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

• ​Subscribe
• View message archives  

SELs2

• ​Subscribe

SELs Archives

• Go to Archives  

Special Education End of Year Reporting

Source: Special Education Data

Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators, Core Data/MOSIS Personnel

Date: April 15, 2025

End of year collections for students with disabilities include exiting and discipline data, as well as Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) data for children in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). All these data are reported at the student level through the MOSIS data collection system. 

Special Education exit data is reported through the MOSIS Student Core and MOSIS Student Enrollment and Attendance files. Any student who has exited special education from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, (graduates, dropouts, return to regular education, etc.) should have the IEP disability code reported in the Student Core file. Note that the Special Education Program Exit Code in the MOSIS Student Core File can only be blank, 01-Return to Regular Education, or 17-Parent Withdrew Student from Special Education. If the 01 or 17 codes do not apply to a student, leave the field blank. Both the Special Education Program Exit Code in the MOSIS Student Core file and the Exit Code in the MOSIS Student Enrollment and Attendance file are considered when populating Core Data Screen 12 with the Special Education exit data. If the MOSIS Student Core file indicates a special education exit code of 01 or 17, that exit code will be used to populate Screen 12. For all other students with a blank Special Education Program Exit Code, the final Exit Code in the MOSIS Student Enrollment and Attendance file will be used to populate Screen 12.

The G03 exit code should be reported where applicable. G03: Graduated by earning some or all required credits through modified classes aligned with alternate state standards or by meeting IEP goals. This would generally be limited to those students with the most significant cognitive disabilities whose IEP teams have determined that this method of graduation provides FAPE to the individual student. Students who have been reported as G03 are excluded from the numerator of the four-, five-, six-, and seven-year graduation rate calculations.

The June Student Core file is used to report ECO for children who entered or exited ECSE during this school year. Please work with your MOSIS coordinator to ensure that the ECO data are included in the Student Core file. See https://dese.mo.gov/childhood/quality-programs/preschool-programs/early-childhood-special-education/early-childhood-outcomes-training for ECO information and training materials.

Discipline data is reported through the MOSIS Student Discipline Incident file. The file should include all discipline incidents for all students, grades PK-12, regular and special education, that resulted in in-school or out-of-school suspensions of half day or longer. Each removal should only be reported once, even if the length or type of removal is modified. For further information, see the Core Data and Missouri Student Information System Reference Manual at /data-system-management/core-datamosis.

As a reminder, the definitions for the removal types are

• In-School Suspension - Removal of student from regular classroom setting (within a school building) for a fixed amount of time with student automatically returning to regular classroom setting after the suspension is completed.
• Out-of-School Suspension - Removal of student from regular school for a fixed amount of time with student automatically returning to school after the suspension is completed.
• Expulsion - Removal of student from school and by local board action for an indefinite period of time until student is reinstated by local board of education.
• Unilateral Removal - School personnel (not IEP team) ordered removal of student with disabilities from current educational placement to an appropriate interim educational setting for same amount of time that a child without disabilities would be subject to discipline, but for not more than 45 days.

These data for students with disabilities will be included in your Special Education District Profiles and are used for various decision-making purposes by the Office of Special Education.

Reminder that Special Education Data is hosting an overview and question/answer opportunity for end of year data reporting on April 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Join the meeting

If you have questions regarding the end-of-year collections, contact the Special Education Data Coordination Section at 573-751-7848 or email speddata@dese.mo.gov.  

ACTION REQUIRED: End of Year Data Collection for 2024-25 

Source: Mary Corey, Special Education Data

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and Personnel

Date: April 15, 2025

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires that 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 2024-25 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.

The following link will take you to a survey where the data can be reported. Simply select your LEA, fill in the data, and click “Done”: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPPS_2025.

All regular school districts must submit this information by June 30, 2025, 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.

Transition Training Institute

Source: Office of Special Education

Intended Audience: Superintendents, Middle and High School Principals, Special Education Directors, General and Special Education Teachers, Counselors, School Psychologists, and Parents

Date: April 15, 2025

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

The 2025 Transition Training Institute will be held from June 25-27, 2025, at the Wyndham Executive Center, 2200 Interstate 70 Drive Southwest, Columbia, Missouri.

