Are You Ready to Lead Inclusion? Let’s Make It Happen!

 Still wondering how to make inclusion thrive in your schools?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. The Way to Inclusion: Leadership Book Study gives you a clear, actionable roadmap to break down barriers and build systems that truly support every learner.

 Join Dr. Julie Causton and Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, in partnership with the ADE ESS team, as they guide Arizona leaders through practical strategies to:
- Design systems that work for all learners
- Rethink schedules and staff roles
- Strengthen collaboration across teams
- Lead change with confidence and clarity

This is inclusion made doable- and it starts with you. Let’s reimagine what’s possible for educators and students across Arizona.

Sign up today!

 Learn more about the facilitators: https://inclusiveschooling.com/about

  For additional questions, please contact Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices.

Are you overwhelmed by professional development? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Join the ADE/ESS Assistive Technology Team for our 2025-26 spring series, Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT). In these quick 30-minute sessions, we will highlight a single assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use to support your students.  

Title:                  JOT: Beyond Accessibility: Using Captions to Support All Learners 

Presenters:      Doug Cutler, M.A., CCC-SLP – Arizona Department of Education - Assistive Technology Specialist 

Date:                  Wednesday, February 25, 2026 

Time:                 11:30 AM–12:00 PM 

Description: Captions are more than just text on a screen—they are powerful tools that support learning, accessibility, and engagement for all students. This training will explore how captions can enhance understanding across diverse learning environments, including classrooms and professional development settings. Participants will learn best practices for leveraging captions to support students with varying needs, including English language learners and those with hearing impairments.  

Register for this AT JOT  

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email [email protected]. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT    

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include:    

• Reminders  

• Trending topics  
  • • October 1 Child Count Non-Reconciliation
    • Preschool Funding
    • Special Education Data Dashboard
    • Updated Integrity Tool Preview

• Top Three Integrity Errors 

• Q&A     

Please register by clicking this link. Registration is required to attend. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.  

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

ESS October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation Webinar

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team is happy to announce an upcoming October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation training. Phase III is only for the PEAs that could not match the number of SPED students submitted in Phase I with the number of SPED students in AzEDS during Phase II.

PEAs will receive an email if they qualify for Phase III when the application opens on January 7th.

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on

Tuesday, January 13th, 2025, from 10:00a.m. – 11:30a.m.

Registration is required to attend. Register for the October 1 Data Collection—Phase: III Non-Reconciliation webinar.

If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

Thank you,

Data Management
 Exceptional Student Services
 Arizona Department of Education

Office: (602) 542-3962

Data Management web page
 “We are a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents.”

The ADE/ESS Professional Learning and Sustainability team is pleased to offer an exciting “grow-your-own” opportunity for general educators who are ready to make a difference in special education.

The General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) program offers tuition reimbursement to public education agencies (PEAs) in support of general education teachers who want to pursue a career change to become special education teachers.

Participants can choose one of the following pathways:

• Standard Professional Teaching Certificate in Special Education
• Full Special Education Endorsement in:
  • Mild/Moderate Disabilities
  • Moderate/Severe Disabilities
  • Deaf/Hard of Hearing
  • Visually Impaired

All coursework for both the Standard Professional Teaching Certificate and the Full Special Education Endorsement must be completed at an Arizona institute of higher education listed on the Arizona State Board of Education-approved educator preparation programs and verified by the Arizona Department of Education Certification Unit. Please note that Early Childhood Special Education is only available through the Standard Certificate pathway.

Key Details:

• Reimbursement is provided for pre-approved courses, fees, and required materials after each semester upon successful completion of program requirements.
• PEAs may submit one application per year. The application must be submitted by the PEA and not the candidate.
• The application deadline is Friday, February 6, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.
• Applicants must have two full years of employment with the PEA by June 30, 2026.
• Applicants must commit to two years of special education teaching in the hosting PEA after completion of the certificate or endorsement.

Ready to Apply?

1. Review the GETSET Application (including the cover page, program requirements, and application questions).
2. Answer all application questions in the GETSET Application Form.
3. Email the signed cover page and unofficial transcripts to the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with the subject line:
   [Your District or Charter Name]: 2026 GETSET Application

Please note that a new cohort for the Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) program for paraprofessionals will not be offered this year. Current SETTA participants will continue in the program. PEAs may explore other tuition assistance options for paraprofessionals through the Arizona Teachers Academy.

