OSE 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

 

Missouri State University Announces a Renewed Blindness and Low Vision Program for Educators Interested in Becoming a Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Source: Kristin Funk, Assistant Director, Special Education Effective Practices

Intended Audience: Any educator with a bachelor’s degree (an education degree is preferred but not required) who is interested in earning DESE certification in Blindness and Low Vision (K–12), a master’s degree, or a graduate certificate in TVI

Date: April 15, 2026

Educators can make a life-changing difference for individuals with visual impairments by gaining foundational knowledge and practical skills to improve equity and access to education. Courses in this program reflect new competencies in early intervention, CVI-multiple disabilities, transition, and the BRITE Act. The program is fully online with field experiences arranged in the candidate’s local area. DESE provides funding for tuition waivers to increase the number of teachers with Missouri teaching certification in BLV and education-related professionals. Partial scholarships in the form of tuition waivers are available to students who agree to teach and/or serve in a Missouri school or agency for three years. Contact the program director below to see if you qualify for financial support. The program begins fall 2026 and applications are being accepted now. Please consider joining our supportive professional community by applying today.

Please direct questions or comments to the program director, Dr. Chris Craig at ChrisCraig@missouristate.edu or by calling 417-836-5215.

ACTION REQUIRED: End of Year Data Collection for 2025-26

Source: Tori Chance, Coordinator, Special Education Data 

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and Personnel

Date: April 15, 2026

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires that local education agencies (LEAs) report the following information to the state for parentally-placed students attending elementary or K-12 private or parochial schools, including home schools, within their jurisdiction:

1. The number of students with INITIAL EVALUATIONS conducted during the 2025-26 school year.

2. The number of those evaluated that were found eligible.

3. The number of those found eligible that received special education or related services from your LEA.

Note: This is NOT a total count of parentally-placed private school children served by your LEA.

This link will take you to a survey where the data can be reported. Simply select your LEA, fill in the data, and click “Done.” All regular school districts must submit this information by June 30, 2026, even if all the responses are zero. Charter schools do not need to respond.

If you have questions regarding this collection, contact the Special Education Data Section at speddata@dese.mo.gov.

End of Year Data Question & Answer Session

Source: Tori Chance, Coordinator, Special Education Data 

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and MOSIS Personnel

Date: April 14, 2026

Special Education Data is hosting an overview and question & answer opportunity for end of year data reporting, including exiting, discipline, and early childhood outcomes data.

As a reminder, these data are due June 30 in MOSIS. Click here for more information about the June collection. 

Questions can be submitted in advance to speddata@dese.mo.gov.

Postsecondary Transition Training Institute 2026 

Source: Marsha Campe, Assistant Director, Special Education Effective Practices 

Intended Audience: Superintendents, middle and high school principals, special education directors, general and special education teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and parents

Date: April 10, 2026

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 

The 2026 Postsecondary Transition Training Institute will be held from June 23-25, 2026, at the Wyndham Executive Center, 2200 Interstate 70 Drive, Southwest, in Columbia, Missouri. Registration for the Postsecondary Transition Institute is available at this link.  

Early conference registration fee is $325 per person until May 22, 2026. Conference registrations received after May 22 will be $375 per person. Registration will close on June 16. Any registration received after June 16 is considered onsite and the registration fee will be $425 per person.

Payment may be made online using a credit/debit card. If paying by check or money order within five working days of completing the conference registration, send the check or money order made payable to Custom Meeting Planners at P.O. Box 30785, Columbia, MO 65205. Please list the names of all registrants that the check or money order represents.

The registration fee is non-refundable, but substitutes will be allowed. 

Onsite registration will begin Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. and will open again on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. until noon. 

All expenses related to meals and lodging will be incurred by the individual registering. The Wyndham Executive Center has provided a block of rooms at the state rate of $108 on a first-come-first-serve basis. A tax-exempt letter must be provided to the hotel to receive the discounted rate. This rate is available until May 22, 2026, and is based on availability. There are two ways to book your room: 

  1. Call 573-445-8531 directly and ask for reservations for the Postsecondary Transition Training Institute using the group code 062226POS. 
  2. Go to the Wyndham Executive Center – Columbia webpage found here.

If you have additional questions, please contact Marsha Campe at 573-751-2512 or marsha.campe@dese.mo.gov.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) Training

Source: Kristin Funk, Assistant Director, Effective Practices

Intended Audience: Staff conducting an FBA, including special services directors, process coordinators, school psychologists, behavior analysts, behavior technicians, special education teachers, and counselors

Date: April 10, 2026

Project ACCESS offers five modes of FBA training for school practitioners including all steps of conducting an FBA from analysis to creating a behavior support plan and in-servicing staff to use the plan effectively. In the training, participants will conduct an authentic FBA as part of the learning process. Completers earn a badge with an enamel pin validating their proficiency in the process. This training has just been refreshed with newly recorded content. The registration form is available online. This training is provided asynchronously via Brightspace Learning Management System with Zoom coaching at no cost.  

