John Huppenthal

Arizona Department of Education

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Winter/Spring 2011

Vol. 19 No. 2

Look What’s New to View
by Allison Meritt

The Parent Information Network (PIN) is pleased to announce
the arrival of seven new additions to our FREE Media
Lending Library. Assistive Technology: Powerful Solutions for
Success (AV43) illustrates how technology can make the
difference between success and failure in general education
environments for students with disabilities. Assistive
technology (AT) provides a means to help students
compensate for their disabilities while building upon their
strengths. Using the principles of universal design for learning
(UDL), this revised and updated DVD takes you into
classrooms where AT solutions are being successfully
implemented.
No Arms, No Legs, No Worries (AV140) is a motivational
DVD in which Nick Vujicic helps high school students to feel
good about themselves. He encourages his audience to focus
on the positive and realize their true potential.
In The Out of Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with
Sensory Processing Disorder (AV137), Carol Kranowitz
explains what sensory integration dysfunction is, how to
recognize the symptoms, and how to help those affected. It
offers a great combination of strategies and practice, with
emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention.
Sensory Strategies to Improve Communication, Social Skills
and Behavior (AV138) explains how anxiety and sensory
overload can affect a child’s behavior. It demonstrates how a
“sensory diet” can help a child focus and learn and provides
simple but proven techniques for improving therapy through
better communication between parents, teachers, and
therapists.
Sean Barron tells the story of how he went from being a child
diagnosed with low-functioning autism to the man he is today.
In Succeeding Through Autism (AV125), Sean shares how
learning society’s “unwritten rules” has helped him to become
more connected and in tune with people, resulting in renewed
relationships with his family, a mutually rewarding
relationship with his girlfriend, and a job that is intellectually
stimulating.
Tony Attwood’s Asperger’s Syndrome (AV124) is an
introduction to Asperger’s syndrome. Tony provides a
diagnostic description of a person with Asperger’s, and offers
a social curriculum and emotion management strategies that
have worked for people with Asperger’s.

Viewers of Using Visual and Behavioral Cues in the Home
(AV42) will learn ways to teach verbal and non-verbal learners
basic life skills and prevent disruptive behaviors through
proven preventative strategies and positive reinforcement.
These strategies can be used in the home, in educational
settings, and in the community.
You may check out one of the new DVDs, or any of our many
VHS or DVDs, by contacting your regional PIN Specialist
(listed on page 4) and requesting a media reservation form. Or,
print the form found on page 21 in the Media Catalog:
www.azed.gov/ess/das/pinspals/downloads/AV01.pdf. Media
is loaned for two weeks and the borrower pays for return
postage.

Have You Got the Blues?
by Jana Bays

The Parent Information Network Clearinghouse includes a
directory of local, state, and national resources that support
individuals with disabilities and their families. The directory,
often referred to as the Blue Pages, is divided
into county, state, and national sections and
includes a listing of Arizona Department of
Education resources. Each section contains
contact information for agencies or groups in
numerous categories including Adoption,
Foster Care, Advocacy, Behavioral Health,
Disabilities, Employment, Family Support,
Financial Assistance, Recreation, and Rehabilitation. If you
cannot find a resource you are looking for locally, try
searching surrounding counties, or in the statewide and
national sections.
Family Support is a frequently searched section. If you are
looking for an advocacy group, a family resource center, or a
family support agency, you will want to check out this
category. Another popular section, Disabilities, will direct you
to organizations that offer assistance with disability-specific
questions and resources.
The Blue Pages directory is available to view or download
from the Parent Information Network’s (PIN) website:
www.azed.gov/ess/pinspals. You can also request a hard copy
or a CD of the Blue Pages by contacting the PIN Specialist for
your region (listed on page 4), contacting the PIN at 1-877230 PINS (7467), or by e-mailing your request to
PINS@azed.gov. Non-profit organizations or agencies
interested in being listed in the Blue Pages can contact their
regional PIN Specialist for more information.

