Exceptional Student Services
Recognize outstanding contributions to sec
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:
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):
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.
Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 618, Public Education Agencies (PEAs) must report discipline information. The Arizona Department of Education requires that PEAs submit student discipline information to Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS). Specifically, PEAs must submit discipline data that resulted in the removal of the student with a disability from their regular educational environment into AzEDS through their Student Information System (SIS).
Please review the attached memo for more information.
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.
Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 618, Public Education Agencies (PEAs) must report discipline information. The Arizona Department of Education requires that PEAs submit student discipline information to Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS). Specifically, PEAs must submit discipline data that resulted in the removal of the student with a disability from their regular educational environment into AzEDS through their Student Information System (SIS).
Please review the attached memo for more information and let us know if you have any questions.
