Special Education Directors,

Please see below the free professional learning opportunity that is available to you and your staff.

From Barriers to Belonging: Supporting Inclusion for Students with Disabilities

with Eric Carter

Thursday, December 2 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Students learn best and flourish most when assured of their belonging. Yet too many schools still struggle to become places of widespread and meaningful inclusion for children and youth with disabilities. In his presentation, Dr. Carter will share a powerful framework for reflecting upon and fostering belonging within our schools and classrooms. Together, we will explore the implications of this work on the ways we welcome, support, educate, and embrace students with disabilities.

Register in advance for this event.

Erik Carter, PhD, is Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching focus on strategies for promoting full participation, belonging, and valued roles in school, work, community, and congregational settings for children and adults with intellectual disability, autism, and multiple disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Dr. Carter worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with disabilities, including more than 250 articles and chapters as well as seven books. 

Questions regarding this professional learning opportunity can be sent to the ESS Recruitment and Retention inbox.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT  

New Integrity Rule for FY 2022: -10138 

A new integrity rule for FY 2022 will be introduced into the integrity process on SPED data shortly.  This new rule is a continuation of our effort to further validate SPED reporting to ensure clean data for the state.    

A new one-sheet Integrity Tool is available on our AzEDS SPED Reporting webpage for troubleshooting tips. It has been added to our SPED Integrity Rules Reference document and referenced on the FY 2022 ESS Data Reporting Updates document.  

Integrity Rule -10138 

This rule will validate any students enrolled at an approved Private Day School to have a corresponding SPED Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) reported for all dates of the enrollment.  

This rule is being enforced in support by ARS § 15-765(D). 

This rule will fail if all dates of the Private Day School enrollment do not have a corresponding SPED LRE reported. 

A list of approved Private Day Schools can be found on the Private Special Education Schools webpage. 

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

Please share the following details about upcoming professional learning opportunities for general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers 

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the addition and subtraction of integers. We will apply and extend previous understandings of operations with whole numbers to create zero-sum pairs.  Additionally, we will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. 

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers.

In this free webinar, we will explore multiple representations to build conceptual understanding for the multiplication and division of integers. We will demonstrate how to develop grit and creative problem-solving with accessible low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. 

Attendance at both sessions is not required but recommended. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session. Participants can earn 1.5 hours of professional development credit per session. 

Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers

Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Practice Session for Exploring Integers.

Come to this session to refine your understanding of working with integers. Attendance at any prior “Count Me In! Integers” session is required to attend this practice session.  A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session. Participants can earn 1.5 hours of professional development credit for this session.

Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar. 

Please email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Dear Special Education Directors,

The Arizona Department of Education Assistive Technology team continues our 2021 AT National Presenter Series with Beth Poss.  

About

Beth Poss is a speech/language pathologist, educational and technology consultant, accessibility advocate, and former assistant principal. She is currently the Director of Educational Programs for LessonPix. Beth is passionate about designing educational environments that support all students in accessing a rigorous curriculum and meeting educational outcomes. Areas of special interest include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Coaching to Build Educational Success, the Use of Technology in Early Childhood, Designing Inclusive Learning Environments, Supporting Social-Emotional Learning to Promote Academic Success, and Culturally Responsive Teaching. She is one of the authors of Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year.

December 7, 2021 3:30–5:00 p.m. (Arizona time)

An Eye on Visuals: Strategies to Support All Learners by Beth Poss

Visual supports are critical in meeting the needs of learners with disabilities. This 90-minute session will explore the benefits of using visuals to improve social-emotional, behavioral, learning, and communication skills in school-aged learners. We will examine best practices in using a range of visual supports, including first/then boards, visual schedules, token economies, and social stories. Learn about both high tech and low tech visual supports, including printed materials; hands-on, kinesthetic materials; and digital tools. Participants will learn specific strategies for integrating visual supports into the therapy room and the classroom as well as ideas to support families’ home routines. The first 60 people to register and attend will receive a very special holiday gift! 

Register for An Eye on Visuals

Questions regarding this professional learning opportunity can be sent to [email protected].

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT     

Special Education Data Updates Webinar 

  The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will be hosting the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, November 17th from 10am – 11am. This session will cover a variety of data topics that will include:  

• Reminders  
• Trending topics  
• Topics requested by you  
• 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].  

Special Education Directors,

Are you looking for Speech-Language Pathologists and/or Speech-Language Pathology Assistants? 

On November 18–20, 2021, ADE/ESS will be recruiting for speech personnel on behalf of all public education agencies (PEAs) at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) annual fall conference. ESS will operate a booth in the virtual exhibit hall to promote the advantages of working in a school setting and to showcase speech vacancies in Arizona's public schools. 

If your PEA would like ESS to promote your speech opening(s) at ASHA, please post them on the ADE job board as soon as possible. Our recruiting materials will direct candidates to the job board as well as to information about becoming licensed and certified to practice in Arizona. 

Post your speech vacancies at the Arizona Education Employment Board.

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

BUDG-25 reports for all school districts have been posted to the School Finance website.  FY 2022 November BUDG-25 reports have been calculated using the November 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 2022 and then click “Go!”. The BUDG-25 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 November “PDF” button. The November 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!

Greetings school leaders! We are thrilled to send you the first installment of our monthly ESSER newsletter.

The goal of this newsletter is twofold. First, we want to keep you apprised of all of the opportunities and resources that your LEA can leverage and that are funded by federal recovery dollars (we refer to these as ADE’s ESSER set-aside projects.)  
Second, we want to provide information regarding the ESSER I, II, and III monies your LEA are allocated to fund your own activities. Think of this newsletter as a one-stop-ESSER shop.

