Special Education Administrators,

Starting in August 2022, the National Resource Center for Paraeducators (NRCP) and the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) have organized a year of monthly, low-cost, professional development webinars for paraeducators, teachers, administrators, etc.

Saturday Mornings with the NRCP!

Registration is open and ongoing for 12 webinars! One year of professional development!

Join us on the second Saturday of each month for exciting topics and presenters. The first six months will cover topics such as:

• Working Effectively with Students with Challenging and Severe Behaviors
• Teachers and Paraeducators Team-Teaching in the Classroom and On a Tight Schedule: Enhancing Communication Between Paraeducators and General Education Teachers
• Autism/Non-Verbal Trainings/Strategies
• IEPs, IDEA, Behavior Management Plans, and Transition Plans: What Are My Roles and Responsibilities?
• Dispelling the Myths of Unreachable, Unteachable, and Uncaring Students
• Ten Ways to Help the Non-Worker: Jumpstarting Work Completion Behavior

These webinar topics were selected based on feedback collected during the 2021–22 NRCP Regional conferences. The topics were then prioritized based on responses from a participant survey shared with conference participants and across social media outlets. As an administrator or district and state leader, if you have other topics you feel would be pertinent, please feel free to email us.

Each webinar will cost $25 per person. Session bundles are available. Six webinars can be purchased for $125, or all 12 can be purchased for $250. Each webinar will also be recorded and made available to all registrants for a limited time. Group discounts of 20% are available for groups of five or more participants (not limited to specific sessions or bundles). Email Laura Lema for more information and discount codes.

Please review the Save the Date(s) flyer. Each 2-hour webinar will be held from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (please be mindful of your specific time zone).  

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following virtual math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms (Grades K-5)

Special Guest Speaker: Andrew Gael 

Tuesday, June 21, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms.

Count Me In! Integers Series

Attendance at both Count Me In! Integers Series sessions is not required but recommended. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers 

Thursday, July 7, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers. 

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers

Friday, July 8, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers.

 Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers 

Monday, July 11, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Series 

Attendance at both Count Me In! Algebra Tiles sessions is recommended but not required. These sessions will not be recorded. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session.

Algebra Tiles Part 1: Exploration of Algebraic Expressions

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 1.

 Algebra Tiles Part 2: Exploration of Substitution and Solving Equations

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 2.

 Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar. 

 Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following virtual math professional learning opportunity with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms (Grades K–5)

Register in advance for Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms.

Presenter:                 Andrew Gael

Date/Time:                Tuesday, June 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Format:                      Virtual (Zoom Meeting)

Fee:                            Free

Participants:             Educators in Grades K–5

Description:

This workshop aims to provide a foundation for mathematics teachers to work successfully with all students in grades K–5. Participants will critique and construct their understanding of ability and disability and how this understanding applies to the mathematics classroom. They will activate prior knowledge of Universal Design for Learning and reflect on best practices for working with students with disabilities. A major focus of the workshop is the design and implementation of instructional routines and activities as a way to increase student access to mathematical content.

About Our Speaker:

Andrew Gael is a national speaker who is the Curriculum Director of Mathematics, grades K–12, at the Cooke School and Institute, a school for students with disabilities in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. He also has worked with pre-service teachers at The City College of New York (CCNY). Additionally, he has consulted with Illustrative Mathematics and Desmos on the development of their middle school curricula. He has also developed and facilitated professional development courses for Mathematics in the City at CCNY and Mount Holyoke College.

He has been a member of NCTM’s Publishing Committee, where he was instrumental in the publication of Humanizing Disability in Mathematics Education: Forging New Paths. He has also contributed to publications such as: NCTM’s Math Tasks to Talk About blog, Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had, Motivated, and the Global Math Department newsletter.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of the webinar.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following in-person math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Count Me In: Foundations for Fluency is a one-day professional learning opportunity that will focus on the key components of fluency. Participants will make connections across mathematics standards that specify fluency as the intended, end-of-year outcome in each grade level from K–6. Additionally, educators will explore instructional routines, strategies, and games that help all students develop the flexibility to solve contextual and mathematical problems involving whole numbers. We strongly encourage school teams of special education and general education teachers who teach mathematics in Kindergarten through Grade 6 to register.

Tucson | June 24, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Foundations for Fluency on June 24 in Tucson 

Prescott | June 30, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Foundations for Fluency on June 30 in Prescott 

 Phoenix | July 20, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Foundations for Fluency on July 20 in Phoenix 

Count Me In: Hands on Algebra is a two-day professional learning opportunity that will focus on inclusive practices for teaching mathematics for middle and high school students with learning disabilities. Teachers will walk away with a conceptual understanding of the learning progressions within algebraic reasoning. Teachers will also experience collaboration strategies that will support all students in meeting the High School Algebra standards. We strongly encourage school teams of special education and general education teachers who teach mathematics in Grade 6 through High School Algebra to register. Participants will be required to attend both in-person training days.

Tucson | June 22–23, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Hands on Algebra on June 22–23 in Tucson 

Prescott | June 28–29, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Hands on Algebra on June 28–29 in Prescott 

 Phoenix | July 18–19, 2022, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. 

