ESS/PSM is excited to announce that in-person regional training opportunities will be available this school year. These trainings are free for participants and will cover two key topics: completing a mock student file review and accessing resources for crafting a compliant Prior Written Notice.

Dates, times, and locations are listed below. To register, please email Veronica Reza directly. Additional training dates may be added based on field interest and internal capacity.

If you have any further questions, please contact your PEA-assigned PSM specialist.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT    

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, September 17, 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.  

This message has been sent to inform you that the Special Education Data Dashboard (SEDD) application is now open for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. SEDD is a one-stop shop for public education agencies (PEAs) to securely review their SPED data collected over the fiscal reporting year and certify said SPED data at year-end. Effective this year, PEAs can now access, and are expected to review, their SEDD data year-round.

Navigating to the SEDD application

1. Navigate to ADEConnect
2. Click "View Applications"
3. Locate the parent/district level entity for your organization.
4. Click the "Exceptional Student Services Portal" link
5. Locate the "Data Collection and Reporting" section
6. Click the "Special Education Data Dashboard" link
   1. If the link is grayed out, you do not have access to the SEDD application.

Accessing the SEDD Application

Access to the SEDD application is granted by a PEA’s local ADEConnect Entity Administrator. Only one role, assigned at the parent/district entity level, should be assigned per user.

• ESS SEDD: LEA User
  • Allows a user to access the SEDD application. The user can review all current and prior data housed inside the application.
• ESS SEDD: LEA Signer
  • Same access as above.
  • Allows a user to certify SEDD data during the certification window.
  • This role should only be assigned to Special Education Directors, Superintendents, Business Managers, CEOs, Charter Holders, or equivalent titles.

Technical Assistance

An updated training and user guide are coming soon.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

ESS Data Management
Exceptional Student Services
Arizona Department of Education
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 602-542-3962
Data Management Webpage

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit is pleased to offer a variety of resources and professional learning opportunities on Autism. These free sessions are offered virtually during the 2025–2026 school year and are designed for general and special education teachers.

Session 1: Positive Behavior Supports
Be introduced to the foundations of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in inclusive classrooms. Participants will explore practical tools such as token boards, First-Then visuals, choice boards, and power cards/social stories. Emphasis is placed on the role of communication in behavior support. Through interactive activities and real-time feedback, attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies.

September 25, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 2: Routines and Schedules
Learn how structured routines and predictable schedules can reduce disruptions and support positive behavior. Explore visual tools like schedules, timers, and task strips, and walk away with strategies you can use immediately to improve transitions and unstructured time in the inclusive classroom setting.

November 20, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 3: Structured Work Systems
Discover how structured work systems promote independence and support diverse learners. Learn to set up clear, organized workspaces using visual schedules, task cards, and color coding. Walk away with practical tools to help students start tasks, transition smoothly, and self-regulate in inclusive settings.

January 29, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 4: Inclusion Supports
Explore the principles of inclusive education and how collaboration with families and staff enhances student success. Learn to use STAR resources and data to support individualized learning, foster belonging, and implement inclusive practices with confidence.

April 16, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

We are delighted to offer these opportunities to collaborate with your teams in support of student success.

Please contact the Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

Registration for the 2025–2026 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is closing soon, so please be sure to register if you are beginning your first or second year as a special education director.

This professional learning opportunity prepares new special education directors for the practical operation of a special education system. SENDS covers topics such as compliance and legal requirements, fiscal issues, assessment, general supervision, and ADE supports and resources. New special education directors directly employed by Arizona public education agencies in their first or second year as special education directors (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2025 are eligible to attend SENDS.

Registration
The $100 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
• Follow-up webinars scheduled during the 2025–26 school year 
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and CEC’s Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) special interest division

Registration is open until Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Travel Reimbursement
Funding is available for travel costs for districts and charter organizations traveling 51 miles or more from the school district or charter office to 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.  The district or charter organization will receive the reimbursement, not the special education director, via the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration and an additional completed State Procurement Office Form will be required. ADE/ESS will provide information regarding travel reimbursement to eligible PEAs once registration is completed. The PEA must complete the initial registration by August 15 to be considered for travel reimbursement for SENDS.

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

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

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to announce our first 2025-26 national presenter: Kelli Suding, M.Ed. Kelli will present two virtual after-school sessions designed for special and general education teachers, school administrators, IT and Ed Tech staff, and related service providers. Join us for one or both engaging sessions, jam-packed with ideas and activities you can use in therapy and/or in the classroom right away!

Session 1:        Uniting Accessible Materials and Assistive Technology for Inclusive Learning

Date:                  Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Time:                 3:30 p.m.−5:30 p.m. (PDT, Arizona Time)   
Fee:                     Free
Where:              Virtual (Zoom)

Too often, accessible materials and assistive technology are treated as separate solutions—when in reality, they are most powerful when used together. In this session, educators will explore how accessible educational materials (AEM) and assistive technology (AT) complement one another to remove barriers and create inclusive learning environments. We’ll also tackle common misconceptions, including the myth that using AT is “cheating,” and instead reframe these tools as essential for access. 

