DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

FY26 Statement of Assurances, required for all Public Education Agencies, opens April 2, 2025 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the representative body for Special Education for Arizona, Exceptional Student Services (ESS), is required to annually obtain assurances from Public Education Agencies (PEAs) attesting that they are meeting the requirements under state and federal statutes. This requirement is completed via the Statement of Assurances application. 

Completing the annual Statement of Assurances is a requirement for all entities defined as a PEA, regardless of whether they get federal funds. Non-Public Organizations (NPOs) are exempt from this requirement.  

All PEAs must submit the FY26 Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the ESS Portal, accessed via ADEConnect.  

The application will open on April 2, 2025, and close for submissions on June 11, 2025. 

The SOA must be submitted by your Superintendent, Charter Holder, or Special Education Director before FY26 IDEA funding applications are approved in the Grants Management Enterprise system. 

• The PEA’s entity administrator must assign the role of ESS Special Education: Signer in ADEConnect to the individual who will review, sign, and submit the SOA. 

• PEAs that do not apply for IDEA funds are still required to submit the SOA. 

Once the role is assigned, please log in to ADEConnect, navigate to the Exceptional Student Services portal, and select the Statement of Assurances link under Surveys & Assurances:

The survey code will auto-populate for your PEA. Please select the “Yes” checkbox for each page to indicate your assurances for the requirements. 

Upon completion, the SOA can be printed for your records. If your PEA wants to ensure that the SOA was submitted, re-accessing the SOA will display the “Thank you for submitting” page. 

Please direct any questions to the ESS Data Management inbox. 

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) Team is pleased to announce the final installation of our 2024–2025 AT National Presenter series, Meaningful Activities to Increase Participation, Access & Communication for Students with Complex Bodies and Communication Needs, with Julie Marzano, M.S., OTR/L and Emily McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP. This presentation is intended for special education administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, related service providers, and assistive technology specialists.

Date/Time:                  Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Seats are limited; register now!) Please bring your own device

Fee:                                $25

Where:                          Gilbert Community Education Center

Address:                       6839 E. Guadalupe Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212

Julie Marzano, M.S., OTR/L, is a nationally certified occupational therapist who works and resides outside of Philadelphia, PA, with her husband and three children. She has over 20 years of experience working in the public school system and currently works at an approved private school serving students aged 3-21 with MANY abilities. Julie loves her job and enjoys the creative aspect of “thinking outside the box” to develop solutions from an OT perspective.

Emily McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a nationally certified and licensed speech-language pathologist. She worked in the public school setting for 12 years before transitioning to early intervention. Emily now works with the birth-to-three population in Pennsylvania. Emily lives with her husband and three children just a few streets away from Julie in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. 

Julie and Emily are co-creators of Fine Motor Boot Camp and Tooth Camp.

Workshop Description:

Only 2% of students with IEPs in the United States are classified as having multiple disabilities. This population is often underserved in our community. Individuals who work with children with multiple disabilities sometimes struggle to find new and exciting ways to meet the needs of these students. Let’s “think outside the box” and focus on what our students can do! Learn how to use a strengths-based approach to guide active and meaningful participation for our students with multiple disabilities and complex needs in the areas of literacy, math, vocation, and recreation/leisure. Attend and leave re-energized, creative, and equipped with cost-effective activities that can be easily implemented the next day.

Objectives:

• Understand and apply a strength-based approach, including the concepts of “presuming competence” and “presuming potential” for students with multiple and complex needs.
• Gain knowledge of basic language development and modes of communication.
• Define and differentiate between core and fringe vocabulary.
• Define “active participation” for students with complex needs.
• Develop skills to differentiate curriculum and activities to enhance active participation for students with multiple and complex needs.
• Define and understand “active communication responses.”
• Gain knowledge of assessments for communication, including switch, touchscreen, and eye-gaze access methods.
• Increase active participation and access to education for students with complex needs.
• Learn strategies for using switches to increase participation in activities of daily living (ADLs), group activities, math, English Language Arts (ELA), vocational tasks, and recreation/leisure activities.
• Explore Speech Generating Device mounting options and hacks.

Register for Meaningful Activities to Increase Participation, Access & Communication for Students with Complex Bodies and Communication Needs

If you have questions about this training, please email [email protected].

Are you overwhelmed by professional development? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Join the ADE/ESS Assistive Technology Team for our spring series, Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT). In these quick 30-minute sessions, we will highlight a single assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use to support your students.

Title:                JOT: Trello- How to Streamline Your Day and Reclaim Your Time

Presenters:     Rui Hernandez, M.S., CCC-SLP

Date:               Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Time:               11:30 AM-12:00 PM

Description: Overwhelmed with your never-ending to-do list? Come learn about Trello, a free, visual task management tool, and how it can help streamline your day. This webinar is specifically designed for educators and will explore practical applications like lesson planning, IEP tracking, parent communication, and resource management. Learn to create boards, lists, and cards to organize everything from daily tasks to long-term projects. Discover time-saving tips and tricks to boost productivity and reclaim your time. Walk away with actionable strategies to implement Trello immediately and conquer your daily chaos. Perfect for beginners, this webinar will empower you to work smarter, not harder!

Registration has closed. 

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email [email protected]

Revised 1.23.2026

On October 21, 2024, the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) approved a board rule change that impacts Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements, specifically secondary transition services. See this memo for more information about the secondary transition services rule change. In response, the ADE/ESS Program Support & Monitoring (PSM) unit and the Secondary Transition team are collaborating to provide an in-person professional development opportunity to gain clarity on the rule change and how to apply effective practices for stronger transition plans.  

