Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to offer a weekly Virtual Meetup hour every Friday. ADE/ESS AT Specialists Mitch Galbraith, OTR, Margaret Egan, PT, and ADE Assistive Technology Short Term Loan Library coordinator, Mike Buckley, are here to support your needs and answer your questions with the first virtual meetup scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

Mitch, Margaret, and Mike will answer your assistive technology questions (but not IT questions!). Participants will type/dictate their questions into the Chat Box (please do not use identifiable information), and the ESS AT team will answer them during the hour. Participants will be muted during this chat so that people do not talk over each other, and the team will address as many of the questions as possible during the hour. All remaining questions will be gathered and answers posted on an ADE/ESS AT Padlet. Registration for the virtual meetup will allow the AT team access to your contact information so the Padlet can be sent directly to you.

These sessions will improve the ESS/AT team’s understanding of your needs and help to formulate trainings to address the needs of your students, as well as identify tools and strategies you can use with students virtually.

Join us for this 60-minute (Zoom) virtual meetup!

To continue to problem-solve regarding virtual learning, ESS/AT is developing short videos called “Quick AT Tips” that will be available for you to view on your own time. The team will post the links on the Assistive Technology Website as each tip is completed. We would appreciate feedback on topics, questions, and needs for your general education, special education, and related service provider staff.

Register for this event here

Questions regarding the Virtual Meet-up can be sent to the AT Inbox.

Special Education Directors,

This week, ESS launched a new series of professional development learning opportunities called TALES-  “Thursday Afternoon LEarning Series.” We hope you were able to join us for How to Support Your Students’ Self-Efficacy in the Home Learning Environment.

Our next episode is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., following the ESS Special Education Check-In.  Next week’s topic will be “GreAT Stuff: Easy and Effective Assistive Tools to Use With Students Right Now.” The focus will be on readily available, easy, and free tools, websites, and strategies that teachers can use in distance learning. All resources selected have high payoffs for students who struggle with the reading and writing demand of online learning and low stress for teachers to learn and implement.

Click here to join us for this one-hour webinar that includes time for Q & A.

This webinar is not limited to special educators – feel free to forward.

Questions regarding this TALES training can be sent to the ESSInbox.

Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Professional Learning Team is pleased to announce additional office hours opportunities for special education teachers!

These weekly virtual meetups, focused on specific content areas, are a chance for special education teachers across Arizona to connect with each other, collaborate and learn from one another, and also to celebrate and share successes during this new educational landscape.

Behavior/Social Emotional Learning Office Hours for Special Education Teachers

First meeting is Tuesday, April 21 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Register for April 21. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Literacy Office Hours for Special Education Teachers

First meeting is Thursday, April 23 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Register for April 23. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We appreciate all your efforts to support students, and we look forward to meeting with you!

Special Education Directors,

The ADE Math Team has had an excellent turnout for math office hours during the past two weeks, and we have enjoyed working with hundreds of general education and special education teachers and leaders from across the state! We are excited to announce that we are now offering an additional session specifically for special education teachers.

Special Education Teacher Math Office Hours

These virtual meetups are a chance for special education teachers across Arizona to connect with each other, collaborate and learn from one another, and celebrate and share successes during this new educational landscape. Join our biweekly meetup and connect with your colleagues to learn and lead from wherever you are in our state!

First meeting is Thursday, April 16th from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please feel free to join any and all of our Math Office Hours for both general education and special education teachers:

Next meetings are Wednesday, April 22 at the following times:

Grade Band: High School

Grade Band: 6-8

Grade Band: K-2

Grade Band: 3-5

Together we can continue to provide exceptional learning for all Arizona students!

Your ADE Math Team

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS and Early Childhood Education (ECE), and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support your staff through this unprecedented period of remote learning. The following information details your FREE access to tools intended to support remote learning for all learning levels, including children who have minimal language or are non-verbal, have motor skill limitations, or have challenges attending to instruction.

Access to the STAR Online Learning System (SOLS)

All educators throughout Arizona may now receive FREE access to SOLS through STAR Autism Support. The STAR Online Learning System offers programming for early-childhood and primary age students, as well as for secondary students. A short administrator webinar (with information about SOLS and the provided resources) is available here: https://www.starautismsupport.com/webinar/registration?webinar=3348

Three ways of engaging with teachers, students and caregivers are offered:

• Home Supports are offered to caregivers and students during this time of significant routine upheaval, including visual resources and video modeling for families. Caregivers can use these resources to support their children during daily routines.
• Instructorless Learning Home Packets include printable materials that offer caregivers and students fun, theme-based materials designed to meet students’ individual learning levels. The printable packets offer flexibility for caregivers to decide when their children engage with materials, providing opportunities for students to work independently to maintain previously learned skills.
• Synchronous Remote Learning Tools include everything needed for a comprehensive remote learning program. To support individual IEP goals and the development of new skills, synchronous remote instruction offers the opportunity for teachers to individualize and scaffold curriculum to meet the unique needs of all students.