Register for Uniting Accessible Materials and Assistive Technology for Inclusive Learning Session

Session 2:        Inclusive by Design: Applying UDL Principles in Everyday Instruction

Date:                  Thursday, September 25, 2025
Time:                  3:30 p.m.−5:30 p.m. (PDT, Arizona Time)   
Fee:                    Free
Where:              Virtual (Zoom)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) isn’t just a framework—it’s a mindset for designing learning environments where every student can thrive. In this session, participants will explore how to apply UDL principles in practical, everyday instruction to reduce barriers and embrace learner variability. Through real-world examples and interactive activities, educators will learn how to proactively design lessons, materials, and assessments that are flexible, accessible, and inclusive from the start.

Register for Inclusive by Design: Applying UDL Principles in Everyday Instruction

As a Professional Learning Specialist on the Accessibility Team at CAST and technical assistance support for the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES), Kelli promotes the availability of accessible educational materials and technologies to ensure that all students have inclusive opportunities for learning.

Kelli also has a strong understanding of and ability to connect theory to practice. Her instructional experience has been with students requiring mild, moderate, and intense intervention. Kelli’s specializations include autism, accessible educational materials and accessible technologies, Google Chrome accessibility and integration, specific learning disabilities, and Universal Design for Learning.

If you have questions, please email [email protected]. 

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support PEA staff with free Virtual Learning Opportunities for the 25-26 School Year. 

 2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop 
This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco, and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented, and detailed information on the three evidence-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching through functional routines is shared. 

 1-Day STAR Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based STAR Program. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two-day STAR comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the STAR Program

2-Day Links Comprehensive Workshop 
This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman, and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines.

1-Day Links Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based Links Curriculum. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. The workshop will engage participants in hands-on practice activities to become fluent in the instructional strategies of discrete trial training and teaching functional routines as described in the Links Curriculum. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two or three-day Links comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the Links Curriculum.

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support PEA staff with free Virtual Learning Opportunities for the 25-26 School Year. 

2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop 

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco, and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented, and detailed information on the three evidence-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching through functional routines is shared. 

1-Day STAR Consistency of Implementation Workshop

This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based STAR Program. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two-day STAR comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the STAR Program

2-Day Links Comprehensive Workshop 
This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman, and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines.

1-Day Links Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based Links Curriculum. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. The workshop will engage participants in hands-on practice activities to become fluent in the instructional strategies of discrete trial training and teaching functional routines as described in the Links Curriculum. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two or three-day Links comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the Links Curriculum.

PEAs are also encouraged to contact STAR Autism Support if they would like additional individualized support during this time for their teachers, related service staff members, and paraprofessionals! Click here to see the full list of offerings for the school year. 

We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!  Please contact Bekah Anderson [email protected] or Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

 Click here to see the full list of offerings for the school year. 

 We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!  Please contact Bekah Anderson [email protected] or Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

ESS/Program Support and Monitoring (PSM) is proud to announce the release of the SY 2025–2026 Programmatic Monitoring Manual. This manual is intended to assist public education agencies (PEAs) in participating in and preparing for programmatic monitoring activities. The forms associated with programmatic monitoring activities can be found on the PSM website under Differentiated Monitoring Activities.

Please contact your PEA’s assigned specialist with questions. 

Back by popular demand beginning August 2025, the National Resource Center for Paraeducators (NRCP) and the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE), in partnership with the ADE/ESS, have organized a new year of monthly, low-cost professional learning webinars for paraeducators, related service providers (RSPs), teachers, administrators, etc.

Join the NRCP on the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for exciting topics and presenters! This year, topics include the following:

• Aug 9, 2025—Bullying & Cyberbullying Prevention
• Sep 13, 2025—Secondary Education & Transition Planning
• Oct 11, 2025—Instructional Differentiation & Dyslexia Support
• Nov 8, 2025—Accommodations vs. Modifications
• Dec 13, 2025—Behavior Management
• Jan 10, 2026—Intro to Artificial Intelligence in Education
• Feb 7, 2026—Career Advancement for Paraeducators
• Mar 14, 2026—Support for Low Incidence Disabilities
• Apr 11, 2026—Paraeducator Roles & Responsibilities
• May 9, 2026—Visual Supports & De-escalation Techniques
• Jun 13, 2026—The Trauma-Responsive Paraeducator
• Jul 11, 2026—Teamwork & Collaboration in Schools

Teacher and paraeducator teams are encouraged to sign up together. The $100 registration fee includes 12 live webinars and extended access to the recordings until August 2026. There is a limited number of seats at this discounted price, so register now to save your spot!

Register for Saturday Mornings with the NRCP!

Please see the NRCP flyer for additional information about the professional learning series, and email Laura Lema with any questions.

ADE/ESS recently notified Transporting School Districts in fiscal year (FY) 2025 that they will be required to complete the Statement of Assurances annually.  Additionally, special education data reporting requirements for FY 2026 will be expanded as required by the Department in the assurances for the application for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) federal funds.

Please read the attached memo for details and contact ESS Data Management with any questions.