DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

SPED Integrity Rule -40055

Integrity Rule -40055 will update on May 1 to validate SPED and Enrollment Exit Dates, and reasons are reported (not null) until the end of FY 2023.

SPED integrity rule -40055: If a student’s SPED Exit Reason does not match the student’s regular membership Year End or Withdrawal Membership status, then report the discrepancy as an error. This rule is triggered for all SPED data effective May 1 of the fiscal year to capture invalid exit combinations and unreported relevant data elements (see the SPED Exit Validation Matrix).

• If a student has all the following four values, this rule will trigger anytime during the reporting year:
  • Enrollment Withdrawal/Year-End exit value (Code/Reason)
  • Enrollment Withdrawal/Year-End exit date
  • SPED Exit Code (Reason)
  • SPED Exit Date
• If any of these elements are missing, this rule will be triggered on May 1 and forward.

Between July 1 and April 30, this rule would apply only in cases where all 4 of the values are present. Effective May 1, this rule would apply to all students even if one or more values are reported as “null” (not reported).

The intent of this rule is not only to ensure that the data is complete by the end of the fiscal reporting year with all four values but also to ensure that the exit dates/reasons align between SPED and ADM as appropriate.

If PEAs were not receiving this error previously and now receive this error after May 1, most likely, one of the four values has not been reported. To resolve integrity error -40055, replace the null values with the correct exit date(s) and/or exit reason(s) according to the SPED Exit Validation Matrix and resubmit to AzEDS. Please note that AzEDS will accept future dates.

Additionally, the SPED Integrity Error Tool for -40055 can be referenced to assist with troubleshooting.  

If you have any questions, please direct them to [email protected].

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Discipline Data Collection (DDC) Application - New Action Taken Options

Effective May 3, 2023, new actions will be available in the Action Taken dropdown box and XML Schema. The following actions have been added:

• Reassignment to Alternate Education Program In-School
• Reassignment to Alternate Education Program Out-of-School
• Reassignment to Alternate Suspension Program Out-of-School
• Reassignment to Alternative Suspension Program In-School

Per Arizona State law, these actions must be taken in specific circumstances. If any student has been placed in an alternative education program per A.R.S. § 15-841(H) (I). These actions apply to school districts and charter school districts only. Please update the action taken for any student in this category.

As a reminder, all SPED discipline data must be completed by July 15, 2023.

Per A.R.S. § 15-841:

H. A school district or charter school shall expel from school for at least one year a pupil who is determined to have threatened an educational institution, except that the school district or charter school may modify this expulsion requirement for a pupil on a case-by-case basis if the pupil participates in mediation, community service, restitution or other programs in which the pupil takes responsibility for the results of the threat. This subsection shall be construed consistently with the requirements of the individuals with disabilities education act (20 United States Code sections 1400 through 1420). A school district may reassign a pupil who is subject to expulsion pursuant to this subsection to an alternative education program pursuant to subsection E of this section if the pupil participates in mediation, community service, restitution or other programs in which the pupil takes responsibility for the threat.  A school district or charter school may require the pupil's parent or guardian to participate in mediation, community service, restitution or other programs in which the parent or guardian takes responsibility with the pupil for the threat. For the purposes of this subsection, "threatened an educational institution" means to interfere with or disrupt an educational institution as defined in section 13-2911 by doing any of the following:

1. For the purpose of causing, or in reckless disregard of causing, interference with or disruption of an educational institution, threatening to cause physical injury to any employee of an educational institution or any person attending an educational institution.

2. For the purpose of causing, or in reckless disregard of causing, interference with or disruption of an educational institution, threatening to cause damage to any educational institution, the property of any educational institution, the property of any employee of an educational institution or the property of any person attending an educational institution.

3. Going on or remaining on the property of any educational institution for the purpose of interfering with or disrupting the lawful use of the property or in any manner as to deny or interfere with the lawful use of the property by others.

4. Refusing to obey a lawful order to leave the property of an educational institution.

I. Each school district shall establish an alternative to suspension program in consultation with local law enforcement officials or school resource officers. The school district governing board shall adopt policies to determine the requirements for participation in the alternative to suspension program. Pupils who would otherwise be subject to suspension pursuant to this article and who meet the school district's requirements for participation in the alternative to suspension program shall be transferred to a location on school premises that is isolated from other pupils or transferred to a location that is not on school premises. The alternative to suspension program shall be discipline intensive and require academic work, and may require community service, groundskeeping and litter control, parent supervision, and evaluation or other appropriate activities. The community service, groundskeeping and litter control, and other appropriate activities may be performed on school grounds or at any other designated area.

If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected].

Recently, ADE/ESS has received many inquiries regarding special education Early Childhood Transition for children referred from IDEA Part C, Arizona’s Early Intervention Program (AzEIP). The attached Hot Topic is intended to provide guidance to address these responsibilities.

For additional compliance-related questions, please contact the PEA’s assigned Program Support and Monitoring (PSM) specialist. If there are questions related to implementing effective preschool special education programs, please contact the PEA’s assigned Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) specialist.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT        

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, May 17th  

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, May 17th, from 2pm – 3pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):    

• Reminders  
• Trending topics  
• Top 3 Integrity Errors  
• Q&A 

For questions, please contact ESS Data Management via email at [email protected].  

Please see the attached Memorandum regarding a change in procedure to the Offer of Early Resolution in Response to a State Complaint. This change is occurring following an administrative review of the state complaint process and considers guidance from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, as well as technical assistance received by national technical assistance groups regarding Dispute Resolution activities.

