Current levels insufficient

PHOENIX – State schools superintendent Tom Horne is urging the Governor and state lawmakers to add more staff to the growing Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. The current budget agreement does not include much-needed personnel increases to serve ESA parents and students.

Horne stated, “The ESA program is popular and gives parents the opportunity to choose the best education for their children. It must be operated efficiently, but staffing to deal with the ESA program was determined when the program had 11,000 students. In the past three years, the program has expanded to over 100,000 students. Despite numerous requests by us, the legislature and Governor have not adjusted staffing to this almost tenfold increase in the number of students. We must do our work with employee levels designed for 11,000 students.

He added, “Currently we have to process over 2 million orders annually with a staff of eight employees to review purchases. That is equivalent to 250,000 orders per year per staff member. That is physically impossible without risk-based auditing where all purchases over $2000 are reviewed before payment by ADE personnel. Purchases $2000 or below are subject to risk-based auditing and are the result of legislative action specifying risk-based auditing, a law that was signed by the governor. I am asking the governor and legislature to address the growth in the program and authorize more personnel to make sure we can serve the taxpayers who rely on ESA funds to provide the best education for their children.”

Effective June 8, 2026, integrity error -40105: Preschool exit outcomes may not be entered until the last day of the student's program, will now be a FED SPED warning instead of a FED SPED failure.

For guidance on resolving any SPED integrity errors, please refer to the SPED-Related Integrity Rules document available on AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for detailed steps.

Please feel free to email Data Management inbox with any questions.

Apprenticeships help address chronic shortage

PHOENIX – A new $300,000 grant will be used by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to expand its existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program to address the ongoing teacher shortage crisis, according to Superintendent Tom Horne.

ADE is among the sub-recipients of grant funds awarded by the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) from the private, non-profit Ascendium Education Group. The department will get $300,000 over the next two years to expand its existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program. The added dollars will support approximately 100 apprentices as well as mentor teachers statewide.

Horne said, “This is excellent news because recruiting, training and supporting teachers is vital and the teacher shortage has reached catastrophic proportions. These funds will be used to expand our already-robust efforts to help bring more teachers into the profession and retain those valuable educators currently in the classroom.”

He added, “We have developed and implemented numerous “alternate pathways” for those who did not go to education college but have the content knowledge needed to teach. We must also continue to push for more help for educators by increasing teacher pay using State Land Trust funds with no new taxes, and ensuring school administrators support teachers on classroom discipline, the two major issues that teachers cite as reasons to leave the profession.”

NCGYO will provide intensive technical assistance to participating states and local partners, including support with apprenticeship program registration, subgrant design and implementation, sustainability planning, and quality assurance.

The grant project’s goals include:

Increasing the number of fully licensed teachers prepared through high-quality, debt-free apprenticeship programs;

Building state-level infrastructure and policy systems that sustain programs beyond philanthropic funding; and

Leveraging the registered apprenticeship model to improve educator preparation quality while dramatically lowering the cost of earning a teaching degree.

# # #

Don't Miss This Summer Professional Learning Opportunity!

 ADE/ESS and STAR Autism Support are partnering to provide free professional learning opportunities for PEA staff this summer through in-person and virtual workshops.

 These hands-on learning experiences are designed to support educators working with students with autism and developmental disabilities. Participants will explore evidence-based instructional practices, engage in practical applications, and leave with tools, lesson plans, data systems, and strategies that can be implemented immediately.

 Participants will:

• Learn evidence-based practices that support student success
• Strengthen instructional planning and implementation
• Gain practical tools and resources for the classroom
• Connect learning to real-world classroom application
• Access opportunities for ongoing coaching and support

 School Team Coaching Opportunity

 Schools that participate as a team may qualify for STAR-certified coaching visits. To be eligible, teams must include:

• Special Education Teacher
• General Education Teacher or District Coach
• Related Service Staff or Paraprofessional

 Professional Learning Opportunities

 2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop (In-Person)
This two-day workshop provides detailed examples and practical applications of evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). Participants will learn instructional methods related to discrete trial teaching, pivotal response training, and teaching through functional routines.

• June 22-23 | Phoenix

 2-Day STAR and Links Virtual Comprehensive Workshop  
This two-day virtual workshop focuses on implementing evidence-based practices for secondary students using the STAR and Links curriculum. Participants will learn assessment, instructional planning, and strategies for supporting students within daily routines and targeted skill instruction. During this session participants will be broken into either STAR or Links break out rooms to practice skills specific to STAR or Links

•  June 17-18 | Virtual
• July 14-15 | Virtual

 Register Today!

We are excited to partner with educators across Arizona to strengthen inclusive practices and improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

For registration, questions, or assistance, please contact Bekah Anderson at STAR Autism Support or email Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices team.

Don’t miss this opportunity to sign up your new special education teachers for Teach Camp!

