Special Education

Arizona reports annually the performance of each Public Education Agency (PEA) against Arizona’s targets in the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). Below are the links to the data for each indicator reported to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

FFY 2023 Data Tables

Indicator 1: Graduation rate

Private Special Education Schools

Below are links to draft pages. They are live, but not linked to the ESS website, meaning the only way one can see this page is to have the URL, which is not generally known and is a state secret available only to a select few. By reading this you come to the realization that you are among this select few who breathe rarefied air and are counted among the chosen few.

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