The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for Teach Camp is now open!  

Teach Camp provides professional learning and supports specifically designed for beginning special education teachers. Teach Camp aims to increase the 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 is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in the fall of 2024. Recent graduates from traditional teacher preparation programs, alternative certified teachers, and veteran general education teachers transitioning to special education are all welcome. Please note that participants must be currently employed in a school district or charter as a special education teacher, and participants must have no more than two years of special education teaching experience in total (including previous positions) to be eligible to attend Teach Camp.   

Teach Camp will launch this summer! The cost is $250 per teacher and includes:  

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 9-11, 2024, in Tempe, AZ* (breakfast and lunch provided)  
• One-day follow-up session in February 2025 in Phoenix* (lunch provided)   
• A copy of The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers  
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children  
• Additional valuable resources   

*Information regarding travel reimbursement for participants from eligible PEAs will be provided once registration is completed.  

Registration for Teach Camp is open until June 25, 2024, on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the PEA, not the special education teacher. On-site registration is not available.   

Begin the registration process for Teach Camp! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp

Looking for self-paced professional learning on current special education topics of interest?

Register today for Summer 2024 NAU SELECT courses!

Special Education Learning Experiences for Competency in Teaching (SELECT) is a federally funded program sponsored by ADE/ESS and offered through the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University. SELECT courses are recommended for special and general education teachers, administrators, related service personnel, paraeducators, and other interested individuals.

First five-week summer session courses

June 3, 2024 to July 2, 2024

• Inclusion in Early Childhood
• Differentiating Emotional Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders
• Mild and Moderate Disabilities
• Research-Based Math
• Legal Aspects and Compliance
• Paraeducator: Roles, Best Practices, Perspectives

Second five-week summer session courses

July 8, 2024 to August 6, 2024

• Autism and Communication Skills
• School-Wide PBIS
• Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation Team
• Principles and Practices of Effective Co-Teaching
• Conflict Resolution in Special Education Administration
• Secondary Transition for Students with Disabilities

Please view the attached flyer with details of upcoming sessions.

Register on the NAU SELECT webpage. Registration closes when classes are full or two (2) weeks before the start of class.

• SELECT classes can be taken for university credit for those teachers or administrators who are required by their school districts to have official transcripts and for those who may need to transfer hours out of state (tuition and associated fees apply).
• The classes can also be taken for professional growth contact hours for free.

For more information, please email the SELECT Inbox.

Please join ADE/ESS for the next Special Education Professionals Check-In on Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Select the link to join this Microsoft Teams event: Join Special Professionals Check-In on March 21, 2024

This month's Check-In will address two topics:

Topic 1

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to develop a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). This report includes indicators that evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA and describes how the state will improve its special education programs. These indicators measure child and family outcomes and other indicators that measure compliance with IDEA requirements.

Participants attending the Special Education Professional Check-In will hear the most recent progress on the SPP/APR indicators. This event is an opportunity for ADE to hear from special education directors and other educators if they have feedback on our state's direction to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Indicators 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13

• Indicator 4: Indicator 4 looks at incidents of discipline in excess of 10 days among students with disabilities across different races/ethnicities.
• Indicators 9 and 10: Indicator 9 compares the races/ethnicities of students with disabilities to the races/ethnicities of students without disabilities in a school district. Indicator 10 is similar but looks at the disability category of students.
• Indicator 11: Indicator 11 measures the percentage of students who received an initial evaluation for special education within 60 days of a parent giving consent.
• Indicator 12: Indicator 12 looks at children (ages 0–2) who may qualify for special education services. Indicator 12 measures the percentage of students who have a formal plan ready by their third birthday if they qualify.
• Indicator 13: Indicator 13 calculates the percentage of students with disabilities (ages 16+) with certain components in their educational plan. Their plan must include appropriate goals, transition information, services, and courses. 

Topic 2

The second topic of this month’s Check-In is ESS Proportionate Share Obligations & Equitable Services. Arizona public school districts are required to count parentally placed private school students and report the number of eligible special education students attending non-profit private schools and homeschools within the district boundaries. These counts are used to determine the Proportionate Share Obligations for equitable services under the IDEA. ESS Program Management will discuss the calculation for the fiscal year 2025 proportionate share obligations and give districts an opportunity to review data for the upcoming grant cycle.

