Special Education Directors,

Please review the attached memo for information on how to apply for a High-Cost Child Claim.

The next round of applications will close on March 12.

Please e-mail the ESS Program Management Inbox with any questions.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT     

AzEDS SPED Integrity Rule Update -40071

An enhancement to Integrity Rule -40071 will be introduced into the integrity process on FY21 SPED data shortly. This update is a continuation of our effort to ensure clean data for the state. Updated one-sheet Integrity Tools are available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips, and the rule has been updated on our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document. 

Integrity Rule -40071

This rule has been enhanced to further validate the SPED10 exit code. In addition to validating the exit code is only used for 3-5 year-olds in PS, KG or UE grade, this rule will now validate the enrollment ends on the same date.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding this update.

Special Education Directors,

Please review the FY22 Preliminary IDEA Allocation Memo for updates from the ESS Program Management team regarding the IDEA Consolidated-Entitlement funding application.

If you have questions, feel free to send them to the Program Management Inbox.

Special Education Directors,

ESS is excited to announce a unique professional learning opportunity for speech-language pathologists. Please share information about this free webinar with your SLPs.

Comprehensive Assessment for SLI Eligibility: Research, Regulations, and Resources

Friday, February 19, 2021

9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Description:

This presentation will discuss the use of various tools and strategies to determine a student’s patterns of strengths and needs. It will include a systematic method of integrating data from standardized and informal measures such as interviews, focused observations, language sampling, and dynamic assessment to determine presence or absence of language disorder and provide recommendations for interventions that are connected to the curriculum. The session will offer practice in implementing a comprehensive assessment approach for evaluation and eligibility decision making in schools using new tools and case studies that model the integration of multiple data sources for decision making purposes. Free assessment tools, documentation strategies, and resources will be reviewed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe research, tools, and techniques for comprehensive assessment that align with IDEA
• Explain how to implement a microstructure and macrostructure narrative analysis using the free resources provided
• Summarize dynamic assessment methods and techniques to increase accuracy of assessment practices

Presenter:

Marie Ireland, CCC-SLP, works for the Virginia Department of Education as an educational specialist for Speech Language Pathology, Related Services, and Evaluation and Eligibility Processes. Marie has experience advocating for legislation that impacts speech-language pathologists and individuals with communication disorders at the state and national levels. She has served on the ASHA School Finance Committee, ASHA SLP Advisory Council, ASHA Medicaid Committee, and is the past president of the State Education Agencies Communication Disabilities Council (SEACDC), a national consortium of state consultants. She served as the ASHA Vice President for SLP Practice (2018–2020).

Registration:

This professional learning opportunity is free. Please click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Participant registration is first-come, first-served until all available seats are filled. Government sponsored professional development may be used to meet licensure requirements and ASHA certification maintenance hour requirements but are not offered for ASHA CEUs. For more information regarding this professional learning opportunity, please email Mary Keeney.

Special Education Directors,

ESS collects data each year through the Teacher Attrition Survey to make informed decisions about recruitment and retention efforts in Arizona. Participation in the survey is mandatory for all district and charter schools in Arizona.

The survey is now open and will close on May 7, 2021. Please see memo for further details. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the survey can be located at http://bit.ly/teacherattritionsurvey. For additional questions, please email Kim Rice. 

Thank you for completing the Teacher Attrition Survey.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

New Integrity Rules for FY21: -40080, -40081, -40082, and -40083

Four new integrity rules for FY21 will be introduced into the integrity process on FY21 SPED data shortly.  These new rules are a continuation of our effort to further validate SPED Exit Codes to ensure clean data for the state.  New one-sheet Integrity Tools are available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips, and the rules have been added to our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document.  These rules have been moved to the upcoming section on the FY 2021 ESS Data Reporting Updates document.

Integrity Rule -40080

This rule will validate when a SPED01 Exit Code (Transferred to Regular Education) is used; there is a continuing enrollment reported the next in-session day for the student without SPED data.

Integrity Rule -40081

This rule will validate when a SPED04 Exit Code (Deceased) is used; the enrollment ends on the same day, and there are no follow up enrollments in the state.

Integrity Rule -40082

This rule will validate when a SPED03 Exit Code (Reached Maximum Age) is used; the student is 21 or older on the date of exit, and no new LREs are started at the site after that date.

Integrity Rule -40083

This rule will validate when a SPED09 Exit Code (Ends one LRE but starts another) is used; the student is not reported Graduated on the same date or before the LRE Exit Date.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding these new rules. 

Special Education Directors,

Arizona students with disabilities receiving special education services are reported into AzEDS to generate state funding as appropriate. Dependent on the disability, students with disabilities receive varying weighted totals under state aid. There is a fundable scenario that is not able to be reported into AzEDS at this time, which is comprised of students who require ancillary services but do not require special education instruction as outlined in A.R.S. § 15-769(D).

ESS and ADE/School Finance are seeking to gather information regarding this item from PEAs. Please see the attachment for more information and contact [email protected] with questions.

Special Education Directors,

As part of our ongoing recruitment efforts on behalf of Arizona’s public schools, ADE/ESS compiles and updates a list of education career fairs happening at educator preparation programs across the country.

If your school is planning to recruit for special education teachers from out of state, we hope this list will make that task a bit easier for you. This list is available on the Arizona Education Employment Board website under the “Find a University Job Fair” icon.

For questions, please email Kim Rice or email Julie Lenza, ESS Recruitment and Retention Specialists.

Special Education Directors,

Please join us for a Lunch and Learn on Thursday, February 4 from 11:45 a.m.—1:00 p.m., when leaders from the Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP) present, “Considerations for Completing Psychoeducational Evaluations in 2021.”

As schools are working to support students’ learning in distance, hybrid, and in-person settings, they are also challenged with determining how to meet the needs of diverse learners, including identifying and making eligible those students who are in need of special education. Please join us as our presenters share considerations for completing initial and reevaluations in the current educational environment. Topics covered will include collecting additional data, SLD determination, and teleassessment.    

Please click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Participant registration is first-come, first-served and is not limited to special educators—feel free to forward. Please email Sherri Schwindt with questions regarding this professional learning opportunity. 

We look forward to seeing you there!