October 1 Data Collection
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to report Special Education data to the federal government annually. The October 1 Data Collection is part of that process and occurs in three phases.
Links to Tools and Trainings
October 1 Data Collection Manual
Additional SPED data reporting guidance and tools can be found on our AzEDS SPED Reporting page.
Phase I Training will be held on October 1, 2026, at 1 P.M.
To register please click here.
FY26 Due Dates
Visit the ESS Important Dates page for all due dates.
Phase I: Personnel & Verification Count
Phase I data collection begins by having each PEA count the number of students who are provided SPED services on October 1. PEAs are also required to collect the number of full-time equivalent personnel (employed and contracted) to provide special education and related services on or about October 1 of the reporting year. More in-depth details can be found in the October 1 Data Collection Manual. Each link should navigate to the appropriate section in the manual, depending on your web browser's functionality and plugins.
Phase II: Reconciliation
Phase II is the process in which PEAs ensure that all the students who were receiving SPED services on October 1st are reported in AzEDS without errors.
Phase III: Non-Reconciliation
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. If a PEA is required to complete phase III, they will be notified by ESS Data Management.