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.

The Center for Technical Assistance in Excellence for Special Education (TAESE), in partnership with ADE/ESS, is pleased to offer Saturday Mornings with the NRCP for free to all paraeducators, teachers, and administrators working in Arizona public education agencies.

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, and Interveners (NRCP) hosts the two-hour sessions on the second Saturday of each month through July 2024. The sessions are based on the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators and include topics such as paraeducator roles and responsibilities and effective behavior management strategies.

Upcoming webinars will occur on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will include the following topics:

March 9, 2024

Strategies for Students with Autism who are Nonspeaking

April 13, 2024

Supporting Students Who Are DeafBlind in Classroom Settings

May 11, 2024

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Supports: How to Safely De-Escalate

Register for Saturday Mornings with the NRCP.

Virtual seats for the live webinars are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All who register will have extended access to the 2023–2024 recordings via a Canvas site until August 2024. Those who register will receive information on how to access the recordings.

The attached flyer includes additional information about the professional learning series. Please email Laura Lema with any questions.
Flyer may be found here.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

ESS Portal Update

This notice is to inform Public Education Agencies (PEAs) about an upcoming update to the Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Portal. Currently, each application in the portal has a red or green indicator next to the application name, indicating whether the application is open or closed. We will be removing these indicators, which will change the look of the portal home screen.

Moving forward, each application within the ESS Portal will provide relevant information within the application to indicate its status.

We believe that this change will improve the overall functionality of the ESS Portal.

Please email the ESS Data Management inbox with any questions regarding the ESS Portal.

Please see the following information regarding free professional learning for special education staff, K-12 leadership and educators, and adult education:

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 101: "Can't You See Me?"

TBI, the Invisible Disability 

Presenter: Dr. Susan Wolf, Educational Psychologist and TBI Consultant

Date:               Saturday, March 2, 2024 

Time:               8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Location:        Arizona Department of Education

                         1535 W Jefferson St. Phoenix, AZ 85007

This training will include basic information on acquired brain injuries, including injury types, incidence, prevalence, and leading causes. Based on understanding brain-behavior relationships, participants will review signs and symptoms of brain injury and discuss impacts in the classroom and community. The focus will be on formal and informal assessments to identify assets/deficits due to injury and on appropriate academic strategies to support the student in the classroom and community.

The adult education format will be a presentation, dialogue, small/large group discussions, case studies of a student with TBI, and Q&A. 

Register for “Can’t You See Me?” TBI, the Invisible Disability.

For the Arizona Department of Education to comply with state and federal reporting guidelines, school districts and charters must accurately report student enrollment and attendance at the physical school site where the student is being educated. A.R.S. § 15-1042 (B) requires school districts and charter schools to “submit electronic data on a school-by-school basis, including student-level data, to the department of education in order for the school district, career technical education district, or charter school to receive monies for the cost of educating students pursuant to this title.”

Please review the attached document for more information.

Please join ADE/ESS for the next Special Education Professionals Check-In on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Select the link to join this Microsoft Teams event: Join Special Professionals Check-In on February 15, 2024

This month's Check-In will address two topics:

Topic 1

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to develop a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). This report includes indicators that evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA and describes how the state will improve its special education programs. These indicators measure child and family outcomes as well as other indicators that measure compliance with IDEA requirements.

Participants attending the Special Education Professional Check-In will hear the most recent progress on the SPP/APR indicators. This event is an opportunity for ADE to hear from special education directors and other educators if they have feedback on the direction our state takes to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Indicators 8, 15, 16, and 17

•            Indicator 8: Indicator 8 surveys the parents of special needs children. The purpose of the survey is to gauge how well the school is involving parents in decisions regarding their child’s special education services.

•            Indicators 15 and 16: Indicators 15 and 16 measure the percent of problems that are solved through mediation or resolution sessions.

•            Indicator 17: Indicator 17 includes a multi-year plan called the SSIP. This plan is designed to improve results for students with disabilities. In Arizona, the goal is to improve literacy achievement in grades 3 through 5.

Data Presentation: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to develop a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). This report includes indicators that evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA and describes how the state will improve its special education programs. These indicators measure child and family outcomes as well as other indicators that measure compliance with IDEA requirements.

Topic 2

The second topic of this month’s Check-In is an ESS Fiscal Update. Please extend this invitation to your Business Managers, as ESS will present updates for the Fiscal Year 2025 IDEA funding applications, review available funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024, and provide an overview of the upcoming MOE Compliance testing window.

The IDEA Maintenance of Fiscal Effort for Public Education Agencies (PEAs) testing window for Compliance begins on March 1, 2024. During the Check-In, ADE/ESS will review the general requirements from the IDEA regulations, what financial information is crucial for the submission, and where PEAs can access their information. Additionally, ESS will recommend when PEAs should complete certain activities related to meeting special education Maintenance of Effort (MOE). Join us as we also review statewide financial data and relevant funding sources when trying to meet Maintenance of Effort for the IDEA.