• Click here to register.

Early bird registration fee is $225 until June 9, 2025. Conference registration received after June 9 will increase to $275 until June 21, 2025. Registration received after June 21 will be $325 per person. Payment must be made using a check, money order, or purchase order made payable to Custom Meeting Planners. Registration fee is non-refundable, but substitutes will be allowed. If mailing your registration fee in advance of the conference, mail to: Custom Meeting Planners, PO Box 30785, Columbia, MO 65205, making sure to list the names of all registrants that the check, money order, or purchase order represents. Onsite registration will begin Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. and will open again on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. until noon.

All expenses related to meals and lodging will be incurred by the individual registering. Participants are responsible for choosing a lodging location and making reservations. The Wyndham Executive Center has provided a block of rooms at the state government rate of $104 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 25, 2025, and is based on availability. The group code to use when making your reservation is TTI25. There are two ways to book your room reservation:

1. Call 573-445-8531 directly and ask for reservations for the Transition Training Institute using the group code TTI25.
2. Click here to book online.

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

MOREnet Upgrades to Listservs (SELS and SELS2)

Source: Office of Special Education

Intended Audience: Listserv Members

Date: April 10, 2025

The Office of Special Education received notification that on April 15, 2025, updates to the format will be applied to all MOREnet hosted listservs. This includes SELS and SELS2. They indicated listserv members may notice a change in the "From:" address. It will be displayed as "John Doe via ListName" <list.mo.gov>. In all other respects, the listserv will remain the same. With phishing emails and spam on the rise, we wanted to bring this to your attention.

If you have any questions regarding this change, please email lina.browner@dese.mo.gov. 

End of Year Data Question/Answer Session

Source: Special Education Data

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and MOSIS Personnel

Date: April 9, 2025

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 on April 17, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Join the meeting

As a reminder, these data are due June 30 in MOSIS. More information about the June collections is available on https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/special-education-data/data-collections 

Announcing Two Levels of Verbal Behavior Training

Source: Kristin Funk, Assistant Director, Effective Practices

Intended Audience: Special Education Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Advanced Para-Educators

Date: April 4, 2025

Project ACCESS will be offering two levels of verbal behavior training for anyone working with students with language challenges. These strategies can be used with all children who are non-verbal or need help growing their language repertoire. This training is appropriate for special education teachers, speech implementers, speech-language pathologists, and advanced para-educators who are working with children with language challenges. All trainings are in-person only and will not include a zoom option.

Project ACCESS is underwriting the cost of the speakers and materials, but a participant fee is charged to cover the cost of room rental, parking, refreshments, and breakfast for all days. Travel expenses are the responsibility of participants. Upon registration, Project ACCESS will reply to registrants and provide travel recommendations, parking information, etc. Seats are limited to 35 participants. 

The first training is Verbal Behavior Bootcamp: Creating Intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Based Verbal Behavior Programs and is being offered in Springfield, MO May 5-7, 2025. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/J6ticMa7t6 - Cost: $100

The second training is Establishing Basic Skills. Please note that prior Verbal Behavior Bootcamp attendance is required as a prerequisite to attend. This training will be offered in Springfield, MO June 24-25, 2025. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/SYASWvDqAe - Cost $75

More details are available on the Project ACCESS Website. Workshop flyers are available using the links below:

Verbal Behavior Bootcamp Flier: https://autismtraining.missouristate.edu/eventbrochures/VbtrainingflierMay25.pdf

Basic Skills Flier: https://autismtraining.missouristate.edu/eventbrochures/EstablishingBasicSkillsFlierJune25.pdf

Please direct questions to Project ACCESS at projectaccess@missouristate.edu or call toll free 866-481-3841.