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

Are you overwhelmed by professional development? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Join the ADE/ESS Assistive Technology Team for our 2025-26 spring series, Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT). In these quick 30-minute sessions, we will highlight a single assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use to support your students.  

 Title:           JOT: 5 Fun Activities to Try with Guided Hands® 

Presenters:    Cecilia Dey- Program Coordinator, ADE/ESS AT Loan Library and Emily Gaylord, PT, DPT, ATP- Assistive Technology Specialist 

Date:          Wednesday, January 21, 2026 

Time:          11:30 AM-12:00 PM 

 Description: Join us for an exciting and “hands-on” session featuring a standout device from the ADE/ESS Short-term AT Loan Library! Our loan coordinator, Cecilia Dey, will showcase Guided Hands®, an assistive technology device that supports students with limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw, and use a touch-screen device. We’ll kick things off with a step-by-step demonstration, showing you how to set up fun and engaging activities using Guided Hands. Then, learn how to borrow this innovative device through the ADE/ESS AT short-term Loan Library. 

Whether you're new to assistive technology or looking to expand your toolkit, this session is a great opportunity to explore practical solutions that empower independence. 

Register for AT JOT: 5 Fun Activities to Try with Guided Hands  

Please note that JOTs are not recorded.

If you have questions regarding this professional development opportunity, please email [email protected]. 

The ADE/ESS is pleased to sponsor this event. There is no fee to attend. This presentation is a repeat of Amy’s September 2025 session.

February 6, 2026 

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM 

Rio Vista Recreation Center 

8866 W Thunderbird Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381   

Thank you to the Peoria Unified School District for providing the venue for this event. 

Lunch is on your own; there are many restaurants nearby. You also have the option to pack your lunch or pick something up and bring it back to the venue. 

Agenda 

FAQs 

Are ASHA CEs provided? No. ASHA CEs are not provided; however, you will receive a certificate of completion for 6 Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs here. 

What is the fee to attend the workshop? This workshop is free. Lunch is on your own. 

Where do I park? You may park anywhere in front of the recreation center. Spots are plentiful, and parking is free. 

Should I bring my laptop? Yes. Amy will be sharing resources digitally throughout the day. Please charge your devices fully before you arrive. There is no power to the tables, but charging stations will be available along the walls.  

Apply to attend. Complete the application. You will be notified of the status of your application as soon as possible. 

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

What if you had a clear, actionable roadmap for making inclusion thrive? That’s what you’ll find in The Way to Inclusion: Leadership Book Study. If this question has been circling in your mind as a Special Education Director, School Administrator, Special Education Teacher, General Education Teachers, or Instructional Coach, this virtual book study is for you!

 Virtual Meetings will be held via Zoom from 3:30-5:00 pm.

• January 15
• February 5 and 19
• March 5
• April 1   

 Together, we’ll tackle barriers, strengthen collaboration, and create systems that work for educators and students.

 Join authors Dr. Julie Causton and Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education’s Exceptional Student Services Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Team as they guide you through strategies that help you:

✅ Build systems that support all learners
✅ Redesign schedules and staff roles
✅ Strengthen collaboration
✅ Lead change with courage and clarity

This is inclusion made doable, and creating a space for Arizona leaders to reimagine what’s possible.

 Sign up now!

 Learn about the facilitators: https://inclusiveschooling.com/about.

 For additional questions, please contact Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices.

We are pleased to announce that both the SPED73 and SPED07 reports have been updated and finalized to reflect integrity processing (State SPED, FED SPED, ADM, and Accountability) and data submitted through the Phase II deadline of December 10, 2025.

The SPED07 report will be considered the final data for federal reporting purposes and non-reconciliation activities, if applicable to your PEA.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked to ensure that the SPED07 report is accurate, valid, and final. 

For questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

SPED73 and SPED07 Report Update

Due to an issue with the Data Mart processing, the SPED73 and SPED07 reports were last updated on December 8, 2025. These reports should be updated later today, and we will send a follow-up alert to advise when they are available based on last night’s integrity run.

As a reminder, the SPED73 report provides a list of students receiving special education services, indicating whether each student was counted in the federally reported ESS October 1 Child Count.

The SPED07 report displays a list of students ages 3-21 identified in AzEDS as receiving special education services over the October 1 child count date, as of the most recent integrity run.

In the meantime, we recommend using the SPED72 report to view a student’s integrity status, which indicates whether they are passing or failing.

The final SPED07 report will be generated on Thursday, December 11, after 10:00 am.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

For questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.