In partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program, ADE/ESS is excited to be able to offer scholarships for Arizona youth and their families. Scholarships are available so that youth and young adults with disabilities and/or their family member/personal assistant can attend Arizona’s 2023 IDEA Conference: Creating Connections and Strengthening Systems.

This cross-stakeholder event is intended for special education administrative staff, youth and young adults with disabilities, family members and caregivers, state agency staff, educators, service providers, and community members committed to student success. The event will feature numerous professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and content for related service providers. This year’s conference will be held from August 21–23, 2023, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

Who can apply for a scholarship:
•    Youth/young adult between the ages of 14 and 26 who have a documented disability
•    Family members of a student with an IEP or 504 Plan 
•    Personal assistant who attends with a student or family member

Scholarships will cover the conference registration fee for each recipient as well as lodging and mileage for eligible recipients. Additional, important information is listed in the application.

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please complete the Youth and Family Scholarship application by June 30, 2023.

Please download the Youth and Family Scholarship flyer to promote this opportunity.

For more information about the IDEA Conference, visit the IDEA Conference website. Questions about the conference, registration, or the scholarship can be sent to the IDEA Conference inbox.

Horne: Dept. of Education will pick up Project Momentum funding

School improvement program excels at raising student performance

PHOENIX – Arizona schools chief Tom Horne has announced that funding for Project Momentum Arizona will now be provided by the Arizona Department of Education after the recent decision by the Governor’s Office to reevaluate its role in that program. The department has signed a $10 million contract with Project Momentum to ensure the program continues and expands to more Arizona schools.

Horne said, “My job is to make sure student learning increases and test scores improve. Project Momentum Arizona has proven to be remarkably effective where it has been implemented. Every school in the Avondale Elementary District is now either rated A or B, and students in the Buckeye Elementary District outperformed the state average in the latest statewide achievement test. All other districts that use Project Momentum Arizona principles report similar success as well as improved teacher retention. Teachers want to teach and when they see students doing better year-to-year that is one of the strongest incentives to stay in the profession. Approving continued funding through the Department of Education was a very easy decision for me.”

Special Education Directors,

Due to popular demand, this training has been opened up to general and special educators and administrators.

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to announce the next in our Related Service Providers Seminar Series: Processing Speed and Executive Function with Sarah Ward, CCC-SLP. This course is intended for General and Special Education teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, School Psychologists, Counselors, and Special Education Administrators.

Date:             Friday, April 7, 2023

Time:             8:00 am–4:30 pm

Fee:                $120.00  (Breakfast and lunch included)

Location:      Desert Willow Conference Center, 4340 East Cotton Center Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85040

Processing Speed and Executive Function 

In this practical strategies seminar, you will learn dozens of techniques for supporting students in developing independent executive function skills and in increasing processing speed. Executive function (EF) challenges, slow processing speed, and behavior deficits often go hand in hand. EF skills are the core cognitive skills involved in planning and self-directing toward the successful completion of academic and other goals. EF skills point our attention to where we need to go, keep the action plan in mind within working memory, block distractions, filter out extraneous information, and help us to resist temptations and to exhibit goal-driven self-control.

Processing speed difficulties can limit productivity and executive function skills to complete routines, follow instructions, finish homework, listen/read and take notes/summarize, integrate and encode information, write assignments that require complex thought, transition between tasks, acquire new material, and reason under time demands. Slow processing speed can bog students down in the details, and they cannot distinguish relevant from minor details and see the big picture. Learn practical ways to help students to develop independent EF skills and to improve their processing speed to increase the automaticity with which they can follow routines and directions, complete tasks, and manage complex assignments.

About Our Speaker:

Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP has over 25 years of experience in the treatment of executive dysfunction. Sarah is an internationally recognized expert on executive function and presents seminars on the programs and strategies she has developed with her co-director, Kristen Jacobsen. She has presented to over 1,600 public and private schools and organizations worldwide.

Registration:

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.  

 Register for Processing Speed and Executive Function

For questions regarding this training, please email our AT inbox.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Count Me In: Accessible Algebra Using Tiles  

Teachers will walk away with a conceptual understanding of the learning progressions within algebraic reasoning by using algebra tiles. We will explore topics such as integer operations, linear expressions, solving equations, and factoring quadratic expressions. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in grades 6 through those who teach high school algebra. 

Register for Accessible Algebra: Flagstaff (June 13, 2023) or 

Register for Accessible Algebra: Scottsdale (July 12, 2023)

Count Me In: Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction  

We will explore various instructional routines that give students the opportunity to engage in multiple means of representation, action, expression, and engagement through the Universal Design for Learning framework. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in grades kindergarten through high school. 