FY 25 Payment for High Need Fund (HNF)

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators

Date: April 3, 2025

An appropriation has been received to pay out remaining HNF costs for services provided during the 2023-24 school year that were not reimbursed in the HNF payment districts received in February. The second payment for reimbursement will be received by districts in the month of April. Districts will only receive state HNF revenue in their payment. Payment amounts for state funds are posted on the Special Education Finance webpage at https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/hnf-fy25-payment.  

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.

FY 25 IDEA Proportionate Share Carryover Release Requests

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators

Date: April 1, 2025

Prior year IDEA proportionate share carryover may now be released by request in ePeGS if the district does not have applicable proportionate share expenditures equal to or greater than the carryover amount of proportionate share funds. The FY 25 Proportionate Share Carryover Release Request is due April 30, 2025. Proportionate Share Carryover Release Requests after this date will require prior approval from the Special Education Finance section.

When considering releasing proportionate share carryover funds, districts may use the Proportionate Share Release and Carryover Calculator found at https://dese.mo.gov/financial-admin-services/special-education-finance/part-b-proportionate-share to determine 1) if proportionate share carryover funds may be released and 2) the amount of IDEA Part B 611 funds that must be retained to carry over for proportionate share into the next fiscal year.

If a Proportionate Share Carryover Release Request is submitted by the district and approved by Special Education Finance, a 2024-25 Special Education Part B Budget Revision must be created and submitted to budget the released carryover funds under a function code other than 1224 and/or 2557 SPED. The current year proportionate share amount must remain budgeted under function code 1224 and/or 2557 SPED, along with any expended proportionate share carryover.

Questions may be directed by email to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.

Part B Application

Source: Gwen Deimeke, IDEA Coordinator, Office of Special Education

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

Date: March 20, 2025

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 at https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/part-b-annual-state-application.

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, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

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 2025 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 2024) for purposes of starting public comment. When the FFY 2025 spreadsheet becomes available, Missouri will add it to the posted application and remove the FFY 2024 spreadsheet named Grant Expenditures FFY 2024.

The application is available for review on our website from March 20, 2025, through May 20, 2025. Written public comments on the draft Part B application packet may be submitted from April 1, 2025, until the close of business on April 30, 2025, 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.

Verification of Data to be Used in FY 26 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) Allocation Calculations

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Finance Administrators

Date: March 19, 2025

ACTION REQUIRED: YES

DEADLINE: April 10, 2025

Local education agencies (LEAs) have an opportunity to verify that correct data have been reported for use in determining FY 26 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocations. Preliminary data as of March 10, 2025, to be used in FY 26 IDEA Part B (Section 611 and Section 619) allocations for LEAs can be reviewed at https://dese.mo.gov/financial-admin-services/special-education-finance/part-b-funding-and-allocations. 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, 2025. FRL data includes FRL students in grades K-12 found in the MOSIS October Student Core file. Any data changes made after April 10, 2025, will not be included in the FY 26 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 26 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. 

Summer Educational Opportunities for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired (Summer Explorations)

Source: Missouri School for the Blind, St. Louis

Intended Audience: Special Education Teachers and Administrators, Students in Grades 3 – 12

Date: March 18, 2025

Missouri School for the Blind is pleased to offer Missouri students who are blind or visually impaired five summer sessions focused on developing students' abilities to access Core Curriculum and the Expanded Core Curriculum for the Blind and Visually Impaired. MSB seeks to provide non-traditional, high-quality, academic, and functional programs designed to supplement the student’s regular educational experience with an emphasis on the Expanded Core Curriculum for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Session 1: Summer Explorations 2025 – Set Your Sights on Adventure - Grades 8-12 (June 23-July 3) is a nine-day opportunity for students to explore concepts in leisure recreation and community-based orientation and mobility. MSB staff will design each activity and lesson to teach students to optimize their orientation and mobility and compensatory skills to access community-based leisure recreation opportunities and increase their independence within the expanded core curriculum. Space is limited.

Session 1: Summer Explorations 2025 – Sports and Leisure Recreation - Grades 3-8 (June 23-July 3) is a nine-day opportunity for students to explore a variety of sports and leisure recreation activities including rock climbing, bowling, track and field, goalball, etc. Each day students will participate in a variety of fun and educational events that involve sports or leisure recreation.

