsible public agency. It is used by the Office to disseminate important special education information concerning funding, compliance, data collection, professional development, etc. 

The Office has created a second e-mail group called SELs2.  This e-mail group is open to anyone wanting to subscribe (principals, teachers, parents, etc.). It will allow subscribers to receive the EXACT same messages as subscribers to SELs. By creating this second e-mail group, all constituents interested in special education will have the opportunity to receive the Office’s e-mail messages, not just one contact per school district/responsible public agency. It also allows DESE to maintain the ability to make sure that every district has at least one contact person per district receiving these messages. Messages are from DESE only and may only be posted by the manager (Lina Browner, Office of Special Education). Members may not post messages to either SELs or SELs2.

How Do I Subscribe?

Those interested in subscribing to SELs2 can do so by going to the following the links below. 

Questions or Problems Subscribing to SELs and/or needing to change SELs information, contact Lina Browner, Executive Assistant, Office of Special Education at (573) 751-5739 or via email at Lina.Browner@dese.mo.gov

SELs

SELs2

SELs Archives

Special Education Director Academy

Source: Office of Special Education

Intended Audience: New Special Education Directors, Returning Special Education Directors, Superintendents

Date: July 15, 2024

Last Call!

The in-person Special Education Director Academy (SEDA) will be hosted by the Office of Special Education on July 24-26, 2024, at Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia, Missouri. Check-in will open at 8:00 a.m. on July 24, 2024, and sessions will end at noon on July 26, 2024. Session topics include leadership, early childhood special education, dispute resolution, discipline, postsecondary transition, data reporting and use, special education program requirements, and more. The intended audience is new special education directors with less than three years of experience. There will also be an advanced track for directors with three or more years of experience. The advanced track is limited to 50 attendees.

SEDA registration is free. Breakfast will be provided on Thursday and Friday and lunch will be provided on Wednesday and Thursday. To register, go to https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/effective-practices/special-education-directors.

All other expenses including lodging, travel, and other meals, will be the responsibility of the local education agency. Stoney Creek Hotel will be providing a block of rooms for SEDA. For hotel booking information, please visit the hotel’s website https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=17259&nights=1&checkin=7/23/2024&group=24DESESEDA&lang=en-us or phone 1-573-442-6400, option 2 and use code 24DESESEDA.

If you have questions or require special accommodations, please contact Tori Chance at tori.chance@dese.mo.gov.

FY 24 Time and Effort Documentation

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators, Superintendents

Date: July 8, 2024

REMINDER: Districts should ensure time and effort documentation for staff paid with federal funds during the second funding period of the 2023-24 school year has been completed. The documentation should be maintained by the district and does not have to be submitted to DESE.

All employees, including teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, administrators, and other staff whose salary and/or benefits are paid with any portion of federal funds, must document the time and effort spent within the program through time distribution records. The documentation must be completed and signed after the fact to certify/verify that the employee's work was performed during the funding period. This rule applies to all special education federal funds including IDEA Part B federal funds, ECSE 611 federal funds, ECSE 619 federal funds, and High Need Fund (HNF) federal funds.

Time and effort documentation must be recorded using one of the following methods:

  • Semi-Annual Certification forms
  • Semi-Annual Certification (Alternative) forms
  • Time and Effort Logs/Personnel Activity Reports (PARs)
  • Substitute System Employee Certification forms

Additional information regarding the requirements for completing time and effort documentation can be found in the Time and Effort section of the Special Education Fiscal Monitoring Guide found at https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/fiscal-monitoring-guide. A time and effort flowchart to assist districts in determining which form, if any, must be completed, can be found at https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/time-and-effort-flowchart.

Contact the Special Education Finance section with specific time and effort questions at 573-751-0622 or spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.

College and Career Competencies Project Professional Learning Opportunity K-12

Intended Audience: Teachers, School Administrators, Special Education Directors, Process Coordinators, School Counselors, Advocates, and Other Interested Parties

Date: July 2, 2024

Schools across Missouri are invited to apply to participate in the 2024-25 cohort of the College and Career Competency project. The project is offered jointly by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the University of Kansas Research Collaboration. Four participating schools (elementary, middle, or high) will receive free, professional development that includes training, coaching, assessments, curriculum, and parent guidance materials that educators will use to increase student’s self-efficacy.

During the professional learning experience, educators will learn 10 different self-efficacy strategies that will support students in increasing their ability to persist through challenging tasks and become more resilient learners.

Schools who have implemented self-efficacy instruction observed students’ growth, including

  • Increased self-reflection and self-awareness
  • Increased belief that ability grows with effort
  • Improved confidence in their own abilities
  • Improved quality and timeliness of work
  • More openness to constructive feedback

The deadline to apply is July 15, 2024. Download application https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/effective-practices/postsecondary-transition#CollegeandCareerCompetencies and email the completed application to Gwen Deimeke at Gwen.Deimeke@dese.mo.gov.