The ADE/ESS Dispute Resolution unit is excited to share details about ESS Facilitated IEP services available in Arizona.

Request Facilitated IEP Training

Are you looking to foster a culture of collaboration between school staff and parents to enhance student success? Are you interested in exploring strategies for building trust with families proactively? Would you like to explore new strategies and equip staff with enhanced tools to effectively lead IEP meetings? Complete the FIEP training request below, and our Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist will partner with you to provide professional development tailored to your team's needs. This training is available at no cost to PEAs, but spots are filling quickly. Submit your training request today!

Facilitated IEP Training | Arizona Department of Education

Request a State-Coordinated Facilitated IEP

Parents and public education agencies (PEAs) can request this no-cost, early resolution service when an IEP team is facing conflict or communication challenges. Participation is voluntary, meaning both parties must agree to work with a neutral facilitator who ensures the meeting stays focused on developing an IEP that is appropriately designed to provide the student with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The goal is to strengthen the capacity of educators and families, fostering collaborative, student-centered IEP teams that can make well-informed decisions in the IEP development process.

Facilitated IEP | Arizona Department of Education

Fun Facts About Facilitated IEP Services

• Over 400 individuals participated in FIEP training across Arizona this past semester. 99% of participants reported that the training was well-organized, easy to follow, and offered hands-on learning experiences. 98% said the training was relevant to their daily work and were eager to apply the strategies presented.
• There were 81 FIEP requests in FY 2024, marking a 72% increase since FY 2022. Of the 81 FIEP requests in FY 2024, 85% of IEP teams reached full consensus by the end of the meeting.

For additional information, please contact Carrie McCulloch, Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist, at [email protected] or (602)542-7579.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

New Integrity Rule for FY 2025: -52012 

A new integrity rule for FY 2025 has been introduced into the integrity process on SPED data. This new rule is a continuation of our effort to validate SPED reporting further to ensure clean data for the state.   

A new one-sheet Integrity Tool is available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips. It has been added to our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document.

PLEASE NOTE: This alert is not an indication your entity is failing this rule. Please check your INTEG15 report in the AzEDS Portal to determine if your entity is failing any SPED Integrity Rules.  

Integrity Rule -52012:

This rule will serve as a WARNING to ensure that incidents identified as serious bodily injury meet the criterion for federal reporting.  

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding these new rules.    

ESS Program Management is pleased to resume the 2025 webinar and office hours series for IDEA funding. Please click the links below to register for upcoming virtual professional development opportunities for your grant writers, business managers, and others involved with the IDEA Part B funds. Additional information is posted on the ESS Program Management web page.

FY25 Webinar Series

Join the ESS Program Management team at the FY2025 webinar series. Webinars will be held on Zoom from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (unless indicated otherwise). Click on the webinar title to register for the webinar. Please register 72 hours in advance if you require ADA Accommodations for the virtual webinar event.

Allowable Costs Under the IDEA – January 14, 2025

• This session will provide a foundation-level overview of how public education agencies may spend IDEA Part B funds to support special education programs.

FY26 IDEA Funding Application – February 11, 2025, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

• The Fiscal Year 2026 IDEA Part B funding applications open in March. Join the ESS Program Management team for helpful tips and tricks on how to apply for the Section 611 and Section 619 funds. The intended audience for this webinar includes special education administrators, business managers, and grant writers.

Maintenance of Effort – March 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

• The IDEA requires every public education agency to maintain a level of fiscal support from state and local funds. The IDEA Maintenance of Effort Compliance and Eligibility tests are conducted twice a year. This session will highlight the data used for the MOE calculations and how PEAs can provide evidence of reducing state and local spending requirements. Special education administrators and business managers are encouraged to attend.

Special Education Funding: How, When, and In What Order to Spend? - April 8, 2025

• How does a SPED Director plan a budget? Which funding source is better suited for a fixed versus a variable cost? Come to this session to learn how Arizona's state and federal funds are intertwined.

