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

Professional development to increase knowledge on students who have low vision/blindness or combined vision and hearing differences

Source: Outreach at Missouri School for the Blind/Missouri DeafBlind Project

Intended Audience: Special and General Education Teachers, Related Service Providers, Early Interventionists, Paraprofessionals, Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Teachers of the Deaf, Orientation and Mobility Specialists

Date: August 27, 2024

Missouri School for the Blind/Outreach is hosting several events to increase understanding of low vision/blindness and dual sensory loss. All events are no cost. ACVREP available.

Hand In Hand: Understanding Deafblindness – This course will be presented on September 18-20, 2024, for Session I and October 2-4, 2024, for Session II. Must attend both sessions. This course provides instructional strategies and practices specific to the education of students with combined hearing and vision impairments with or without additional disabilities.

VIISA 2: Working with Preschoolers who are Blind or Visually Impaired in Center-based Preschools – This course is for participants to gain and develop skills in understanding the unique needs of preschoolers who are blind or visually impaired in the center-based setting.

Registration and additional course information can be found at the Outreach Professional Development website.

Location:

Missouri School for the Blind

3815 Magnolia Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63110

For additional information, contact Jane Herder, Outreach Director, at jane.herder@msb.dese.mo.gov or 314-633-1582.

Fall Professional Development Week 

Source: Outreach at Missouri School for the Blind/Missouri DeafBlind Project

Intended Audience: Special and General Education Teachers, Related Service Providers, Paraprofessionals, Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, Educational Interpreters

Date: August 27, 2024

Location: Missouri School for the Blind, 3815 Magnolia, St. Louis, MO 63110

All events are no cost. ACVREP available.

Fall Professional Development Week to support students who have low vision/blindness or combined vision and hearing disabilities, October 14-18, 2024. Register for one day or more.

Day One/Monday, October 14: Hearing Differences and Visually Impaired: Interpreting for Students with DeafBlindness - Interpreters, parents, paraprofessionals, and interveners will increase their knowledge about deafblindness and interpreting for students with deafblindness.

Day Two/Tuesday, October 15: Emergent Literacy for Students with Severe Cognitive Disabilities - This day is for educators of students with severe cognitive challenges and who are not yet reading and writing. We will find IEP goals, develop literacy strategies, and experience materials and technology that support students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Day Three/Wednesday, October 16: Routines for Increased Communication - Empower your student with independence and communication! Routines can serve many functions regarding the development of language acquisition. A calendar can function as a timepiece providing structure to the day’s events, as well as providing a static form of communication.

Day Four/Thursday, October 17: Assistive Technology: From Assessment through Implementation - Stephanie Walker, your APH Outreach Specialist for the south-central region, will be here to guide you into the world of assistive technology. Together, let us dive into the fascinating realm of evaluating and utilizing assistive technology for students with visual impairments in a day filled with exciting discoveries and hands-on learning.

Day Five/Friday, October 18: Welcoming Students to Your School Who are Visually Impaired/Blind/DeafBlind - This day supports all educators working with a new student to your school who has a visual impairment. How to procure equipment, where to get braille materials, how to empower your student, how to support the staff. Everything you need to know; we cover it on this day!

Additional registration and course information are found at the Outreach Professional Development website.

For additional information, contact Jane Herder, Outreach Director at jane.herder@msb.dese.mo.gov or 314-633-1582.

Seeking Applicants for Transition Liaisons

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

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

Date: August 26, 2024

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is recruiting school personnel to join the team of secondary transition liaisons. All applications will be considered, however, liaison vacancies in the following regions will be given priority: 

  • RPDC Region 4 - Northeast (Truman State University)
  • RPDC Region 5 ‐ Northwest (Maryville) 
  • RPDC Region 7 ‐ Southwest (Springfield) 
  • RPDC Region 9 ‐ Central (University of Central Missouri)

Missouri transition liaisons devote time and energy increasing the capacity of local level secondary special educators and districts. They work within their own districts to enhance transition programming and reach out to other districts to engage them in opportunities to enhance their practices and programs. Liaisons disseminate information at both the district and regional levels to develop a collaborative network of colleagues around issues related to secondary transition of youth with disabilities.

If selected, a $2,000 stipend is provided to the transition liaison for completion of activities. An additional $1,500 will be provided to the district to offset costs for liaisons to meet responsibilities based upon participation in the activities listed below. 

During the 2024-25 school year, transition liaisons will be expected to

  • contact a minimum of four identified school districts within their region to engage in transition professional development activities, provide peer assistance, and document the contacts using materials provided;
  • attend two face-to-face meetings/trainings (one in fall 2024 and one in winter 2025);
  • participate in two conference calls/web meetings (one in fall 2024 and one in spring 2025); and
  • attend the 2025 Missouri Transition Training Institute and support liaison activities during the event.
    If you are an experienced secondary special educator and would like to be considered as a Missouri transition liaison, please contact Marsha.Campe@dese.mo.gov for additional information. Applications will be due September 6, 2024. 
Assistive Technology Reimbursement Program (ATR)

Source: Missouri Assistive Technology

Intended Audience: Administrators, Special Education Directors, Special Education Instructors, Technology Directors

Date: August 26, 2024

The Assistive Technology Reimbursement (ATR) Program is accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year. The ATR Program provides reimbursement to school districts for the purchase of assistive technology devices and systems.

The program is open to any K-12 student who has an IEP and attends a local education agency or Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. The student’s IEP must indicate assistive technology is required and either a device trial or relevant evaluation must be conducted. Requested assistive devices or system should cost between $350 and $6,000. If a device or system is greater than $6,000, Missouri Assistive Technology (MoAT) will approve up to $6,000, and the school will be responsible for the remaining amount. Instructional software and therapeutic equipment are NOT eligible for reimbursement.

Examples of assistive devices eligible for reimbursement include augmentative and communication devices, braille note takers, embossers, text-to-speech software, iPads with assistive apps, electronic enlargers, personal FM systems, computer adaptations, etc.

Districts may submit applications on behalf of multiple students. Site licenses for items such as text-to-speech software may also be eligible for reimbursement.

ATR is made possible through funds provided by DESE’s Office of Special Education and administered by MoAT. Additional program information and the link to the program application are located at www.at.mo.gov/at-reimbursement-for-schools/.

For additional information, contact Kara Adams at 816-655-6709 or by email at KAdams@mo-at.org.

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: August 22, 2024

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-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.

Normally priced at $300, Project ACCESS is underwriting the cost of these two trainings for all participants and reducing the cost to $100 per participant to cover the cost of meeting halls, parking, refreshments, and breakfast for all days. Travel expenses are the responsibility of participants. Upon registration, Project ACCESS will reply and provide travel recommendations, parking information, etc. 

The first training will be the Verbal Behavior Bootcamp: Creating Intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Based Verbal Behavior Programs and is being offered twice in the fall at these locations and times:

The second training will be Establishing Basic Skills Training. Please note that prior Bootcamp attendance is required to attend. This training will be offered twice in the fall at these locations and times:

**Please note, this training is intended for those who have completed Bootcamp training previously. It is being offered to accommodate those individuals who have already completed Bootcamp at an earlier date.

More details and the registration links are available on the Project ACCESS website or by accessing the workshop flyers from our website (Basic Skills and Bootcamp). Please direct questions to Project ACCESS at projectaccess@missouristate.edu or call 866-481-3841 or 417-836-6657.