DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

FY 2026 October 1 Data Collection Phase I Training

Annually, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to report special education data to the federal government. The October 1 Data Collection (ODC) is part of that process and is required by all Public Education Agencies (PEAs). ODC has three phases:  

1. Child Count Verification and Personnel  
2. Child Count Reconciliation 
3. Child Count Non-Reconciliation  

During Phase I, PEAs must provide ADE with the number of students participating in their special education program on October 1, 2025. PEAs will also report Personnel data and Parentally Placed students (if applicable). 

ESS Data Management invites you to attend our Phase I training session.

Virtual Training:                                                                  

Date:               Thursday, October 9, 2025            

Time:               10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Registration:     Click here to register 

Please email ESS Data Management with any questions. 

We look forward to assisting you in meeting your data reporting requirements. 

We invite all educators to our 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 diverse 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.

 The registration links are in the attached PDF flyer, or you can use the links below.
You may find the flyer here.

The Beginner’s Guide to UDL: Simple Strategies, Powerful Impact (NEW!)

Choose one:
September 11, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
October 30, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Leading for Inclusion: UDL Essentials for School Administrators
September 24, 4:00–5:00 p.m.

AT and UDL: A Conversation About Technology, Tools, and Teaching
September 29, 4:00–5:00 p.m.

UDL & EdTech: Smarter Tools for Inclusive Classrooms (NEW!)
Choose one:
October 1, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
November 13, 4:00–5:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices.  

We are pleased to announce the release of the free Self-Regulation Curriculum (K–12) for Arizona educators!

ADE/ESS has partnered with Drs. Gaumer Erickson and Noonan to provide free access to a curriculum to build students’ self-regulation skills in Grades K–12.

1. Download the curriculum by completing a short form. You’ll be redirected to downloadable PDFs.
2. Sign up to attend a 45-minute introductory webinar, which will provide an overview of the free curriculum and resources.

The College & Career Competency Framework supports educators and families in developing resilient learners who collaborate to expand skills, express their wants and needs respectfully, and apply strategies to self-regulate and persevere.

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

Do you have questions or want to learn more about professional learning for your school/district? If so, email Dr. Pattie Noonan.

In partnership with ADE/ESS, the College and Career Competencies (CCCs) Project is offering free professional learning opportunities that will help you build self-regulation, confidence, persistence, and resilience in your students. The following events are available to any K–12 district/charter educator. Click the links to learn more about each event and to register.

For any questions, email Pattie Noonan.

ESS/PSM is excited to announce that in-person regional training opportunities will be available this school year. These trainings are free for participants and will cover two key topics: completing a mock student file review and accessing resources for crafting a compliant Prior Written Notice.

Dates, times, and locations are listed below. To register, please email Veronica Reza directly. Additional training dates may be added based on field interest and internal capacity.

If you have any further questions, please contact your PEA-assigned PSM specialist.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT    

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, September 17, 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.  

This message has been sent to inform you that the Special Education Data Dashboard (SEDD) application is now open for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. SEDD is a one-stop shop for public education agencies (PEAs) to securely review their SPED data collected over the fiscal reporting year and certify said SPED data at year-end. Effective this year, PEAs can now access, and are expected to review, their SEDD data year-round.

Navigating to the SEDD application

1. Navigate to ADEConnect
2. Click "View Applications"
3. Locate the parent/district level entity for your organization.
4. Click the "Exceptional Student Services Portal" link
5. Locate the "Data Collection and Reporting" section
6. Click the "Special Education Data Dashboard" link
   1. If the link is grayed out, you do not have access to the SEDD application.

Accessing the SEDD Application

Access to the SEDD application is granted by a PEA’s local ADEConnect Entity Administrator. Only one role, assigned at the parent/district entity level, should be assigned per user.

• ESS SEDD: LEA User
  • Allows a user to access the SEDD application. The user can review all current and prior data housed inside the application.
• ESS SEDD: LEA Signer
  • Same access as above.
  • Allows a user to certify SEDD data during the certification window.
  • This role should only be assigned to Special Education Directors, Superintendents, Business Managers, CEOs, Charter Holders, or equivalent titles.

Technical Assistance

An updated training and user guide are coming soon.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

ESS Data Management
Exceptional Student Services
Arizona Department of Education
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 602-542-3962
Data Management Webpage

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit is pleased to offer a variety of resources and professional learning opportunities on Autism. These free sessions are offered virtually during the 2025–2026 school year and are designed for general and special education teachers.

Session 1: Positive Behavior Supports
Be introduced to the foundations of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in inclusive classrooms. Participants will explore practical tools such as token boards, First-Then visuals, choice boards, and power cards/social stories. Emphasis is placed on the role of communication in behavior support. Through interactive activities and real-time feedback, attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies.