Network News

Winter/Spring 2011

Schools Need Parent Input
by Kathy Gray-Mangerson

As part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (IDEA '04), the Arizona Department of
Education/Exceptional Student Services (ADE/ESS) section is
required to report how well schools facilitate parent
involvement in order to improve services and results for
children with disabilities. This data is gathered from parents of
children with disabilities through the Parent Involvement
Survey and is published in Arizona’s Annual Performance
Report (APR), which is posted with other public reports on the
ESS website, www.azed.gov/ess.
All Arizona PEAs—school districts and charter schools—have
been mandated to administer the survey at least once in the
past several years. The PEAs currently participating are listed
in this article. They are required to give all parents who have a
child with an individualized education program (IEP) the
opportunity to complete the Parent Involvement Survey during
the 2010–2011 school year. The 25-question survey allows
parents to evaluate how well their child’s school facilitates
parent involvement as a means of improving services and
results for children with disabilities.
The survey is available in English, Spanish, or large print in
both electronic and paper format. The preferred method of
submission is for the parent to complete the survey online.
Parents receive a confidential user code and password for each
child who has an IEP. The school district or charter school
must also provide an instruction sheet on how to complete the
survey. The user codes and passwords are given out randomly
to parents so the school has no way of knowing which parent
submitted the survey. This keeps the process confidential. The
user code and password must be entered when completing the
electronic survey or manually written on the paper survey. A
sample Parent Involvement Survey is posted on the ESS
website, www.azed.gov/ess/parentsurvey.
If a parent does not have access to a computer–either at home
or at the child’s school–a paper survey can be completed. If a
parent chooses to complete a paper survey, the school must
provide them with a stamped envelope that identifies the
school district or charter school and is addressed to the
Arizona Department of Education.
Participating PEAs will receive a summary of their survey
results at the beginning of the 2011–2012 school year. By
participating in the survey, parents have an opportunity to
voice their opinions. Information gathered from confidential
parent responses can be used to maintain or increase effective
parent involvement initiatives, as well as to improve programs
for students.

Anthem Preparatory Academy
Arizona Academy of Science and Technology
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center – Estrella
Basis School, Oro Valley
Center for Academic Success
Choice Education and Development–Sequoia Secondary School
Compass Points International
Concordia Charter School
CPLC Community Schools – Hiaki High School
CPLC Community Schools – Toltecalli High School
Daisy Education Corp. – Sonoran Science Academy, Ahwatukee
East Mesa Charter Elementary School
Ed Ahead
Edkey – Pathfinder Academy
Educational Options Foundation
El Centro for the Study of Primary and Secondary Education
Flagstaff Unified District
Grand Canyon Unified District
Imagine Charter Elementary at Camelback
Imagine Middle at Camelback
Imagine Middle at East Mesa
Imagine Preparatory High School at Surprise
Leading Edge Academy – Maricopa
Learning Foundation Performing Arts
Mesa Unified School District
Morrison Education Group
Morristown Elementary District
North Star Charter School
Ombudsman Educational Services
Opportunities for Youth – Vistas Leadership High School
Paragon Education Corporation
Phoenix Elementary District
Prescott Valley Charter School
Research Based Education Corp. – Paulden Community School
San Tan Montessori School
Seligman Unified District
Sonoran Science Academy – Phoenix Metro
Successful Beginnings Charter School
Tempe Preparatory Junior Academy
Thatcher Unified District
The Odyssey Preparatory Academy
Tucson Unified School District
University Public Schools
Valentine Elementary District
Vector School District

Wai

What statewide network
that provides special education
information, training, and supports for
families will celebrate a landmark
anniversary in early 2011?

Wait for it...

The Parent Information Network!
Watch for a detailed history of the PIN in
the next edition of the Network News!

The following schools are administering the Parent
Involvement Survey during the 2010–2011 school year. If
your child’s school district or charter school is on this list, ask
your child’s teacher for a user code and password.
Ahwatukee Foothills Prep Early College High School
American Charter Schools Foundation

Page 2

Twenty years serving Arizona families
of children with disabilities!
Arizona Department of Education
Exceptional Student Services

T

Network News

Winter/Spring 2011

Simple Steps to Get Ready for an Individualized
Education Program (IEP) Meeting
Before the IEP Meeting

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Confirm the meeting date, time, location, and that the list
of required participants is complete.
Review the current IEP to be familiar with the contents
and meeting format.
List your child’s strengths and needs; include goals you
would like your child to achieve over the next year.
Know what special education rights and responsibilities
you and your child have.
Contact parent groups for resources and training related
to special education and your child’s disability.
Prepare any questions you have for the team.
During the IEP Meeting

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Find out how your child will participate in the regular
classroom, non-academic activities with peers, and
academic assessments.
Determine appropriate supplementary supports and
services, modifications, accommodations, and related
services.
Ask for interpretation of test results and clarification of
new terms or programs.
Get answers to your question(s) or ask that someone get
back to you later.
Discuss transition planning appropriate to your child’s
grade level.
Ask to receive a copy of the IEP and new evaluations or
reports.