Teach Camp is a three-day, camp-themed professional learning experience packed with practical resources, strategies, and a strong campfire community of support so that new special education teachers not only survive but thrive as they begin their teaching journey. Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in one of Arizona’s public schools in the fall of 2026.  

Navigating the Journey: Camp Essentials 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held July 7–9, 2026, at Rio Salado College Conference Center, 2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281 
• The cost per teacher is $195
• Each camper will receive: 
  • The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers (3rd edition) 
  • One-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
  • Additional valuable resources to pack in their teaching backpack 

Trailblazing Together: What Teach Camp Alumni Are Saying! 

• “The resources and guidance provided have helped boost my confidence as I begin my journey as a special education teacher.” 
• “I’m hiking away with a full backpack of ideas and a happy teacher heart! Huge thanks to everyone who planned, presented, and made camp such an unforgettable experience. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat—just point me to the trailhead!” 
• “I loved the warm, welcoming environment, the rockstar presenters (aka our fearless trail guides), and meeting so many fellow campers who were eager to share their survival skills and teaching hacks. Teach Camp was s’more than I expected!” 

Ready for Your Teachers to Join the Adventure? 

Registration for Teach Camp is open on a first-come, first-served basis and has been extended until Friday, June 26, 2026. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the district or charter organization, not the special education teacher. Please note that there is a limit of ten registrations for each district or charter, after which participants will be placed on a waiting list. Travel reimbursement is available for eligible districts and charter organizations for up to five travelers per organization with additional travelers as funding allows. Reimbursement details are provided in the registration form. Please be aware that we may reduce the group size per district or charter organization to accommodate the attendance of more districts/charters and budget constraints for travel reimbursement. On-site registration is not available.  

Spots are limited—register your teachers for Teach Camp today! 

Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. 

ESS/Program Support & Monitoring is pleased to announce the release of the SY 2026–2027 Programmatic Monitoring Guide Steps. Attached is the release memo that indicates some of the recent updates.

The Guide Steps is a technical assistance document created to aid public education agencies (PEAs) in understanding the requirements specific to programmatic monitoring. Legal compliance may be more extensive as it relates to a state complaint or due process. Any examples should not be taken directly and added to a student’s IEP or evaluation because each student is unique and has his/her own set of circumstances that must be addressed through his/her individual evaluation and IEP.

We hope that these Guide Steps assist PEAs in reviewing student documentation for compliance purposes and in reviewing systemic, programmatic needs within the PEA. Questions can be directed to your PEA’s Program Support & Monitoring Specialist.

ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for the 2026–2027 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is now open!

The purpose of this professional learning opportunity is to support new special education directors in effectively navigating federal and state special education requirements, accessing ADE/ESS resources, and building a strong professional network. The SENDS series addresses key areas of ADE/ESS oversight and support including compliance and legal requirements, funding, data management, dispute resolution, assessment, and professional learning opportunities.

Eligibility
New special education directors directly employed by Arizona public education agencies in their first or second year of being a special education director (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2026 are eligible to attend SENDS.

Registration
The $100 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at ADE North,100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
• Follow-up webinars scheduled during the 2026–27 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 as well as the Arizona Council for Exceptional Children (AZCEC) and the Arizona Council of Administrators of Special Education (AZCASE)

Registration is open until Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Travel Reimbursement
Funding is available to support travel costs for districts and charter organizations traveling 50 miles or more from the district, charter, or school work location of the special education director to ADE North, 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.  Reimbursements will be issued to the district or charter organization, not the special education director, through the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration is required.  Additional information regarding travel reimbursement for eligible PEAs will be provided upon completion of registration. 

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 Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include:   

• Reminders

• Trending topics

• FY27 Data Management Updates

• NEW SPED Reports 101

• Discipline Data Outreach

• 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.

The Charter Estimated Counts template has been updated to include additional funding type fields such as FRPL and GIFTED. These new fields will need to indicate a "yes" or a "no" for students that participate in these programs. If you do not have this information to report yet, you can simply report "no" for each student. 

All charters must download and use the updated version of the Charter Estimated Counts template for submissions. 

Please download the updated template from the Charter Estimated Counts application. 

Charter districts that have previously attempted to upload their file using the old template will need to reupload a successful file. You will be contacted by the SF Analyst team if you are impacted. 

If additional assistance is needed, please submit a HelpDesk ticket.

The School Finance Budget System is now available for fiscal year 2027 budget file submissions. Please navigate to ADEConnect Applications and click on “School Finance Budget System” to begin submitting your fiscal year 2027 budget files.

If you experience issues accessing the page or uploading files, please clear your browser’s cookies and cache before contacting the School Finance Budget Team at [email protected].

Please review the documents for submission and publication instructions: 

• FY 2027 School District Annual Expenditure Budget Submission and Publication Information
• FY 2027 Charter School Annual Budget Forms Submission and Publication Information 

Thank you!