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
- New VLP Modules
Source: Office of Special Education
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Special Education Teachers, Regular Education Teachers
Date: November 20, 2025
Do you want to increase the effectiveness of your teaching and decrease problem behaviors? Check out our new evidence-based modules developed by local Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) consultants on the High Leverage Practices of Using Explicit Instruction and Establishing a Consistent, Organized, and Responsive Learning Environment! These modules have everything you need to complete the course independently or you may choose to present the course to faculty using the facilitator materials during a professional development day. You can find these modules and corresponding resources on DESE's Virtual Learning Platform (VLP) under the Professional Learning Modules tab. The VLP is free to all Missouri educators and can be used to support Career Ladder requirements. For additional assistance, for training on these topics by your local consultant, or for follow-up coaching after module completion, please contact your local RPDC consultants.
- Special Education Child Count Reporting and Question/Answer Session
Source: Tori Chance, Special Education Data
Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators, Core Data/MOSIS Personnel
Date: November 20, 2025
The December special education child count is due December 15, 2025, via the December MOSIS Student Core submission. Every student with an individualized education program (IEP) or services plan who is receiving services on December 1, 2025, should be reported by only one district. All students receiving special education services under an IEP (including early childhood special education (ECSE) speech-only or itinerant students) and parentally placed private school students receiving services under a services plan are to be reported.
ECSE note: ECSE children should generally be reported by the district providing the services to the child to align the child count reporting with the expenditure reporting/reimbursements. Non-resident children must be reported with a residency status of NR: non-resident.
In an effort to collect more comprehensive data for blind and deaf students, we have added a secondary disability category area for reporting. We highly encourage you to report this information.
When the MOSIS file is certified, the special education child count data are populated to Screen 11 of Core Data. Since there is no submit process in Core Data for the December cycle, the certified MOSIS file is considered the officially submitted data.
The special education child count requires verification due January 16, 2026. The verification report is located on the MCDS Portal and can be accessed the day after certifying the MOSIS December Student Core file. Only the first page of the report should be returned once it reflects the accurate count of students. Instructions for accessing the report and returning the verification sheet for the 2025-26 (2026 report option) school year can be found on this webpage.
Please note that the 2026 verification report may not be available until after December 1, 2025.
Several technical assistance documents, including training slides, are available on this webpage.
The Office of Special Education Data Coordination provides an Office Hour opportunity for local education agencies (LEAs). A short overview of the December 1 child count will be provided, and questions will be addressed during this call.
- December 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.: Zoom link
Questions can be directed to the Office of Special Education Data Coordination at speddata@dese.mo.gov.
- Special Education Finance Monthly Webinar – December 2
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators, ECSE Directors
Date: November 20, 2025
The Special Education Finance Section will be hosting the regularly scheduled monthly training webinar Tuesday, December 2 at 9:00 a.m. Topics will include Budget Application Revision, Proportionate Share, and Identification of Awards.
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.
- Local Determinations/Data Criteria
Source: Mark Wheatley, Assistant Commissioner
Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators and Superintendents
Date: November 6, 2025
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to issue each local education agency (LEA) an annual determination category regarding their implementation of Part B of the IDEA. As part of the determination criteria, states must evaluate the timeliness and accuracy of LEA-reported data.
The following criteria will be used to assess points for the timeliness and accuracy of data reported for the 2025-26 school year:
Timeliness of data will be based on the first certified dates of MOSIS data submissions. Each timely submission will earn the LEA one credit, for a total of four possible credits.
*The October Educator and Assignment files must be certified by January 10.
*The December Student Core must be certified by January 10.
*The June Student Core and Student Enrollment and Attendance files must be certified by August 1.
*The June Discipline Incidents file must be certified by August 1.
Accuracy of data will be based on LEAs satisfactorily addressing any errors or inquiries from DESE about the data for each of the four data collections listed above. Inquiries are generally based on large year-to-year changes or other significant data anomalies. Data Coordination staff will work with LEAs to address any of the errors or inquiries. Each of the four data collections will earn the LEA one credit for accuracy, unless the LEA fails to address any areas of concern.
A total of eight credits can be attained for each LEA - four for timeliness and four for accuracy. These credits will then be translated to the four-point scale used in the determination process. Seven or eight credits will translate to four points. Five or six credits will translate to three points. Three or four credits will translate to two points and fewer than three credits will translate to one point.
Questions about the criteria should be directed to speddata@dese.mo.gov.
- Early Childhood Outcomes - Module 8 now available
Source: Beth Loethen, Office of Childhood
Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators
Date: November 4, 2025
Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Training Module 8: Promoting and Using High Quality ECO Data for Administrators is now available. This module focuses on ECO data and how administrators can utilize this information for continued improvement. Please take note of the addition of the ECO Calculator as this is a helpful tool when looking to complete district-level ECO data analysis.
ECO Module 8 and the additional resources can be found here: Early Childhood Outcomes.
For additional resources, you can visit our website for Early Childhood Special Education.
Questions can be directed to Beth Loethen, Part B 619 Coordinator in the Office of Childhood at beth.loethen@dese.mo.gov.