More information is available on the Project ACCESS web page or by calling Project ACCESS at 417-836-6657 or by emailing projectaccess@missouristate.edu.

Missouri Pathway for Aspiring Leaders (MoPAL) Special Education Leadership Endorsement - Changes to the 2026 Cohort Application Process

Source: Gwen Deimeke, Coordinator, Office of Special Education

Intended Audience: School District Employees that have earned an Educational Administrators Certificate (Special Education Directors, Principals, Superintendents, etc.)

Date: April 3, 2026

***Changes – 1.  You no longer need to upload a letter from your superintendent. We will contact your superintendent if you are selected for the program. 

           2.   If your Administrator Certification has expired, you may still apply to MoPAL and will be eligible for a Special Education Administrator Certificate upon program completion.***

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Special Education developed a curriculum to provide a pathway to attain a high-quality education with the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies to be an effective special education leader at the district level. Central to this vision is the Missouri Pathway for Aspiring Leaders in Special Education (MoPAL) program.  

MoPAL is a three-year, DESE sponsored program. Individuals who currently hold a Missouri administrator certificate are eligible for participation at no cost. Through this program, aspiring leaders receive essential content through online professional learning modules, cohort learning experiences, coaching, and mentoring. During the first two years in the MoPAL program, participants complete a series of seven online modules focused on leadership issues in special education. The modules in the first year focus on foundational elements of special education leadership including special education law, continuous improvement practices, and special education finance. In the second year, modules focus on leadership for quality special education instructional practices including high impact instructional practices, data-based decision making, effective teaching and learning practices, and family/community participation. All modules have been vetted by both DESE special education improvement consultants and Missouri special education administrators through MO-CASE. All participants are assigned a MoPAL consultant who helps participants anchor module content to real-world application through cohort meetings and one-on-one visits. During each participant’s third year, they receive individualized coaching and support as they complete a capstone project. MoPAL’s goal is to increase the number of qualified special education directors in our state, inspiring them to be innovative leaders who set the path for the use of research-based approaches to supporting students with disabilities in Missouri.

All qualified applications will be accepted thru April 30, 2026. Applications received after that time will be considered as availability allows.

For more information regarding MoPAL, click here.

If you need further assistance, contact Gwen Deimeke at Gwen.Deimeke@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-2965.

Verification of Data to be Used in FY 27 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) Allocation Calculations

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Finance Administrators

Date: March 31, 2026

Action Required: Yes

Deadline: April 10, 2026

Local education agencies (LEAs) have an opportunity to verify that correct data have been reported for use in determining FY 27 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocations. Preliminary data as of February 27, 2026, to be used in FY 27 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocations for LEAs can be reviewed here. Any corrections to PK-12 September Enrollment, Parentally Placed Private School Student, Non-Resident, Home School, and Federal Programs Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) data must be made in the system in which they were reported no later than midnight April 10, 2026. FRL data includes FRL students in grades K-12 found in the MOSIS October Student Core file. Any data changes made after April 10, 2026, will not be included in the FY 27 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocation calculations. LEAs are responsible for verifying that any updates/changes are saved. Errors on reporting this data could result in a decrease in the LEA's FY 27 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocations.

The CEP Identified Student percentage, Non-Public, and Neglected/Delinquent counts on the data spreadsheet are unable to be changed in the MOSIS system. Please contact the Special Education Finance Section with questions at 573-526-5283 or spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.

Missouri State Plan for Special Education 

Source: Samantha Ryan, Director, Special Education Compliance

Intended Audience: Superintendents and Administrators of Special Education

Date: March 31, 2026

Federal regulations implementing Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require responsible local education agencies (LEAs) providing for the education of children with disabilities within their jurisdiction to have in effect policies, procedures, and programs that are consistent with the state policies established under applicable federal regulations 34 C.F.R. §300.201.

Amendments to the Missouri State Plan for Special Education went into effect on March 31, 2026. Adopting Local Compliance Plans will not be required at this time. We will require the adoption of a local compliance plan in the fall 2026 semester. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Special Education Compliance section at 573-751-0699 or secompliance@dese.mo.gov. 

Special Education Finance Monthly Webinar – April 7

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Bookkeepers, Financial Administrators, ECSE Directors

Date: March 25, 2026

The Special Education Finance Section will be hosting the regularly scheduled monthly training webinar Tuesday, April 7 at 9:00 a.m. Topics will include Verification of Data, Maintenance of Effort, and ECSE Expenditure Coding.

This webinar will be recorded and available on the Special Education Finance Training webpage.

To attend the monthly fiscal webinar, please go to WebEx or dial 650-479-3207 to join by phone.

Meeting Number: 2632 745 5627
Meeting Password: M3MuchByJ75

These webinars are scheduled the first Tuesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. The call-in information will be the same as what is listed above for each call. If you have any questions, please email the Special Education Finance Section at spedfunding@dese.mo.gov. 
 

