Special Education Directors,

Please see below for important information from ADE/Assessment that was also presented at the Talk with ADE last week:

EL and Special Education

The following resources were developed as a result of changes made at the state level regarding the removal of the “Sped Withdrawal” option. The PowerPoint provides information relating to the change in guidance as well as the process for stakeholder involvement in developing the following resources. These resources were developed to support schools and teams with Dual Labeled students (students that are English Learners and have a disability).

Resources List:

EL and Special Education FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions regarding ELs and Students with Disabilities

EL and Special Education Flowchart- Participation in AZELLA with Accommodations and Supports

EL Outcomes for all English Learners Flowchart-Demonstrates the same outcomes for all students

EL Toolkit- Checklist for IEP teams considering Dual Labeled students developed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of English Language Acquisition Services

These resources can be located on the Assessment Main page under EL and Spec. Ed. Taskforce Tab: http://www.azed.gov/assessment/taskforce/.

ACT and Parent Consent

ADE/Assessment has been in communication with ACT Assessment personnel regarding the Parent Consent document for Accommodations. This document was created for LEAs, if the district felt they needed additional documentation.  It is not required to be submitted when submitting request for accommodations for ACT. The IEP serves as the documentation to request accommodations.

Please direct questions about these topics to [email protected].

It has been almost one year since the last major update of the Graduation AZ-TAS (Arizona Technical Assistance and Support) document. Since that time, ADE/ESS has sought feedback about the document in person, via phone, via survey, and electronically. With feedback from internal and external special education stakeholders, the Graduation AZ-TAS has been revised and the final version is now available.

The Graduation AZ-TAS document can be found on the ESS website.

The completion of the AZ-TAS Graduation document does not end technical assistance and guidance. Among the needs that ADE/ESS has heard during the feedback process, the ESS/Secondary Transition unit will be working on companion documents for school personnel and families to provide guiding questions that help schools and families explore and plan for graduation decisions. ESS will also work with Raising Special Kids to develop a parent-friendly version of the Graduation AZ-TAS document.

Many thanks to all those who provided feedback and engaged in meaningful dialogue about this guidance document. To ask questions or leave comments, please email Exceptional Student Services.

Special Education Directors:

Are your students with disabilities meeting the math requirements for middle and high school? Do they have the skills to meet and successfully complete the standards in Algebra One? Are there structures in place for special education and general education teachers to collaborate effectively to meet the needs of students with disabilities?  

Count Me In: Hands on Algebra is a two-day professional learning opportunity that will focus on inclusive practices for teaching mathematics for middle and high school students with learning disabilities. Teachers will walk away with a conceptual understanding of the progressions within algebraic reasoning and thinking and learn collaboration strategies that will support all students in meeting the High School Algebra standards.

We strongly encourage school teams of special education and general education teachers who teach mathematics in Grade 6 through High School Algebra to register. Participants will be required to attend BOTH in-person training days and a follow up one-hour coaching session.

Prescott—May 4 and 5, 2020: http://bit.ly/AlgebraPrescott

Show Low—June 18 and 19, 2020: http://bit.ly/AlgebraShowLow

Please see the attached flyer for further details. Additional trainings in Tucson and Phoenix will be offered in Fall 2020.

Questions about registration may be directed to [email protected].  Questions about the training may be directed to [email protected] or [email protected].

Join our ESS Math Listserv to stay informed of upcoming professional learning opportunities! bit.ly/essmathlist

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS is opening up the IDEA High-Cost Funding application for claims for the 2019-2020 school year on January 27, 2020. All applications will be reviewed and processed to determine if they meet the minimum requirements for any high-cost claim. Details about the criteria used for review are in this notification.

For any questions or concerns, please email ESS Program Management.

Special Education Administrators,

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce FREE upcoming math webinars:

Please see this flyer for more information and share with others who may also be interested in this professional learning opportunity. Questions can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected].

Dear Special Education Directors,

All school districts and charter schools are required to annually administer the State Performance Plan Indicator 8: Parent Involvement Survey. The survey is open now through May 31, 2020.

NEW!

• Districts will distribute login codes to parents of their Private Day/Tuitioned-out students.
• Students over 18 years-of-age will take the survey, unless a parent has retained IEP rights. The parent who has retained special education rights will complete the survey, not the student.
• Secure Care facilities will administer the survey.

Start today! Log into ADEConnect – ESS Portal – ESS Data Surveys – Parent Involvement Survey. If you don’t have access to the survey application, or need to add additional users who should have the right to use this information and administer the survey, contact your entity ADEConnect administrator and ask to be assigned the ESS Parent Survey User Role.