SY 2023–2024 Check-In Schedule: 2023–2024 Special Education Professionals Check-Ins occur monthly, on the third Thursday of every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you have questions or suggestions for content for Check-Ins, feel free to send them to the ESS Inbox. 

ADE/ESS is excited to share that Arizona’s 2024 IDEA Conference will be held from September 4–6, 2024 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

This year’s theme is Expect, Engage, Achieve. This cross-stakeholder event is intended for special education administrative staff, youths and young adults with disabilities, family members and caregivers, state agency staff, educators, service providers, and community members who share a commitment to student success.

The event will feature over 75 professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and content for related service providers.

ADE/ESS is pleased to request proposals for this year’s conference. Please consider submitting presentations that represent your creative and research-based work. See the attached 2024 IDEA Conference Call for Papers Guidelines for information on how to submit. Session proposals are due March 31, 2024.

ESS appreciates this opportunity to learn with each of you and looks forward to the year ahead. Stay informed by visiting the IDEA Conference website for conference updates, including registration information. Questions can be emailed to the IDEA Conference inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, February 21, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, February 21, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. 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. Please register by clicking this link. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

The ADE/ESS Professional Learning and Sustainability unit is pleased to announce two “grow-your-own” opportunities for educators in Arizona public schools.

• The General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) program provides tuition reimbursement to Public Education Agencies (PEAs) for certified general education teachers who want to pursue a career change to become special education teachers. Participants choose the Standard Teaching Certificate or the Full Special Education Teaching Endorsement in mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, dead/hard of hearing, or visually impaired. Early childhood special education certification is only available via the Standard Professional Teaching Certificate.
• The Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) program provides tuition reimbursement to PEAs for paraprofessionals and educational interpreters that leads to the Standard Teaching Certificate in mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, or early childhood special education.

If the candidate chooses the Standard Professional Teaching Certificate Pathway, the teacher shall enroll in an Arizona State Board of Education-approved educator preparation program (EPP) that leads to special education teacher certification (view the list of approved programs that lead to special education certification). Courses for the Full Special Education Endorsement must be taken from an Arizona institute of higher education on the list of approved programs and must be verified by the Arizona Department of Education Certification Unit. See the Special Education Teacher Certification Pathways for more information.

PEAs have an opportunity to submit one application per program per year. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until the funding that is set aside for the program is depleted. Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024.

Complete the SETTA Application Form or GETSET Application Form and email the completed corresponding application cover page(s) (attached) to the Exceptional Student Services Recruitment and Retention Inbox, using the subject line [District or charter school name]: 2024 GETSET/SETTA Application.

Please note:

• PEAs can now apply for the GETSET program for general education teachers who seek a full special education endorsement.
• Applicant must have been employed by the PEA for two full school years as of June 30, 2024.
• Applicant must agree to two full years of teaching in a special education capacity at the PEA once special education certification is achieved.

• GETSET and SETTA are tuition reimbursement programs. Potential expenses are pre-approved, and reimbursement is provided after each semester is completed and program requirements are met.

For additional information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Call-for-Presentations

The IHD Evidence for Success Disability Conference showcases effective, evidence-based approaches, high-leverage practices, and research findings that result in improved services, supports, and outcomes for persons with disabilities across the lifespan.

Our 2024 conference will be held at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, AZ on Monday & Tuesday, June 3-4, 2024. Presentations will be delivered in person.

We are seeking timely presentations that focus on innovative, evidence-based approaches to disability-related issues affecting children and adults across the broad areas of ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNITY INCLUSION, EDUCATION, and EMPLOYMENT. We welcome presentations that address (but are not limited to):

Assistive Technology:

• Accessibility and Universal Design
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Assistive Technology Applications in Education, Employment, and Community Living
• AT for Specific Populations and Life Stages
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Community Inclusion

• Behavioral and Mental Health Supports
• Disability and Justice
• Independence and Access in the Community / Independent Living
• Plain Language / Inclusive Language

Education

• College and Career Competencies
• Early Intervention / Early Childhood
• High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities
• Inclusive Practices in Higher Education
• Secondary Transition

Employment

• Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE)
• Native American and State Vocational Rehabilitation Practices
• Supporting Workers with Disabilities across Employment Settings
• Transition & Workplace Accessibility

Proposals are due by Friday, February 9, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their proposal status by March 15, 2024.

Accepted presenters receive discounted registration fees. Commercial exhibitors selected to present must pay full exhibitor or sponsor registration fees.

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL FOR A CONFERENCE PRESENTATION

For questions or assistance, contact Adi Schaeffer, IHD Events Manager, at [email protected] or [email protected]; 602-728-9537