Special Education

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following memo regarding the reporting of discipline data. This communication includes a reminder of discipline data submission elements and a new requirement to submit information for children reassigned to an alternative education program as an alternative to suspension or expulsion or placed into an alternative to a suspension program beginning in fiscal year 2024. This additional reporting requirement was developed in response to feedback provided to Arizona from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is designed to ensure that all eligible children with disabilities are served appropriately and equitably.

Special Education Directors,

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is excited to announce the next 2022–23 national presenter, Mike Marotta, ATP. Mike’s workshop is designed for special educators and related service providers.

“Explore and Identify Google Tools That Can Be Incorporated Into Educational Experiences”

Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2023

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

Discipline Data Submissions

Please review the following memo which outlines upcoming changes to discipline data submissions in FY24.

Memorandum of Discipline Data Submissions.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Portal information icon added for select applications

To aid Public Education Agencies in their interaction with ESS applications, a new information icon is available for select applications in the ESS portal. Selecting the information icon will produce a pop-up window with more information about the application, roles required to access, contact information, and website links for more training or information.

The blue information icon can be found to the left of the application button if available for that application. Additional applications will have information icons added in the coming weeks.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT 

Upcoming change for Fiscal Year 2024 - Special Education Disabilities allowed for Preschool Programs for Students with Disabilities.

An update to allowable special education (SPED) disabilities for preschool programs will be introduced in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This update is a continuation of our effort to further validate SPED reporting and ensure accurate data for the state.

Updates to integrity rules and validation matrices will take effect on 7/1/23 to allow all SPED disabilities to be reported for preschool programs except EDP. 

Special Education Directors,

The Alternate Assessment Advisory Committee has developed a new resource for ALL parents and families, A Parent Guide to Understanding Arizona’s Statewide Assessments. From a parent’s perspective, this is information that is necessary and helpful in understanding Statewide Assessments. The document has also been translated into Spanish.

Schools can:

• Post or link this resource on their Assessment webpage
• Share this document (either electronically or printed) with their families during Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings
• Include this document in presentations on Curriculum Nights or when Statewide Testing kicks off in Spring

Special Education Directors,

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

Virtual Professional Learning Opportunities:

The following virtual sessions are being offered via Zoom and are free to attend.

Special Education Directors,

The Arizona Education Job Fair & Career Expo will take place on February 4, 2023, from 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Conference Center.

The Job Fair and Career Expo is an excellent opportunity for you to recruit new employees to your school community.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT      

New Technical Assistance Document for Reporting Parentally-Placed Students on an ISP to AzEDS

The following information applies to school districts with a geographic boundary only.

School districts with a geographic boundary providing Special Education (SPED) services to parentally-placed students on an Individual Service Plan (ISP) are required to report SPED services to AzEDS.

A new technical assistance document has been developed to assist school districts with this reporting requirement.

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT       

October 1 Enrollment Data for Fiscal Year 2023  

Please review the October 1 Enrollment Data information below. This coincides with the ODC Phase II due date of January 18, 2023.