The MDE Special Education Division sponsors the program with the assistance of two project consultants. The Dream Catcher project model has potential benefits for and has expanded to other marginalized groups of students, including students of African heritage. Significant portions of IHSL funding come from special education funding sources. For over 30 years, MDE has provided professional development and support to the IHSL group. IHSLs help Minnesota schools and districts communicate better with families of American Indian students that have disabilities or that schools are evaluating for special education. ![]() The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the IHSL program also enjoy a long-standing partnership. The Dream Catcher Project started in the American Indian communities of Minnesota because a higher proportion of American Indian students receive special education than any other group, especially in the category of E motional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Schools trained in this project become like dream catchers to youth, filtering through information to see what is meant and guiding youth to a successful future. The Dream Catcher Project works like a real dream catcher. Dream catchers filter messages, catching in the web the messages meant to scare and confuse, then allowing the guidance in dreams to come through the web. Minnesota’s Dakota and Ojibwe communities both recognize dream catchers. ![]() ![]() The Dream Catcher Project began in 2015 with a small number of pilot sites and has grown, with five to eight new districts joining each year. This helps schools make better evaluations and include cultural perspectives in decisions they make about students. The Dream Catcher Project trains IHSLs or cultural staff to work with special educators to observe students’ behavior. The Dream Catcher Project acts with intentionality to ensure full participation of Indian Home School Liaisons (IHSLs) or cultural staff in this process. Oftentimes, there is no one on the intervention and problem-solving team who represents the cultural or ethnic community of the student. When deciding whether a student should get special education, schools have to rule out cultural or linguistic differences as the primary cause of a student’s problems in school.
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