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. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) notes that “the IEP team shall, in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior” (20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(3)(B)(i)). 

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 the attached flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for March 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for March 25 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for April 11 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for April 11 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to ten 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 April 30 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.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, March 20, 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    

Registration is required to attend. Please register by clicking this link. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

All school districts, charter schools, secure care facilities, and the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) 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 on March 1 via ADEConnect Data Surveys.

New: The survey application has merged the individual student login codes and parent letters. This feature will make it easier for users to disseminate parent instructions.

If you do not already have access to the survey application or need to add additional users who should have the right to use this information and administer the survey, contact your entity ADEConnect administrator and ask to be assigned the Data Surveys: User Role. If additional assistance is needed to be assigned the User Role, use the Help Desk ticketing system via ADEConnect.

Please email the Parent Survey Inbox with questions.

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 March 4, 2024.

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. 

Registration is required to attend: Register for the October 1 Data Collection—Phase: III Non-Reconciliation webinar.

Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 618, Public Education Agencies (PEAs) must report discipline information. The Arizona Department of Education requires that PEAs submit student discipline information to Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS). Specifically, PEAs must submit discipline data that resulted in the removal of the student with a disability from their regular educational environment into AzEDS through their Student Information System (SIS).

Please review the attached memo for more information and let us know if you have any questions.

The Center for Technical Assistance in Excellence for Special Education (TAESE), in partnership with ADE/ESS, is pleased to offer Saturday Mornings with the NRCP for free to all paraeducators, 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 2024. 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. and will include the following topics:

March 9, 2024

Strategies for Students with Autism who are Nonspeaking

April 13, 2024

Supporting Students Who Are DeafBlind in Classroom Settings

May 11, 2024

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Supports: How to Safely De-Escalate

Register for Saturday Mornings with the NRCP.

Virtual seats for the live webinars are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All who register will have extended access to the 2023–2024 recordings via a Canvas site until August 2024. Those who register will receive information on how to access the recordings.

The attached flyer includes additional information about the professional learning series. Please email Laura Lema with any questions.
Flyer may be found here.

Please see the following information regarding free professional learning for special education staff, K-12 leadership and educators, and adult education:

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 101: "Can't You See Me?"

TBI, the Invisible Disability 

Presenter: Dr. Susan Wolf, Educational Psychologist and TBI Consultant

Date:               Saturday, March 2, 2024 

Time:               8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Location:        Arizona Department of Education

                         1535 W Jefferson St. Phoenix, AZ 85007

This training will include basic information on acquired brain injuries, including injury types, incidence, prevalence, and leading causes. Based on understanding brain-behavior relationships, participants will review signs and symptoms of brain injury and discuss impacts in the classroom and community. The focus will be on formal and informal assessments to identify assets/deficits due to injury and on appropriate academic strategies to support the student in the classroom and community.

The adult education format will be a presentation, dialogue, small/large group discussions, case studies of a student with TBI, and Q&A. 

Register for “Can’t You See Me?” TBI, the Invisible Disability.

For the Arizona Department of Education to comply with state and federal reporting guidelines, school districts and charters must accurately report student enrollment and attendance at the physical school site where the student is being educated. A.R.S. § 15-1042 (B) requires school districts and charter schools to “submit electronic data on a school-by-school basis, including student-level data, to the department of education in order for the school district, career technical education district, or charter school to receive monies for the cost of educating students pursuant to this title.”

Please review the attached document for more information.

Please join ADE/ESS for the next Special Education Professionals Check-In on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Select the link to join this Microsoft Teams event: Join Special Professionals Check-In on February 15, 2024

This month's Check-In will address two topics:

Topic 1

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to develop a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). This report includes indicators that evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA and describes how the state will improve its special education programs. These indicators measure child and family outcomes as well as other indicators that measure compliance with IDEA requirements.

Participants attending the Special Education Professional Check-In will hear the most recent progress on the SPP/APR indicators. This event is an opportunity for ADE to hear from special education directors and other educators if they have feedback on the direction our state takes to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Indicators 8, 15, 16, and 17

•            Indicator 8: Indicator 8 surveys the parents of special needs children. The purpose of the survey is to gauge how well the school is involving parents in decisions regarding their child’s special education services.

•            Indicators 15 and 16: Indicators 15 and 16 measure the percent of problems that are solved through mediation or resolution sessions.

•            Indicator 17: Indicator 17 includes a multi-year plan called the SSIP. This plan is designed to improve results for students with disabilities. In Arizona, the goal is to improve literacy achievement in grades 3 through 5.

Data Presentation: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to develop a State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). This report includes indicators that evaluate the State’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA and describes how the state will improve its special education programs. These indicators measure child and family outcomes as well as other indicators that measure compliance with IDEA requirements.

Topic 2

The second topic of this month’s Check-In is an ESS Fiscal Update. Please extend this invitation to your Business Managers, as ESS will present updates for the Fiscal Year 2025 IDEA funding applications, review available funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024, and provide an overview of the upcoming MOE Compliance testing window.

The IDEA Maintenance of Fiscal Effort for Public Education Agencies (PEAs) testing window for Compliance begins on March 1, 2024. During the Check-In, ADE/ESS will review the general requirements from the IDEA regulations, what financial information is crucial for the submission, and where PEAs can access their information. Additionally, ESS will recommend when PEAs should complete certain activities related to meeting special education Maintenance of Effort (MOE). Join us as we also review statewide financial data and relevant funding sources when trying to meet Maintenance of Effort for the IDEA.

SY 2023–2024 Check-In Schedule: 2023–2024 Special Education Professionals Check-Ins occur monthly, on the third Thursday of every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you have questions or suggestions for content for Check-Ins, feel free to send them to the ESS Inbox. 

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, February 21, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, February 21, 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    

Registration is required to attend. Please register by clicking this link. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.