Updates

Arizona students with disabilities receiving special education services are reported into AzEDS to generate state funding as appropriate. Dependent on the disability, students with disabilities receive varying weighted totals under state aid. There is a fundable scenario that is not able to be reported into AzEDS at this time, which is comprised of students who require ancillary services but do not require special education instruction as outlined in A.R.S. § 15-769(D).

As part of our ongoing recruitment efforts on behalf of Arizona’s public schools, ADE/ESS compiles and updates a list of education career fairs happening at educator preparation programs across the country.

If your school is planning to recruit for special education teachers from out of state, we hope this list will make that task a bit easier for you. This list is available on the Arizona Education Employment Board website under the “Find a University Job Fair” icon.

Please join us for a Lunch and Learn on Thursday, February 4 from 11:45 a.m.—1:00 p.m., when leaders from the Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP) present, “Considerations for Completing Psychoeducational Evaluations in 2021.”

As schools are working to support students’ learning in distance, hybrid, and in-person settings, they are also challenged with determining how to meet the needs of diverse learners, including identifying and making eligible those students who are in need of special education. Please join us as our presenters share considerations for completing initial and reevaluations in the current educational environment. Topics covered will include collecting additional data, SLD determination, and teleassessment.    

To ensure compliance with federal reporting and program requirements for the fiscal year 2021, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is compiling data for student's special education data on October 1, 2020. Reports will be prepared using special education data that has been submitted by Arizona school districts, charter schools, and other public education agencies (PEAs) via their respective student information systems to ADE and has Passed Integrity in AzEDS accordingly. This system is a part of the October 1 Enrollment Data.

Vouchered students are normally reported by the district of residence (DOR) that is responsible for his or her education. In certain circumstances for students receiving services through an ASDB regional cooperative, a student may be attending a public school outside of the DOR.

All school districts and charter schools are required to annually administer the State Performance Plan Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey to parents of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The survey will open January 19 ADEConnect ESS Data Surveys. For more information, visit the survey web page.

Registration for the 2021 Arizona Education Virtual Job Fair is closing soon! Registration is open to Arizona public school districts and charter schools on a first-come, first-served basis until Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

ESS Data Management has released two new training videos. These training videos focuses on Phase II: Reconciliation so individuals can pick and choose the relevant training videos that meets their needs.

As a friendly reminder, please continue checking the SPED07 report on a regular basis during this time, even if your PEA’s counts reconcile early in the process. Please ensure Phase II: Reconciliation is completed in AzEDS by Friday, January 15, 2021 at 5:00 P.M.  Note there is no submission action for Phase II. Ensuring your Verification and SPED07 counts reconcile on January 15th will indicate completion.

Are you looking for ways to shift the focus from compliance alone to educational programming designed for student progress toward meeting challenging goals? Are you interested in learning more about an opportunity to partner with an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)-funded technical assistance center that provides information, resources, tools, and services to support local education agencies from kindergarten through secondary transition?

ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for the Arizona Education Virtual Job Fair is now open! Join us online on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Registration is open to Arizona public school districts and charter schools on a first-come, first-served basis.