FY 26 Payment for High Need Fund (HNF)

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators

Date: March 25, 2026

A second FY 26 High Need Fund (HNF) payment for services provided during the 2024-25 school year will be received by districts in the month of March. Districts will receive state HNF revenue in their payment. Payment amounts for the second payment are posted on the Special Education Finance webpage. Due to a substantial increase in HNF costs incurred by districts in the 2024-25 school year, there was nearly a $31 million shortfall in HNF funding. A supplemental request was submitted for an appropriation increase to cover the total shortfall, but only $14,705,004 was approved for this budget year. As a result, districts will only be receiving a prorated percentage of reimbursement at this time and can expect to receive the remaining HNF state payment for the 2024-25 school year in July 2026.

State revenue will be listed under revenue code 5381 on the payment transmittal. The state revenue received may be used at the district's discretion. There are no DESE assigned project codes for coding expenditures paid with state HNF funds.

Please contact the Special Education Finance Section if you have questions at spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.

Missouri State University Blind and Low Vision program announces an online eight-week summer class entitled Assessment and Instruction of Individuals with Cortical Visual Impairments (CVI)

Source: Kristin Funk, Assistant Director, Effective Practices

Intended Audience: Practicing Orientation and Mobility Specialists, Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI), or professionals working in a related discipline

Date: March 24, 2026

This three credit hour graduate course is designed to provide participants with an up-to-date review of applied research and procedures for work with individuals with Cortical Visual Impairments (CVI). The course will include case studies, analysis of assessment data, environmental observations, and development of instructional strategies aligned with current CVI research and best practices. Special consideration will also be given to orientation and mobility implications for individuals with CVI, including environmental complexity, visual attention, and safe travel in school and community settings. This online eight-week summer class does not replace required DESE certification coursework in Blind and Low Vision but might be used to meet requirements for the MSED in BLV and O&M tracks with approval by the program. 

To register for this class, use the codes: SPE 710 Section 897 CRN 38942. There are no pre-requisites for this course. This online instruction is offered during summer 2026. Enrollment is available beginning April 22, 2026. Instruction begins June 1, 2026.

Please direct questions or comments to the program director, Dr. Chris Craig, at ChrisCraig@missouristate.eduor by calling 417-836-5215.

Part B Application

Intended Audience: System Stakeholders in Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Date: March 20, 2026

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

All states making application for funds under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are required to make available for public review and comment the application packet for those federal funds. These are the funds that support provision of special education services to children ages 3 to 21 in Missouri. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has developed the draft application packet for IDEA Part B funds and by this notice is making the application available for review and comment.

The application packet, developed by the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), includes a summary of the assurances, certifications, and IDEA use of funds descriptions that the state will use to implement Part B of IDEA. Upon OSEP's approval of Missouri's Part B application, the state will receive a federal grant award under Part B of IDEA for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

As you review the application, please note the following:

  • The application is in a format required by OSEP.
  • Missouri is providing general assurances to OSEP that the state will be implementing the provisions of state and federal regulations for Part B of IDEA 2004.
  • The dollar amounts listed in Section III, Use of Funds, are for State-level Administration and Targeted Initiatives; not the cost of serving students with disabilities or the total cost of special education services in Missouri.
  • OSEP has not yet published the FFY 2026 IDEA allocations to states or provided states with their interactive spreadsheets to include with the Annual Application for Part B Funds. OSEP has advised states to insert the interactive spreadsheet from the previous year's application (in this case FFY 2025) for purposes of starting public comment. When the FFY 2026 spreadsheet becomes available, Missouri will add it to the posted application and remove the FFY 2025 spreadsheet named Grant Expenditures FFY 2025.

The application is available for review on our website from March 20, 2026, through May 20, 2026. Written public comments on the draft Part B application packet may be submitted from April 1, 2026, until the close of business on April 30, 2026, to the attention of Gwen Deimeke, IDEA Coordinator, at IDEA.comments@dese.mo.gov or P. O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480 or by fax 573-751-3910.

Transition from First Steps to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)-Updated Recorded Presentation

Source: Beth Loethen, Office of Childhood

Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators, Coordinators, and Educators

Date: March 17, 2026

An updated presentation, Transition from First Steps to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), is available on the Office of Childhood’s website. Please note there are no major changes to First Steps Or ECSE transition requirements; updates were made for clarity and to align with current Practice Manual Chapter 10 guidance.

The first part of the presentation includes information on the First Steps requirements for notification to ECSE, the opt out policy, transition meeting types, and late referrals. The second part of the presentation addresses ECSE requirements for the evaluation process and timelines for children transitioning from First Steps.

Please review the recorded presentation and related materials.

Click here to view the transition training page.

Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) Message from Superintendent

Source: Whitney Lammers, Community Relations Facilitator

Date: March 18, 2026

As local education agencies serving students and families across Missouri, you may be interested in receiving regular communications from the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) within the Office of Special Education. Please refer to the resources below for a video message from the MSSD Superintendent, Dr. Greg Caine, and the current monthly newsletter from MSSD.

Please contact MSSD Central Office at mssd@dese.mo.gov if you have questions and/or would like to receive additional information.