Please contact ADE/ESS Dispute Resolution with any questions about this change in procedure.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is hosting a free discussion on implementing SB 1654 (Seizure Safe Schools). During this session, participants will receive information about the law and step-by-step details for complying with the law, hear about training requirements, and participate in a Q&A session where submitted questions will be answered. In addition, resources about seizure action plans and seizure first aid will be provided.

Date and Time: April 20, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.

Topics of Discussion:

• Introduction of SB 1654; schools, seizure management, and treatment plans
• History of the bill, why it is needed, and how it will help AZ students
• Key components of the bill and timeline for implementation
• Amended Model Board Policy for school districts and charter schools
• New Seizure Action Plan (SAP) Template
• History and purpose of model SAP Template through the perspective of a Pediatric Neurologist
• Arizona State Board of Education: Approved Training and Related Training Requirements
• Training Session Approval Guidelines, Review Process, and Seizure Action Plan Committee
• Resources and materials available for implementation
• Review of timeline and steps for successful implementation
• Q&A

Target Audience:  School nurses and health office staff, school administrators, and other school staff involved in implementing Seizure Safe Schools. Anyone interested in providing the program for their students and school is welcome to attend as well.

Register for Implementing SB 1654.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, April 19th 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, April 19th, from 2pm – 3pm. 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.   

For questions, please contact ESS Data Management via email at [email protected].    

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

FY24 Statement of Assurances Open for Submission

The FY24 Statement of Assurances application is open for submission. All PEAs must submit the IDEA Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the ESS Portal of ADEConnect. This is required before any FY24 activities in the Exceptional Student Services portal are allowable. The portal will block any PEA that has not completed the SOA after the deadline.

The application is now open for submission and closes on June 15, 2023.

The SOA must be submitted by the Superintendent, Charter Holder, or Special Education Director of your organization before FY24 IDEA funding applications are approved in the Grants Management Enterprise system.

• The PEA must assign the role of ESS Special Education: Signer in ADEConnect to the individual that will review, sign, and submit the Statement of Assurances.
• PEAs that do not apply for IDEA funds are still required to submit the SOA.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].

Special Education Directors,

Due to popular demand, this training has been opened up to general and special educators and administrators.

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to announce the next in our Related Service Providers Seminar Series: Processing Speed and Executive Function with Sarah Ward, CCC-SLP. This course is intended for General and Special Education teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, School Psychologists, Counselors, and Special Education Administrators.

Date:             Friday, April 7, 2023

Time:             8:00 am–4:30 pm

Fee:                $120.00  (Breakfast and lunch included)

Location:      Desert Willow Conference Center, 4340 East Cotton Center Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85040

Processing Speed and Executive Function 

In this practical strategies seminar, you will learn dozens of techniques for supporting students in developing independent executive function skills and in increasing processing speed. Executive function (EF) challenges, slow processing speed, and behavior deficits often go hand in hand. EF skills are the core cognitive skills involved in planning and self-directing toward the successful completion of academic and other goals. EF skills point our attention to where we need to go, keep the action plan in mind within working memory, block distractions, filter out extraneous information, and help us to resist temptations and to exhibit goal-driven self-control.

Processing speed difficulties can limit productivity and executive function skills to complete routines, follow instructions, finish homework, listen/read and take notes/summarize, integrate and encode information, write assignments that require complex thought, transition between tasks, acquire new material, and reason under time demands. Slow processing speed can bog students down in the details, and they cannot distinguish relevant from minor details and see the big picture. Learn practical ways to help students to develop independent EF skills and to improve their processing speed to increase the automaticity with which they can follow routines and directions, complete tasks, and manage complex assignments.

About Our Speaker:

Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP has over 25 years of experience in the treatment of executive dysfunction. Sarah is an internationally recognized expert on executive function and presents seminars on the programs and strategies she has developed with her co-director, Kristen Jacobsen. She has presented to over 1,600 public and private schools and organizations worldwide.

Registration:

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.  

 Register for Processing Speed and Executive Function

For questions regarding this training, please email our AT inbox.

Special Education Directors,

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

Count Me In: Accessible Algebra Using Tiles  

Teachers will walk away with a conceptual understanding of the learning progressions within algebraic reasoning by using algebra tiles. We will explore topics such as integer operations, linear expressions, solving equations, and factoring quadratic expressions. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in grades 6 through those who teach high school algebra. 

Register for Accessible Algebra: Flagstaff (June 13, 2023) or 

Register for Accessible Algebra: Scottsdale (July 12, 2023)

Count Me In: Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction  

We will explore various instructional routines that give students the opportunity to engage in multiple means of representation, action, expression, and engagement through the Universal Design for Learning framework. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in grades kindergarten through high school. 

Register for Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction: Flagstaff (June 14, 2023) or 

Register for Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction: Scottsdale (July 13, 2023)

 Count Me In: Foundations for Fluency  

We will engage in instructional routines, strategies, and games that help all students to develop the flexibility to solve contextual and mathematical problems involving whole numbers. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in kindergarten through grade 6 to register. 

Register for Foundations of Fluency: Flagstaff (June 15, 2023) or 

Register for Foundations of Fluency: Scottsdale (July 14, 2023)

For more detailed information on each training, go to "In-Person Professional Learning Opportunities" on the ESS Math web page.

Registration:

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.

 Please email the ESS PLS Inbox with any questions about registration. Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions about the training.