ESS/Program Support & Monitoring is pleased to announce the release of the SY 2025–2026 Programmatic Monitoring Guide Steps. Attached is the release memo that indicates some of the recent updates.

The Guide Steps is a technical assistance document created to aid public education agencies (PEAs) in understanding the requirements specific to programmatic monitoring. Legal compliance may be more extensive as it relates to a state complaint or due process. Any examples should not be taken directly and added to a student’s IEP or evaluation because each student is unique and has his/her own set of circumstances that must be addressed through his/her individual evaluation and IEP.

We hope these Guide Steps assist PEAs in reviewing student documentation for compliance purposes and in reviewing systemic, programmatic needs within the PEA. Questions can be directed to your PEA’s Program Support & Monitoring Specialist.

The memo can be found here.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT    

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, June 18, 2025  

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include:    

• Reminders  

• Trending topics  

• 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.  

The United States Department of Education and the Office of Special Education Programs require that public education agencies (PEAs) submit discipline data to state education agencies for federal reporting into EDFacts. The Arizona Department of Education will now require expulsions involving students without disabilities to be reported in the discipline domain of Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS) beginning fiscal year (FY) 2026.

Please read the attached memo for details and contact ESS Data Management if you have any questions.

Data Management Alert 

New Integrity Rule: -40102 

Effective April 28, 2025, a new integrity error has been implemented for SPED data validations in AzEDS. This new integrity error is part of an ongoing effort to ensure clean data during the fiscal year and to avoid corrections of data after the close of the fiscal year. 

Code: -40102  

Message: For each day, a SPED need is reported, an LRE must be reported.  

This rule ensures that a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) code is reported any time a SPED need has been reported. Missing LREs can cause issues with the ADE systems, funding, and federal reporting. If an LRE has been reported, verify the LRE entry and exit dates are reported on in-session days of the associated calendar. 

The SPED Integrity Error Tool for this rule is linked below: 

SPED Integrity Rules Reference

One sheet SPED Integrity Error Tools for all SPED integrity rules can be found and are linked in the SPED Integrity Rules Reference located on the AzEDS SPED Reporting page. 

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

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

FY25 SEDD Training Video Now Available 

Note: This message was sent to all users registered for ESS Data Management alerts. 

The FY25 training for the Special Education Data Dashboard application was held on Thursday, May 8, 2025. If you were unable to attend, you can still view the recorded webinar. For your convenience, you can access the webinar on Vimeo, on our SEDD webpage, or the homepage of the SEDD application. 

Office Hours 

To help ensure successful completion of your data review, entry, and certification, ESS Data Management is offering PEA’s the opportunity to meet 1-on-1 with an ESS Data Management Specialist via Microsoft Teams. Feel free to register for an appointment by visiting our Bookings page. Be sure to watch the SEDD training video prior to signing up for an appointment. 

Important Dates 

• May 7, 2025: SEDD opened 

• Validate that users have the correct access to the application 

• Begin reviewing/entering data 

• July 15, 2025: Student data is due 

• All student data in AzEDS must be corrected in PEA’s SIS 

• Preschool Transition and SWOD data entry 

• July 23, 2025: Data Certification opens 

• LEA Signer must complete electronically 

• August 6, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. 

• Late submissions may hold IDEA funds and impact PEA determinations. 

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

It's hard being a new teacher. It's hard being a special education teacher. It's really hard being a new special education teacher. That’s where Teach Camp comes in!

Teach Camp is a professional learning opportunity designed specifically for special education teachers preparing for their first, second, or third year in the classroom. Beginning special education teachers who attend our three-day summer camp will make connections with other new teachers from across the state while learning about topics critical to their success in the coming school year.

This year’s campers were surveyed, and 100% of them agreed that Teach Camp “increased my work-related knowledge; 99% agreed that Teach Camp “increased my work-related motivation.” When asked if they would recommend Teach Camp to other new special education teachers, 99% said YES.

Here’s what some of our campers said they liked best about the Teach Camp experience:

• “The best part of the training, in my opinion, was how we were guided on how to prepare, conduct IEPs, and how to monitor and keep track of students' performance.”
• “The training was very well designed to keep participants engaged and learning important, useful information. The opportunities to interact in small groups to reflect on learning were great.”
• “How they have narrowed down everything for us. They said all the right things I needed.”
• “Meeting other teachers who are in the same boat and sharing ideas with each other.”
• “The details about IEP writing and brain breaks. Fun!”

It’s not too late to send your beginning special education teachers to Teach Camp! 

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 one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children  
• Additional valuable resources

Registration:

Registration for Teach Camp is open until Friday, June 13, 2025, 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. On-site registration is not available.   

Begin the registration process for Teach Camp!

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

In line with the end of the 24-25 school year, ADE/ESS would like to offer a reminder of the Arizona State Board of Education’s (SBE) rule changes related to secondary transition planning and graduation:                                                                                      

• The student’s estimated graduation date must be included in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and aligned with their transition plan (A.A.C. R7-2-401(G)(4)(A)(c)).
• Schools are required to provide written notification to parents of a student’s anticipated graduation date at least one year before the expected high school graduation date (A.A.C. R7-2-401(G)(4)(A)(c)(i)).

