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
- 2026 Postsecondary Transition Training Institute – Facing the Future – Together
Source: Marsha Campe, Assistant Director, Special Education Effective Practices
Intended Audience: Superintendents, Middle and High School Principals, Special Education Directors, General and Special Education Teachers, Counselors, School Psychologists, and Parents
Date: May 29, 2026
Registration for the Postsecondary Transition Training Institute (PTTI) 2026 is now open. The institute will take place on June 23-25, 2026, in Columbia, MO, at the Wyndham Executive Center.
This year’s institute will feature a wide range of sessions focused on postsecondary transition, including agency collaboration, postsecondary transition assessments, postsecondary planning, community partnerships, employment, independent living, technology, postsecondary education, compliance, and instructional practices.
Sessions are designed for educators, agency personnel, families, and anyone who works with and supports individuals with varying abilities. Missouri educators and agencies are doing impactful work, and this institute is an opportunity to learn, connect, and share those successes.
You can access registration at Postsecondary Transition Training Institute registration. If you have any questions, please contact Marsha Campe at marsha.campe@dese.mo.gov.
- American Council of the Blind Convention
Source: Missouri School for the Blind and Office of Special Education
Intended Audience: Low and visually impaired (VI) individuals, parents, educators and administrators who instruct/work with blind and VI individuals
Date: May 22, 2026
The 2026 American Council of the Blind (ACB) conference and convention will be held from July 24-31, 2026, at the St. Louis Hyatt Regency Arch Hotel located at 315 Chestnut Street, St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout the week, this hybrid conference/convention will offer virtual, in-person, and combined virtual/in-person sessions. Educators/administrators who instruct/work with blind and vision impaired individuals as well as those who have an interest in learning more about blindness/vision impairment are encouraged to attend/participate.
Registration opens May 28, 2026, for members and June 4, 2026, for non-ACB members.
Visit the ACB Convention website for more information.
- Blind and Low Vision Students Summer Work Opportunities
Source: Blind Task Force and Special Education Effective Practices
Intended Audience: Special Education Teachers, Counselors, Parents, Students
Date: May 22, 2026
Rehabilitation Services for the Blind is providing opportunities for students who have vision loss and are 16 years old or older to work around the state of Missouri this summer. These work experiences can last between four to eight weeks. Students will be paid minimum wage and will gain crucial work experience and soft skills. If your child is interested in working this summer, please reach out to Samantha Rohr, Transition Services Coordinator, Rehabilitation Services for the Blind at 573-751-4959.
- Project ACCESS Local Community Autism Resource Map
Source: James Bouslaugh, Director, Special Education Effective Practices
Intended Audience: District special education staff who support parents through a parent program, parents or guardians of children with autism, or anyone who knows of a local autism resource
Date: May 22, 2026
Project ACCESS is publishing an online map of local crowd-sourced sensory friendly or neurodiversity supporting establishments (hair stylists, dentists, movie theaters, therapy clinics, etc.) and is actively recruiting school liaisons to help distribute resource submission forms and to help monitor submissions in their area. The resource can be integrated into a school district parent/guardian support program.
Access to the map, to the resource submission form, and to the registration link for signing up to be a community liaison can be found on the Community Autism Resources in Missouri page on the Project ACCESS website.
For more information, contact Project ACCESS at projectaccess@missouristate.edu or by calling 417-836-6657.
- Blind and Low Vision Students Summer Opportunities – Smart Social Navigation
Source: Blind Task Force and Special Education Effective Practices Section
Intended Audience: Special Education Teachers, Counselors, Parents, Students
Date: May 19, 2026
Rehabilitation Services for the Blind is providing a weeklong training for students to work on soft skills and employment skills. Smart Social Navigation will take place July 13-17, 2026, in St. Louis. Students will work on their networking skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, and much more to prepare them for the world of work.
If your child is interested in attending Smart Social Navigation, please reach out to Samantha Rohr, Transition Services Coordinator, Rehabilitation Services for the Blind at 573-751-4959.
- 2026-27 IDEA Part B Budget Application Now Open
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Superintendents, Financial Administrators
Date: May 18, 2026
The 2026-27 IDEA Part B Budget Application is now open for data entry and is due by 11:59 p.m. on July 1, 2026. Applications submitted on or before July 1 will be substantially approved as of July 1, while applications submitted after July 1 will be substantially approved as of the submission date.
Districts may not begin obligating federal IDEA Part B 611 (Part B 611 and ECSE 611) and federal IDEA Part B 619 (ECSE 619) funds until the substantially approved date of the budget application. Districts must follow the Obligation Date Chart in accordance with 34 CFR Part 76.707 when obligating federal funds. The budgeted amounts on the budget grid should only include expenditures that will be obligated from the substantially approved budget application date through June 30 and paid with federal funds. The district may have allocation amounts for IDEA Part B 611, ECSE 611, and ECSE 619. A brief description of each is included below.
IDEA Part B 611 Allocation
Current year IDEA Part B 611 federal funds are the portion of federal IDEA Part B 611 funds calculated for public school special education and related services for students with disabilities in grades K-12. However, districts can spend any IDEA Part B 611 funds on special education and related services for students with disabilities ages 3-21.
ECSE 611 Allocation
ECSE 611 federal funds are intended for special education and related costs for students with disabilities ages 3-5 served in an ECSE program. Only districts with a prior year 3-5 PK December 1 child count will have an ECSE 611 amount. If the district does not anticipate having ECSE expenditures, the ECSE 611 funds may be spent on K-12 special education expenditures.
