Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Dispute Resolution (DR) unit recognizes the value of that ensuring collaborative, student-focused IEP teams are equipped to make sound decisions in the development of IEPs. We are pleased to offer professional learning opportunities, free of charge, to PEAs seeking to establish or strengthen a Facilitated IEP culture. Our current presentations emphasize three key components of effective facilitated IEP meetings: knowledge of the IEP process under the IDEA, standardized meeting practices, and the use of meeting management skills that aid in minimizing conflict and maximizing collaboration. As you prepare your professional development calendar for the summer and upcoming school year, our Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist would be happy to make arrangements to work with your team. Submit your Facilitated IEP Training Request soon to secure your preferred date(s)!

For more information regarding alternative dispute resolution supports available through ADE/ESS/DR, please visit the Facilitated IEP website and/or join the FIEP listserv.  Completing the FIEP Program Survey will help us to improve our process and to identify areas of interest for advanced training topics.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

FY23 Discipline Data Collection Update

To learn about updates to the ESS Discipline Data Collection (DDC) application for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2023, please review this memo which outlines upcoming changes. 

It is important to note that while reporting discipline data into AzEDS has been made available for FY23, this is a pilot year. All discipline data submissions for SPED students resulting in a removal will be required to be submitted into the ESS Discipline Data Collection application for FY23.

For any questions regarding these changes, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, April 20th  

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will be hosting the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, April 20th from 2pm – 3pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):      

• Reminders
  • October 1 Data Collection Phase III: Non-Reconciliation
  • FY23 Statement of Assurances
• Trending topics
  • Special Education Data Dashboard (SEDD)
  • Home-Based vs Homeschooled vs Homebound Guidance Document
  • Discipline Data Collection Training webinar recording
• Top 3 Integrity Errors
  • -40080                   
  • -40069                   
  • -40062                   
  • -40055 - Upcoming 5/1 activation
• 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

FY23 Statement of Assurances required by all PEAs opens on 4/13/22

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the representative body for Special Education for Arizona, Exceptional Student Services, is required to obtain assurances from public education agencies (PEAs) to attest that they are meeting the requirements under state and federal statute for special education in the state of Arizona.

It is a requirement for all entities that are defined as public education agencies (PEAs) regardless if they get federal funds or not.

All PEAs must submit the IDEA Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the ESS Portal of ADEConnect.

The application will open on 4/13/22 and close for submissions on 6/17/22.

The SOA must be submitted by the Superintendent, Charter Holder, or Special Education Director of your organization before FY23 IDEA funding applications are approved in the Grants Management Enterprise (GME) 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.

Once the role is assigned, please login to ADEConnect, navigate to the Exceptional Student Services Portal and select the PEA Statement of Assurances button under Surveys/Assurances:

The survey code will auto-populate for you PEA. Please proceed and select the “Yes” checkbox for each page to indicate your assurances for the requirements.

Upon completion, the SOA can be printed for your records. If your PEA wants to ensure the SOA was submitted, accessing the SOA again will display the “Thank you for submitting” page.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].

Special Education Directors:

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.

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 this flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for March 31 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for April 14 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for April 14 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to 10 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 May 6, 2022 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 

 FY22 ESS Discipline Data Training Webinar  

 ESS Data Management is hosting a training webinar for the ESS Discipline Data Collection (DDC) application on April 6, 2022, from 10:00am – 11:00am.

Topics include:

• Purpose of Discipline Data Collection
• What is new in FY2022
• Where to find Help for DDC
• XML Schema Update
• Live Demonstration
• Future of Discipline Data Collection
• Questions and Answers

Please join us to learn about the new updates, and how to report your discipline data accurately and in a timely matter. If you’re unable to join us, we will post a recording of the webinar on our website.

Please refer to the AzEDS SPED Reporting page for current reporting guidance. 

If you have any questions, please direct them to [email protected]. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

NEW Home-based vs. Homeschooled vs. Homebound Guidance Document

A new guidance document identifying the key differences between reporting Home-based vs. Homeschooled vs. Homebound students is now available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting page, under Tools and Resources.

Please review this new guidance to ensure accurate reporting for these scenarios.

If you have any questions, please direct them to [email protected].

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following public notice, comment, and hearing period information for the IDEA Part B State Application and Proposed Early Childhood Special Education Transition Policy and Procedures.

Federal Fiscal Year 2022 IDEA Part B State Application

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will apply soon for federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. 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 441(b)(7) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) ((20 U.S.C. 1232d(b)(7)), the State must publish its Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2022 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

Early Childhood Special Education Transition Policies and Procedures

With input from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS) has developed policies and procedures for Early Childhood Special Education Transition that are aligned with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As part of the public participation process set forth in the IDEA Part B regulations at 34 CFR § 300.165 and in section 441(b)(7) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232d(b)(7)), the State must publish its proposed policies and procedures related to IDEA Part B, conduct public hearings, and make provision for public comment.

