Do You Have Questions for MDE?
Please check the MDE COVID-19 Information webpage before emailing your questions to MDE staff. We regularly add guidance, answers to questions and links to our daily update email. Daily updates are posted in the Administrator News section of the EdUpdate.
AP Coordinator Webinar
AP has a webpage with Updates for Schools Affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19). On Friday, there is a webinar specifically for AP Coordinators to learn about changes to exams, ordering, fees, and more. They can register by clicking here.
Student/Parent Webinar
With schools closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, we know that parents and guardians are helping their students navigate remote learning. As an AP student, your child has been working hard all year, and we want to give them the opportunity to complete their AP courses and exams. Join us for an April 16 webinar hosted by Trevor Packer, head of the AP Program, to learn more about at-home testing, the exam schedule, and AP review classes. He’ll interview an AP teacher about how to best prepare for exams and a representative from college admissions about how students can earn college credit and placement with exam scores.
Educating All Learners Alliance
As school buildings across the country remain closed, one of the core questions educators and school leaders are addressing is how to ensure learning continues for all students, including students with disabilities. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) joined nearly 30 education advocacy and disability rights organizations to form the Educating All Learners Alliance, dedicated to ensuring equity for all learners and the continuity of special education services during remote instruction. EducatingAllLearners.org features a hub of curated tools, strategies, tips and best practices for supporting students with disabilities online. Educators may use the website to learn and share their own tools and ideas.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Webinar
The MDE will host a webinar on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m. to provide an overview of the federal CARES Act. The focus of the Education Stabilization Fund and the waivers offered to states by the United States Department of Education (ED). This webinar will be of particular interest to superintendents, business managers, federal programs directors, school improvement directors, special education directors, and CTE directors. To register for this webinar, please click here. The MDE has not yet received final guidance or funds from ED regarding the implementation of the CARES Act.
REQUIRED ACTION FOR SUPERINTENDENTS: District Learning-at-Home Plan
The MDE is gathering information from districts to better understand how you are supporting continued student learning during the extended school closure. We are particularly interested in how your district is delivering content to students, what content your district is using with students, and how your district plans to calculate student grades. Additionally, through the collection of these plans, we are confirming that districts are serving all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. This plan does not require lengthy responses and should only take a few minutes to complete. Read instructions here for completing your District-Name-2019-20-Learning-at-Home-Plan. The plan is due by 5 p.m. April 10.