If you have students who are expected to graduate in May 2026, it is time to provide written notification to parents.

The ADE/ESS Secondary Transition team is introducing “Getting Ahead to Go Beyond,” Arizona’s initiative to promote effective best practices to increase graduation rates and influence postsecondary success. Please visit the Secondary Transition Services Rule Change webpage for more information, guidance, and resources.

Thank you for your attention to these critical updates.

Are you looking for specific targeted support for students with Autism?

The ADE/ESS/Academic Achievement and Inclusive Practices unit is pleased to announce summer professional learning opportunities with STAR Autism Supports (SAS). STAR Autism Support has been a leader in autism teaching strategies, in building capacity for districts to effectively serve students with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. SAS has worked with over 2,500 school districts and over 25,000 educators across the United States and throughout the world. Their unique, practical approach provides school districts with the curriculum resources and a continuum of professional development activities to address the educational needs of students from early childhood through post-secondary.

Summer STAR and Links Professional Learning Opportunities are offered at no cost and in multiple locations across Arizona.

The STAR Program includes detailed lesson plans, teaching materials, data systems, and a curriculum-based assessment for teaching in the six curricular areas of receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous language, functional routines, academics, and play & social skills for students in elementary grades.

• Phoenix, June 22 23 at Helios Education Center
• Tucson, June 10-11 at Sunnyside Unified School District
• Flagstaff, June 23-24 at Northern Arizona University
• Yuma, June 26-27 at Yuma Elementary School District
• Phoenix, July 17-18 at Deer Valley Unified School District

The LINKS Curriculum (Linking Assessment and Instruction for Independence) is an evidence-based, comprehensive, web-based curriculum to teach upper elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students with autism and other developmental disabilities to be independent across school, community, and vocational routines.

• Phoenix June 4-5 at Helios Education Center

• Virtual June 16- 17

Participate with your team in a two-day workshop for an opportunity to receive fully funded primary or secondary district coaching visits from STAR Autism Support. This initiative aims to assist your team in effectively implementing strategies throughout the year, with additional coaching support available to help reinforce and sustain implementation efforts.

To qualify for coaching visits, school teams attending must include the following participants:

✔ Special Education Teacher

✔ General Education Teacher or District Coach

✔ Related Service Staff or Paraprofessional

Register for the summer STAR and LINKS Professional Learning Opportunities HERE.

For additional questions and support, contact Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices.

Arizona’s 2025 Post School Outcomes (PSO) data collection season starts on June 1, 2025, and runs through September 30, 2025. As of May 14, 2025, nearly 10,000 former students are eligible for the PSO survey across 284 public education agencies (PEAs). This survey includes students with IEPs who exited by graduating, dropping out, or aging out during the 2023–2024 school year. It is crucial for Arizona to adequately represent the 2025 PSO data collection statewide. Indicator 14 is a results indicator that seeks 100% participation for Arizona’s annual survey requirements. ESS uses this data for PEA Determinations for special education implementation. 

The ADE/ESS Secondary Transition Team is excited to announce a new feature that will enhance the PSO data collection experience. Starting June 1, when the PSO season opens annually, PSO application users listed in ADEConnect will receive automated emails. To ensure the effectiveness of this feature, please verify that the appropriate staff members are assigned to the PSO Survey role and update, if needed. 

For PEAs with multiple campuses, users will receive an email for each site name. This new feature will enhance your ability to track the PSO Survey status within your PEA, ensuring you are promptly informed if further data collection is needed at any specific site. Please share this information with the PSO application users for your PEA. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):  

• How do I update the PSO application user role? 
  • ADE Application roles are set at the local entity level and need to be updated by an ADEConnect Entity Admin (EA). To locate the district or charter's ADEConnect EA, please follow this link: FindEA. 
  • Ask the required staff to connect with your PEA's EA to request access to the PSO Survey Application. 
  • Your PEA’s EA will submit an access request. The approval process is automatic and will be completed within about 20 minutes after completion.    

• Why am I getting multiple emails?  
  • Each email you receive includes data collection progress for each campus associated with your PEA. This ensures you have detailed and specific information for each site, helping you manage and monitor them more effectively.    

• How will this work for tuitioned-out students?   
  • For PEAs with tuitioned-out students, you will receive an email for eligible former students associated with your district-level entity ID. These notifications will include the district or facility of attendance details. We recommend working with the most recent PEA to obtain contact information for these students.  

Questions or Comments? Please feel free to email the PSO Inbox with any questions or comments. This is a new feature, and we appreciate your patience as we work to improve it.  

Thank you for your attention to this critical update. We are confident that these changes will provide you with better tools to manage your data effectively. For more information about PSO, please visit our PSO website or the PSO Wakelet page.