Special Education Directors:

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, then 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 Education 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 this flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for March 27 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for March 27 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for April 13 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for April 13 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 public education agency. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until all seats are filled. Completed applications must be submitted by April 27 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.

Greetings,

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce the 2023 Seminar for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists: Expanding​ ​Expression​ ​Training: ​ A​ ​Multi-Sensory​ ​Approach​ ​for​ ​Improved​ ​Writing,​ ​Oral Expression,​ ​and​ ​Comprehension​ Across​ ​the​ ​Curriculum with Sara​ ​L.​ ​Smith,​ ​MS,​ ​CCC-SLP​ ​​(and founder​ ​of​ ​EET). The intended audience for this seminar is Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Technicians, and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants.

Sponsored by the ADE/ESS

Hosted by Alhambra Elementary School District

Date:                  Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Time:                  8:30 a.m.–4:40 p.m.

Fee:                    $40.00 (lunch on your own)

Where:              4510 N 37th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85019

Course​ ​Description:

This training will focus on helping students ​comprehend​ ​curriculum​ ​materials,​  ​write using​ ​details,​ ​and​ ​express​ ​themselves​ ​using​ ​multisensory,​ ​brain-based​ ​techniques.​ ​Participants will​ ​learn​ ​how​ ​to​ ​target​ ​general​ ​descriptions,​ ​writing​ ​from​ ​prior​ ​knowledge, biographies/autobiographies​, ​and​ ​summarizing​ ​using​ ​simple​ ​strategies.​ ​Multiple​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​target language​ ​processing​ ​skills​ ​will​ ​be​ ​provided​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Student​ ​samples​ ​and​ ​hands-on​ ​activities​ ​are included.​ ​The​ ​strategies​ ​discussed​ ​are​ ​being​ ​used for ages​ ​preschool​ ​through​ ​adult​ ​in​ ​both​ ​general​ ​and special​ ​education​ ​settings.

Learner​ ​Outcomes:

Participants​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to:

1. ​Teach​ ​students/clients​ ​a​ ​multi-sensory​ ​approach​ ​for​ ​including​ ​more​ ​details​ ​in​ ​their​ ​definitions and​ ​descriptions.
2. ​Explain​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​target​ ​the​ ​following​ ​areas:​ ​categorization,​ ​function, appearance,​ ​composition,​ ​associated​ ​parts,​ ​location,​ ​and​ ​similarities​ ​and​ ​differences.
3. ​Use​ ​and​ ​teach​ ​a​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​organization​ ​in​ ​writing​ ​from​ ​prior​ ​knowledge​ ​and biographies/autobiographies.
4. ​Explain​ ​how​ ​to​ ​collect​ ​baseline​ ​data​ ​and​ ​monitor​ ​progress​ ​using​ ​the​ ​program.
5. ​Complete​ ​a​ ​therapeutic​ ​or​ ​curriculum-based​ ​lesson​ ​using​ ​a​ ​language​ ​tool.

About the Presenter:

Sara​ ​L.​ ​Smith,​ ​MS,​ ​CCC-SLP,​ ​is​ ​an​ ​ASHA​ ​certified​ ​speech-language​ ​pathologist​ ​and​ ​founder​ ​of​ ​the Expanding​ ​Expression​ ​Tool​ ​(EET).​ ​She​ ​began​ ​her​ ​career​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Bay​ ​City​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​(Michigan),​ ​where she​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​developing​ ​and​ ​teaching​ ​language​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​facilitate​ ​academic​ ​success.​ ​Her​ ​interest and​ ​continued​ ​study​ ​of​ ​language​ ​processing​ ​and​ ​multisensory​ ​approaches​ ​to​ ​learning​ ​have​ ​led​ ​to​ ​her development​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Expanding​ ​Expression​ ​Program​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​oral​ ​and​ ​written​ ​language.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​national speaker,​ ​Sara​ ​provides​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​demonstrates​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​use​ ​with​ ​all​ ​children.​ ​She received​ ​her​ ​Bachelor’s​ ​Degree​ ​from​ ​Central​ ​Michigan​ ​University​ ​and​ ​her​ ​Master’s​ ​Degree​ ​from​ ​Bowling Green​ ​State​ ​University.

Registration:

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.