SY 2023–2024 Check-In Schedule: 2023–2024 Special Education Professionals Check-Ins occur monthly, on the third Thursday of every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you have questions or suggestions for content for Check-Ins, feel free to send them to the ESS Inbox. 

Arizona’s 2024 IDEA Conference: Expect, Engage, Achieve, will be held in person from September 4–6, 2024, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

ADE/ESS is requesting proposals that represent your creative and research-based work. The conference will feature over 75 professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and content for related service providers. Make your mark at the 2024 IDEA conference; submit your proposal now!

Session proposals are due Sunday, March 31, 2024. See the Call for Papers guidelines for information on how to submit.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing special education in Arizona. ESS looks forward to your valuable contributions at this year's conference. Questions can be sent to the IDEA Conference inbox.

The ADE/ESS Recruitment and Retention team is staffing a recruitment booth at the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) annual convention this week 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 the job board as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity.

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

The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services, is thrilled to share exciting opportunities for conference attendees during Arizona's 2024 IDEA Conference: Expect, Engage, Achieve. Nominate someone today for their tremendous contributions to secondary transition services or share the artistic talents of students in person September 4–6, 2024, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Please take a moment to explore both opportunities below:

Nominations Open for Arizona Secondary Transition Services Awards

Your nomination is important to recognize the secondary transition contributions and successes happening across Arizona. To nominate a youth/young adult, community member, and/or educator for their exceptional efforts, please submit an online nomination form.

Nomination Categories:

1. Youth/Young Adult: A youth or recently graduated young adult with active engagement and successful navigation of the secondary transition planning process.
2. Community Member: An individual (employee, manager, business owner, etc.) providing exemplary support for students and/or young adults with disabilities to enhance community-based experiences.
3. Educator: A PEA or Secure Care certified staff, classified staff, support staff member, related service provider, or administrator who provides remarkable secondary transition services.

All nominations submitted on or before Friday, May 31, 2024, will be considered. Award winners will be selected and notified in July.

Call for Student Artwork: Showcase Your Talent at the IDEA Conference

The Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS) is excited to announce the display of student artwork during this year's IDEA Conference! Are you a student artist, or someone who knows of a student, who is interested in displaying artwork during this event? View the Call for Student Artwork flyer to learn more about this opportunity.

Artwork criteria and additional details can be found on the 2024 Student Artwork Entry Form. All artwork entries must be received by May 31, 2024. Please consider supporting your students in submitting artwork!

If you have any questions about nominations for the Secondary Transition Service Awards or Call for Student Artwork, please email the IDEA conference inbox.

Please download our Secondary Transition Services Award and Call for Student Artwork Flyer.

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 March 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

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

Register for April 11 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for April 11 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 30 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.

For information regarding MTBS, please contact Celeste Nameth.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):   

• Reminders 

• Trending topics 

• Top Three Integrity Errors 

• Q&A    

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

All school districts, charter schools, secure care facilities, and the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) are required to annually administer the State Performance Plan Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey to parents of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The survey will open on March 1 via ADEConnect Data Surveys.

New: The survey application has merged the individual student login codes and parent letters. This feature will make it easier for users to disseminate parent instructions.

If you do not already have access to the survey application or need to add additional users who should have the right to use this information and administer the survey, contact your entity ADEConnect administrator and ask to be assigned the Data Surveys: User Role. If additional assistance is needed to be assigned the User Role, use the Help Desk ticketing system via ADEConnect.

Please email the Parent Survey Inbox with questions.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

ESS October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation Webinar 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team is happy to announce an upcoming October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation training. Phase III is only for the PEAs that could not match the number of SPED students submitted in Phase I with the number of SPED students in AzEDS during Phase II. PEAs will receive an email if they qualify for Phase III on March 4, 2024.

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. 

Registration is required to attend: Register for the October 1 Data Collection—Phase: III Non-Reconciliation webinar.