Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is excited to announce the start of the 2022–23 National Presenter Series with Penny Reed, PhD. This workshop is designed for special educators and related service providers.

Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy

Date: September 20, 2022

Time: 8:00 a.m.−3:30 p.m.

Fee: $19 (working lunch, lunch will be provided)

Where: Pendergast Community Center

Address: 10550 W Mariposa St, Phoenix, AZ 85037

About Penny Reed

Penny Reed, PhD, is an independent consultant in AT services and provides training on various topics related to AT with a special focus on improving the delivery of AT services. Dr. Reed has a BS in elementary education, an MS and PhD in special education, and certification as both a principal and special education administrator. She was the director of the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) for many years and serves on the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) Leadership Team. She is a founding member of the QIAT Consortium, the National Assistive Technology in Education Network, and the Coalition for Assistive Technology in Oregon. Dr. Reed has authored and co-authored numerous articles and manuals, including her most recent publication, Best Practices in Special Education: A Framework for Assistive Technology (2022), co-authored with Gayl Bowser.

Workshop Description:

Are you confused about your responsibility to provide assistive technology devices and services?

Are you frustrated with delays in obtaining AT assessments from sources outside your PEA or the cost of those assessments?

Are you looking for an efficient, effective way to determine a student's need for assistive technology? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is for you.

Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy

This activity-packed workshop will present a team-based model for completing AT consideration and assessment. It begins with a brief overview of the laws related to the provision of AT services in the schools, including AT Consideration and Assessment. Participants will examine and discuss AT Consideration forms to determine what works for them. Then, an AT Assessment process will be explained. Specific, easy-to-follow forms will be provided. Participants will use the forms for guided practice in completing the AT Assessment process. The training will end with pointers for implementation planning. It is most beneficial if participants can attend as a team.

If you have questions regarding this training, please email the AT Inbox.

Register for Assistive Technology Consideration and Assessment Made Easy.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT     

New AzEDS SPED Integrity Rule -40079 for FY23

A new Integrity Rule -40079 will be introduced into the integrity process on FY23 SPED data shortly. This update is a continuation of our effort to ensure clean data for the state. A new one-sheet Integrity Tool is available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips, and the rule has been added to our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document and the FY23 ESS Data Reporting Updates document.

Integrity Rule -40079

This rule will validate the reported Resident School ID is a site of the District of Residence (DOR).

Except in cases if the student is attending a Union or High School District and the DOR is an Elementary District without a High School, then the Resident School ID should be a site within the District of Attendance.

Expected Resident School IDs have been outlined in rule -40077 introduced in FY22 if the student is attending:

• Private Day School - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the private day school.
• Voucher - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the residential treatment center or a state institution.
• Public Education Agency Placement (PEA) - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in another PEA.
• Head Start Programs - the public school site where the student would be enrolled and attending if not placed in the Head Start program.
• Public School - defaults to the public school site where the student is currently enrolled & attending.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding this new rule.

Special Education Directors,

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

The following virtual sessions are being offered via Zoom and are free to attend.  Click the session link to view the session description and to pre-register.

Take a D.I.P. (Daily Inclusive Practices) into Desmos’ Polygraphs for Grades 4–12 

Wednesday, August 31 from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Creating Culturally Linguistic and Inclusive Math Spaces: Using Interactive Read-Alouds for Grades K–12 

Tuesday, September 13 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Splat! for Grades K–6 

Wednesday, September 21st from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Desmos’ Marbleslides for Grades 7–12 

Wednesday, October 26th from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Putting the L in S.T.E.M. for Grades K–12 

Tuesday, November 29 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Three-Act Tasks for Grades K–5 

Wednesday, November 30th from 4:00–5:00 p.m. 

Take a D.I.P. into Three-Act Tasks for Grades 6–12 

Thursday, December 1st from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers (Grades K–6)

Wednesday, December 14th from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

 In collaboration with the Paraprofessional Resource & Research Center and the CEEDAR Center, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has developed Effective and High-Leverage Practices for Paraeducators, a free, on-demand, eLearning program for paraeducators.

 Paraeducator participants engage with interactive learning activities, watch videos, and explore resources to support their effective implementation of the high-leverage practices in special education. Participants have access to the program for one full year from the date of their registration through June 1, 2024. PD certificates are available for each phase or the entire completed program. Membership in CEC is not required for program participation.

 Visit the CEC website for more information and to register for the eLearning program.

 Also, be sure to check out the Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators, recently updated paraeducator competencies released by CEC based on the four areas of the high-leverage practices in special education.

