Title: Manifestation Determination and PSSP Admin Training
Date: 6/11/26, 6/24/26, 6/25/26
To: All administrators in a building
From: Erin Anderson, Director of Special Education
Subject: Manifestation Determination Training
Action required: Register for a training day
Background:
A manifestation determination (MD) is required within 10 school days of a code-of-conduct violation that may result in discipline to determine if the conduct in question was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the student's disability. In an MD, the district, parent, and relevant IEP team members review the IEP, teacher observations, parent input, and other relevant information to determine whether the conduct was related to the disability or resulted from the school’s failure to implement the IEP.
School administrators need to be prepared to conduct an MD because these meetings protect student rights, ensure the district follows special education requirements, and help teams make appropriate decisions about discipline, services, behavior supports, and placement. A well-conducted manifestation determination keeps the focus on both student safety and the school’s responsibility to provide supports required by the IEP.
Summary:
Completing this training will equip administrators to manage MD meetings and navigate components of PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP). After completing this training, administrators will be able to access PSSP to send notices and record meeting notes and decisions. This training will be offered in July in a hybrid format. Make-up sessions will be available in August for administrators who are newly hired or unable to attend the July sessions.
All administrators are required to:
- Complete the MD course pre-work in Canvas (link to class will be sent when you register)
- Attend a 3-hour in-person training session
Registration for training sessions is available in KickUp (click on Clever > KickUP > Special Education PD - MD and PSSP – Option 1 or Option 2)
Training Dates (Pick ONE):
- Thursday, July 2 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Board Room
- Wednesday, July 15 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Board Room
Rationale:
This training is designed to equip administrators with the knowledge and skills necessary to independently facilitate Manifestation Determination meetings without the required presence of a Special Education or 504 Consultant. Building this capacity will provide school teams with greater scheduling flexibility and improve overall understanding of when and how MD meetings should be conducted.
Expectations for Implementation:
- Pre-Training Requirement
- Complete the Manifestation Determination (MD) course pre-work in Canvas prior to attending the in-person training session.
- Training Completion
- Attend and actively participate in the 3-hour in-person training.
- Application of Learning
- Apply acquired knowledge and skills during all Manifestation Determination (MD) meetings throughout the school year.
- Conduct site MD meetings with support from a SPED Consultant, SPED Coordinator, or Director (up to five times before moving to independent MD meetings).
- Record information correctly on MD documents in PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP).
- After demonstrating proficiency, independently facilitate MD meetings (support from the Specail Education division is always available in cases that are particularly complex).
- Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
- Conduct monthly reviews of the Stop-Light Report to ensure timely completion of evaluations and IEPs.