To request FREE access to the STAR Online Learning System (SOLS)

Simply forward the attached flyer to your staff or direct them to register here: https://starautismsupport.com/AZ-SOLS-Access.

Professional development opportunities for instructional staff and related services

Several virtual professional development opportunities will be made available to staff implementing remote learning.  These trainings will both provide guidance on ensuring successful learning sessions, as well as offer Q&A opportunities for staff to troubleshoot various challenging scenarios. Each series of trainings includes:

• 3 introductory webinars (each building on the previous) to support implementation of remote learning
• 8 subsequent weekly webinars to offer staff support on various topics, as well as Q&A opportunities

Your public education agency’s (PEA) staff will be asked to select participation in one of 3 training series (beginning each of the following 3 weeks). Staff may register here for access to the professional development: https://www.starautismsupport.com/az-sols-webinar-registration.

The first professional development opportunities begin on April 14, 2020. 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 learn more about these additional support opportunities: https://www.starautismsupport.com/AZ-SOLS-Support.  

We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support their remote learning sessions!

Special Education Directors,

There have been many challenges as a result of COVID-19 and, after careful consideration, our leadership team has made the difficult decision to cancel Teach Camp 2020 as well as a new professional learning opportunity that was planned for new special education directors.  Our goal is to begin a new cohort of Teach Camp and professional learning for new special education directors in the summer of 2021. Currently, we are considering ways to connect with our 2019 Teach Camp participants and help them reconnect with each other during the next school year.

For your information, a resource that has been available to teachers participating in Teach Camp is now open to others as well. CEC is opening its doors to the special education community in need of resources. Nonmembers of CEC can receive a free basic membership from now through May 31 by using the promotional code "CECED60". This will provide access to all of CEC’s journal articles, member discounts on publications and events, and their online membership community where educators can ask questions and receive support from special educators, administrators, and support personnel. Join now by clicking here.

Thank you for your continued service to our field. We look forward to collaborating with you to support new teachers and new special education directors again in the future.

Special Education Directors,

We understand that this has been a busy and stressful time as you work to meet the needs of your students and staff. As such, we are extending the application deadline for the SETTA and GETSET Tuition Assistance Programs until 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 17.

• General Education Teacher to Special Education Teacher (GETSET) Application
• Special Education Teacher Tuition Assistance (SETTA) Application

For questions, please email Aanya Rispoli or call (602) 364-4022.

Please see this timely professional development opportunity from our colleagues in AZCEC, AZCASE, and SEAA.

Join AZCEC, AZCASE, and SEAA in sharing ideas on alternative service models during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an opportunity for Directors of Special Education to hear ASU Prep’s success on getting services virtual, and to share other formats of alternative service models. This meeting will be hosted by Janet Holt, ESS Director for ASU Prep, and assisted by AZCEC, AZCASE, and SEAA Presidents.

Please join us: Monday, March 23 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Access the meeting

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS has received many questions regarding special education timelines during school closures associated with COVID-19. We recognize that, during this time, there may be challenges in meeting deadlines. Please see the this guidance document (Updated 4/1/20) that contains guidance on timelines, provided in good faith based on guidance from OSEP.

There are a few other resources that may be useful for you to review:

• The ADE delivered a COVID-19 webinar today to district and charter leaders, as well as education stakeholders. The webinar was hosted with the support of the AZ School Board Association. Participant size was limited, but the webinar was recorded and is available on ADE’s COVID-19 webpage. There is a short section on special education that is taken primarily from the OSEP Q & A document recently disseminated, but also contains a few pieces of information gained from the “Joint Webinar on COVID 19 and Students with Disabilities” held on March 13.
• The “Joint Webinar on COVID 19 and Students with Disabilities” was presented by Laurie VanderPloeg, OSEP Director, along with representatives from NASDSE, CASE, and the CCCSO. It is a review of the OSEP Q & A Document, including IDEA, Part C, and Section 504 students, and also contains a general question and answer section. The recording of the webinar is available in the link.
• The ADE provided information on “School Closures: Clarification and Guidance,” today. This information is also available on the ADE COVID 19 webpage and concretely outlines which schools and programs are and are not closed, per the Governor’s declaration. It also provides some general information about school closure.

Additionally, ADE/ESS is in the process of developing a COVID-19 ESS subpage that will be linked to the overall ADE COVID-19 page. It will contain special education-specific information, as well as an evolving Q & A document based on questions that are submitted to ADE and ESS. Please be patient as ESS receives questions, processes information, seeks guidance, and provides answers. This is a quickly-changing landscape of information and resources, and ESS is working closely with OSEP, national technical assistance groups, and state leadership to get the most accurate information to you.

Any questions can be sent to the [email protected]. Thank you all for your work during this time.

Special Education Directors,

In acknowledgement of the existing school closure, ADE and SEAA have decided to cancel the SEAA and Talk with ADE meetings originally scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2020. If these meetings are rescheduled, ADE will communicate the new date via the Special Education Director list serv.

The next regularly scheduled Talk with ADE meeting will be held on June 12, 2020.