The survey application displays links to:

• Survey Instructions for PEAs
• Survey Instructions for Families
• Student lists with login codes (Use the 2020-Parent Involvement Survey FY’20 list)
• Current Progress Report
• Annual Question-by-Question Reports

Regularly visit www.azed.gov/specialeducation/parent-involvement-survey-admin for additional information.

• Survey News
• FAQ: Participation Tips, Survey Instructions
• Family Engagement Strategies

Becky Raabe, Survey Coordinator

[email protected]

(928) 637-1871

Special Education Directors,

To address the shortage of qualified teachers of the deaf (TOD) and teachers of students with visual impairments (TVI), the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) is asking Arizona educators to take this survey.  The purpose of this survey is to identify the impact of the shortage, identify possible solutions to the shortage, and to gain the thoughts and opinions of Arizona LEAs and institutes of higher education on the specific knowledge and skills needed to adequately prepare teachers to work with students with these types of needs.

Please review and provide feedback by the end of the day on Friday, January 24, 2020.

Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS is very excited to announce some changes to its main conferences, the Directors’ Institute and the Transition Conference! These conferences have been combined and rebranded as:

Arizona’s IDEA Conference

Save the Date

Arizona’s IDEA Conference in 2020 will take place over three days, August 31—September 2, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix. This year’s theme is: Converging Ideas: Connections for Student Success.

Content

The new combined conference will maintain special education administration and secondary transition strands, including national and local experts. There will also be sessions specifically targeted to youths and young adults with disabilities as well as family members/caregivers.

Why Combine?

Although ADE/ESS has been invested in and very proud of its historical dual conferences, in recent years these events have been held close together in the calendar year. This was largely due to the rising costs of hosting a professional development event at a conference center during the “peak” season in Arizona. Keeping costs reasonable and aligned to the State rate, and also avoiding summer holiday time for school staff meant that these huge events were held almost back to back. This has been a tremendous resource cost for ADE/ESS, as well as for special education professionals who wanted to access content at both events. Combining both conferences in a venue capable of hosting more participants allows for an efficient use of resources and time and allows participants to access even more quality content at the same time!

Registration

Each registration fee will allow participants to access all content, regardless of strand (registration information will be made available in late Spring). Additionally, ADE/ESS has increased the total number of participants who will be able to attend in order to accommodate participants who historically attended both conferences.

Coming Soon

ADE/ESS is busily building the new website for Arizona’s IDEA Conference. Also, student artwork will still be featured in the graphics for this event, but the new conference will also have its own new “brand.” Stay tuned for new developments over the Spring!  Update: Website is now available: http://www.azed.gov/ideaconference/

Call for Proposals

ADE/ESS invites the submission of proposals for Arizona’s IDEA Conference. Proposals should address the theme and be targeted to special education administrators, transition professionals, or youths with disabilities and their family members/caregivers.  Please follow this link to submit. Proposals are due February 7, 2020.

Please email feedback or questions to the new Arizona’s IDEA Conference email Inbox: [email protected].

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce training for school personnel on how to recognize and intervene with commonly occurring behavioral health issues. The trainings will take place in Phoenix from February 5-7, 2020.

The National Council for Behavioral Health will deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification Training to Arizona educators. This 3-day interactive training will teach participants how to:

• Teach the Youth Mental Health First Aid course, including the 5-step action plan, evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies, and prevalence data
• Present the program with fidelity to the tested core model
• Apply the program to a range of adult learning styles
• Tailor presentations to diverse audiences and learning environments

Upon the successful completion of the course requirements, as outlined by the National Council for Behavioral Health, participants will be certified to teach the standard Youth Mental Health First Aid course. For more information about Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, please go to: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/training-courses/mental-health-first-aid/.

The cost of the training is $90. Space in the trainings is extremely limited. Please use this link to submit an application to participate in the training.

If you have questions, please email Aanya Rispoli.

The Arizona Department of Education is pleased to announce training through Crisis Prevention Institute. Crisis Prevention Institute offers nonviolent crisis intervention that equips participants with skills, confidence, and an effective framework to safely manage and prevent difficult behavior.

Training for new trainers through the Instructor Certification Program includes a three-day training and involves independent work to be completed through online modules. The Instructor Certification Renewal Program includes one day in the classroom in conjunction with online modules to be completed independently. To be eligible for the renewal course, participants must have completed the Instructor Certification (or Renewal Program) and must be seeking to fulfill the two-year instructor proficiency requirement. All Certified Instructors and Instructor Candidates are required to complete the online modules and accompanying Learning Guide prior to face-to-face instruction.

Training for new trainers and the renewal training will occur from February 18-20, 2020 at the Desert Willow Conference Center at 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85040.

The cost for the Instructor Certification Program for new trainers is $175 and the cost for the Instructor Certification Renewal Program is $75.

If interested, please fill out the form.

For further information, please email Aanya Rispoli.