Special Education Administrators,

Project EASEL, in partnership with ADE, would like to invite you to tune into the Exploring Strategies for Social Emotional Learning fall and spring professional learning series. We plan to share a variety of information and strategies that will support your understanding and implementation of assertiveness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. 

Registration is required for each session. Please view the this flyer with details of upcoming sessions and registration links. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Topics include:

Middle School Students Can Self-Regulate: Strategies for Supporting Self-Regulation

• September 20, 2022

Teaching Middle School Students to Persist Through Challenging Tasks Using Self-Efficacy

• October 11, 2022

Preparing for Postsecondary Success: Teaching High School Students to Self-Regulate

• November 8, 2022

Strengthening Confidence and Persistence: Strategies to Increase Self-Efficacy in High School Students

• January 10, 2023

Teaching Students Respectful Communication: Understanding Assertiveness

• February 21, 2023

Empowering Arizona with Social Emotional Learning

• April 4, 2023

On behalf of Project EASEL, we want to say, “welcome back to a new and exciting school year,” and we look forward to seeing you virtually this fall semester.

For more information or if you have any questions, please email Pattie Noonan.

Dear Educators and Therapists,

Are you overwhelmed by PD? Don’t have time for a 90-minute webinar? We got you! Please join the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services/Assistive Technology Team for our fall series titled “Assistive Technology: Just One Thing (JOT).”

These fast, 30-minute sessions will showcase just one organizational or assistive technology tool or strategy that you can use in your classroom or teacher/therapist life. Are mornings or afternoons better for you? No worries; each JOT will be presented on Wednesdays at lunchtime and after school. Choose the time that works for you. The first sessions will take place on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, from 11:30 a.m.−12:00 p.m. and again from 3:00−3:30 p.m. The topic will be Get GO-ing with Graphic Organizers.

Register for 11:30 a.m.

Register for 3:00 p.m.

Focusing and organizing thoughts, ideas, and information in reading, writing, and math can be a real challenge for students. Join us at this JOT to learn about graphic organizers that may help struggling students to understand, remember, and apply information, and may help students to see connections, patterns, and relationships. We will explore how students can use a variety of these templates to organize their ideas with visual maps, diagrams, and pictures. Come, learn, and take away your favorite graphic organizer to use with your students the very next day. 

Register for these and future sessions.

If you have questions regarding this training, please email our AT inbox.

The Arizona Department of Education is currently updating systems to implement current law as it pertains to Career and Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) and is sharing a draft guidance document for the new processes to give stakeholders an opportunity to review and ask questions. Full implementation is expected in December 2022 and, until that time, specific details about data collection and submission requirements in the guidance document linked below may be added or revised based on system requirements identified during the implementation process. The guidance document will be finalized through a formal review/approval process. 

Please send any feedback or questions regarding the draft guidance document below to [email protected].  All questions will be compiled and answered in a published FAQ document on the School Finance website.

See updated draft guidance here.

Greetings, school leaders! 

The ESSER team is excited to share the newly updated Safe Return to In-Person Learning webpage, which includes new features that make it easier for our partners at LEAs to find and edit their submitted plans and view their assigned group and corresponding due dates and resources for submitting plans within EMAC. As a reminder, all LEAs receiving ESSER III funds must develop and make a plan for the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services publicly available on their LEA website. 

There will be two submission windows during the 2022-2023 school year – one in Fall 2022 and the other in Spring 2023. LEAs have been placed into groups with different due dates for this year. Please view the Safe Return to In-Person learning page for information on which group your LEA falls into and the due dates for that group. For example, the due date for the Fall submission for Group Two is September 1, 2022, while the due date for Group Three is October 1, 2022.  

Our ESSER team will host monthly office hours to help LEAs submit their Safe Return to In-Person Learning plans through our EMAC system. All Office Hours will be from 8:00-9:00 and 2:00-3:00 on the following dates: 

ESSER Set Aside Opportunities 

The following opportunities are funded and supported by the Arizona Department of Education’s ESSER I, II, and III (ARP) set aside investments: 

PAXIS Institute: PAX Good Behavior Game  

Through ESSER set-aside funding, the Arizona Department of Education is partnering with PAXIS to provide PAX Good Behavior Game training to all Arizona educators at no cost.   

Training is offered in virtual and self-paced online formats and includes materials and certificates for six contact hours of professional development. Thousands of educators have already received this training, and over 90% of participants shared that not only did PAX take away no instructional time, but it also integrates well with their other programs and curricula in the classroom.  

Contact [email protected] to schedule a training for your staff.

