Dear MAISA Members,

Thank you all for a fantastic Mid-Winter Meeting! We covered a lot of ground, including an insightful session with Dr. Rice and a strong focus on our networks, councils, legislation, and hot topics. While there's so much happening, it's essential to share current updates, and we'll continue to update members as new information comes along in the coming days. 

In the meantime, here are my 3 things: 

1. Details and registration for the MAISA Spring Meeting, including hotel information. 

March 10 and 11, 2025

• Please note: The March 10 and 11 Spring Meetings are being held on Monday and Tuesday, which is a break from our regular schedule of Thursday and Friday meetings. This occurred as a result of an overlap with the 2025 AASA Conference; we will be back to the regular schedule next year (and so will AASA)! 

March 10, 2025

• 9:30 - 11:30 AM Board of Directors
• 10:00 - 11:00 AM Administrative Committee 
• 1:00 - 4:30 PM - General Membership Meeting

March 11, 2025

• 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM - General Membership Meeting
• Book your hotel for the 2025 MAISA Spring Meetings on March 10 and 11 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Flint
• To register for the conference, click here.

2. The MAISA Mid-Winter General Membership slide deck and MDE's memo on immigration, which Dr. Rice discussed. 

MAISA Membership Documents and Highlights:

• MAISA 2025 MidWinter Gen Membership Slidedeck - Jan 15, 2025
• MDE Memo (Special attention) MDE Guidance on the Responsibility to Educate Children Regardless of Citizenship and Immigration Status

3. Please find the transcript of Governor Whitmer's Road Ahead Address given during our membership meeting. As MAISA pursues education programs and initiatives legislatively in 2025, it is essential to understand the Governor's vision for Michigan. Once again, I want to thank you and our many lobbyists for your work on several legislative topics and challenges. We will continue advocating for those areas that further support our students and staff members.

Gov. Whitmer's speech (transcript) - Road Ahead Address

Our time in Grand Rapids flew by, but it was so rewarding to see everyone and witness your passion for ensuring success for all kids. If you have any questions or need clarification on anything, don't hesitate to reach out!

We Are Better Together,

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• Preschool Inclusion: A Primer 
• Early Math Instructional Practices: Using Games to Increase Math Fact Fluency
• Early Math January 2025 Update
• Michigan DataHub ROI Study and Webinar 
• ISD PR Network Communication Center
• GELN January 2025 Update 
• MiSEN January 2025 Updates
• MARSP Professional Development Scholarships
• Recommendations and Nominations are open for MASSP’s "Administrators of the Year"
• Leaders Deepen Learning Through Instructional Rounds
• MAISA Annual Legislative Report Process for 35a(7) Funding
• Michigan Association of Nurses SCECH course 
• Prekindergarten Training of Trainers (TOT)

One aspect discussed at the Early Childhood Summit was preschool inclusion. When this term was used, educators were referring to how children with disabilities are included within the general education setting, a multi-faceted challenge in Michigan. The following provides additional background information for those with limited experience in this area.  

First, take a look at the definition of the least restrictive environment in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In short, we should always consider how to include children with disabilities in settings with their non-disabled peers with appropriate modifications, accommodations, services, and supports before considering any other options.  

300.114 LRE requirements.

(a) General.

(1) Except as provided in §300.324(d)(2)(regarding children with disabilities in adult prisons), the State must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that public agencies in the State meet the LRE requirements of this section and §§300.115 through 300.120.

(2) Each public agency must ensure that—

(i) To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled; and

(ii) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Second, let’s look at the most current state data available: 

1. Michigan is required to collect educational environment data for each child ages 3 to 5. This data is reported in the State Performance Plan Annual Performance Report and is referred to as Indicators B6-A and B6-B.
2. B6-A: Percent of children 3 to 5 with IEPs attending a regular early childhood program and receiving special education and related services in the regular early childhood program.
3. B6-B: Percent of children 3 to 5 with IEPs attending a separate special education class, separate school, or residential facility.
4. In 2022-2023, for Indicator B6-A, about 21% of children attended a regular early childhood program and received the majority of their special education and related services in the regular early childhood program.
5. In 2022-2023, for Indicator B6-B, about 45% of children attended a separate special education class, separate school, or residential facility.¹  

₁Source: Michigan’s Center for Educational Performance and Information, 2022-23 Special Education Public Reporting - Indicator Report Statewide: Indicator Report: #6, Early Childhood Educational Environments: Ages 3-5 in Preschool. https://www.mischooldata.org/selected-indicator-reports/ (accessed December 16, 2024).

