ADE/ESS is providing notice to the field of the updated Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) rule A.A.C. R7-2-401(G)(4)(A) that was approved and effective on October 21, 2024. This announcement includes a memo that provides background, next steps for public education agencies (PEAs), and the state education agency (SEA) responsibilities and implementation. The approved SBE rule is included for reference. Note: This version of the approved SBE rule has been provided to ADE/ESS by the SBE and has yet to be chaptered into the Arizona Administrative Code.

At the November 21, 2024, Professionals Check-In, ADE/ESS will review the revised rule and attached memo while providing answers to submitted questions, where possible. Questions can be submitted through the Survey Monkey link below for the upcoming Professionals Check-In. ADE/ESS is planning additional training opportunities to assist PEAs with ensuring the implementation of the approved SBE rule. 

Submit questions for the November Professionals Check-In.

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 public education agencies in Arizona. 

  The survey opened on November 1, 2024, and will close on January 31, 2025. Please see the attached memo for further details. Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the survey can be located online. If you have additional questions, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.  

Thank you for completing the Teacher Attrition Survey. 

The Special Election Results Form must be emailed to the Arizona Department of Education- School Finance ([email protected]) within 15 days of the election.

Thank you

Special Education Professionals,

In partnership with ADE/ESS, the College and Career Competencies (CCCs) Project invites you to tune into a Fall 2024 professional learning opportunity for educators: Developing More Resilient Learners Through Self-Efficacy Instruction.

Target Audience: Special educators, school counselors, social workers, related services providers, instructional coaches, and interventionists

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Time: 3:00–3:45 p.m.

Description: Do your students lack confidence in their abilities or give up easily when encountering obstacles? Do they become frustrated when learning becomes challenging? Students who don’t have confidence in their abilities and avoid challenges need to improve their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is an individual’s perception of their ability to complete challenging tasks. Students who have strong self-efficacy understand the connection between putting forth effort and making progress. They accept their mistakes as learning opportunities and utilize calming techniques when learning becomes difficult. Educators who support students in developing self-efficacy observed increased confidence and the ability to view mistakes as learning opportunities in their students.

Please join us for this interactive 45-minute webinar as we explore these topics: 

• Teaching self-efficacy with free curriculum
• Measuring students’ self-efficacy
• Individualized support for developing students’ self-efficacy
• Accessing free self-efficacy courses for special education professionals

Register for Developing More Resilient Learners Through Self-Efficacy webinar.

For more information, see www.cccframework.org.

ESS/Program Support and Monitoring (PSM) is excited to announce that in-person regional training opportunities are taking place this school year. Trainings are free for participants. The content to be covered includes completing a mock student file review and learning about resources for crafting a compliant prior written notice. The dates, times, and locations are listed below. 

Please email Veronica Reza directly to register for one of these trainings. Additional training dates may be added based on responses from the field and internal capacity.  Any further questions can be directed to your PEA’s assigned PSM specialist.

In accordance with A.R.S. §15-905(E), the FY 2025 BUDG-25 Budget Verification Letters are now published. Letters are based on the most recent BUDG-25 Budget Verification reports, which have been calculated using the October BSA 55 information. These letters contain the official notification if a FY 2025 December revision is required as of the date of the letter.

• District BUDG-25 Budget Verification Letters are available to download from the School Finance website.

• District BSA 55-1 reports are available to download from the School Finance website.

The budget verification letters are addressed to the district's governing board in care of the district superintendent. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the district to inform the district's governing board members accordingly. 

Reminder: the district's budgeted FY 2025 K3 Reading amount is added to the district's BSL and RCL until the district is approved for the K3 Reading support level weight by the State Board, or December 31st, whichever occurs first.

Please contact the Budget Team ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

Thank you

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website.  FY 2025 October BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the FY 2025 October BSA 55 information.

• District BUDG-25 reports are available to download from this School Finance website. For further instructions on how to navigate the website, please view this Hot Topic.

• District BUDG-75 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • Please note that School Finance has not yet run FY24 BUDG-75 reports.

• District BSA 55 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:

Please contact the Budget Team ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Each year, ESS updates its contact lists of Lead Speech-Language Pathologists, Lead Occupational Therapists, Lead Physical Therapists, Lead School Psychologists, and Assistive Technology Specialists. We use these contact lists to:

• Keep related service providers informed of relevant professional learning
• Facilitate opportunities for developing discipline-specific professional learning networks or communities of practice
• Develop a pool of expert, experienced, school-based practitioners we may call upon for such things as surveying the need for particular topics in professional learning and providing content expertise to inform or review guidelines and policies developed by ADE/ESS

 Please complete this brief survey, even if your PEA has had no changes in personnel since last year or has no designated leads for related service providers.