Fiscal Year Wrap-Up – May 13, 2025

• This session will guide you through wrapping up the fiscal year 2025 grants and preparing for the completion of report season.

ESS Office Hours

ESS Program Management will also host Office Hours on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. PEAs are invited to attend these informal Zoom meetings to bring questions directly to their program specialist.

• January 21, 2025

• February 18, 2025

• March 18, 2025

• April 15, 2025

• May 20, 2025

Please email the ESS Program Management Inbox with any questions about IDEA funding.

Happy New Year!

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement and Inclusive Practices unit is pleased to announce professional learning opportunities for traumatic brain injury (TBI) featuring Dr. Sue Wolf from Empowerment Research.

TBI 404- It’s Not Just Academics
Wednesday, January 22 and 29, 2025
3:00 pm -5:00 pm

This workshop will include advanced information on acquired brain injuries and how to utilize an understanding of neurodevelopment AND brain-behavior relationships to identify and effectively impact students in the classroom and the community. The focus will be on assessments to identify assets/deficits, appropriate academic strategies targeting executive skills, and the role of problem-solving in academic coursework, STEM fields, and transition. The adult education format will be lecture, dialogue, and small/large group discussions and will include a case study of a student with a TBI. Implications for 504 and IDEA will be addressed as they impact transition services and the ADA. 

TBI 505- A Bump or a Bleed
Wednesday, February 19 and 26, 2025
3:00 pm-5:00 pm

The workshop includes advanced information on acquired brain injuries and how to utilize an understanding of (a) neurodevelopment AND (b) brain-behavior relationships to identify and effectively impact students in the classroom and the community. There is special emphasis on adolescent brain development, the role of the changing brain in transition, and exposing myths related to brain-based behaviors and mental health issues, including medication management and identification of depression and suicide prevention strategies. The options of 504 Plans under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and transition plans under the IDEA and services into adulthood under the ADA will be covered.

TBI 202- Assets, Assessments, and Analysis of Behavior
Wednesday, March 19 and 26, 2025
3:00 pm-5:00 pm

This in-depth behavior workshop will include an overview of brain-behavior relationships, the importance of the frontal lobe and the limbic system development and function, signs/symptoms of brain injury, and neurological impairments as observable behaviors. The focus will be on executive functioning, behavior management, and determining students’ strengths and assets using a hypothesis testing approach to assess and create appropriate interventions and strategies for use in the classroom and community. A "Zones of Self-Regulation" discussion will be included. The format will be a lecture with open discussion, presentation, and live Q&A.

Who should attend:  Parents and caregivers, counselors, general education teachers, special education teachers, related service personnel, administrators, support staff, behavioral health professionals, community-based professionals, or anyone who works with youth and young adults in the educational setting.

Register through Zoom

TBI 404 
TBI 505
TBI 202

If you have questions, please get in touch with  Christy Hegebush.

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 on January 6th, 2025.  

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on Thursday, January 16th, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.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.  

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

We were unable to finalize the SPED07 report yesterday as planned. AzEDS integrity processing for the evening of December 11 had to be done manually and did not finish until 2:30 pm yesterday. However, this did not affect the October 1 Special Education Reconciliation results.

As a reminder, 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.

The final SPED07 report generation is complete as of today at 10:00 am and includes integrity processing from the evening of December 12.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

For questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, January 15, 2025

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, January 15, 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 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.

The ADE/Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) unit, in collaboration with the Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP), is pleased to announce its 10th Annual Summit. Improved Outcomes: Access. Connections. Belonging is scheduled for March 5—7, 2025. This two-and-a-half-day virtual conference will bring practitioners, families, administrators, and leaders together to share best practices for children with disabilities ages birth to eight. The summit will consist of presentations, panels, and vendors, all focused on improving outcomes for Arizona’s young children.

Please see the attached flyer for registration information. If you have any questions, please email ECSE Inbox or AzEIP.