The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that Teach Camp 6.0 is now open for registration!

After five years of supporting almost 500 new special education teachers, we are as excited as ever about Teach Camp!

Teach Camp aims to increase the retention of beginning special educators by providing them with the tools they need to survive and thrive.

Here’s what some of this year’s campers had to say about their experience at Teach Camp:

• ”I know the knowledge I'll bring back will help improve my own teaching skills and that of my coworkers as I share with them what I've learned.
• “I think this was an awesome experience, and I would recommend this to my colleagues!”
• “Great mix of learning, community, and fun!”        

Teach Camp Eligibility:

• We know there are many pathways to becoming a special education teacher in Arizona. Recent graduates from traditional teacher preparation programs, alternative certified teachers, and veteran general education teachers transitioning to special education are all welcome.
• Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in the fall of 2025.
• Participants must be directly employed by a school district or charter as a special education teacher.

The cost for Summer 2025 Teach Camp is $250 per teacher and includes:  

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 8-10, 2025, at ASU SkySong, 1365 North Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
• Follow-up support throughout the school year, including virtual sessions and newsletters 
• A copy of The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers  
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children  
• Additional valuable resources     

Registration:
Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis. 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. More than ten teachers from any one district or charter will be placed on a waiting list. 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.   

Travel Reimbursement:
Funding is available for travel costs for districts and charter organizations that are traveling 51 miles or more from the school district or charter office to ASU SkySong, 1301 North Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257.  Reimbursements will be made to the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher, via the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration and an additional completed State Procurement Office Form will be required.  Additional information regarding travel reimbursement will be provided to the district or charter organization once registration is completed. To be considered for travel reimbursement for the three-day summer session, registration must be completed by May 2, 2025. Reimbursement may be provided for up to five travelers per district or charter, with additional travelers added as funding permits.

Begin the registration process for Teach Camp!  

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

The Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ArSHA) will hold its annual convention on April 11–12 in Tempe, Arizona. Hundreds of speech-language pathologists (SLPs), speech-language technicians (SLTs), speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs), and students enrolled in SLP graduate programs will attend this event.

ADE/ESS Recruitment and Retention will staff a booth in the convention exhibit hall to recruit SLPs/SLTs/SLPAs and audiologists on behalf of Arizona’s public schools. Our booth will include information about all SLP/SLT/SLPA positions posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board (AEEB). The AEEB is a free online job provided by ADE/ESS. You can view all current speech positions on the job board to confirm if your vacancy is posted. 

The Arizona Department of Education sponsors the public school strand at the convention to support high-quality, relevant professional development for school-based speech personnel. This year’s sponsored topics include remediation of speech sound disorders, language assessment of multilingual students, assistive technology, building Tier 2 vocabulary, and keeping students engaged in speech therapy.

To be included in this recruitment effort, please post your speech positions on our job board by April 1.

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

Do your students doubt their abilities when they experience challenges? Do they understand how to put forth effort and make progress toward their goals? Self-efficacy instruction can increase students’ belief in themselves and develop their ability to persist through learning challenges. 

The ADE/ESS, in collaboration with the University of Kansas Research Collaboration, is offering the College and Career Competencies Project, a free, one-year professional development series that includes:

• Free access to self-efficacy curricula at the primary, intermediate, and secondary levels with 25+ evidence-based instructional activities that teach 10 self-efficacy strategies.

• Virtual training across the school year to all staff, based on your professional learning calendar.
• Assessments to show student growth.
• Coaching support throughout the implementation process.

The Self-Efficacy curriculum, professional learning, and student progress measures are provided to all school staff across the school year. Training dates are established by each participating school.

The College and Career Competencies Project is accepting 7 more schools (elementary, middle, or high) for the 2025–2026 school year. Please note that funding for the project is contingent upon federal appropriations for the upcoming year.

To participate, have an administrator from your district complete the CCCs Project Interest Form, and schedule a 30-minute conference call about the project.

View our self-efficacy infographic, which includes the definition of self-efficacy and student impacts resulting from instruction.

