Are you concerned about the current rate of suspensions and expulsions at your school or district? Do you feel students are losing valuable class time due to disruptions and other behavior problems? Are teachers struggling to be successful with classroom management? Are administrators spending too much time dealing with discipline issues?  If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you might find the solution in Multi-Tier Behavior Supports.

Multi-Tier Behavior Supports (MTBS) is a three-year training series that will assist district, charter, or school teams with the development of a school-wide approach for positive behavior management practices. This training is based on School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (SW-PBIS) evidence-based elements. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) notes that “the IEP team shall, in the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior” (20 U.S.C. §1414(d)(3)(B)(i)). 

Several free informational webinars are being offered to outline additional details about the MTBS model, the three-year training sequence, the readiness requirements, and the process for applying.  Attendance at one of the informational webinars is the first readiness requirement necessary for participation in the training series.

If you are interested in learning more and/or starting the readiness process, review the attached flyer and register to attend one of the following free webinars:

Register for March 25 from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register for March 25 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Register for April 11 from 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register for April 11 from 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Directions for applying for the training series will be provided during the webinar. Registration is limited to ten teams and only one team from each district. Applications earning the highest scores in the evaluation process will be approved until all seats are filled. Completed applications must be submitted by April 30 at 5:00 p.m.

The special education director is required to attend the readiness webinar for a PEA/district team. The principal is required to attend the readiness webinar for a school team.

For information regarding MTBS, please contact Celeste Nameth.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Special Education Data Updates Webinar: Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will host the next live Special Education Data Updates webinar on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):   

• Reminders 

• Trending topics 

• Top Three Integrity Errors 

• Q&A    

Registration is required to attend. Please register by clicking this link. If you have any questions, please email the ESS Data Management inbox.

For immediate release: March 4, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne: Hundreds of districts and charters fail to report on Holocaust instruction

Calls for support of legislation to strengthen the requirements

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne reports that 322 of the approximately 750 Arizona districts and charter schools – about 43 percent – have affirmed that they are teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides as required by state law. He is advocating for the passage of legislation that would bolster that requirement.

Horne said, “Current state law requires teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides, but it does not specify how much time is spent. We surveyed districts and charters to find out if they are following the law, but more than half did not respond. This shows the need for HB 2779, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Republican Rep. David Marshall and Democrat Rep, Alma Hernandez to be passed and signed into law. This bill would require that students in grades 7-12 will have to twice complete a three-day program on the Holocaust and other genocides.”

He added, “After the horrific events of October 7, there was a one-sided pro-Hamas presentation at Desert Mountain High School that produced antisemitism among students and made Jewish students uncomfortable and fearful. If Holocaust studies are presented properly, students will be less gullible to antisemitic presentations. I am gratified that 322 districts and charters are following the law, with many of them taking anywhere from two to four weeks to do the instruction. That is commendable, but we need this bill to be sure all districts and charters are in compliance with the intent of the law.”

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For immediate release: February 29, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne: ADE alerted Mayes of potential fraud cases

Attorney General’s assertion ADE was unaware is incorrect

PHOENIX – Contrary to an assertion made today by Attorney General Kris Mayes, State schools chief Tom Horne says the Department of Education alerted the Attorney General’s office to potentially fraudulent activity on the part of two of the three former Arizona Department of Education employees named in indictments handed up by the state grand jury.

Horne stated, “The Attorney General is not telling the truth when she states that the alleged criminal activities of former ADE employees did not raise flags in the department. In fact, the opposite is true. Our office did alert the Attorney General’s Office to concerns we discovered regarding Dorrian Jones and Jennifer Lopez. A credit union became suspicious of efforts of a third former employee, Delores Sweet, and they also reached out to the Attorney General’s Office. It is worth noting that these employees were hired under my Democrat predecessor whose oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program was lax. In fact, it was so loose that when I took office, I faced dozens of parents at State Board of Education meetings furious at me for placing more controls on expenses and spending requests.”

He added, “Our discovery of the activities of the two former staffers is consistent with my determination to root out potential fraud and abuse. When I took office in 2023, I hired a 19-year veteran of the Auditor General’s Office to oversee the financial structure of the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program. That person is now the director of that program. We also hired a full-time investigator with extensive law enforcement experience. In 2024 alone, we have referred seven instances of suspected fraud to the Attorney General’s Office and, despite her efforts to smear this department, we will continue to do so.”