ECSE 619 Allocation
ECSE 619 federal funds are intended for special education and related costs for students with disabilities ages 3-5 served in an ECSE program. All districts with a kindergarten program receive a federal IDEA Part B 619 allocation. These funds may be budgeted for students with disabilities ages 3-5 served in an ECSE program, child find costs, or costs for students with disabilities age 5 served in a kindergarten program, once the student turns six, these funds can no longer be used. The district may choose to forfeit a portion or all these funds if they cannot be spent on allowable costs.
Maintenance of Effort
When budgeting non-federal funds for Maintenance of Effort (MOE), districts should determine what state, local, and/or county funding sources will be used to fund the special education program and ensure that, depending on how the district plans to meet MOE, enough is budgeted to meet MOE for eligibility. Budgeted MOE must include all ECSE and K-12 special education expenditures paid with state, local, and county funds the district anticipates from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
A step-by-step guide for completing and submitting the 2026-27 IDEA Part B Budget Application is available here.
A quick reference sheet for coding expenditures paid with federal, state, local, and/or county funds is available here.
Information regarding ECSE federal funding can be found in the ECSE Federal Funding FAQ here.
Questions may be directed to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.- Parent Advisors for MoSPIN/Missouri Statewide Parent Involvement Network
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: May 15, 2026
MoSPIN provides in-home education and empowerment to parents who have a young child with a visual impairment who may also have additional disabilities. You could become a parent advisor for MoSPIN 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 our INSITE training. Training takes place July 20-24, 2026, with two days of virtual and three days of in person training. Willingness to travel to nearby communities is necessary.
If you just want to learn more about the impact of a visual impairment on infants and toddlers, you can attend as a participant. You will attend Tuesday through Thursday only. See application link below.
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: INSITE Application
For more information on MoSPIN, please visit our MoSPIN website.
- Professional learning to increase knowledge for students who have low vision/blindness and/or combined hearing and vision impairments
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
Date: May 15, 2026
Hand in Hand: Understanding Deafblindness provides instructional strategies and practices specific to the education of students with combined vision and hearing loss with or without additional disabilities. The course is taught by specialists in the field of DeafBlindness. This upskill training addresses such topics as common causes of DeafBlindness, communication needs of learners with DeafBlindness, and instructional strategies shown to be most impactful for this population of learners. Follow-up coaching and mentoring is available from Missouri DeafBlind Project staff to deepen comfort levels with real in-class application.
The fall 2026 Hand In Hand: Understanding Deafblindness course will be presented October 19-23, 2026, and will be in person and hands on! No cost to attend.
Registration and course information are found at the Outreach Professional Development website.
For additional information, contact Ashley Foley, DeafBlind Coordinator at ashley.foley@msb.dese.mo.gov or (314) 633-1587
- FY 26 IDEA Proportionate Share Carryover Release Requests
Source: Special Education Finance
Intended Audience: Special Education Directors, Financial Administrators
Date: May 15, 2026
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 26 Proportionate Share Carryover Release Request is due June 15, 2026. Proportionate Share Carryover Release Requests after this date will require the district to contact the Special Education Finance section.
When considering releasing proportionate share carryover funds, districts may use the Proportionate Share Release and Carryover Calculator 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 2025-26 Special Education IDEA Part B Budget Application Revision must be created and submitted to budget the released carryover funds under a function code other than 1224 and/or 2557. The current year proportionate share amount must remain budgeted under function code 1224 and/or 2557, along with any expended proportionate share carryover.
Questions may be directed by email to spedfunding@dese.mo.gov.
- Special Education Director Academy
Source: Office of Special Education
Intended Audience: New Special Education Directors, Returning Special Education Directors, Superintendents
Date: May 5, 2026
The Office of Special Education will host the in‑person Special Education Director Academy (SEDA) on July 14-16, 2026, at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Columbia, Missouri. Check in will begin at 9:00 a.m. on July 14 and will close at 12:30 p.m. on July 16.
Session topics will include:
• Data
• Compliance
• Early Childhood Special EducationThe primary audience is new special education directors with fewer than three years of experience.
SEDA registration is free. Breakfast and lunch will be provided in limited quantities. To register, visit Special Education Directors | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. A detailed schedule is available on the registration portal.
All other expenses, including lodging, travel, and additional meals, are the responsibility of the local education agency.
Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center has a block of rooms reserved for SEDA participants. For booking information, call 1‑573‑442‑6400 (option 2) or go online. Use the code DESESEDA0726.
If you have questions or need special accommodations, please contact speddata@dese.mo.gov.
- Missouri State University Announces a Renewed Blindness and Low Vision Program for Educators Interested in Becoming a Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Source: Kristin Funk, Assistant Director, Special Education Effective Practices
Intended Audience: Any educator with a bachelor’s degree (an education degree is preferred but not required) who is interested in earning DESE certification in Blindness and Low Vision (K–12), a master’s degree, or a graduate certificate in TVI
Date: April 15, 2026
Educators can make a life-changing difference for individuals with visual impairments by gaining foundational knowledge and practical skills to improve equity and access to education. Courses in this program reflect new competencies in early intervention, CVI-multiple disabilities, transition, and the BRITE Act. The program is fully online with field experiences arranged in the candidate’s local area. DESE provides funding for tuition waivers to increase the number of teachers with Missouri teaching certification in BLV and education-related professionals. Partial scholarships in the form of tuition waivers are available to students who agree to teach and/or serve in a Missouri school or agency for three years. Contact the program director below to see if you qualify for financial support. The program begins fall 2026 and applications are being accepted now. Please consider joining our supportive professional community by applying today.
Please direct questions or comments to the program director, Dr. Chris Craig at ChrisCraig@missouristate.edu or by calling 417-836-5215.