Special Education Directors,

Please see the available professional development opportunities below.

Dive Deep into AZ Math Standards

for

Special Education Teachers

We know that, as special education teachers, you are typically working across multiple grade levels and with students who have various strengths, and we are here to support you in making it all work!

Join us as we spend time diving into our math standards and supporting documents to consider the following:

• Where are the students coming from? We will delineate content from the previous grade level.
• What do they need to learn this year? We will discuss the major content standards of the current grade level and how we can embed previous year learnings.
• Where are they headed?  We will look at connections across grade bands that will support student learning in subsequent years.

See the list of sessions below, and please feel free to sign up for the session(s) that are most relevant to you, based on the students that you support.

Elementary Sessions

• Grades K-2:  June 23, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. or July 21, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
• Grades 2-3:  June 24, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. or July 22, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
• Grades 3-5: June 25, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. or July 23, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
• Grades 5-6: June 26, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. or July 24, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Secondary Sessions

• 6^th Grade: June 23, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. or July 21, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• 7^th – 8^th Grade: June 24, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. or July 22, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• HS Algebra I/II: June 25, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. or July 23, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
• HS Geometry: June 26, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. or July 24, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

NEW INTEGRITY RULE: Integrity Rule -40077

Effective Fiscal Year 2021, a new field will be required in AzEDS for SPED Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) records:  Resident School ID.  Student Information Systems (SIS) should be updated by your vendor to allow this new field according to the FY21 AzEDS API.

Integrity rule -40077 will validate every SPED LRE reported has an associated Resident School ID, identified in the API as Student Education Organization Responsibility Association.  Regardless of enrollment, this is defined as the EntityID of the site the student would attend within the District of Residence (DOR) without an IEP:

• Private Day School - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the private day school.
• Voucher - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the residential treatment center or a state institution.
• Public Education Agency Placement (PEA) - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in another PEA.
• Head Start Programs - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the Head Start program.
• Public School - defaults to the public school site where the student is currently enrolled & attending.

A new integrity one-sheet tool has been published on our website to aid troubleshooting this error:  Integrity Tool -40077

Special Education Directors,

Please see this important Notice of Public Comment from ADE Assessment:

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT PERIOD WAIVER REQUEST PURSUANT TO 34 C.F.R. §200.6(c)(4) June 4, 2020

As part of waiver requirements, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is posting an opportunity for public comment regarding the ADE seeking a one-year waiver pursuant to §8401(b) from requirements within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). The USDOE requires state educational agencies, when seeking waivers from statutory or regulatory requirements, solicit and respond to public comment on the request and provide evidence of the available comment period. This 15-day public comment period will be open from June 4 through June 19, 2020.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: Any individual or organization may submit written comments on the proposed waiver pursuant to 34 C.F.R. §200.6(c)(4). Written comments shall be accepted through June 19, 2020.

Requirements from which Arizona is seeking a waiver include:

• Sections 1111(b)(2)(B) (v)(ii) that require states to test all students in science not less than one time during Grades 3 through 5; Grades 6 through 9; and Grades 10 through 12.

• Section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(x) which requires reporting results for students, schools, and districts.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is planning a census field test for both its standard and alternate assessments in spring 2021 in Grades 5, 8, and 11. These new assessments will be aligned to the new 2018 Arizona Science Standards (adopted October 2018), which are based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education and Working with Big Ideas of Science Education, and will be ready for spring 2022.

This waiver for Grade 8 will enable the ADE to administer the census field test statewide in spring 2021 in lieu of the legacy science assessments (AIMS Science and AIMS A Science) that are aligned to the old standards and not the new Arizona Science Standards. The waiver will help Arizona’s students and educators in many ways:

• It will reduce testing time for students and educators in Grade 8. This is the only grade with overlap.
• It will allow schools to rework their curriculum and instruction to align to the new Arizona Science Standards.
• It will enable teachers to begin teaching the new science standards without the pressure of also preparing students for the legacy assessment.
• A census field test will prepare students and educators for both the technical and academic expectations of this assessment for 2021 and beyond.

The ADE will not issue scores from the field test for students, schools, or districts. However, districts and schools will be held accountable for participation in the 2020 – 2021 Arizona AzSCI field test for Grade 8. The Arizona State Board of Education is aware and approves of this waiver request. The State Board will be addressing the impacts for State Accountability for Grade 8.

You may submit your comments electronically June 4 through June 19, 2020, using the following link: /assessment/public-comment-science-waiver/ or directly to Audra Ahumada, Deputy Associate Superintendent of Assessments, Arizona Department of Education, 1535 West Jefferson St. Bin #6, Phoenix, AZ 85007. Mrs. Ahumada may be reached by telephone at 602-542-5450, by fax at 602-542-5467, or through email at [email protected].

Special Education Directors,

Based on questions received during Special Education Director Check-Ins and through the ESS Inbox, it appears that there is some confusion about the credentialing requirements for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), including out-of-state telehealth providers, speech-language technicians (SLTs), and speech-language pathologists-limited (SLPLs). Also, ADE/ESS has learned there may be some questions regarding the job duties of a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA). The following information has been provided to ADE/ESS by the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Special Licensing.

“To work in a public school setting, SLPs, including out-of-state telehealth providers, SLTs and SLPLs must hold both a current license from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and a current non-teaching professional certificate from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). SLPAs only need ADHS licensure as ADE does not issue certificates to SLPAs. Individual practitioners must check with the credentialing agencies of the state where they reside to determine if they must also be licensed/certified in that state in order to (tele)practice in another state.