Register for Hands on Algebra on July 18–19 in Phoenix 

The cost of each event is $25 (lunch is not provided). Parking at the University of Arizona campus costs $8 per day. 

Please email Sherri Schwindt with any questions about registration. Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions about the training. 

Special Education Administrators,

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

Teach Camp is a year-long support system that includes professional learning specifically designed for beginning special educators. The goal of Teach Camp is to increase retention of special educators by providing our newest special education teachers with the tools they need to survive and thrive during their first years in the classroom.

Teach Camp is designed for special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in the fall of 2022. Recent graduates from traditional teacher preparation programs, alternative certified teachers, and veteran general education teachers transitioning to special education are all welcome.

Teach Camp will be in person this summer! The cost is $175 per teacher and includes:

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held June 27–29, 2022 in Phoenix* (breakfast and lunch provided)
• Two 1-hour, virtual, after-school sessions, one in the fall and one in the spring, with national speakers
• A copy of The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children
• Additional valuable resources

*Information regarding travel reimbursement for participants from eligible PEAs will be provided once registration is completed.

Registration for Teach Camp is open until June 6, 2022, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register for Teach Camp!

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. For more information about Teach Camp, pleasevisit the ESS Teach Camp webpage.

Special Education Directors,

Are you looking for Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Technicians, or SLPAs for the next school year? Or still looking for this school year?

This Friday and Saturday, ADE/ESS will be recruiting speech personnel on behalf of all Arizona school districts and charter schools at the Arizona Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ArSHA) Annual Convention. We will have a booth in the exhibit hall where we will promote the advantages of working in a school setting, and we will distribute information about all current speech vacancies that our PEAs have posted on our free job board.  

If you would like us to promote your speech opening(s) at ArSHA, please post them on our job board this week.

See the list of current speech vacancies and add new speech vacancies on the Job Board website.

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

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.

Special Education Directors,

Please see the announcement below for an exciting professional learning opportunity.

Announcing the Arizona Professional Learning Series

An Opportunity for Public Education Agencies

The ADE/ESS Arizona Professional Learning Series (AZPLS) provides district and school teams with a systemic method for achieving systems change in aligning state, district, and school site efforts to impact literacy achievement for all students and to close the literacy achievement gap for students with specific learning disabilities. 

The AZPLS provides districts and schools with:

• Six inclusive professional learning modules for K-8 general education teachers, special education teachers, school site leadership, and coaches.
• Six accompanying, interactive professional learning modules for parents and students.
• Leadership coaching from a national presenter to build site capacity in facilitating module professional learning, coach with a focus, collect and analyze data through an inquiry cycle, and sustain implementation.
• Collaborative team structure inspiring shared leadership and decision making from all stakeholders.
• A coaching framework designed for job-embedded professional learning focused on collaborative teams and teacher instructional planning/delivery.
• Web-based data tools and reporting to support targeted needs throughout implementation.

Required AZPLS team members include the district special education director, curriculum director, a school site administrator, two or three general education teachers from different grade levels/content areas, one special education teacher who works closely with general education teachers, and one school site coach.

To indicate your interest in learning more about the series, please sign up at this link by March 15, 2022.

If you have any questions, please email Stacy Riccio.

Special Education Directors, please see the following information:

Research Opportunity: Elementary Self- and Career-Awareness Study

Future Quest Island-Explorations (FQI-E) is a free online game-based curriculum that promotes college and career awareness, SEL, and self-concept for 3rd to 5th graders. FQI-E is universally designed and accessible to students with disabilities; it uses the evidence-based possible selves framework to help all students understand themselves, set goals, and plan expansive futures.

Program developers are currently enrolling schools in a study to test the effectiveness of FQI-E and get recommendations for program improvements. Participating educators receive early access to the game, coaching on using it in the classroom, and a gift card.

Study participation involves helping distribute and collect parent consent forms (electronic and/or paper), administering 20 minute electronic student pre- and post-surveys, implementing the curriculum (6-10 hours, self-paced), and potentially participating in a focus group. 

Interested? Fill out this form to learn more. The study and the Future Quest Island - Explorations program are funded through a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Special Education Directors,

ADE ESS and Assessment are excited to announce a new professional learning opportunity for educators.

Empower Students to Use Universal Tools in the 2022 State Assessments Platform (Grades 3–8)

Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Digital tools are not just for assessment; they can help students to achieve success in the classroom and beyond. This school year, your learners will take Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) for the first time on the TestNav platform. AASA assesses the Arizona Standards adopted by the Arizona State Board of Education in 2016. At the Arizona Department of Education, we want to help you to empower your students to use the universal assessment tools that are embedded in the AASA platform so that they can readily showcase their knowledge and understanding.

Join us to learn more about the universal tools and accommodations that are available for the AASA for grades 3–8. You will also engage with instructional resources that you can use every day to provide rich learning for students as they familiarize themselves with digital tools that help them express their understanding. During the session, there will be guided, hands-on time with these universal tools and instructional resources.

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

Note: accommodations (e.g., ASL interpreting services) for participants in this webinar must be requested at least one week in advance of the webinar.

Please email Rob Hilliker with any questions.