 If you have questions, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

For immediate release: October 16, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne announces extension of free services through Achievement Tutoring program

Tutoring available through at least end of current school year

PHOENIX – The highly successful Achievement Tutoring Program initiated last year by Superintendent Tom Horne is being extended through the end of the 2024-25 school year, allowing more students to take advantage of this free program that has resulted in academic gains for students throughout Arizona.

Horne said, “Studies show tutoring to be the best method for academic growth. A year ago, I announced that we would repurpose about $40 million in COVID relief funds that had been allocated by the previous administration, and were not being used for academic purposes, to create the Achievement Tutoring Program. The results have been excellent as students who get this tutoring have shown significant academic growth. Because we have received an extension that allows remaining funds to continue to be used, this program will continue through at least the end of the current school year.”

The Achievement Tutoring Program is designed to provide reading, writing, and mathematics tutoring for students in grades K-12. Since the program was begun, it has served over 30,400 students through seven sessions. Beginning with a pilot in November 2023, session enrollments have grown from 4,200 students to over 6,800 students. The latest session is accepting enrollments through October.

Academically, 22 percent of the students experienced at least a half-year’s worth of academic growth in six weeks, which is excellent progress in a short period of time.

Because of federal rules on the extension of Covid relief (ESSER) funds, this is no longer available through public schools but can be accessed through private providers through the Department of Education.

During the past year, the department has been contacted by numerous parents praising the Achievement Tutoring Program.

One parent, Colleen, wrote to say, “I am incredibly grateful for the services and support provided by the program. I am confident that all three of my children will have increased confidence and improved report cards in the fall.”

Heather wrote, “As a single mom raising six young men, I could never afford to get tutoring like this to help them get caught up and build the confidence they need to have in life.”

From Jennifer, “The Achievement Tutoring program has helped tremendously to fill in the gaps in (my child’s) learning loss… He has improved immensely!”

Alexandra said, “My son has grown so much in reading… He finally has the confidence in reading that he has lacked for so long! I was so proud I actually cried.”

Catherine wrote, “My daughter had been struggling, but is now much more confident in her math skills… I truly hope the ATP program will continue, as it’s changing lives and helping so many. Especially some of us with limited financial resources.”

For more information: /achievement-tutoring

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The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) Team is pleased to announce the second presentation in our 2024—2025 AT National Presenter Series: Technology Tools to Support Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation for K-12, with Elisa Wern, M.Ed., OTR/L, ATP. This presentation is intended for special education administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, OTs, PTs, SLPs, and assistive technology specialists.

Date/Time:                  Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Seats are limited; register now!)

Fee:                                $25 - lunch on your own

Where:                          Conference Center at Rio – Rio Salado College (2323 W. 14th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281)

Elisa Wern is an Occupational Therapist with a master’s degree in special education and is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). With over 20 years of experience in pediatric therapy, she presents at various state and national conferences, including regional training, AOTA, CEC, PATINS A2E, ATIA, Closing the Gap, OTAP/ECHO TIES Project, CATE, TalkingAAC, and AAC in the Cloud. Elisa is the Local Assistive Technology Specialist for Alachua County Schools in Gainesville, Florida, where she coordinates AT services for the district and serves as the Lead Occupational Therapist. In her spare time, she runs a private practice, AT & OT Consulting and Coaching, supporting students and families primarily through teletherapy evaluations, consultations, and interventions, as well as providing consultation for companies. She proudly served as a Year 1 Mentor as a Joy Zabala Fellow and coordinates the Facebook group book study on Comprehensive Literacy for All.

Session Description:
In today’s diverse classroom environments, fostering executive functioning and self-regulation skills in students is critical for their academic and personal success. This session is designed for K-12 educational staff and therapists who seek to integrate educational and assistive technology tools into their practice to enhance these essential skills. Participants will explore a range of innovative technological solutions, including low- and no-tech tools, apps, software, and devices, which can aid in improving organization, time management, task initiation, emotional regulation, and more.

Session Outline

• Overview of Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation: Understanding the key components, the research behind them, and their importance in student development.
• Assessment and Identification: Tools for assessing executive functioning and self-regulation challenges specific to the educational setting and occupational therapists.
• Technology Solutions: Detailed exploration of specific tools such as digital planners, reminder apps, visual schedules, and resources.
• Implementation Strategies: Practical guidance on integrating these tools into daily routines and individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans.
• Case Studies, Research, and Best Practices: Real-world examples of successful technology integration and its impact on student outcomes.
• Interactive Demonstrations: Hands-on opportunities to explore and experiment with selected technology tools.

By the end of this session, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively leverage technology to support the executive functioning and self-regulation needs of their students, leading to more independent and successful learners. The session includes hands-on time with no-tech, low-tech, and technology-based applications and strategies, featuring a mix of free and paid resources to support executive functioning.

Register for Technology Tools to Support Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation for K-12.

If you have questions about this training, please email [email protected]