PSM UPDATE: 2019-2020 ESS Monitoring Manual Now Available Online

The monitoring manual that will be used by the Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS), throughout school year 2019-2020 is available on the Program Support and Monitoring web page. The monitoring system is designed to ensure public education agencies’ (PEA) compliance with State and Federal requirements for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 2006 (IDEA) and the Arizona Revised Statutes and to support PEA analysis of student outcomes. Although ADE/ESS uses a six-year cycle for monitoring, we continue to implement a yearly review of each PEA’s data related to special education. Compliance and results indicator data, PEA Determinations, and annual site visit data are all reviewed annually by the assigned program specialist in collaboration with the PEA director.

Regardless of where your PEA is in the monitoring cycle, I urge you to begin to evaluate your special education program against the indicators in the monitoring guide. You are free to forward the link to this guide so that your staff is aware of the requirements for each of the major components in special education. They are also available on the Arizona Department of Education web page. If you have any questions, please contact your program specialist. Contact information can be found on the Program Support and Monitoring web page under “Contact Us.”