Attendees will receive an overview of secondary transition planning requirements, implications for the 2024 Arizona State Board of Education rule changes, and effective practices. These trainings are geared towards school administrators, teachers, and other staff integral to transition planning and service delivery.

Register to reserve your spot now in Phoenix or Tucson. See the attached flyer for more information.

 If you have questions about this training, please email Veronica Reza.  

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT    

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, March 19, 2025  

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include:    

• Reminders  

• Trending topics  

• Top Three Integrity Errors 

• Q&A     

     Please register by clicking this link. Registration is required to attend. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.  

Do your students doubt their abilities when they experience challenges? Do they understand how to put forth effort and make progress toward their goals? Self-efficacy instruction can increase students’ belief in themselves and develop their ability to persist through learning challenges. 

The ADE/ESS, in collaboration with the University of Kansas Research Collaboration, is offering the College and Career Competencies Project, a free, one-year professional development series that includes:

• Free access to self-efficacy curricula at the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels with 25+ evidence-based instructional activities that teach 10 self-efficacy strategies.

• Virtual training across the school year to all staff, based on your professional learning calendar.
• Assessments to show student growth.
• Coaching support throughout the implementation process.

The Self-Efficacy curriculum, professional learning, and student progress measures are provided to all school staff across the school year. Training dates are established by each participating school.

The College and Career Competencies Project is accepting 7 more schools (elementary, middle, or high) for the 2025–2026 school year. Please note that funding for the project is contingent upon federal appropriations for the upcoming year.

To participate, have an administrator from your district complete the CCCs Project Interest Form, and schedule a 30-minute conference call about the project.

View our self-efficacy infographic, which includes the definition of self-efficacy and student impacts resulting from instruction.

For any questions, email Pattie Noonan.

The ADE/ESS Recruitment and Retention team is staffing a recruitment booth at the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) annual convention from March 11–15, 2025, as part of our recruiting efforts on behalf of all Arizona PEAs. Each year, CEC draws thousands of preservice special education students, teachers, and related service providers.  

  Our booth includes Arizona Department of Tourism brochures showcasing the diverse beauty of our state, materials pointing attendees to our job board, and, of course, the famous cactus pencils. 

  Following our attendance at national conventions, we typically see a dramatic uptick in Arizona Education Employment Board visitors. Please make sure that your special education positions are posted on our free job board as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity. 

 For additional information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox. 

There is still time to register for this spring’s virtual series on Universal Design for Learning.

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement and Inclusive Practices unit invites educators to its upcoming free virtual professional learning series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This series is an excellent opportunity to deepen your understanding of UDL principles and how they can be applied to create more inclusive, accessible learning environments for all students. These virtual sessions will focus on providing practical strategies that can be implemented across classroom settings, supporting the success of all learners. We encourage your schools to take advantage of these no-cost virtual learning sessions to deepen knowledge and understanding and enhance instructional practices to ensure every student succeeds.

Don’t miss the next session on March 6, 2025. The registration links can be found in the attached flyer.

If you have any questions, contact Academic Achievement and Inclusive Practices at [email protected].

The ADE/ESS Program Support & Monitoring (PSM) unit and the Secondary Transition team are collaborating to provide training in response to the Arizona State Board Rule Change for Secondary Transition Services. Join this in-person-only Professional Development opportunity to gain clarity on the rule change and how to apply effective practices for stronger transition plans.  

Attendees will receive an overview of transition planning requirements, implications for the 2024 Arizona State Board of Education rule changes, and effective practices. These trainings are geared towards school administrators, teachers, and other staff integral to transition planning and service delivery.

Please choose one of the following dates/times at your convenience, as it will not be recorded, and each session covers the same content. 

Title: Getting Ahead to Go Beyond: Secondary Transition Changes and Considerations 
Dates: Wednesday, April 2, and Thursday, April 3, 2025 
Times: 9:00–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–3:00 p.m. (select one) 
Where: ADE South Campus 
Address: 1535 W Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85007 

Title: Getting Ahead to Go Beyond: Secondary Transition Changes and Considerations 
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 
Times: 9:00–11:30 a.m. and 12:30–3:00 p.m. (select one) 
Where: State of Arizona Complex  
Address: 400 W Congress, Tucson, AZ 85701 

Space is limited! Please register now for Getting Ahead to Go Beyond: Secondary Transition Changes and Considerations.

If you have questions about this training, please email Veronica Reza.  

Are you concerned about the current rate of suspensions and expulsions at your school or district? Do you feel students are losing valuable class time due to disruptions and other behavior problems? Are teachers struggling to be successful with classroom management? Are administrators spending too much time dealing with discipline issues?  If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you might find the solution in Multi-Tier Behavior Supports.

Multi-Tier Behavior Supports (MTBS) is a three-year training series that will assist district, charter, or school teams with the development of a school-wide approach for positive behavior management practices. This training is based on School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (SW-PBIS) evidence-based elements. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) notes that “the IEP Team shall, in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior” (20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(3)(B)(i)). 

Several free informational webinars are being offered to outline additional details about the MTBS model, the three-year training sequence, the readiness requirements, and the process for applying.  Attendance at one of the informational webinars is the first readiness requirement necessary for participation in the training series.

If you are interested in learning more and/or starting the readiness process, review the attached flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for February 19 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for February 19 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to ten teams and only one team from each district. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until all seats are filled. Completed applications must be submitted by April 2 at 5:00 p.m.

The special education director is required to attend the readiness webinar for a PEA/district team. The principal is required to attend the readiness webinar for a school team.

Please see the MTBS 2025 flyer for additional information. If you have questions, please contact Celeste Nameth.