City of Tempe: College Connect Tempe  

In May, the City of Tempe’s Human Services Department received ARP School and Community Grant funding to support the college and career-going services for underrepresented middle and high school students who live or attend school in Tempe and the surrounding area. Those services are offered through College Connect Tempe to help students and parents through the process of exploring and applying to college and other post-secondary educational opportunities.  Services include educational workshops, individual advising assistance (available in-person or virtually), and access to college experts from schools across the state. Get answers about school options, career paths, financial aid, class choice, and more. Visit http://www.tempe.gov/CollegeConnect to make an advising appointment or learn more about upcoming workshops. 

Mindfulness First: Mental Health Teacher Training Scholarships  

Mindfulness First, another ARP School and Community Grantee, launched a scholarship program for Arizona K-12 teachers and administrators to receive training in trauma sensitivity, mindful awareness, and Social Emotional Learning to help build mentally healthy schools. Awardees will be given convenient online training that offers expert guidance while being self-paced in style, with a minimum 20-minute per week commitment. The course includes stress reduction training for teachers and all the K-12 resources and curriculums needed to have mentally healthy, trauma-sensitive, and calm classrooms. Awardees will have lifetime access to their course and curriculums. Click here to learn more and apply: m1st.app/scholarship-esser.  

American Rescue Plan (ARP) School and Community Grantee Spotlight 

The Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office and its partners were able to use ESSER III (ARP) funding from the Arizona Department of Education to cosponsor a diverse and intense series of summer camps and programs for the County’s children and youth.  The activities launched the Invest in Our Youth Project, which represents a comprehensive initiative for our children and youth that addresses the considerable loss of learning and the social and emotional stress placed on our children and youth caused by the COVID Pandemic.   

Over 500 Santa Cruz County students in grades K-12 participated in the fifteen Summer Camps.  Some camps targeted youth in need of social-emotional learning supports. Other camps used robotics, fitness, the sciences, cybersecurity, and/or the arts in project-based programs. Plus, we were able to offer programs to our youth related to college and career planning (e.g. admissions, scholarships), career exploration through internships and leadership and entrepreneurship projects.  

Students from elementary and middle school experienced ESSER III funded La Linea’s Art Fest, which featured projects that involved recycled materials, papier-mâché, painting, sculpture, and more. Elementary students also had the opportunity to create their own theater plays in the camp titled “Act Your Hat”; in this camp students’ characters were based on paper hats that they learned to make from scratch.  

Students who participated in the Santa Cruz County Arts for Learning Camps had a fun summer exploring many inspiring visual and performing artforms at the 1904 Courthouse, La Linea Art Studio, and the Santa Cruz Center. Read the full spotlight and view pictures here.  

August's data capture for the September 22^nd payment is 8/15/22 at 5pm.

Please ensure data is reconciled and free of integrity errors prior to the data capture date. Review the following reports in AzEDS:

• INTEG15 – ensure data is free and clear of membership ADM Integrity errors
• STUD10 – validate all students are listed in AzEDS
• ADM15 – ensure all students expected to generate funding are indicated as fundable
• ADM20, SPED20, and EL20 – ensure ADM amounts for each ADM type 

Important Note: FY23 Calendars need to be submitted, approved and certified for ADM and funding to be generated.

The following videos provide general information related to the data reconciliation process:

• Introduction to Data Verification Reports: https://youtu.be/ou9Jst9qnsg
• Introduction to Data Verification Reports 2: https://youtu.be/_m3uEo3OGRI
• Introduction to Integrity: https://youtu.be/PYzBAEZmiSs

Prior payment reports can be found here: https://schoolfinancereports.azed.gov/.

Please submit a School Finance HelpDesk ticket if data assistance is needed.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT      

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, August 17th  

  The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will be hosting the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, August 17th from 2pm – 3pm. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include (subject to change):  

• Reminders
  • Preparation for October 1 Data Collection
  • Data Management Toolkit available on website
  • IDEA Conference registration and Data Management session
  • Upcoming training for Proportionate Share obligations
• Trending topics
  • FY23 Data Reporting Updates Document
• Per Your Request
  • Overview of ASDB AzEDS Reporting and Vouchers vs Fee for Service
  • AzEDS Reporting for Private Day Schools and Residential Treatment Centers
  • Who to contact for MET questions.
  • Guidance in development for Secure Care incident reporting
• Top 3 Integrity Errors
• Q&A   

Registration is required to attend: Register for Special Education Data Updates webinar.  

   For questions, please contact ESS Data Management via email at [email protected].