Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support PEA staff with free Virtual Learning Opportunities this Fall. 

STAR Online Learning System (SOLS) Workshop

STAR Online Learning System (SOLS) is designed to allow your PEA to provide access to all students through remote learning opportunities. Through teacher facing, evidence-based lesson plans and a scope and sequence that provides scaffolded learning opportunities, teachers can provide their students individualized learning opportunities. The focus of the instruction uses the evidence-based practices appropriate for students with autism to teach skills in critical areas. This comprehensive workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009) remotely using SOLS.

2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented and detailed information on the three evidenced-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and teaching through functional routines are shared.  If registered as a team, you will also be eligible to apply for free coaching hours.

2-Day Links Comprehensive Workshop

This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines. If registered as a team, you will also be eligible to apply for free coaching hours.

Early Childhood Learning Workshop

This workshop will provide preschool staff, child­care staff and quality first coaches with a greater under­standing of working with children with autism spectrum disorders. Topics discussed will include learning characteris­tics, behavioral strategies and simple activities to encourage social and language skill development. This workshop will provide specific examples of evidence-based practices that can be implemented immediately in the childcare and pre­school setting.

Supporting Students in General Education Workshop

This workshop will provide general education teachers and staff an introduction to how students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learn. Examples of simple classroom strategies and tools to help students with ASD be successful in general education classrooms will be provided. Learning outcomes include identifying the characteristics of students with ASD and how these characteristics impact learning, identifying evidence-based strategies to address the learning needs of students with ASD, and identifying a few simple tools to help your students with ASD learn.

Coaching and Training Site Workshop

This workshop is designed to train certified PEA staff to coach others in the evidence-based strategies and instructional content as used in the STAR Program. SAS provides a series of coach workshops for staff to learn to coach others along with on-site follow-up training at their school district sites. SAS has a fidelity of implementation checklist that is used to identify specific training needs for each coach. Once a trainee has completed all aspects of the training and is able to demonstrate the needed skills, they are eligible to receive a certificate as a STAR Coach that is provided by SAS.

Parent Training Session

The parent training class series provides information and training on topics of interest to parents. These classes discuss evidence-based instructional strategies and effective strategies for parents to use at home with their children. Skills addressed include communication, play and social, behavioral, and self-management. All classes in the series use lecture, demonstration, video, and discussion to present the information. The sessions are designed as a series, but it is not necessary to attend all sessions to benefit from these classes.

Paraprofessional Training Series

This workshop series provides paraprofessionals with key strategies and a demonstration of implementing lessons found in the Links Curriculum and STAR Pogrom for students. Participants will also learn how to use basic behavior principles to assess student’s challenging behaviors, identify appropriate interventions that match assessment results, and determine whether an intervention is working.

PEAs are also encouraged to contact STAR Autism Support if they would like additional individualized support during this time for their teachers, related service staff members, and paraprofessionals! Click here to learn more about these additional support opportunities.

We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!  Please contact Bekah Anderson [email protected] or Christy Hegebush [email protected] for questions or assistance.

Please share the following details about upcoming professional learning opportunities for general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Building Bridges: Developing Relationships and Establishing Rigor!

We know that, as special education and general education teachers, you typically work with students who have various strengths, and we are here to support you in making it all work!

Join us as we spend time on starting the year off right to foster a positive math community and to establish classroom norms for deep learning with a focus on strength-based teaching. Our content focus will be on making connections across grade bands.  You will leave with resources that will support building your classroom community as well as maximizing student learning with grade-level content that can be used the first day of school and beyond!

For grades K–2, please register for one of the following:

• Monday, July 12 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 14 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 20 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Thursday, July 22 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.

For grades 3–5, please register for one of the following:

• Monday, July 12 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 14 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, July 20 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Thursday, July 22 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.

For grades 6–8, please register for one of the following:

• Tuesday, July 13 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Friday, July 16 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Monday, July 19 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 21 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.

For High School Algebra and Geometry, please register for one of the following:

• Tuesday, July 13 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.
• Friday July 16 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Monday July 19 from 9:00–11:00 a.m.
• Wednesday July 21 from 12:00–2:00 p.m.

Note: accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce the opening of registration for Arizona's 2021 IDEA Virtual Conference, Renewal: Resilience to Results, scheduled for September 13–15, 2021.

The conference registration fee for professionals is $100.00 and can be paid by credit card, check, or purchase order.

Information about conference keynotes can be found on the conference webpage, which will continue to be updated throughout the summer.

Questions about the conference or registration can be sent to [email protected].

Please share the following details about upcoming professional learning opportunities for general and special education teachers who teach algebra.

