The Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE), in partnership with ADE/ESS, is pleased to offer Saturday Mornings with the NRCP to paraeducators, related service providers, teachers, and administrators working in Arizona public education agencies.

The National Resource Center for Paraeducators, Related Service Providers, and Interveners (NRCP) hosts the two-hour sessions on the second Saturday of each month through July 2025. The sessions are based on the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators and include topics such as paraeducator roles and responsibilities and effective behavior management strategies.

Upcoming webinars will occur on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Please be aware of your time zone and adjust accordingly. Topics include the following:

October 12, 2024

Prevention and Intervention for Severe Behavioral Issues

November 9, 2024

Strategies for Paraeducators Working in Secondary Settings

December 14, 2024

Student and Staff Wellness: Trauma-Informed Practices for Kids and Preventing Educator Burnout

Teacher and paraeducator teams are encouraged to sign up together. The $100 registration fee includes twelve live webinars and extended access to the recordings via a Canva site until August 2025. Those who register will receive information on how to access the recordings.

Register for Saturday Mornings with the NRCP.

The attached flyer includes additional information about the professional learning series. Please email Laura Lema with any questions.

The State Educational Agency Communication Disability Council (SEACDC) is made up of SLP contacts from various state departments of education across the United States. The Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services is represented in this council. The SEACDC is hosting a free, virtual School-Based Speech-Language Pathology Symposium on Oct 17–18, 2024.

The symposium will cover various topics from national-level presenters who have graciously volunteered their time to provide state-of-the-art information relevant to school-based practice.  SEACDC is not an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) continuing education (CE) provider. However, a certificate of attendance for professional development hours will be generated for each session attended. These will be accepted for renewal of ASHA CCC. SLPs do not need to be ASHA members to attend. These sessions will not be recorded. Please share this with your speech-language pathologists. Flyer may be found here.

Thursday, October 17, 2024, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (1:00–5:00 p.m. EST)

Session 1 - Inclusive Preschool Services - Stephanie Bear

Session 2 - Multilingual Learners - Hunter Smith 
Session 3 - Speech Sound Production - Kelly Farquharson

Session 4 - IDEA and Eligibility Determination - Angie Neal

Friday, October 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (1:00–5:00 p.m. EST)

Session 1 - Collaborative Goal Writing - Charity Avery & Amy Goddard 

Session 2 - The Continuum of Services and LRE - Tiffany White 

Session 3 - Feeding and Swallowing - Kristen West 

Session 4 - Development Language Disorder (DLD) - Katharine Radville and Tim Deluca

Register for the School-Based SLP Symposium.

Special Education Directors,

We invite all educators to our upcoming free virtual professional learning series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

This series is an excellent opportunity to deepen your understanding of UDL principles and how they can be applied to create more inclusive, accessible learning environments for all students.

These virtual sessions will focus on providing practical strategies that can be implemented across diverse classroom settings, supporting the success of all learners. We encourage your schools to take advantage of these no-cost virtual learning sessions to deepen knowledge and understanding and enhance instructional practices to ensure every student succeeds.

The registration links are in the attached PDF flyer or on the following website: ADE UDL Virtual Sessions for September-November.

Thank you for your continued dedication to fostering inclusionary education. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the facilitator at [email protected].

We look forward to your participation!

Special Education Directors, 

We are pleased to present “A Deep Dive into Speech Sound Disorders: Intervention Only” with Amy Graham, CCC-SLP. 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. 

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

Date:               Friday, October 11, 2024 

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

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

Where:            HELIOS Education Foundation 

Address:          4747 North 32nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85018 

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 for A Deep Dive into Speech Sound Disorders. 

Please note that each district/charter is limited to sending no more than 10 speech-language pathologists to this workshop.

If you have questions about this event, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):   

• 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.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

FY25 October 1 Data Collection Phase I Training 

Annually, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to report special education (SPED) data to the federal government. The October 1 Data Collection (ODC) is part of that process and is required by all Public Education Agencies (PEAs). ODC has three phases:  

• Phase I: Child Count Verification and Personnel  
• Phase II: Child Count Reconciliation 
• Phase III: Child Count Non-Reconciliation  

During Phase I, PEAs must provide ADE with the number of students participating in their SPED program on October 1, 2024. PEAs will also report Personnel data and Parentally Placed students (if applicable). 

ESS Data Management invites you to attend one of our Phase I training courses, virtually or in person.

Virtual Training:                                                                  

Date:               Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Time:               1:00 – 3:00 pm

Registration:    Zoom, click here to register

In-Person Training:

Date:               Thursday, October 3, 2024

Time:               1:00 – 3:00 pm

Location:         100 N. 15th Ave., Room 101, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Registration:    ADE Professional Learning and Development (APLD)

Please email ESS Data Management with any questions. 

We look forward to assisting you in meeting your data reporting requirements. 

