DPI Fall Updates: What School Psychologists Need to Know

Expanded Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS) A major shift this school year allows SBS billing based on medical necessity rather than strictly an IEP "educational need" for Medicaid-enrolled students ages 3–21. The expansion introduces new covered services and provider categories. Services require a formal plan, though it does not strictly need to be an IEP, broadening options for early intervention and support.

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SLD Progress Monitoring & Insufficient Progress Rules DPI has released a customizable SLD progress monitoring graphing tool to assist IEP teams in tracking student rates of improvement (ROI) across academic areas. Teams should align evaluation discussions with state decision rules, which define insufficient progress when a student's growth rate:

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• Fails to exceed same-age peers.

• Will not close the achievement gap in a reasonable timeframe.

• Requires general education resources at an unsustainable level of intensity.

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Behavioral Threat, Safety, and Disciplinary Procedures

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• Safety Protocols: Practitioners are reminded to align FBAs, Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM), and Risk Assessments with school- and non-school-based safety responses.
   

• Disciplinary Changes of Placement: Any disciplinary placement change requires immediate parent notification, procedural safeguards, IEP team service determination, and a Manifestation Determination within 10 school days.
   

• Conditional Reinstatements: Early reinstatement conditions post-expulsion must directly relate to the offense and be evaluated by an entity outside the student's local school administration.
   

Statewide Trends & Dispute Resolution DPI reports over 1,000 annual district calls, with top inquiries focusing on IEP Placement (188), Dispute Resolution (154), and IEP Implementation (70). State complaint trends highlight critical compliance focus areas, including accurate documentation for grade modifications, proper implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) without defaulting to shortened school days, and LRE determinations during private-to-public school transitions. Available dispute resolution avenues continue to include Facilitated IEPs, Mediation, IDEA State Complaints, and Due Process Hearings.