Updates

Special Education Directors,

With input from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, the ADE/ESS developed policies and procedures for Early Childhood Special Education Transition that are aligned with the IDEA. Following the public participation process set forth in IDEA and GEPA regulations during Spring 2022, ESS considered all public comments and finalized its policies and procedures document. The finalized document is also available on the ADE/ESS website.

Special Education Directors, - the registration link below has been updated.

The ADE/ESS is pleased to announce that registration for the 2022 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is now open! The purpose of this professional learning opportunity is to prepare new special education administrators for the practical operation of a special education system. Topics covered in SENDS include compliance and legal requirements, fiscal issues, assessment, general supervision, and ADE supports and resources.

Special Education Stakeholders,

ADE/ESS is excited to announce keynote speakers for Arizona’s 2022 IDEA Conference, Rise Up: Reimagining and Transforming Educational Practices. This year’s conference will be held in person from September 7–9, 2022 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. Please see the conference flyer to learn about Dr. Christopher Emdin, Art Cernosia, and David Edward Garcia. Additional national speakers and exciting conference events will be shared soon.

ADE/ESS is also pleased to announce the opening of registration for the 2022 IDEA Conference.

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following digital flyer learning opportunity for parents of children with disabilities who attend your schools, provided by Raising Special Kids. Feel free to share before the last day of school!

Special Education Directors,

The opening of the ADE/ESS Special Education Program Approval System for the 2022–2023 school year will open on May 16, 2022. ESS plans to have all ED-P programs that wish to operate for the fiscal year 2022 to 2023 reviewed and approved by the end of June. Failure to apply to the application may cause integrity failures for public education agencies (PEAs) toward the end of the upcoming school year, which may affect state payments.

Special Education Directors,

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

Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms (Grades K–5)

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT      

Special Education Data Updates Webinar Wednesday, May 18th  

   The Exceptional Student Services Data Management team will be hosting the next Special Education Data Updates live webinar on Wednesday, May 18th from 2pm – 3pm.

Special Education Directors,

ADE/ESS is pleased to announce a series of workshops designed for Related Service Providers, including OTs, PTs, and SLPs. The series will be presented throughout the 2022–2023 school year.

Registration is now open for our kick-off summer presentation. 

Every Moment Counts: Promoting Participation and Mental Health Throughout the Day

DATA MANAGEMENT ALERT

SPED Integrity Rule -40055

Integrity Rule -40055 will update on May 1st to validate SPED and Enrollment Exit Dates and reasons are reported (not null) until the end of FY 2022.

SPED integrity rule -40055: If a student’s SPED Exit Reason does not match the student’s regular membership Year End or Withdrawal Membership status, then report the discrepancy as an error. This rule is triggered for all SPED data effective May 1st of the fiscal year to capture invalid exit combinations and relevant data elements not reported (see the SPED Exit Validation Matrix).

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

Count Me In: Foundations for Fluency is a one-day professional learning opportunity that will focus on the key components of fluency. Participants will make connections across mathematics standards that specify fluency as the intended, end-of-year outcome in each grade level from K–6. Additionally, educators will explore instructional routines, strategies, and games that help all students develop the flexibility to solve contextual and mathematical problems involving whole numbers. We strongly encourage school teams of special education and general education teachers who teach mathematics in Kindergarten through Grade 6 to register.