ADE/ESS is pleased to release flowchart representations and reference documents for several evaluation processes: initial evaluation, reevaluation, and independent educational evaluation (IEE). These guidance materials have incorporated feedback from various special education stakeholder groups. ADE/ESS hopes these visual resources will aid all constituents in understanding these complex processes.  An upcoming ESS Professionals Check-In will provide a guided overview of these resources.

Please contact your PEA’s assigned Program Support and Monitoring specialist or email [email protected] for questions.

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) Team is pleased to announce our 2024—2025 AT National Presenter series kickoff presentation, Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy, with Penny Reed, PhD. This presentation is intended for special education administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, OTs, PTs, SLPs, and assistive technology specialists.

Date/Time:                 Thursday, October 17, 2024, 8:00 AM – 3:45 PM (Seats are limited; register now!)

Fee:                                Free - lunch on your own

Where:                          ASU Chandler Innovation Center
                                        249 E. Chicago St., Chandler, Arizona 85225

Penny Reed, PhD, is an independent consultant in AT services and provides training on various topics related to AT, focusing on improving the delivery of AT services. Dr. Reed has a BS in elementary education, an MS and PhD in special education, and certification as both a principal and special education administrator. She was the director of the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) for many years and serves on the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) Leadership Team. She is a founding member ofthe QIAT Consortium,the National Assistive Technology in Education Network, andthe Coalition for Assistive Technology in Oregon. Dr. Reed has authored and co-authored numerous articles and manuals, including her most recent publication, Best Practices in Special Education: A Framework for Assistive Technology (2022), with Gayl Bowser.

Workshop Description:

Are you confused about your responsibility to provide assistive technology devices and services?
Are you frustrated with delays in obtaining AT assessments from sources outside your district or the cost of those assessments?
Are you looking for an efficient, effective way to determine a student's need for assistive technology?
Then this workshop is for you.

Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy

This activity-packed workshop will present a team-based model for completing assistive technology (AT) consideration and assessment. It begins with a brief overview of the laws related to the provision of AT services in schools, including AT Consideration and Assessment. Participants will examine and discuss AT Consideration forms to determine what works for them. Then, an AT Assessment process will be explained. Specific, easy-to-follow forms will be provided. Participants will use the forms for guided practice in completing the AT Assessment process. The training will end with pointers for implementation planning. It would be most beneficial if participants could attend as a team.

Register for Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy.

If you have questions about this training, please email [email protected].

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 Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services, in collaboration with the University of Kansas Research Collaboration, is offering the following free course as part of the College and Career Competencies Project.

Instructional Activities for Teaching Self-Efficacy: Virtual, six-week, interactive course for Special Educators, K–12

The course is being offered twice in the 2024–2025 school year:

• Monday, September 16–Friday, October 25, 2024
• Monday, January 13–Friday, February 21, 2025

Course Description: This facilitator-led course is designed for special educators (including related services providers) of students in Grades K–12 to explore instructional activities that teach self-efficacy. This interactive course allows educators to gain knowledge of 10 Self-Efficacy Strategies and to apply self-efficacy instructional practices.

• Each week, a recognized trainer will review instructional activities and facilitate discussion board conversations between participants.
• Information on accessing the course materials will be provided via email one week before the start date.
• The course provides flexibility and asynchronous activities that fit your schedule.

Provided materials include:

• Three lesson sets of 26 instructional activities
• Student workbooks, templates, and posters
• Additional resources tailored to primary, intermediate, and secondary levels

Earn CEUs and Graduate Credit: Participants who complete the course will earn 18 CEUs from the University of Kansas with an option to receive one graduate credit hour from Baker University (an additional payment of $80 is required; details provided during the course).

Note: The maximum number of participants is 30. The course will be closed after capacity is reached. Participants can expect to spend 1 to 2 hours per week learning about self-efficacy.

Course Commitment: If you enroll, plan to participate fully by reviewing resources, completing discussion board posts, interacting with colleagues’ discussion board posts, developing instructional planning materials, and reviewing assessment instruments.

At the end of the course, educators will be able to:

1. Describe 10 Self-Efficacy Strategies.
2. Assess student self-efficacy knowledge and application using curriculum-referenced and performance-based assessment tools.
3. Implement and adapt student self-efficacy instructional activities for their specific role.
4. Provide feedback and practice opportunities to students related to their growth in self-efficacy.

Complete the Enrollment Form

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

For any questions, email Pattie Noonan.

The registration deadline for the 2024–2025 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) has been extended to August 1, 2024.

The purpose of this professional learning opportunity is to prepare new special education directors for the practical operation of a special education system. Topics covered in SENDS include compliance and legal requirements, fiscal issues, assessment, general supervision, and ADE supports and resources. New special education directors employed by Arizona public education agencies (PEAs) in their first or second year of being a special education director (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2024 are eligible to attend SENDS.

The $150 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Day 1 (September 4, 2024) of the IDEA Conference* (with an option to pay to attend Days 2 and/or 3 of the conference).
• Four virtual follow-up sessions scheduled throughout the 2024–25 school year  (November 7, December 5, January 16, and February 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and CEC’s Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) special interest division.

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

Register for the Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) training!

If you have questions about SENDS, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.