Updates

The ADE/ESS Special Education Program Approval system for the 2026–2027 school year will open on April 13, 2026.

As of March 30, 2026, a new special education (SPED) data integrity rule was implemented to validate and capture student exits from SPED services. Under IDEA, students are eligible for SPED services through 21 years of age unless they have graduated with a regular high school diploma. Students who turn 22 years of age during the school year are eligible to complete the year with services; however, they have effectively reached the maximum age allowable for services.

Section 618 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public education agencies (PEAs) to report specific data each year, including discipline incidents for students receiving special education services, expulsions of students not receiving special education services, and students who exited special education during the reporting year. PEAs review, validate, and certify these data using the Special Education Data Dashboard (SEDD).

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm.

The ESS Data Management team is holding a webinar via Zoom to guide PEAs through end-of-year reporting in the SEDD application. The session will cover recent application updates, exit and discipline data requirements, and key deadlines to support accurate and timely reporting. A recording of the webinar will be made available for those unable to attend.

The FY27 Statement of Assurances application is open for submission. All public education agencies (PEAs) must submit the IDEA Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Portal within ADEConnect. This is required before any FY27 activities in the ESS Portal are allowable. The portal will block any PEA that has not completed the SOA effective July 1, 2026, which is when FY27 begins.

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.  

In partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program, ADE/ESS is excited to be able to offer scholarships for Arizona youth and their families. Scholarships are available so that youth and young adults with disabilities and/or their family member/personal assistant can attend Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student. This year’s conference will be held from August 18–20, 2026, with preconference activities on Monday August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) provides the following notice regarding the public participation and comment process for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B State Application.

The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services, is excited to announce two fantastic opportunities at Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student, happening August 18–20, 2026, Preconference August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.