Register for “Expanding Expression Training: A Multi-Sensory Approach for Improved Writing, Oral Expression, and Comprehension Across the Curriculum.”

If you have questions, please contact [email protected]

Special Education Stakeholders,

Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s Arizona Secondary Transition Services Awards!

On behalf of the Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services, and other partnering agencies, you are invited to submit your nominations for this year's Secondary Transition Services Awards, which will be presented at Arizona's 2023 IDEA Conference.

Your nomination is important to recognize the secondary transition contributions and successes happening across Arizona. 

 Nomination categories:

1.  Youth/Young Adult: A youth or recently graduated young adult who has benefited from successful secondary transition services.
2.  Community Member: An individual (employee, manager, owner of a community business, etc.) who provides exemplary support for students and/or young adults with disabilities to enhance community-based experiences and opportunities.
3.  Educator: A Public Education Agency or Secure Care school certified staff, classified staff, support staff member, related service provider, or administrator who provides remarkable secondary transition services.

For each nomination, you must provide basic demographic information about the candidate’s background, strengths, and his or her outstanding participation in the secondary transition process.

We encourage you to nominate multiple individuals across all categories. Please do not nominate programs or groups for any of the award categories, as we wish to recognize people for their individual efforts.

All nominations submitted on or before Wednesday, May 31, 2023, will be considered. Award winners will be selected and notified in June.

If you have any questions, please email the IDEA Conference inbox.

Please download our Secondary Transition Services Awards Flyer.

Special Education Stakeholders,

Arizona’s 2023 IDEA Conference: Creating Connections and Strengthening Systems, will be held in person from August 21–23, 2023 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

ADE/ESS is requesting proposals that represent your creative and research-based work. The conference will feature numerous professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and content for related service providers.

Session proposals are due Wednesday, March 22, 2023. See the Call for Papers guidelines for information on how to submit.

ESS appreciates this opportunity to learn with each of you. Questions can be sent to the IDEA Conference inbox.

Special Education Directors,

It has been two years since ADE conducted the 2021 Instructional Accommodations Survey, a biennial inquiry that has informed ADE of accommodation trends since 2015. The information collected from the survey assists in planning presentations and training for the field. We invite you and other personnel, including both general and special educators, related service providers, as well as support staff, who provide instruction for students with disabilities to take a few minutes to respond to this year’s survey.

2023 ADE Accommodations Survey

This survey is intended for both general education and special education teachers. To ensure a robust, statewide sample, please forward the survey link and encourage your colleagues to respond. The survey will close on June 1, 2023. For more information, please refer to this letter. We appreciate your feedback and your dedication to students.

Special Education Directors,

The Arizona Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ArSHA) will be holding its annual convention in Phoenix on March 31–April 1. There will be hundreds of Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Technicians, and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants attending this event. 

The Arizona Department of Education sponsors the public school strand at the convention to support high-quality, relevant professional learning for school-based speech personnel. This year’s sponsored topics include remediation of speech sound disorders and developmental language disorders, assistive technology (AT), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and supporting students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.

ADE/ESS will have a booth in the exhibit hall for recruiting SLPs/SLTs/SLPAs to work in Arizona’s public schools. We plan to highlight all SLP/SLT/SLPA positions that are posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board (AEBB) by March 23. The AEEB jobs board is a free, online special education job board provided by ESS. To be included in this recruitment effort, please post your speech positions on our job board by March 23. 

Prior to posting your speech position(s), you may wish to review our “Develop Effective Job Postings” guidance document.

For additional information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, March 15th   

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, March 15th, from 2pm – 3pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):   

• Reminders 
• Trending topics 
• Top 3 Integrity Errors 
• Q&A        

Registration is required to attend: Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar.   

For questions, please contact ESS Data Management via email at [email protected].    

Special Education Directors,

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) will hold its annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 1–4. Thousands of special educators and related service providers will attend this event. It also will draw large numbers of students enrolled in special education teacher preparation programs.

ADE/ESS will have a booth in the exhibit hall to recruit special education personnel to work in Arizona’s public schools. We plan to highlight all special education positions that are posted on the Arizona Education Employment Board (AEBB). The AEEB job board is a free, online, special education job board provided by ESS. To be included in this recruitment effort, please post your vacancies as soon as possible.