Algebra Tiles Part 1: Exploration of Algebraic Expressions

Wednesday, July 7 from 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 1.

In this webinar, we will explore the properties of virtual algebra tiles and the use of these tiles in simplifying expressions and adding and subtracting algebraic expressions.

Algebra Tiles Part 2: Exploration of Substitution and Solving Equations

Wednesday, July 7 from 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 2.

In this webinar, we will explore the use of virtual algebra tiles to visualize substitution and to solve equations.

Algebra Tiles Part 3: Exploration of Algebra Tiles in Multiplying Binomials and Dividing Quadratic Equations

Thursday, July 8 from 9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 3.

In this webinar, we will explore the use of virtual algebra tiles to multiply binomials and to divide quadratics.

Algebra Tiles Part 4: Exploration of Algebra Tiles in Factoring Quadratic Expressions and Completing the Square

Thursday, July 8 from 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 4.

In this webinar, we will explore the use of virtual algebra tiles to factor quadratic expressions and to complete the square.

Attendance at all sessions is recommended but not required. These sessions will not be recorded. Participants can earn 1.5 hours of professional development credit per session attended.

A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session.

Algebra Tiles Open Practice Session

Friday, July 9 from 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Open Practice Session.

Come to this session to refine your understanding of working with algebra tiles.

Attendance at a prior algebra tiles session is required to attend this session. Participants can earn two hours of professional development credit for this session.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors, 

Please share the following details about upcoming professional learning opportunities for general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers

June 22, 2021 9:00–10:30 a.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the addition and subtraction of integers. We will apply and extend previous understandings of operations with whole numbers to create zero-sum pairs.  Additionally, we will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks.

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers

June 22, 2021 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the multiplication and division of integers. We will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. Attendance at the Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers session is not required to attend this session but recommended. 

Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers

June 25, 2021 1:00–2:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers.

Come to this session to refine your understanding of working with integers.

Attendance at any prior “Count Me In! Integers” session is required to attend this practice session. 

A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in each session.

Note: accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar.

Please e-mail email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support your staff with free summer Virtual Professional Development. 

STAR Comprehensive 2-Day Workshop

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented and detailed information on the three evidenced-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and teaching through functional routines are shared.

Click here to register: May 31 - June 1 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

Click here to register: June 8-9 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

LINKS Comprehensive 2-Day Workshop

This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines. Participants will learn how to use the evidence-based strategies of discrete trial training, use of visual supports and the use of modeling strategies to teach critical skills. 

Click here to register: May 31 - June 1 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

Click here to register: June 8-9 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

STAR Remote Learning Workshop (SOLS)

STAR Online Learning System (SOLS) is designed to allow your school district to provide access to all students through remote learning opportunities. Through teacher facing, evidence-based lesson plans and a scope and sequence that provides scaffolded learning opportunities, teachers can provide their students individualized learning opportunities. The focus of the instruction uses the evidence-based practices appropriate for students with autism to teach skills in critical areas. This comprehensive workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009) remotely using SOLS. 

Click here to register for one session: June 2 | 8:00am-10:00am; 10:00am-12:00pm; 1:00pm-3:00pm PDT

Click here to register for one session: June 7 | 8:00am-10:00am; 10:00am-12:00pm; 1:00pm-3:00pm PDT

STAR Consistency of Implementation Workshop

This one-day workshop provides participants a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based STAR Program. The focus of the workshop is on fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and use of data collection for instructional decision making. The workshop will engage participants in hands-on practice activities to become fluent in the instructional strategies of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and teaching functional routines as described in the STAR Program.

Click here to register: June 3 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

Paraprofessional Training Series Workshop

This workshop series provides paraprofessionals with key strategies and a demonstration of implementing lessons and routines found in the Links Curriculum for middle and secondary students. Participants will also learn how to use basic behavior principles to assess student’s challenging behaviors, identify appropriate interventions that match assessment results, and determine whether an intervention is working.

Click here to register: June 4 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

Click here to register: June 10 | 9:00am-3:00pm PDT

General Education Workshop

This workshop will provide general education teachers and staff an introduction to how students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) learn. Examples of simple classroom strategies and tools to help students with ASD be successful in general education classrooms will be provided. Learning outcomes include identifying the characteristics of students with ASD and how these characteristics impact learning, identifying evidence-based strategies to address the learning needs of students with ASD, and identifying a few simple tools to help your students with ASD learn.

Click here to register for one session: June 11 | 9:00am-11:00am; 1:00pm-3:00pm PDT

PEAs are also encouraged to contact STAR Autism Support if they would like additional individualized support during this time for their teachers, related service staff members, and paraprofessionals! Click here to learn more about these additional support opportunities: https://starautismsupport.com/arizona-training-summer-sessions

We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!

