Overwhelmed by professional development? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Please join the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services/Assistive Technology team for our spring series titled “Assistive Technology: Just One Thing” (JOT).

These fast, 30-minute sessions will showcase just one organizational or assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use in your classroom or teacher/therapist life. Are mornings or afternoons better for you? No worries—each JOT will be presented on Wednesdays at lunchtime and after school. Choose the time that works for you. The next spring session will take place on Wednesday, February 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and again from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. The topic will be “Visual Scene Displays with Click AAC”.

Visual Scene Displays (VSD) provide a way to represent meaning. They have been a part of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems for years. Here’s a new vision on using VSDs as language organization on your iOS or Android devices.  During this JOT, we will look at an exciting, free, still-developing AAC app that can be used to enhance and support students’ current AAC systems or that can be an additional tool for classroom instruction and activities. Join us for a look at the Click AAC app.  

Register for the 11:30 a.m. session

Register for the 3:30 p.m. session

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email the AT Team inbox.

In conjunction with AzEIP, ADE/ESS/ECSE is proud to announce that the 2024 Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Summit is scheduled for February 28–March 1, 2024, from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (MST). The three-day virtual conference will bring practitioners, administrators, leaders, and families together to share best practices for children with disabilities and of age birth to eight in:

• Early Intervention, helping families to transition children to preschool 
• Outcomes achieved through Early Intervention and preschool programming
• Instructional strategies for inclusive programs
• Supports to prevent and address challenging behaviors
• Resources to ensure that all children experience a team of professionals working with families to address the children's needs 

Registration for the Summit is now open on APLD.

Please bookmark the EI/ECSE Summit web page for updates and additional conference information.

We are also seeking presentations for the Summit. Requests for proposals are now available for Early Intervention proposals and Early Childhood Special Education proposals. Please consider submitting a presentation that represents the creative work and/or research you are doing in early intervention or early childhood special education.

ECSE appreciates your consideration in joining us to teach and learn as we work together to build high quality early childhood programs that meet the needs of all of our young children. If you have any questions, please email the ECSE Inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, January 17

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live webinar on Special Education Data Updates on Wednesday, January 17, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. 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. Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

Data Management Alert

New Integrity Rule: -40095

Effective October 31, 2023, a new integrity error has been implemented for SPED data validations in AzEDS. This new integrity error is part of an ongoing effort to ensure clean data during the fiscal year and to avoid corrections of data after the close of the fiscal year.

-40095 Duplicate Least Restrictive Environment records are reported.

This rule ensures that duplicate Least Restrictive Environments (LREs) are not reported. Duplicate LREs can cause issues with some ADE systems and reporting. The error notifies a PEA that their SIS has duplicated the LRE and to work with their SIS vendor to remove one of the duplicates.

The SPED Integrity Error Tool for this rule is linked below:

SPED Integrity Error Tool -40095

One sheet SPED Integrity Error Tools for all SPED integrity rules can be found on the ESS Data Management website.

If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

Please see the following important information from our ADE/Assessment partners:

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, November 15 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, November 15, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):   

• Reminders 

• Trending topics 

• Top 3 Integrity Errors 

• Q&A    

Registration is required to attend: Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

SPED Data Reporting in AzEDS Training

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team is happy to announce an upcoming training for Special Education (SPED) Data Reporting in AzEDS. This training will review the essential information for public education agencies to successfully report SPED data in AzEDS.

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on Thursday, November 30, 2023, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Registration is required to attend: Register for SPED Data Reporting in AzEDS webinar.

If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, October 18th 

 The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, October 18th, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):    

• Reminders 

• Trending topics 

• Top 3 Integrity Errors 

• Q&A        

Registration is required to attend: Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

When October 1 Falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Other Non-Session Day

October 1st falls on a Sunday this school year, and ESS Data Management would like to provide reminders of how to report students and if they should be included in the October 1 count.

Scenarios where a student IS counted for October 1 due to no gap in SPED services:

• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 2nd
  • District A reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th. School District B has fall break from October 2nd – October 6th
  • District A Reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 2nd. School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th
  • District A Reports the student
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th. School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th and School District B has fall break from October 2nd – October 6th
  • District A reports the student

Scenarios where a student IS NOT counted for October 1 due to a gap in SPED services:

• Student withdraws on September 29th from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 3rd. October 2nd is an in-session day for District B
  • Student is not reported due to gap in SPED services (October 2nd)
• Student withdraws on September 22nd from School District A and enrolls in School District B on October 9th.  School District A has fall break from September 25th – September 29th. School District B also has fall break from September 25th – September 29th
  • Student is not reported due to a gap in SPED Services (October 2nd – October 6th).
• Student withdraws September 29th from School District A and moves out of state
  • Student is not reported due to moving and not knowing if continuing in SPED

Please remember that the PEA the student attends on the last in-session day before October 1st is counted by that PEA if SPED services are known to be continuing. The PEA that enrolls and provides services after October 1st does not count the student.

ESS Data Management determines in-session and out-of-session calendar days based on calendars submitted and approved in AzEDS.

Please feel free to contact ESS Data Management:

• If you are unable to determine if the student continued in SPED after withdrawing from your district
• If you are uncertain about another school or charter district-approved calendar days
• If you’d like confirmation on whether to count a SPED student for October 1st
• Any other questions about October 1st

As a reminder, the link from our October 1 data collection virtual training is available on the October 1 Data Collection website.

Please email ESS Data Management with any questions. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

FY24 Need Concurrency Matrix Update

Previously, we only allowed preschool needs eligible for state funding per A.R.S. § 15-771(A) to be reported in AzEDS. These needs are as follows:

• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Developmental Delay (DD)
• Preschool Severe Delay (PSD)
• Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)

Effective FY24, changes have been made to allow concurrent reporting of these needs with other allowable needs for preschool students. Refer to the updated Need Concurrency Matrix. However, the statutory funding requirements remain unchanged.

Questions or concerns can be directed to ESS Data Management.