In sum, about one in every five children, 3 to 5, are receiving services alongside their non-disabled peers. Conversely, four out of five children receive special education services in segregated settings. In 2019, Michigan was ranked in the bottom 10% nationally for providing inclusive services to children with disabilities. We can do better! Nationally, approximately 44% of children 3 to 5 are educated alongside their non-disabled peers.

What you can do next?



• Review your ISD data by going to Selected Indicator Reports
• Choose your ISD from the drop-down menu on the left
• Choose the "Report Year" from the drop-down menu on the right
• Select "B06: Early Childhood Educational Environments: Ages 3-5 in Preschool"
• Click "Update Report"

• Familiarize yourself with how these items are coded into the Michigan School Data System (MSDS).

The following two links are resources to provide additional helpful information:

• Michigan Educational Worksheet for Coding Educational Environments
• Michigan Updated B6 Decision Tree for REporting Preschool Educational Environments for Children Ages 3-5 with IEPs

• Stay tuned for more information on Preschool Inclusion in the InSiDe Update.

₂ Source: Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. 2022 PART B FFY2020 SPP/APR INDICATOR ANALYSIS BOOKLET. Indicator 6: Preschool LRE, pp. 48-49. https://ectacenter.org/~pdfs/sec619/PartB-IndicatorAnalysis-FFY2020.pdf (accessed January 6, 2025).

If you need help or have any questions, contact Amy Brauer at abrauer@gomaisa.org.

View the full update here.

The Michigan Data Hub periodically conducts a Return on Investment (ROI) and Potential Cost Savings Study to assess its impact. The study serves as a benchmark goal for DataHub, driving efforts to surpass projected savings by eliminating duplicate integrations, connecting currently disjointed systems, and streamlining state reporting processes.

Read the full study here.

In addition to the study, MiDataHub will host an ROI Study webinar on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, via Zoom.

To register, click here.

Planned, two-way communication is key to building trust, resolving conflicts, and fostering mutual understanding. Communication is not only about relaying and receiving information but also about the way we perceive and interpret it.

Reframing is a communication method that can help stakeholders gain a new perspective/viewpoint on a message, idea, or situation by presenting it in a way that’s more relatable to the audience.

A group of ISD PR Network members and representatives from both the Special Education Instructional Leadership Network (SEILN) and the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education (MAASE) met on January 13 to begin work on reframing the seclusion and restraint discussion. The goal is to produce a communication tool that can be used to help minimize misunderstanding and misinterpretation and achieve mutual understanding among stakeholders about seclusion and restraint.

If you or a staff member would like to be included in this work, please contact Gerri Allen at gallen48@juno.com.

The group’s next meeting is set for Wednesday, February 19, at 3:30 p.m. EST, with subsequent meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. EST.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming ISD PR Network meeting

The ISD PR Network meets on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 8-10 a.m. via Zoom.

If you’d like to have a staff member added to the ISD PR Network listserv, please contact Gerri Allen at gallen48@juno.com.

Membership Agreement

MiSEN is implementing a Membership Agreement and a new invoice structure to be more transparent in fees associated with your connection. This invoice will include a membership fee based on your subscribed bandwidth. The 24/25 invoices will reflect the same amount as last year’s invoice, adjusted for any changes in subscribed bandwidth.

12c Consolidation Connectivity Grant 

MiSEN is excited to work with Shiawassee RESD to support the 12c Consolidation Connectivity Grant, connecting the entities identified in the connectivity feasibility study. This grant enables MiSEN to continue its current operations and support eligible educational entities in connecting to the State Education Network (SEN) for regional and state collaboration, high-speed transport and internet services, and cybersecurity protection (DDoS mitigation). We will reach out to the identified entities this month to gauge their interest in participating.