- Readers for the Blind Applications Due November 30, 2025
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors
Date: October 31, 2025
The Readers for the Blind application is due November 30, 2025.
Funding is available for school districts to help support readers for students who are legally blind. See the Readers for the Blind application and manual for more information.
Applications and supporting documentation for services provided to eligible students during the 2025-26 school year should be submitted electronically to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov prior to serving the child but no later than November 30, 2025. Electronic copies of current eye reports are required as supporting documentation for all new student applicants, as well as for students with eye reports older than three years on file with Rehabilitation Services for the Blind.
The Special Education Finance Section will forward applications to Rehabilitation Services for the Blind for certification and, if approved, notify the school district of the student's eligibility and the requirements for reporting reader services.
For questions, please contact Special Education Finance at spedfunding@dese.mo.gov or call 573-522-2523.
- Special Education Finance Monthly Webinar – November 4
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators, ECSE Directors
Date: October 28, 2025
The Special Education Finance Section will be hosting the regularly scheduled monthly training webinar Tuesday, November 4 at 9:00 a.m. Topics will include Readers for the Blind, Proportionate Share, Cash Management, High Need Fund Federal, Maintenance of Effort, and Tiered Monitoring.
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.
- Missouri Special Education Update
Source: Mark Wheatley, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Special Education
Intended Audience: All Stakeholders
Date: October 16, 2025
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has received no formal communication regarding potential changes to the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services currently being reported through media. Regardless of that information, Missouri is still responsible for, and committed to, ensuring students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education as required by federal law and outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Missouri is still able to access the federal funds associated with IDEA and will continue to provide the necessary support, monitoring, and supervision for Missouri’s local educational agencies (LEAs) and the students with disabilities they serve throughout Missouri. LEAs should continue to provide special education services as they would under normal circumstances. DESE will continue to closely monitor the situation.
- 2024-25 Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Final Expenditure Report (FER) Now Open
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators, ECSE Directors
Date: October 1, 2025
The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Final Expenditure Report (FER) for claiming reimbursement on 2024-25 expenditures is available for data entry and is due on or before October 31, 2025.
Expenditure data will autofill into the ECSE FER from the last submitted 2024-25 Annual Secretary of the Board Report (ASBR). All ECSE expenditures paid with ECSE 611, ECSE 619, state, county, and local funds must have the correct combination of source and project codes in the 2024-25 general ledger and the 2024-25 ASBR in order for the expenditures to pull over to the ECSE FER grid and supporting data pages. Refer to the list below for the correct combination of source and project codes (source-project) for ECSE expenditures.
Federally Paid ECSE Expenditures:
4-44200 ECSE 611 Expenditures
4-44201 ECSE 619 ExpendituresState Paid ECSE Expenditures:
3-12810 State ECSE Expenditures
County Paid ECSE Expenditures:
2-12810 County ECSE Expenditures
Local Paid ECSE Expenditures:
1-12810 Local ECSE Expenditures
Any revisions to the 2024-25 ASBR impacting ECSE expenditures may require the LEA to complete a 2024-25 IDEA Part B FER revision. LEAs should contact the district's Special Education Finance Technical Assistant to determine if a 2024-25 IDEA Part B FER revision is necessary.
In addition, personnel data must be properly coded in the 2024-25 Missouri Student Information System (MOSIS) files in order for the data to display in the ECSE FER. If updates to personnel data are necessary, changes must be made and certified through the MOSIS system. It is not necessary to update caseload information to reflect end-of-year caseloads in the MOSIS educator files. All ASBR expenditure and MOSIS personnel data errors must be resolved before the LEA can submit the ECSE FER.
LEAs should ensure that both the ECSE expenditures and the ECSE personnel are coded accurately prior to submitting the ECSE FER to ensure full reimbursement.
Additional information and step-by-step instructions for completing the ECSE FER are available in the ECSE FER Instructions. The ECSE Expenditure Guide is also available.
If you have any questions, please email the Special Education Finance Section at spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.
- FY 26 Public Placement Fund Application Available
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators
Date: October 1, 2025
The FY 26 Public Placement Fund (PPF) application and manual have been posted on the Special Education Finance webpage. The PPF provides reimbursement for educating both IEP and non-IEP students placed within a non-domicile school district by the Children's Division, the Department of Mental Health, the Division of Youth Services, a court of competent jurisdiction, or admittance under a physician's order. Funding is available when the educational costs of these students exceed the revenues received by the serving district.
The application must be submitted electronically to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov by October 31, 2025, for expenditures incurred from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Only applications in Excel format will be accepted. PDFs of applications will not be accepted. A confirmation of receipt will be sent to districts submitting applications. Please keep the confirmation email for your records. This is an OPTIONAL application. Students must NOT be claimed on both the High Need Fund and PPF applications.
Provided funding is available, upon approval of the application, reimbursement is anticipated to be paid in February or March.
Districts may contact Special Education Finance with questions at 573-522-2523 or Sid.Belt@dese.mo.gov.