SLPAs must be supervised by a master’s level licensed and certified SLP , SLPL, or a SLT with a SLPL certification. Please see A.R.S. § 36-1940.04(E) through (G) for more information. Please see A.R.S. § 36-1940.04(E) through (G) for more information.

Public education agencies (PEAs) are responsible for verifying that speech personnel working with their students hold the appropriate credentials. The potential repercussions of providing speech-language services without the appropriate credentials are serious for both the individual and the public education agency (PEA), regardless of whether the individual is employed directly by the PEA or contracted through a third party.

Speech personnel should provide a copy of the required credentials prior to employment. You may confirm the AZDHS license by entering the holder’s name in the ADHS Care Check Portal. District and charter school HR administrators may confirm the ADE certificate through the Educator Certificate Search Portal.

For additional information about the provision of speech services in the schools, please refer to ADE/ESS’ Arizona Technical Assistance System (AZ-TAS) document, “Speech-Language Services in Arizona’s Schools: Guidelines for Best Practice” on the ADE website. Please forward this information to any interested parties, including your PEA’s HR office.”

If you have questions about ADE certification of speech personnel, please contact ADE certification specialists. If you have questions about the licensure of speech personnel, contact AZDHS, Office of Special Licensing. Thank you.

Special Education Directors,

The opening of ED-P applications (public entities) for the 2020-2021 school year has been delayed until June 1, 2020 to make internal changes to the application in preparation for next year. There will not be a definite due date until we get closer to the end of June. Failure to apply to the application may potentially cause integrity failures toward the end of the upcoming school year, which may affect state payments.

Please see memo for more information.

Dear Special Education Directors,

Please join us for our next episode of the Thursday Afternoon LEarning Series, or TALES,  on Thursday, May 14, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., when we welcome special guest lecturer Jamie Valderrama, a national and international speaker and current Undergraduate Coordinator at Arizona State University for the Integrative Health Initiative, to present for us “The Magic of Mindfulness.”

We are all currently experiencing extraordinary levels of stress on a daily basis with the demands of working from home while caring for family members, supporting our own children’s online learning, and worrying about all our students and their families. Stir-crazy and stressed is not a good place to be! But luckily, we know there are some simple, free things that can help. Mindfulness is increasingly gaining attention worldwide with the emergence of promising data showing how the simple act of being aware can deregulate the body’s stress response, leading to a happier and healthier life. “The Magic of Mindfulness” highlights the stress response (physically and psychologically) as well as applicable mindful practices to deregulate stressful triggers in our personal and professional lives. This presentation is funny, insightful, and may help you not only get through this crisis, but it may also change your life.

Participant registration is first-come, first-served and is not limited to special educators – feel free to forward. Please click here to register.

Questions regarding this TALES professional learning opportunity can be sent to the ESS Inbox or directed to the ESS receptionist at 602-542-4013.

Special Education Directors,

ESS continues to offer virtual professional learning through Office Hours for Special Education Teachers.

These virtual meetups are a chance for special education teachers across Arizona to connect with each other, collaborate and learn from one another, and to celebrate and share successes during this new educational landscape. Join our virtual meetups and connect with your colleagues to learn and lead from wherever you are in our state!

Behavior/Social-Emotional Learning

Tuesday, May 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 19 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

For more information, please email Celeste Nameth, our Multi-Tier Behavior Specialist.

Literacy

Thursday, May 7 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

For more information, please email Sandra Figueroa or email Kim Rice, our Literacy Specialists.

Math

Thursday, May 14 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 28 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

For more information please email Eboney McKinney or email Jenifer Hutchinson, our Math Specialists.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We appreciate your dedication to supporting students, and we look forward to connecting with you!

Special Education Directors,

Are your staff and families experiencing challenges with student engagement and motivation during remote learning?

If so, please join us for our next episode of the Thursday Afternoon LEarning Series, or TALES, on Thursday, April 30 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. We welcome Dr. Laura Riffel, a national and international presenter, also known as the Behavior Doctor, to present “Thriving During Remote Learning: Engaged and Motivated.” Dr. Riffel will share a three-pronged behavioral intervention approach to get students engaged and motivated to attend to remote learning tasks. Even though we are working remotely, we can revise the environment, replace the behavior, and reframe our response to gain student input in desired ways.

Dr. Riffel will share some recommendations based on age levels and ideas for family members, students, and educators. She is also creating a web page filled with ideas that you will be able to access after the webinar. At the end, she will be available to answer your questions. If you’d like to check out her website ahead of time, go to BehaviorDoctor.org or visit the Behavior Doctor Facebook page. If you have a specific question you’d like answered privately, she will be happy to answer if you email Dr. Riffel.

To join us for this one-hour webinar, please register in advance.

Participant registration is first-come, first-served and is not limited to special educators – feel free to forward.

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

The Best Practice Implementation Project is a quantitative method of reviewing transition plans from PEAs to provide feedback on the implementation of best practices.  Plans are reviewed using a rubric that was designed by ADE/ESS Secondary Transition Specialists with support from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: the Collaborative (NTACT:C).

Redacted IEPs (all personally identifiable information is hidden or removed) can be sent to the secondary transition inbox.  A transition specialist will review the IEP to identify best practices and provide feedback. 

• Best Practice Rubric 4.0 
• Best Practice Implementation Project Flyer

If you have any questions, please contact us at secondary transition inbox.

Page updated 3/18/22