Special Education

SSIP is a three-year process within differentiated monitoring that is designed to improve the outcomes for students with disabilities. Exceptional Student Services (ESS) and Public Education Agencies (PEAs) work together as stakeholders through activities and professional development opportunities designed to strengthen and monitor district, school, and classroom systems.

Why does Arizona have an Exceptional Student Services (ESS) unit?

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are required to monitor the implementation of the IDEA in their states, to enforce the IDEA regulations, make annual determinations about the performance of each public education agency (PEA) in their states, and report annually on the performance of the State and each public education agency (PEA). [34 C.F.R. § 300.600(a)]

ESS ensures that public education agencies in Arizona have special education programs, policies, and procedures that comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations, and that eligible children and youth with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

Among the Directors in ESS, the Director of Special Projects has the most varied portfolio and oversees a diverse array of special projects.

Achievement Assessments

ADE Assessment Homepage

Assessment Testing Calendar

Assessment Accessibility Resources

Alternate Assessment

Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA)

Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt ELPA)

ESS Links

Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)

Assistive Technology (AT)

Autism

AZ FIND/Child Find Info for Families

AZ FIND/Child Find Info for Schools

Dispute Resolution

AZ Qualified Professionals List

AZ State Board of Education Special Education Rules R7-2-401

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Office of Dispute Resolution provides several options for parents and schools to address and resolve these special education conflicts: mediation (34 C.F.R.

State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)

Every state must develop and submit for federal approval a State Performance Plan (SPP) that outlines the actions the State will take to implement the purposes of the IDEA and that explains how the State will evaluate its progress in these areas. In an Annual Performance Report (APR), each State must report on its progress and on the progress of children with disabilities toward meeting the goals established in the APR.