For any questions, email Pattie Noonan.

The ADE/ESS Recruitment and Retention team is staffing a recruitment booth at the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) annual convention from March 11–15, 2025, as part of our recruiting efforts on behalf of all Arizona PEAs. Each year, CEC draws thousands of preservice special education students, teachers, and related service providers.  

  Our booth includes Arizona Department of Tourism brochures showcasing the diverse beauty of our state, materials pointing attendees to our job board, and, of course, the famous cactus pencils. 

  Following our attendance at national conventions, we typically see a dramatic uptick in Arizona Education Employment Board visitors. Please make sure that your special education positions are posted on our free job board as soon as possible to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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

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. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) notes that “the IEP Team shall, in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior” (20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(3)(B)(i)). 

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

Register for February 19 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for February 19 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for February 25 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to ten 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 April 2 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.

Please see the MTBS 2025 flyer for additional information. If you have questions, please contact Celeste Nameth.

In partnership with ADE/ESS, the College and Career Competencies (CCCs) Project invites you to tune into a Spring 2025 professional learning opportunity for educational leaders and educators, Developing and Improving Students’ Persistence and Confidence Through Self-Efficacy.

Students who don’t have confidence in their abilities give up easily when they experience obstacles. They struggle to understand the connection between putting forth effort and making progress. Self-efficacy is an individual’s perception of their ability to complete challenging tasks. Students with strong self-efficacy understand that learning new things is a process that includes multiple attempts, analyzing each attempt, and applying feedback to improve. They view mistakes and setbacks as opportunities to learn and utilize calming techniques when learning becomes challenging. Educators who support students in developing self-efficacy observed increased confidence and the ability to view mistakes as learning opportunities in their students. Academic and behavioral outcomes are improved when educators are supported in developing students’ self-efficacy.

For K-12 Educational Leaders
Title: Improving Students’ Persistence and Confidence Through Self-EfficacyTarget
Audience: School and district administrators, special education directors, curriculum directors, directors of teaching and learning, professional development coordinators, and other school administrators.
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Time: 9:00–9:45 a.m.

Please join us for this interactive 45-minute webinar as we explore these topics: 

• Accessing free professional learning for your staff
• Teaching self-efficacy with free curriculum
• Systematic approaches to implementing self-efficacy instruction
• Coaching educators as they provide self-efficacy instruction

Register for Improving Students’ Persistence and Confidence Through Self-Efficacy.

For K-12 Special Educators and Interventionists

Title: Developing Students’ Persistence and Confidence Through Self-Efficacy
Target Audience: Special educators, school counselors, social workers, related services providers, instructional coaches, and interventionists
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Time: 3:00–3:45 p.m.

Please join us for this interactive 45-minute webinar as we explore these topics: 

• Teaching self-efficacy with free curriculum
• Measuring students’ self-efficacy
• Individualized support for developing students’ self-efficacy
• Accessing free self-efficacy courses for special education professionals

Register for Developing Students’ Persistence and Confidence Through Self-Efficacy.

For more information, see www.cccframework.org.

The ADE/ESS Professional Learning and Sustainability unit is pleased to announce two “grow-your-own” opportunities for educators in Arizona public schools.

• The General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) program provides tuition reimbursement to Public Education Agencies (PEAs) for certified general education teachers who want to pursue a career change to become special education teachers. Participants choose the Standard Teaching Certificate or the Full Special Education Teaching Endorsement in mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, dead/hard of hearing, or visually impaired. Early childhood special education certification is only available via the Standard Professional Teaching Certificate.
• The Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) program provides tuition reimbursement to PEAs for paraprofessionals and educational interpreters that leads to the Standard Teaching Certificate in mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, or early childhood special education.                                                                                                                                                             

If the candidate chooses the Standard Professional Teaching Certificate Pathway, the teacher shall enroll in an Arizona State Board of Education-approved educator preparation program (EPP) that leads to special education teacher certification (view the list of approved programs that lead to special education certification). Courses for the Full Special Education Endorsement must be taken from an Arizona institute of higher education on the list of approved programs and must be verified by the Arizona Department of Education Certification Unit. See the Special Education Teacher Certification Pathways for more information.