September 25, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 2: Routines and Schedules
Learn how structured routines and predictable schedules can reduce disruptions and support positive behavior. Explore visual tools like schedules, timers, and task strips, and walk away with strategies you can use immediately to improve transitions and unstructured time in the inclusive classroom setting.

November 20, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 3: Structured Work Systems
Discover how structured work systems promote independence and support diverse learners. Learn to set up clear, organized workspaces using visual schedules, task cards, and color coding. Walk away with practical tools to help students start tasks, transition smoothly, and self-regulate in inclusive settings.

January 29, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 4: Inclusion Supports
Explore the principles of inclusive education and how collaboration with families and staff enhances student success. Learn to use STAR resources and data to support individualized learning, foster belonging, and implement inclusive practices with confidence.

April 16, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

We are delighted to offer these opportunities to collaborate with your teams in support of student success.

Please contact the Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

Registration for the 2025–2026 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is closing soon, so please be sure to register if you are beginning your first or second year as a special education director.

This professional learning opportunity prepares new special education directors for the practical operation of a special education system. SENDS covers topics such as compliance and legal requirements, fiscal issues, assessment, general supervision, and ADE supports and resources. New special education directors directly employed by Arizona public education agencies in their first or second year as special education directors (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2025 are eligible to attend SENDS.

Registration
The $100 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
• Follow-up webinars scheduled during the 2025–26 school year 
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and CEC’s Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) special interest division

Registration is open until Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Travel Reimbursement
Funding is available for travel costs for districts and charter organizations traveling 51 miles or more from the school district or charter office to 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.  The district or charter organization will receive the reimbursement, not the special education director, via the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration and an additional completed State Procurement Office Form will be required. ADE/ESS will provide information regarding travel reimbursement to eligible PEAs once registration is completed. The PEA must complete the initial registration by August 15 to be considered for travel reimbursement for SENDS.

Register for the Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) training!

If you have questions about SENDS, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

September 11, 2025
8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Rio Vista Recreation Center
8866 W Thunderbird Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381

Thanks to Peoria Unified School District for providing the venue for this event.

ADE/ESS is pleased to bring Amy Graham, CCC-SLP, back to Arizona this fall for a brand-new topic. This intensive, full-day workshop will equip speech-language pathologists, speech-language technicians, and speech-language pathology assistants with advanced strategies for effectively and efficiently addressing challenging speech sound disorders. We will cover how to implement evidence-based approaches for remediating severe phonological impairments, techniques for treating challenging articulation errors, like lateral lisps and /ɹ/ distortions, as well as methods for effectively addressing motor speech deficits among children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

Key Topics
This course goes beyond the basics, diving deep into the most effective, evidence-based methods for treating complex speech sound disorders. These advanced strategies will not only help you tackle the trickiest cases but will also enhance your overall clinical skills. This course will provide actionable, real-world techniques you can immediately apply in your therapy sessions, helping your students achieve faster, more efficient improvement.​

• Advanced Phonological Interventions: Learn how to implement evidence-based approaches to treat severe phonological impairments, including the complexity approach, cycles approach, and the multiple oppositions approach. Learning these approaches will enable you to provide targeted, effective intervention for children with the most significant phonological challenges.

• Remediation of Articulation Errors: Understand the most up-to-date practices for treating persistent articulation errors such as lateral lisps and /ɹ/ distortions. Learning how to use phonetic shaping and cognitive reframing techniques will help children of all ages overcome these stubborn errors and achieve long-lasting improvements in their speech production.

• Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS): Gain insights into evidence-based techniques for treating CAS. This workshop will cover how to select appropriate targets and utilize motor learning principles to improve speech motor planning and production for children with CAS, enabling more effective and faster progress in therapy.

• Real-World Elicitation & Generalization Strategies: Learn specific strategies for elicitation and carryover that are tailored to different types of SSDs, including phonological, articulation, and CAS. Videos of actual therapy sessions will be shown to demonstrate all these strategies and examples of how to promote generalization of speech skills from structured therapy sessions to spontaneous speech outside of your therapy room.

• Target Selection and Therapy Planning: Discover how to make informed, strategic decisions when selecting speech therapy targets, particularly for children with severe phonological impairments and motor speech deficits. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to structure your therapy to maximize the effectiveness of each session.

Are ASHA CEUs provided?
Although ASHA CEUs are not provided, you will receive a certificate of completion for 6 Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA website.

What is the fee to attend the workshop?
This workshop is free. Lunch is on your own.

Apply to attend the workshop
You must work in an Arizona public district or charter school to attend this event. Please complete an application to attend. Completing the application does not guarantee registration. You will be notified of the status of your application as soon as possible.

If you have questions about this event, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.