Looking to provide your new special education teachers with the supports they’ll need for success? Teach Camp is here to help! Registration for Teach Camp is open until June 18, 2021 on a first-come, first-served basis using the link below.

Register for Teach Camp.

Teach Camp is a year-long support system that includes professional learning specifically designed for beginning special education teachers. The goal of Teach Camp is to increase retention of special educators by providing our newest special education teachers with the tools they need to survive and thrive during their first years in the classroom.

Teach Camp will launch virtually this summer and is designed for special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in the fall of 2021. Because Teach Camp was not held this year, we are including third-year teachers in this year’s camp. Recent graduates from traditional teacher preparation programs, alternative certified teachers, and veteran general education teachers transitioning to special education are all welcome.

The cost of participation in Teach Camp is $150 and includes a three-day virtual summer “camp” from July 7–9, 2021, three after-school webinars with national speakers, and a one-day, in-person session in May 2022. Each  camper will receive a copy of The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers, a one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children, and additional valuable resources.

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. For more information about Teach Camp, please visit the ESS Teach Camp webpage.

Special Education Directors,

Please share this professional learning opportunity with your staff who engage in special education evaluations. Please join us on Monday, June 7 from 1:00 p.m.–2:15 p.m. for “Demystifying ESS Programmatic Monitoring,” a collaborative presentation between ADE/ESS and the Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP).

Together, leaders from ESS Program Supporting and Monitoring and AASP will provide clarification on some commonly misunderstood evaluation topics and share some tricks of the trade. This content is geared for evaluators and authors of evaluations, but all practitioners can benefit.

Please click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Participant registration is first-come, first-served. Please email Sherri Schwindt with questions regarding this professional learning opportunity. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following message about upcoming math professional learning with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

June Math Office Hours

The ADE Math Team has scheduled office hours to allow educators to meet together to network, problem-solve, and develop solutions to allow all Arizona teachers and students to continue to feel supported and to be successful.

Grade-band meetings are provided for all math teachers, including special education teachers! These grade-band meetings will include opportunities for networking, problem solving, and sharing different implementation models. Office hours are one hour long with an additional 30 minutes at the end for a Q & A session. Participants can earn one hour of professional development credit for each session attended.

Elementary Math Office Hours (Grades K–5)

Wednesday, June 2 from 9:00–10:00 a.m. with Q & A from 10:00–10:30 a.m.

Register in advance for the Grades K–5 meeting.

Middle School Math Office Hours (Grades 5–8)

Thursday, June 3 from 9:00–10:00 a.m. with Q & A from 10:00–10:30 a.m.

Register in advance for the Grades 5–8 meeting.

High School Math Office Hours (Grades 8–12)

Thursday, June 3 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. with Q & A from 1:00–1:30 p.m.

Register in advance for the Grades 8–12 meeting.

Note: accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar.

Please e-mail email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS is pleased to announce additional training opportunities for Arizona’s schools with The Neurosequential Model Network led by Dr. Bruce Perry. The trainings will assist schools in dealing with trauma and its effects on students. There are two training programs available to schools:

Neurosequential Model in Education

The Neurosequential Model in Education (NME) draws upon the neurodevelopmentally informed, biologically respectful perspective on human development and functioning to help educators understand student behavior and performance. The goals of NME are to educate faculty and students in basic concepts of neurosequential development and then teach them how to apply this knowledge to the teaching and learning process. NME is not a specific “intervention;” rather, it is a way to educate school staff about brain development and developmental trauma and then to further teach them how to apply that knowledge to their work with students in and outside the classroom, particularly those students with adverse childhood experiences. This training is for classroom teachers and is a trainer-of-trainers model, and participants will be equipped to bring strategies back to their schools. See the attached document that provides further details about the training expectations.

Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a developmentally informed, biologically-respectful approach to working with at-risk children and is a way to organize a child’s history and current functioning. The goal of this approach is to structure the assessment of a child, the articulation of the primary problems, the identification of key strengths, and the application of interventions (educational, enrichment, and therapeutic) in a way that will help family, educators, therapists, and related professionals best meet the needs of the child. (This training is for Master’s level school social workers, school counselors, or school psychologists.) See the attached document that provides further details about the training expectations.

Please join the Neurosequential Model Network for an informational session on May 19, 2021 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. to learn more about the trainings and hear from other Arizona schools who have been learning and implementing the model for over a year. Admission into the training series will require attendance at the webinar (or viewing of the recorded webinar) and submission of an application provided at the conclusion of the webinar on May 19. The cost of the training is $150.

Please click here to register for the informational session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Email Aanya Rispoli any questions you have about this professional learning opportunity.