Current Procurement Opportunity - Hotspot & Bus WiFi RFP

MiSEN posted the RFP process for mobile broadband service for multiple provider awards on Dec 17, 2024. The bid opening will be held on February 4, 2025. Individual districts could then utilize this RFP award in their E-rate evaluations, saving districts time and effort. 

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Applications

MiSEN submitted two applications for State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) grants in partnership with MiSecure. One is for a statewide cybersecurity training effort for IT staff. The idea is to develop a cohort-style team to progress through a purchased training program together. They will meet regularly and proceed to obtain a credential/certification. This effort would build on the MiSecure community of practice. The requested amount was around $200,000 and would support approximately three people per ISD.

The other application would address network-level security on the MiSEN network. This request is under the MSP (managed service provider) category and addresses needs in the areas of threat protection and network monitoring.

The Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2025 Scholarship Program. 

Scholarships are available to all public school employees, regardless of current position, are eligible to support professional development courses, certification programs, or higher education degrees. Awards are determined based on professional goals, individual needs, and the potential impact on schools and students. Applications are accepted through March 31, 2025.

To learn more or to apply, head to www.marsp.org/future-retirees.

The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) is accepting recommendations and nominations for the Administrator of the Year awards to honor exemplary school leaders at the Middle and High School levels.

Do you know an outstanding building leader in Michigan who deserves recognition for all they do? Consider recommending or nominating them for an Administrator of the Year award! What is the difference?

• Recommendation Form: Suggest that a candidate, candidate's school, or school district consider officially nominating them for an Administrator of the Year Award. The form requests basic information and a few open-ended optional recommendation questions/statements. 

• Nomination Form: Officially submit a candidate/individual for an Administrator of the Year Award consideration. This form asks more detailed questions about the candidate, along with additional required information and documentation. 

For more information or to recommend or nominate a school leader, click here. https://massp.com/poty.

If you have any questions, please email maggie@massp.com or call (517) 327-5315.

On December 16-18, 2024, leaders from across the state recently gathered to participate in an early literacy and early math professional development session with Steve Seward focused on Instructional Rounds. This collaborative approach to learning and improvement provides educators with a structured framework for observing classrooms, analyzing teaching and learning, and developing actionable plans for improvement.

Participants delved into the "why, what, and how" of Instructional Rounds, exploring the rationale behind this powerful tool and its potential to enhance teaching and learning. Through interactive discussions and collaborative activities, leaders engaged with one another, sharing insights and experiences.

Participants explored how to adapt Instructional Rounds to their specific needs and challenges, considering the unique contexts of their schools and districts. By collaborating with colleagues and developing tailored plans, leaders gained valuable strategies for implementing Instructional Rounds effectively and driving meaningful professional learning and change within their districts.

After the initial training, participants had the unique opportunity to experience Instructional Rounds firsthand. They observed classroom instruction in action at Meridian Public Schools and Northview Public Schools, gaining valuable insights into the process. This hands-on experience allowed leaders to see Instructional Rounds in practice and to provide actionable feedback for growth to participating schools. Participants also gathered additional meaningful facilitation techniques that they can implement in their own settings. 

A special thanks to Meridian Public Schools and Northview Public Schools for their generous hospitality. By sharing their students and staff, these districts provided invaluable opportunities for participants to engage in authentic learning experiences.

A critical component of the funding requirements stated in the Legislative funding is that a report is submitted to the Legislators showing the work completed with the 35a(7) dollars. After the 23-24 Annual Report was shared with legislators, MAISA put new protocols in place to receive feedback on the report to begin work towards improvement and growth for the 24-25 report.   

The report was reviewed, with feedback provided by all of the 35a staff from MAISA (math and literacy teams), the Early Literacy Task Force, the ISD ELA consultant group, the General Education Leadership Network, and the ISD Superintendents.

Our goal is to continue using the feedback provided to not only build a stronger report to show evidence of the work being completed but, more importantly, to improve the support and learning being provided to all educators for a more effective impact on student growth and success. Our newest fiscal reporting cycle began on October 1, 2024, so the MAISA team is beginning the work of using feedback to improve our work and updating our data collection for more meaningful use.

View the full document here.

Visit the MAISA Event Site to view monthly calendars and upcoming meetings and events.