He concluded, “I have absolutely zero tolerance for criminal activity on the part of any employee, contractor or vendor. The unfortunate fact is that the Department is not alone in having been victimized by fraud. According to the Auditor General’s Financial Investigation Reports and Fraud Prevention Alerts website, over the past 30 years there have been multiple incidents of fraud committed against government entities, including various state agencies, law enforcement and many school districts.”

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For immediate release: February 29, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

More than 900 schools decline to answer new report card questions

Horne initiated academic focus queries about Critical Race Theory, school discipline and others

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has released figures showing that more than 900 Arizona schools have declined to answer five academic focus questions related to matters such as ensuring schools do not inappropriately expose students to explicit content and avoiding instruction that promotes racial division such as Critical Race Theory.

Of the 2,467 district and charter schools in Arizona, to date 1,565 have affirmed that they are following these guidelines, leaving 902 that have not.

Other questions center on ensuring that any sexual content is developmentally appropriate, administrators fully support teacher discipline and schools avoid excessive distractions such as Social Emotional Learning.

Horne said, “It is scandalous to see that more than 900 schools have declined to be transparent with parents who entrust their children to be educated by these schools. Parents have the right to be fully informed about what their neighborhood schools value and how instructional time is used.”

He added, “Some in the media claim that Critical Race Theory is not taught in public schools. This is obviously false. Some do so explicitly and publicly such as the Balsz Elementary District. The fact that more than 900 districts and charter schools did not answer the question proves that the problem is widespread and distractions from academics are contributing to low test scores.”

“Every instructional minute is precious, and every minute should be devoted to academics, not unnecessary distractions, lessons that divide people by race, or exposing students to subject matter that is not developmentally appropriate. Schools have a responsibility to teach to the state standards and graduating students who are academically proficient. This is simple common sense and easily achievable by every school in the state,” Horne concluded.

Schools that decline to attest to these inquiries have that information included on their school report card provided on the department's website. If schools eventually choose to respond, that will be updated on their report card.

The department has also asked districts to affirm whether they are following state law that requires instruction on the Holocaust and other genocides. That information is still be compiled and will be released early next week.

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All school districts, charter schools, secure care facilities, and the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) are required to annually administer the State Performance Plan Indicator 8 Parent Involvement Survey to parents of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The survey will open on March 1 via ADEConnect Data Surveys.

New: The survey application has merged the individual student login codes and parent letters. This feature will make it easier for users to disseminate parent instructions.

If you do not already 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 Data Surveys: User Role. If additional assistance is needed to be assigned the User Role, use the Help Desk ticketing system via ADEConnect.

Please email the Parent Survey Inbox with questions.

Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 618, Public Education Agencies (PEAs) must report discipline information. The Arizona Department of Education requires that PEAs submit student discipline information to Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS). Specifically, PEAs must submit discipline data that resulted in the removal of the student with a disability from their regular educational environment into AzEDS through their Student Information System (SIS).

Please review the attached memo for more information.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

ESS October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation Webinar 

The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team is happy to announce an upcoming October 1 Data Collection—Phase III: Non-Reconciliation training. Phase III is only for the PEAs that could not match the number of SPED students submitted in Phase I with the number of SPED students in AzEDS during Phase II. PEAs will receive an email if they qualify for Phase III on March 4, 2024.

The training will be hosted via a live webinar on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. 

Registration is required to attend: Register for the October 1 Data Collection—Phase: III Non-Reconciliation webinar.

Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 618, Public Education Agencies (PEAs) must report discipline information. The Arizona Department of Education requires that PEAs submit student discipline information to Arizona Education Data Standards (AzEDS). Specifically, PEAs must submit discipline data that resulted in the removal of the student with a disability from their regular educational environment into AzEDS through their Student Information System (SIS).

Please review the attached memo for more information and let us know if you have any questions.

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website. FY 2024 February BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the FY 2024 February BSA-55 information.

The FY2023 Over Expenditures have been included in UNR and M&O.

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 FY23 BUDG-75 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • Select the “Start Fiscal Year” as 2023
  • Optionally, select the “Execution Date” as 11/21/2023
  • Click “Apply”
  • If a 915 was submitted, please download the latest BUDG75 report by not using the execution date drop-down.

• District BSA-55 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • First, select a school district and then click “View Reports”
  • Next, scroll down the page to the “School District Reports” section.
  • Finally, click the February “PDF” button. The February BSA-55 report will appear.

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

Thank you!