Upcoming ESSER Set-Aside Opportunities for LEAs

Discovery Education

Discovery Education's state-of-the-art edtech learning platform, including a vast collection of compelling high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, and professional learning resources, is now available at no cost to Arizona’s public district and charter schools. Learn more about resources available on Discovery Education:

• November Highlights for Discovery Education (Newsletter)
• Virtual Field Trips: November 2021
• DEN VIRTCON: Light Up Your Lessons on November 9th
• How to sign up your district, charter, or school

New Pathways for Youth

As a beneficiary of ADE federal recovery funding (ESSER), New Pathways for Youth will be able to expand its reach to more than 1,000 youth in Maricopa County. You can join in these efforts by volunteering as a mentor. New Pathways for Youth works with high-school-aged kids who have experienced high levels of adversity. Youth are matched with a volunteer mentor who serves as a caring and stable adult in their life and learns the New Pathways research-based curriculum with them. Interested in learning more? RSVP for an upcoming info session in November or December to learn about possibly getting matched with youth as soon as January: npfy.org/get-involved/

For questions about these opportunities, please email [email protected].

Upcoming ESSER Application Office Hours

Struggling with your ESSER I, II, or III application or revision? Attend one of our standing office hours with an ESSER specialist! Registration is not required – simply click the links below to access the office hours on the given time and date.

November

• November 5 from 11:30 AM-12:30 PM MST
• November 10 from 8:00-9:00 AM MST
• November 18 from 2:00-3:00 PM MST

Have a question before one of these dates? Reach an ESSER specialist at any time at [email protected].

Creative Uses of ESSER Funds

Each month, we will highlight creative uses of ESSER investments in LEAs across the state. However, we know that each school community has unique contexts and needs – and ADE’s ESSER Team is available to discuss how to leverage your ESSER dollars to best to meet those needs.

Don’t hesitate to start a conversation with our team. Devon Isherwood @ 602-3640379 [email protected] or Allison Barbor @ 602 542-3068 [email protected] or email [email protected] .

Creighton is using ESSER funds to subsidize afterschool care – leveraging federal recovery dollars to bolster existing systems in their school community.

In the Creighton School District, leaders leveraged existing structures and teams to gather stakeholder feedback very intentionally for the use of ESSER funds. The team members represented of a variety of stakeholder groups, including families, staff, community partners, and higher education. They agreed on beliefs and goals as guiding principles and potential investment outcomes – and all feedback was considered and categorized for possible funding.

One area of focus they identified is intensified learning – which they are supported by staffing and implementing intensified learning pods, and by extending the school day with tutoring opportunities. For social-emotional well-being, another focus area, Creighton will partner with community agencies to provide additional counseling resources and expertise.

There was another substantial need among Creighton families that was identified in the feedback process – high-quality, affordable childcare. Creighton is addressing this need while also focusing on the identified needs of additional intensified instruction and social-emotional learning and trauma-sensitive practices by identifying community partners for afterschool childcare that include both academic and SEL evidence-based practices. ESSER funds will be used to contract with these childcare providers.

By listening to stakeholders, Creighton has developed a comprehensive, inclusive plan to use the ESSER funds to improve outcomes for all students.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to contacts at Creighton directly.

Eric Dueppen, Chief Academic Officer [email protected]
Pam Burkhardt, External Programs Director [email protected]
Donna Lewis, Superintendent [email protected]

Addressing Disrupted Learning

Curious what other districts and charters are doing to address Disrupted Learning? Review their submissions on our website to find out more: /esser/addressing-disrupted-learning

At Az-Tech High School, school leaders plan to holistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 by utilizling their allocated ESSER monies to fund a portion of the salary and benefits for an appropriately certified, highly qualified teacher for FY22 and FY23 whose primary job is to raise the educational level of all our students who have been impacted by lost instruction time. In addition, this funding will pay a portion of the salary and benefits of a school counselor for FY22 and FY23 who will conduct interventions that will focus on the social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students and particularly students who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Announcing the Arizona Professional Learning Series

An Opportunity for Public Education Agencies

The ADE/ESS Arizona Professional Learning Series (AZPLS) provides district and school teams with a systemic method for achieving systems change in aligning state, district, and school site efforts to impact literacy achievement for all students and to close the literacy achievement gap for students with specific learning disabilities. 

The AZPLS provides districts and schools with:

• Six inclusive professional learning modules for K-8 general education teachers, special education teachers, school site leadership, and coaches.
• Six accompanying, interactive professional learning modules for parents and students.
• Leadership coaching from a national presenter to build site capacity in facilitating module professional learning, coach with a focus, collect and analyze data through an inquiry cycle, and sustain implementation.
• Collaborative team structure inspiring shared leadership and decision making from all stakeholders.
• A coaching framework designed for job-embedded professional learning focused on collaborative teams and teacher instructional planning/delivery.
• Web-based data tools and reporting to support targeted needs throughout implementation.

Required AZPLS team members include the district special education director, curriculum director, a school site administrator, two or three general education teachers from different grade levels/content areas, one special education teacher who works closely with general education teachers, and one school site coach.

To indicate your interest in an informational webinar, please sign up at this link by November 11, 2021.

If you have any questions, please email Stacy Riccio.

Special Education Directors,

Please see this flyer from our colleagues with the Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP) regarding their upcoming annual conference.

The Annual Arizona Association of School Psychologists (AASP) Conference has gone hybrid!

Early registration ends October 30!

We are livestreaming several sessions on topics that may be of interest to school administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, school counselors, social workers, and nurses. These sessions include presentations on dyslexia screening and evidence-based reading instruction, mental health, and legal issues. Check out the attachment or the conference web site.

Come join us in-person or virtually!