PEAs have an opportunity to submit one application per program per year. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until the funding that is set aside for the program is depleted. Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2025.

Please review the location information page or the SETTA application information page or the GETSET application information page, and email the completed cover pages from the corresponding cover pages (attached) along with unofficial transcripts to the Exceptional Student Services Recruitment and Retention Inbox, using the subject line [Your District or Charter Name]: 2025 GETSET/SETTA Application.

Please note:

• PEAs can apply for the GETSET program for general education teachers who seek a full special education endorsement.
• Applicant must have been employed by the PEA for two full school years as of June 30, 2025.
• Applicant must agree to two full years of teaching in a special education capacity at the PEA once special education certification is achieved.
• GETSET and SETTA are tuition reimbursement programs. Potential expenses are pre-approved, and reimbursement is provided after each semester is completed and program requirements are met.

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

ADE/ESS is pleased to present “A Deep Dive into Speech Sound Disorders: Intervention Only” with Amy Graham, CCC-SLP, for a second time. This repeat presentation is intended for SLPs or SLTs who remained on the waiting list or could not attend the October 11, 2024, session. Thank you, Peoria Unified School District, for securing a great venue for this event.

“A Deep Dive into Speech Sound Disorders: Intervention Only”

Too often, professional development for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) covers everything but intervention. In this full-day course, school-based SLPs will learn how to provide effective intervention for articulation errors and motor, speech, and phonological disorders. There is no fee to attend this session. This professional development activity qualifies as recognized professional development hours (PDHs) under ASHA guidelines. You will receive a certificate of attendance that satisfies their documentation requirements. Hours are not submitted to the CE Registry.

Date:               Friday, January 31, 2025

Time:                8:30 a.m.−4:30 p.m.

Fee:                   Free (Space is limited, and lunch is on your own.)

Where:             Rio Salado Recreation Center

Address:          8866 W Thunderbird Rd, Peoria, AZ 85381

About Amy Graham, CCC-SLP

Amy is a speech-language pathologist, an international speaker, a frequent podcast guest, and a creator of speech therapy resources for SLPs who treat speech sound disorders. 

Register Now for A Deep Dive into Speech Sound Disorders.

Special education leaders, 

Looking for a conference to support the professional learning of paraeducators who work with students with disabilities? 

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, & Interveners (NRCP)  is hosting the 37th National NRCP Virtual Conference on February 21-23, 2025, with an optional Leadership meeting on February 20. This year’s theme is “Paraeducators: Where the Magic Happens!”, and the virtual conference will provide an opportunity for paraeducators, interveners, teachers, administrators, and related service providers (RSPs) to engage with experts, connect with colleagues, share resources, and participate in interactive discussions. 

The conference registration fee is $100 for paraeducators, interveners, education support professionals, family members, and guardians. The conference registration fee is $250 for teachers, administrators, and other educators and policymakers. 

Go to the conference webpage for more information and to register. 

For questions, email Laura Lema.  

Are you looking for Speech-Language Pathologists or Speech-Language Pathology Assistants?

From December 5–7, 2024, ADE/ESS will staff a recruitment booth on behalf of all of Arizona’s public education agencies at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (AHSA) annual national convention in Seattle, WA. Over 20,000 SLPs and graduate students attend ASHA’s convention each year.

If your PEA would like ESS to promote your speech opening(s) at ASHA, please post them on the ADE job board as soon as possible. Our recruiting materials will direct candidates to speech positions posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board and information about becoming licensed and certified to practice in Arizona.

Post your vacancies today!

To attract candidates to your PEA, consider including information about:

• Caseload size/caseload caps
• Resources provided (subscriptions to SLP Toolkit, The Informed SLP, SLP Now, etc.)
• Paid licensure and certification fees
• Funds for professional development
• Highlights of your city/town/community
• Highlight alternative calendars (4-day week, year-round)

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