ADE/ESS is pleased to announce the release of the revised AZ‑TAS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Graduation of Students with Disabilities in Arizona’s Schools. 

This updated document provides guidance on: 

• Key components of FAPE for transition‑aged students 

• Arizona’s graduation requirements for all students 

• Circumstances that conclude a student’s right to FAPE 

Revisions incorporate the Arizona State Board of Education’s October 2024 updates to IEP and secondary transition requirements, information from the Graduation Joint Guidance Memo (ADE, 12/1/25), technical changes, and clarifications requested by the field. We sincerely appreciate the thoughtful questions and feedback from special education stakeholders, which informed several updates and strengthened this resource. 

To further support schools in navigating graduation requirements, ADE/ESS also offers guidance and training on effective postsecondary transition planning, with additional resources currently in development. For more information, please visit the ADE/ESS Secondary Transition website. 

The revised FAQ is linked above and available on the ADE/ESS AZ‑TAS Documents webpage. 

Please disseminate this information to your teams as appropriate. For questions or additional information, contact the ESS Inbox. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 

Based on the feedback we received from PEAs, the Question-and-Answer session held in November 2025 was a great success, and many of you shared how helpful it was to have the opportunity to ask your most pressing questions. In response, our Data Management team has decided to hold these sessions twice a year—each March and October.

These Q&A sessions provide PEA special education staff with dedicated time to ask general and troubleshooting questions related to data reporting. Please remember that no personally identifiable information (PII) should be shared during the session.

Registration is required, please see the Zoom registration link.

For your convenience, attached is a condensed version of the PowerPoint presentation for reference.

The ESS Data Management team is pleased to announce the release of a new reference tool designed to support your work in resolving SPED-related integrity errors generated from student data submitted to AzEDS.

We have created a document titled “Troubleshooting SPED-Related Integrity Rules,” which provides step-by-step guidance to help you identify, understand, and resolve common SPED integrity rule failures more efficiently. This resource is now available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage, listed under the Tools section with the link title “SPED-Related Integrity Rules.”

This updated guidance replaces all previous integrity troubleshooting materials, including earlier one‑sheet tools that were previously used for clearing SPED-related integrity failures.

We encourage all users who work with AzEDS and SPED data submissions and integrity processing to review this tool and incorporate it into their troubleshooting workflow.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the ESS Data Management inbox.

Thank you,
ESS Data Management

The ADE/ESS is thrilled to welcome you back to the trail! After six amazing seasons guiding nearly 600 new special education teachers, we’re ready for another unforgettable adventure. 

Teach Camp is a three-day, camp-themed professional learning experience packed with practical resources, strategies, and a strong campfire community of support so that new special education teachers not only survive but thrive as they begin their teaching journey. Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in one of Arizona’s public schools in the fall of 2026.  

Navigating the Journey: Camp Essentials 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 7–9, 2026, at Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 
• The cost per teacher is $195
• Each camper will receive: 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers (3rd edition) 
  • One-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
  • Additional valuable resources to pack in their teaching backpack 

Trailblazing Together: What Teach Camp Alumni Are Saying! 

• “The resources and guidance provided have helped boost my confidence as I begin my journey as a special education teacher.” 
• “I’m hiking away with a full backpack of ideas and a happy teacher heart! Huge thanks to everyone who planned, presented, and made camp such an unforgettable experience. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat—just point me to the trailhead!” 
• “I loved the warm, welcoming environment, the rockstar presenters (aka our fearless trail guides), and meeting so many fellow campers who were eager to share their survival skills and teaching hacks. Teach Camp was s’more than I expected!” 

Ready for Your Teachers to Join the Adventure? 

Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis until Friday, June 19, 2026. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher. Please note that there is a limit of ten registrations for each district or charter, after which participants will be placed on a waiting list. Travel reimbursement is available for eligible districts and charter organizations for up to five travelers per organization with additional travelers as funding allows. Reimbursement details are provided in the registration form. Please be aware that we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters and budget constraints for travel reimbursement. On-site registration is not available.  

Spots are limited—register your teachers for Teach Camp today! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. 

We are excited to invite you to Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference: Stronger Systems, Better Outcomes—for Every Student, from August 18–20, 2026 with Preconference sessions on August 17, at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.

ADE/ESS seeks innovative, research-based proposals highlighting your outstanding contributions to special education. This year’s conference will offer various professional learning opportunities, covering IDEA legal issues and updates, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool special education, and secondary transition.

Why Submit?

• Showcase Your Expertise: Share your knowledge and insights with a wide audience of special education professionals.
• Network with Peers: Connect with fellow educators, researchers, and practitioners.
• Contribute to the field: Help advance special education practices by sharing your innovative approaches and research findings.

Submit your proposals by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Review the Call for Papers Guidelines and submit your session proposal(s) for Arizona’s 2026 IDEA Conference.

Thank you for your dedication to advancing special education in Arizona. We look forward to your contributions. Stay informed by visiting the IDEA Conference website and signing up for the conference listserv for updates and registration information. Questions can be emailed to the IDEA Conference inbox.

