Special Education Stakeholders,

ADE/ESS is excited to share the Vendor/Exhibitor Application for Arizona’s 2023 IDEA Conference: Creating Connections and Strengthening Systems. This year’s conference will be held August 21–23, 2023 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. 

A limited number of in-person tables will be available. Space is not guaranteed. Selections for tables will be based on agency priority.

If interested, please complete the Vendor/Exhibitor Application by Friday, May 19, 2023. 

For more information about the IDEA Conference, visit the IDEA Conference website. Questions about the conference can be sent to the IDEA Conference inbox.

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].

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 2023 IDEA Conference: Creating Connections and Strengthening Systems.

This cross-stakeholder event is intended for special education administrative staff, youth and young adults with disabilities, family members and caregivers, state agency staff, educators, service providers, and community members committed to student success. The event will feature numerous 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. This year’s conference will be held from August 21–23, 2023, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

Who can apply for a scholarship:
•    Youth/young adult between the ages of 14 and 26 who have a documented disability
•    Family members of a student with an IEP or 504 Plan 
•    Personal assistant who attends with a student or family member

Scholarships will cover the conference registration fee for each recipient as well as lodging and mileage for eligible recipients. Additional, important information is listed in the application.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please complete the Youth and Family Scholarship application by June 30, 2023.

Please download the Youth and Family Scholarship flyer to promote this opportunity.

For more information about the IDEA Conference, visit the IDEA Conference website. Questions about the conference, registration, or the scholarship can be sent to the IDEA Conference inbox.

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. 

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following public notice and comment period information for the IDEA Part B State Application.

Federal Fiscal Year 2023 IDEA Part B State Application

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will soon apply for federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. This application document serves as the basis for the operation and administration of activities to carry out the requirements of Part B of the IDEA. As part of the public participation process set forth in the IDEA Part B regulations at 34 CFR § 300.165 and in Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1228a), the State must publish its Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 IDEA Part B Application and allow public comment.

The application document sets forth policies and procedures that Arizona will undertake:

1. to ensure that all eligible children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that includes special education and related services to meet their unique needs
2. to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected
3. to assist public education agencies in providing for the education of all children with disabilities
4. to assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate those children

Note: Arizona has not yet received the Allocation Tables for FFY 2023 grant funds from the US Department of Education. Thus, the FFY 2022 Spreadsheet has been included until the FFY 2023 allocation amount is received. Upon receipt of the FFY 2023 allocation documents, ADE/ESS will remove the FFY 2022 Spreadsheet and replace it with an updated FFY 2023 Spreadsheet.

Notice of Public Comment Period
Any individual or organization may submit written comments. Written comments shall be accepted through April 23, 2023.

The 30-day public comment period for the FFY 2023 IDEA Part B Application will be open from March 23, 2023, through April 23, 2023. The State will review and consider all public comments and make any necessary modifications to the application as appropriate.

Special education stakeholders may submit comments in writing beginning March 23, 2023, using the following methods:

• Submit electronically via the ADE/ESS Public Comment webpage
• Submit electronically to Exceptional Student Services via email
• Submit handwritten comments directly to Exceptional Student Services via the USPS to Arizona Department of Education, 1535 West Jefferson St. Bin #24, Phoenix, AZ 85007.