Register for Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction: Flagstaff (June 14, 2023) or 

Register for Powerful Practices for Inclusive Mathematics Instruction: Scottsdale (July 13, 2023)

 Count Me In: Foundations for Fluency  

We will engage in instructional routines, strategies, and games that help all students to develop the flexibility to solve contextual and mathematical problems involving whole numbers. This training is most appropriate for general education teachers and special education teachers in kindergarten through grade 6 to register. 

Register for Foundations of Fluency: Flagstaff (June 15, 2023) or 

Register for Foundations of Fluency: Scottsdale (July 14, 2023)

For more detailed information on each training, go to "In-Person Professional Learning Opportunities" on the ESS Math web page.

Registration:

Registration for this event must be completed in the Arizona Professional Learning and Development (APLD) registration system. You must be logged in to your ADE Connect account to complete the registration. If you do not have an ADE Connect account, you will need to create one before you register for the course.

 Please email the ESS PLS Inbox with any questions about registration. Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions about the training. 

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following public notice and comment period information for the IDEA Part B State Application.

Federal Fiscal Year 2023 IDEA Part B State Application

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will soon apply for federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. This application document serves as the basis for the operation and administration of activities to carry out the requirements of Part B of the IDEA. As part of the public participation process set forth in the IDEA Part B regulations at 34 CFR § 300.165 and in Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1228a), the State must publish its Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 IDEA Part B Application and allow public comment.

The application document sets forth policies and procedures that Arizona will undertake:

1. to ensure that all eligible children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that includes special education and related services to meet their unique needs
2. to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected
3. to assist public education agencies in providing for the education of all children with disabilities
4. to assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate those children

Note: Arizona has not yet received the Allocation Tables for FFY 2023 grant funds from the US Department of Education. Thus, the FFY 2022 Spreadsheet has been included until the FFY 2023 allocation amount is received. Upon receipt of the FFY 2023 allocation documents, ADE/ESS will remove the FFY 2022 Spreadsheet and replace it with an updated FFY 2023 Spreadsheet.

Notice of Public Comment Period
Any individual or organization may submit written comments. Written comments shall be accepted through April 23, 2023.

The 30-day public comment period for the FFY 2023 IDEA Part B Application will be open from March 23, 2023, through April 23, 2023. The State will review and consider all public comments and make any necessary modifications to the application as appropriate.

Special education stakeholders may submit comments in writing beginning March 23, 2023, using the following methods:

• Submit electronically via the ADE/ESS Public Comment webpage
• Submit electronically to Exceptional Student Services via email
• Submit handwritten comments directly to Exceptional Student Services via the USPS to Arizona Department of Education, 1535 West Jefferson St. Bin #24, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for Teach Camp is now open! 

Teach Camp is a year-long support system that includes professional learning specifically designed for beginning special educators. The goal of Teach Camp is to increase retention of special educators by providing our newest special education teachers with the tools they need to survive and thrive during their first years in the classroom. 

Teach Camp is available to special education teachers who will begin their first, second, or third year of teaching special education in the fall of 2023. Recent graduates from traditional teacher preparation programs, alternative certified teachers, and veteran general education teachers transitioning to special education are all welcome. Please note, participants must be currently employed in a school district or charter as a special education teacher, and participants must have no more than two years of special education teaching experience in total (including previous positions) to be eligible to attend Teach Camp.  

Teach Camp will launch this summer! The cost is $250 per teacher and includes: 

• 3-day summer “camp” to be held June 26–28, 2023 in Phoenix* (breakfast and lunch provided) 
• One-day follow-up session in February 2024 in Phoenix* with national speaker Carol Kosnitsky (lunch provided)  
• A copy of The Survival Guide for New Special Education Teachers 
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children 
• Additional valuable resources 

*Information regarding travel reimbursement for participants from eligible PEAs will be provided once registration is completed. 

Registration for Teach Camp is open until June 5, 2023, on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration must be approved by the special education director and completed by the PEA, not the special education teacher. On-site registration is not available.  

Begin the registration process for Teach Camp! 

 Please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox with any questions about Teach Camp. For more information about Teach Camp, pleasevisit the ESS Teach Camp webpage. 

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website.  FY 2023 March BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the FY 2023 March BSA 55-1 information. 

• District BUDG-25 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • First, select a school district and then click “Go!”
  • Next, click “Switch to Budgets” from the top right corner of the menu bar and then click “Reports” from the middle of the menu bar.
  • Finally, select fiscal year 2023 and then click “Go!”. The BUDG-25 report will appear.