Prior to posting your position(s), you may wish to review our “Develop Effective Job Postings" guidance document.

For additional information, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Greetings,

Writing better goals and effectively monitoring student progress towards those goals are foundational skills for Related Service Providers. Positive student outcomes can only be achieved when school-based therapists are able to do both consistently. Good data on good goals leads to effective interventions and allows therapists to write better progress reports in less time. And we know that “time spent on paperwork” is a leading cause of therapist burnout. For all of these reasons, we are very excited about the next presentation in our series of Related Service Provider Seminars: Creating Goals that Are Easy to Monitor and a Stress-Free Companion Monitoring Tool with Carlo Vialu, PT, MBA, and Peggy Morris, OTD, OTR/L, BCP. This workshop is designed for Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Speech-Language Pathologists and will convey ASHA, APTA, and AOTA CEUs. Please share with your staff.

Creating Goals That Are Easy to Monitor and A Stress-Free Companion Monitoring Tool

Presented by the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services/Special Projects

Hosted by Littleton Elementary School District

Date: Friday, April 28, 2023

Time: 8:00 a.m.−3:30 p.m.

Fee: $120 (lunch on your own)

Where: Littleton Elementary School District

Address: 1600 S. 107th Ave, Avondale, AZ 85323Carlo Vialu, PT, MBA

About Carlo Vialu

Carlo served as Director of Physical Therapy for the NYC Department of Education, where he oversaw a program with over 700 PTs working in more than 1,500 schools. He is project manager of research on normative data for five mobility tests for school-aged children and co-founder of SeekFreaks.

About Peggy Morris

Peggy is an OT with 30+ years of pediatric experience in early intervention, private practice, and out-patient therapy, but most of her experience and passion is in school-based practice. She coordinates the post-professional MS and OTD programs and school-based certificate program at Tufts University. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the AOTA and a regular SeekFreaks contributor.

Workshop Description:

Are you ready for an easy way to write goals and monitor progress? Peggy and Carlo will walk you through setting goals that are easy to monitor and creating a monitoring tool that can help you decide whether your student is on track, if it is time to change the intervention, or if it is time to work on more challenging goals.

Stress-free monitoring begins with a well-written goal. While making a goal SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) is a great start, how many times have we written a SMART goal that contained too many conditions to be easy to measure? So, in the morning, you will learn the three common problems with SMART goals and the four strategies to make your SMART goal easy to monitor. You will practice utilizing Apply EBP’s simple worksheet for goal-creation with the guidance of your instructors. You will then go through the three steps for the creation of an accompanying data-collection system. You will gain four tips for making this system user-friendly for different members of the team and helpful in making informed decisions. You will learn and practice how to use this data-collection system in making objective decisions about whether your student is on track or if it is time to change the intervention or goal.

Finally, you will learn two additional strategies to further elevate your goals: the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) for more complex cases and the five steps for creating collaborative interprofessional goals.

Bring sample goals that you need to improve and case vignettes that you find challenging. There will be multiple opportunities to practice goal creation, monitoring, and decision-making as well as interactive Q&A discussions with the instructors. Leave the day with concrete strategies and the confidence to create goals and monitor them meaningfully!

Because this training has been rescheduled from an earlier date, please register using this link only:

Register for “Creating Goals that are Easy to Monitor and A Stress-Free Companion Monitoring Tool”

If you have questions regarding this training, please email Margaret Egan or email Mitch Galbraith

ADE/ESS is excited to share that Arizona’s 2023 IDEA Conference will be held in person from August 21–23, 2023, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

This year’s theme is Creating Connections and Strengthening Systems. This cross-stakeholder event is intended for special education administrative staff, youth and young adults with disabilities, family members and caregivers, state agency staff, educators, service providers, and community members committed to student success. The event will feature over 75 professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and content for related service providers.

ADE/ESS is pleased to request proposals for this year’s conference. Please consider submitting presentations that represent your creative and research-based work. See the attached 2023 IDEA Conference Call for Papers guidelines for information on how to submit. Session proposals are due March 15, 2023.

ESS appreciates this opportunity to learn with each of you and looks forward to the year ahead. Stay informed by visiting the IDEA Conference website for conference updates, including registration information. Questions can be emailed to the IDEA Conference inbox.