The primary goal of the proposed Early Childhood Special Education Transition Policy and Procedure document is to enhance outcomes for young children with disabilities who transition from IDEA Part C to IDEA Part B services by monitoring public education agencies’ (PEA) compliance with the requirements of IDEA through general supervisory authority and providing training and technical assistance to PEAs statewide to enhance their capacity and systems.

Notice of Public Hearings

The ADE will hold two public hearings, one geared primarily toward education professionals and a second aimed toward parents and family members of children with disabilities. Any individual or organization may register and attend either public hearing opportunity. Select an option below to join the event via Zoom.

Professionals

March 17, 2022: Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Register in advance for the professionals' meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Parents and family members

March 30, 2022: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Register in advance for the parents' and family members' meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Notice of Public Comment Period

Any individual or organization may submit written comments. Written comments shall be accepted through April 15, 2022.

The 30-day public comment period for both the FFY 2022 IDEA Part B Application and the proposed Early Childhood Special Education Transition Policy and Procedures will be open from March 17, 2022 through April 15, 2022. The State will review and consider all public comments and make any necessary modifications to the application or policy and procedures, as appropriate.

Special education stakeholders may submit comments in writing beginning March 17, 2022 using the following methods:

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

Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is excited to announce our first in-person professional learning opportunities of the 2021–2022 AT Builders National Presenter Series with Judith Schoonover for special educators and related service providers.

“Want to ‘Make’ a Difference? Promote ParticipATion with Easily Found Materials!” with Judith Schoonover.  

Date: April 7, 2022, from 8:45a.m.–3:45p.m. (Seats are limited; rsvp now!)

Fee: $35 (includes a light breakfast, a box lunch, and all materials)

Where: Sunnyside Unified School District #12 (Palo Verde Portable)

Address: 2238 East Ginter Road, Tucson, AZ 85706

Description:

Never underestimate the power of using what is available or easily acquired as a first step to supporting young learners or those with exceptional needs. A common misconception is that all assistive technology is complicated and expensive. Finding new uses for familiar tools is a means to increase “buy-in” by all involved. Whether working virtually or face-to-face, simple adaptations with easily found materials can make a difference and empower users, caregivers, and educators to come up with their own interventions. This make-and-take workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to create PVC tools from items found in hardware stores (PVC pipe, joints, and cutters) and to assemble them in minutes, as well as to make simple manipulatives to support physical access and learning. A variety of free and low-cost materials for learning and play environments will be shared. Discussion and exchange of ideas will be encouraged throughout the session. Participants will leave with tangible tools to use the next day and with a digital file of additional resources and directions to continue their “making” a difference journey.

Objectives:

1. Participants will name three or more familiar tools used in unique ways to increase participation.
2. Participants will discuss three or more DIY tools that can be fabricated from easily found materials.
3. Participants will list three or more features that can be represented more than one way from light tech to high tech.

About

Judith Schoonover, MEd, OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA is an occupational therapist and former elementary school teacher. She is certified as an assistive technology professional (ATP) by Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America RESNA and was a founding member of the Loudoun County Public Schools Assistive Technology Team. Judith has provided direct services in schools for more than 44 years and is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker presenting on the topics of school-based occupational therapy, transition, literacy, and assistive technology. She has authored numerous articles, and chapters in Early Childhood: Occupational Therapy Services for Children Birth to Five, Occupational Therapy for Children (6th–8th eds.), Best Practices in School Occupational Therapy, Assistive Technologies, and Occupational Therapy and Transitions: A Cross-System Perspective. She participated in National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) workgroups addressing response to intervention (RTI), transition, and virtual schools. Currently, Judith represents American Occupational Therapy Association AOTA on the National Joint Committee (NJC) for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities; she is a Strand Advisor for The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference and serves on the editorial board of the Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits (ATOB) Journal.

RSVP for April 7, 2022

Questions regarding this professional learning opportunity can be sent to the AT Inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

Update to Integrity Rule for FY 2022: -40031

An update to an integrity rule for FY 2022 will be introduced into the integrity process on SPED data shortly. This rule is a continuation of our effort to further validate SPED reporting to ensure clean data for the state.   

A one-sheet Integrity Tool is available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips. An updated error message has been added to our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document and the change is referenced on the FY 2022 ESS Data Reporting Updates document. 

PLEASE NOTE: This alert is not an indication your entity is failing this rule. Please check your INTEG15 report in the AzEDS Portal to determine if your entity is failing any SPED Integrity Rules. 

Integrity Rule -40031

This rule validates SPED Needs reported for students attending Private Day Schools or Residential Treatment Centers are approved to service those needs according to the applications submitted by those entities.

This rule will now fail if an approved need ends the approval within the fiscal year.  Students reported with needs beyond the approved end dates will fail the rule. This now aligns accurately with the approval date range within any given fiscal year of the private facility as required in the Arizona Administrative Code.

The approved list available on the Private Special Education Schools webpage will be updated to reflect the approved dates should any site lose their approval to service that need within the fiscal year. 

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding this update.