• District BUDG-75 reports are available to download from the School Finance website:
  • First, select a school district and then click “Go!”
  • Next, click “Switch to Budgets” from the top right corner of the menu bar and then click “Reports” from the middle of the menu bar.
  • Finally, select fiscal year 2022 and then click “Go!”. The BUDG-75 report will appear.

• District BSA 55-1 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 March “PDF” button. The March BSA 55-1 report will appear.

BUDG-25 reports will be available until the Budget Team performs the next update (typically after each State Aid distribution). Once the updating process has begun, all BUDG-25 reports will become unavailable at that time.  Please save a copy for future reference.

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

Thank you!

For Immediate Release: March 28, 2023

Contact: [email protected]

Horne: More money in the classroom improves student performance

Calls on bi-partisan support for better teacher pay

PHOENIX – State superintendent of schools Tom Horne today released a Department of Education study that demonstrates statistically that school districts that put a higher percentage of their budget into the classroom, primarily teacher salaries, do much better academically, compared to districts that have a higher percentage of their budget in other categories.

“We are going to undertake a major campaign to persuade districts to put a higher percentage of their budget in the classroom,” Horne said. “The data shows clearly that this has a positive academic benefit. “

The data is presented on graphs that represent large or very large districts and includes 74 percent of all students.

Going to the right on these graphs, shows districts that spend a higher percentage of their budget on the classroom. Going up the graph and shows passing scores. And the line switch shows the averages move dramatically up as one moves to the right, showing a very strong relationship between money spent in the classroom and good academic performance.

Horne has urged the legislature to pass Representative Matt Gress’s bill to use part of the budget surplus to give every teacher a $10,000 raise.

“No school can be better than the quality of the teachers in the classroom,” Horne stated. “The surrounding states pay more, and we lose good teachers to those states. We cannot afford to let this go on. “

Horne expressed profound shock that a number of Democrats in the legislature, and the leadership of the teacher’s union, opposed the bill to give every teacher a $10,000 raise. 

“If the public knew that a number of Democrats in the legislature, plus the leadership of the teacher’s union, opposed a $10,000 raise for teachers simply because the proposal came from a Republican, they would also be profoundly shocked. We should not let partisanship interfere with the steps we need to take to increase the academic performance of Arizona students, which is my sole overriding goal. “

# # #

School Finance will open the FY22 Vehicle Inventory Report for revisions March 28th through April 7th. 

IMPORTANT: This revision window is for FY22 only.  Do not enter FY23 Vehicle Inventory Data.  The window for FY23 will open May 1st. 

If you experienced difficulties or system issues when submitting Vehicle Inventory Data during the original submission window, you can submit corrections during this window.

Please note:  Any changes to FY22 Vehicle Inventory Data may affect the FY23 Transportation Support Level (TSL).  If the total miles reported in the Vehicle Inventory does not equal or exceed the mileage reported in the FY22 Route Mileage data, TSL will be negatively impacted.

Charters do not need to submit the Vehicle Inventory Report.

The following resources have been created to assist in submitting transportation data: 

Transportation Data Submission Video

Transportation Manual 

Transportation FAQ

Hot Topic 5/5/22, Hot Topic 6/16/22

Please review these resources prior to submitting your transportation data. If additional assistance is needed, please submit a HelpDesk ticket.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

FY23 Statement of Assurances required by all PEAs opens on 4/3/23

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the representative body for Special Education for Arizona, Exceptional Student Services, is required to obtain assurances from Public Education Agencies (PEAs) to attest that they are meeting the requirements under state and federal statute for special education in the state of Arizona.

It is a requirement for all entities defined as PEAs regardless if they get federal funds or not.

All PEAs must submit the IDEA Statement of Assurances (SOA) through the ESS Portal of ADEConnect.

The application will open on 4/3/23 and close for submissions on 6/15/23.

The SOA must be submitted by the Superintendent, Charter Holder, or Special Education Director of your organization before FY24 IDEA funding applications are approved in the Grants Management Enterprise system.

• The PEA must assign the role of ESS Special Education: Signer in ADEConnect to the individual that will review, sign, and submit the Statement of Assurances.
• PEAs that do not apply for IDEA funds are still required to submit the SOA.

Once the role is assigned, please log in to ADEConnect, navigate to the Exceptional Student Services Portal, and select the Statement of Assurances button under Surveys/Assurances.

The survey code will auto-populate for your PEA. Please select the “Yes” checkbox for each page to indicate your assurances for the requirements.

Upon completion, the SOA can be printed for your records. If your PEA wants to ensure the SOA was submitted, reaccessing the SOA will display the “Thank you for submitting” page.

Please direct any questions to [email protected].