Session 2: Explorations in Culinary Arts 2025 – Bon Appétit - Grades 8-12 (July 7-July 18) is a two-week program designed to introduce students who are blind or visually impaired to a variety of skills, techniques, and practical tips designed to make cooking fun, safe, and easy. During Bon Appétit, students will learn skills by experiencing and participating in a variety of lessons and activities cumulating in a Kids Cook-Off and Demonstration featuring our Bon Appétit participants.

Session 2: Summer STEM Explorations 2025 – Mission to Mars 2025 - Grades 3-8 (July 7-July 18) is an exciting and interactive opportunity for students to explore aspects of space exploration, our solar system, and STEM careers while participating in activities including rocket design and construction, electronics, scientific experiments, and elements of space exploration.

Sessions 1 and 2: Summer Explorations 2025 – Work Training and Experience Program (June 23-July 18) (ages 16-21 years) MSB, in conjunction with community partner(s), is pleased to collaborate this summer to provide Missouri students with the opportunity to work while going to summer school. Students will also learn job-related soft skills including communication, time management, problem-solving, and following instructions. A student will not be eligible to participate in the Work Training Program if they had worked at the location before. Space is limited.

Visit https://msb.dese.mo.gov/ for more information, including a schedule of events and the registration form. Summer applications are due May 1, 2025. Parents and school districts may also contact Desiree Morris, Assistant Superintendent, at 314-776-4320 or Desiree.Morris@msb.dese.mo.gov.

* Sessions are provided free of charge for qualifying students.

* Transportation and supervised residential housing are provided for students outside the St. Louis metro area during the week. All students are released at 1:00 p.m. on Fridays and will return home during the weekend.

Parent Advisors for Missouri Statewide Parent Involvement Network (MoSPIN)

Source: Outreach/Missouri School for the Blind

Intended Audience: Early Interventionists, Special Educators, Teachers and Personnel of ECSE Programs, First Steps Service Providers, Parents as Teachers Parent Educators, Related Service Providers, Teachers of the Visually Impaired

Date: March 3, 2025

MoSPIN provides in-home education and empowerment to parents who have a young child with a visual impairment who may also have additional disabilities. If you like working with families, have experience with young children or children with special needs, want to learn more about children with visual impairments, and are willing to participate in five days of paid training (training dates scheduled for July 21-25, 2025), please join us as a parent advisor. Willingness to travel to nearby communities is necessary.

Being a parent advisor is a great opportunity for those wanting to earn extra income with flexible scheduling. If interested in additional details, please click on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LCSTYFX.

For more information on MoSPIN, visit our MoSPIN website.

FY 25 IDEA Part B Budget Application Revisions

Source: Special Education Finance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators

Date: February 25, 2025

Special Education Finance staff have created 2024-25 IDEA Part B Budget Application revisions for all districts. Budget revisions for FY 25 must now be completed in ePeGS to budget any IDEA Part B 611 carryover, finalize Proportionate Share obligations and carryover, and finalize ECSE 619 carryover. The entire current year Proportionate Share obligation and any Proportionate Share carryover amounts must be budgeted under function code 1224 and/or 2557 SPED. 

Step-by-step directions for completing and submitting budget revisions can be found in the FY 25 ePeGs Budget Application Guide at https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/fy25-budget-application-guide.

Questions may be directed by email to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.

Missouri Pathway of Aspiring Leaders (Mo-PAL) Special Education Leadership Endorsement 

Source: Kindra Delp, Special Education Director, Special Education Leadership Development

Intended Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Special Education Directors, Process Coordinators, Special Education Teachers

Date: February 25, 2025

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 two-and-a-half to 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 until April 15, 2025. Applications received after that time will be considered as availability allows.

For more information regarding MoPAL, visit https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/missouri-pathway-aspiring-leaders-mopal.

If you need further assistance, contact Kindra Delp at Kindra.Delp@dese.mo.gov or 573-751-0225.