From Evaluation to Service Delivery: Research-Informed Practices That Empower SLPs to Navigate Tensions and Strengthen Collaboration with Marie Ireland 

Friday, March 6, 2026  

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM  

Rio Vista Recreation Center  

8866 W Thunderbird Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381   

There is no fee to attend. Thanks to Peoria Unified School District for providing the venue for this event.  

Comprehensive speech-language assessment is essential for identifying students with disabilities under IDEA and requires the use of multiple tools and strategies. Post-pandemic skill gaps and increased referrals have intensified challenges for SLPs, contributing to misidentification and overidentification.  

This session examines nine research-identified tensions affecting school-based evaluation and eligibility practices and offers solutions to improve collaboration, caseload management, and decision-making. Participants will learn systematic, culturally responsive methods for integrating standardized and informal data—including dynamic assessment—to identify strengths, needs, and learning potential. Emphasis is placed on linking evaluation results to instruction, service delivery, and educationally relevant outcomes.  

ASHA CEs are not provided; however, participants will receive a certificate of completion for six Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA certification FAQs webpage.  

About the Presenter: 

Marie Ireland is an adjunct research associate at Charles Sturt University in Australia, a Board-Certified Specialist in Child Language (BCS-CL) and served as the Virginia Department of Education’s specialist for evaluation and eligibility, speech language pathology, and related services for 16 years. She has served as ASHA’s Vice President of SLP Practice (2018–2020) and on the executive board of the State Education Agencies Communication Disabilities Council. Her areas of interest include child language, evidence-based assessment, and dynamic assessment. She has written numerous books and research articles. She received a national editor’s award in 2013 and an international award in 2021 for articles on evidence-based practice in schools. Her research focuses on evaluation and eligibility decision making in the US. She presents regularly at state, national and international conferences and venues.  

Apply now to attend this session. Seats are limited. Preference will be given to SLPs and SLTs who are district or charter school employees. Staffing agency employees contracted to a district or charter will be placed on a waiting list. This session is not intended for SLPAs. 

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

The Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ArSHA) will hold its annual convention on March 27–28 in Mesa. Hundreds of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Speech-Language Technicians (SLTs), Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs), and students enrolled in SLP graduate programs will be attending this event. 

The ADE/ESS sponsors the public school strand at the convention to support high-quality, relevant, professional learning for school-based speech personnel. This year’s sponsored topics include Secondary Transition Planning, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Special Education Compliance, and Artificial Intelligence Tips and Tricks.

ADE/ESS also plans to have a recruiting booth in the exhibit hall. We will highlight all SLP/SLT/SLPA vacancies posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board (AEBB). The AEEB is a free, online special education job board provided by ESS. To be included in this recruitment effort, please post your speech vacancies (current or anticipated for 2026-27 school year) by March 16.

Prior to posting your speech position(s), you may wish to review our  “Develop Effective Job Postings” guidance document.

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

“Tell Me All About it!”  

Dynamic Assessment in the Schools with Janani Webb, CCC-SLP and Melissa White, CCC-SLP 

Date:  February 26, 2026 

Time:  3:30 PM–5:00 PM 

Our Presenters: 

Janani Webb, MS, CCC-SLP, is an experienced speech-language pathologist with a focus on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), executive functioning, language disorders, and speech sound disorders.  

Melissa White, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and doctoral student at the University of Arizona, where she studies child language. She is especially interested in language and connections to literacy, assessment, and school-based issues. 

Register now for this FREE, virtual, after-school session. You’ll leave with free resources, tools, and strategies you can use right away to strengthen your practice of using Dynamic Assessment in the school setting.  

FAQs: 

Will it be recorded? No. 

Are ASHA CEUs provided? ASHA CEUs are not provided; however, you will receive a certificate of completion for 1.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA certification FAQs webpage.  

Diverse Ability Incorporated (DAI) is thrilled to announce that it will host the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) in July 2026 for Arizona students ages 14–22 who have a documented disability.

AZYLF is a dynamic, inclusive leadership conference designed to empower youth and young adults who have disabilities. Participants build leadership and self‑advocacy skills, explore the disability experience, set personal goals, and connect with peers and community resources in a supportive environment.

Watch the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum highlight video

2026 AZYLF Details

Who: Arizona students ages 14–22 who have a documented disability
When: July 13–17, 2026
Where: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost: Free for all participants
If selected, participants must complete a Pre‑Employment Transition Services (Pre‑ETS) Form.

Applicants may submit an online application through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should:

• Have a documented disability*
• Be 14–22 years of age
• Be enrolled in high school or a higher education or post‑secondary training program**
• Live in Arizona

*Documented disability may include an IEP, 504 Plan, or medical documentation of a disability or diagnosis.
**Post‑secondary examples include colleges, universities, certificate programs, and other training programs.

To learn more about AZYLF, please visit DAI's AZYLF web page, email DAI, or call 602-425-5135.

Thanks to DAI's diverse funding and collaborative partnerships, including with ADE/ESS and RSA/VR Services, students can participate in AZYLF at no charge.