After the IEP Meeting

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Page 3

contact the PIN Specialist for your region (listed on page 4),
or you may download this document from the PIN website:
www.azed.gov/ess/pinspals.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
35th Anniversary
by Barb Ross

Congress enacted Public Law 94-142 on November 19, 1975,
also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children
Act of 1975. The law proposed that all children with
disabilities would “have a right to education and establish a
process by which State and local educational agencies may be
held accountable for providing educational services for all
handicapped children.” Congress built-in checks and balances
called “procedural safeguards” that are designed to protect the
rights of children and their parents.
Public Law 94-142 has been amended and renamed several
times; in 1990 it was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). IDEA was amended again in
December of 2004 as Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 and is known as IDEA 2004.

Congress remained focused on increasing accountability and
improving outcomes for students with disabilities by
emphasizing early intervention and research-based instruction,
and requiring special education teachers to be highly qualified.
There are four stated purposes of IDEA 2004. The first is to
provide children with disabilities an education that meets each
child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further
education, employment, and independent living. The second is
to protect the rights of both children with disabilities and their
parents. The third is to assist federal, state and local agencies
in providing an education to children with disabilities and the
last is to ensure the effectiveness of those efforts.

Periodically review the IEP to compare it with class
work and progress reports.
Regularly talk to your child and teacher to monitor IEP
progress.
Encourage your child to do well in school and learn selfadvocacy skills.
Request an IEP review meeting if concerns develop that
cannot be easily resolved.
Network with other families and parent groups to learn
more about the special education process.
Maintain a system of keeping track of important school
reports and notices.

IDEA has profoundly changed and improved the education of
children with disabilities over these last thirty–five years and
is expected to be reauthorized again sometime in the near
future.

This article was excerpted from the Parent Information
Network Clearinghouse (PINC) document Be Prepared:
Simple Steps to Get Ready for an IEP Meeting (IE06). If you
would like to review the document in its entirety you may

More information about IDEA can be found on the Arizona
Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services
homepage at: www.azed.gov/ess. Scroll down to the Laws &
Regulations drop-down box.

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Congress also emphasized the need to align IDEA with other
school improvement efforts, especially “improvement efforts
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”
which is now known as No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Network News

Winter/Spring 2011

Page 4

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 requires schools to provide parents of a child
with a disability a copy of the Procedural Safeguards Notice (PSN) to learn about parental rights and special
education procedures. Traveling the Special Education Highway (SA01) is a guide and is not intended to replace
the PSN. This guide provides valuable information to compliment the PSN and help parents fully understand their
rights. It includes practical tips on Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, following the chain-ofcommand, and how to document your child’s special education journey. Parents can request a free copy by
contacting their regional PIN Specialist, calling 877-230-PINS (7467) or e-mailing a request to PINS@azed.gov.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Copies are now available for schools and agencies to purchase from the Arizona
Department of Education by calling 928-679-8102 or e-mailing PINS@azed.gov.

The contents of this publication were compiled by Barb Ross and Teri Rademacher with funds allocated by the U.S. Department of Education under IDEA 2004. These contents do

The
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public domain and may be freely reproduced in its current format. For more information, call the Parent Information Network at 877-230-PINS (7467).
Printed in Phoenix, AZ by the Arizona Department of Education. Copies: 1500, Total Cost: $1,464.71, Unit Cost: $.97, Date: 5/11

Parent Information Network (PIN) Specialists Toll Free: 1-877-230-PINS (7467) or e-mail PINS@azed.gov
East Maricopa County (480 Area Code)
Apache, Navajo Counties
Gila, Pinal Counties
Parent Information Network (PIN)Amy
Specialists
Toll Free: 1-877-230-PINSBarbra
(7467)
or email PINS@azed.gov
Ross
Jana Bays
Dill
480-607-3030
928-537-0250
480-759-1029
Apache,
Navajo Counties
Gila,
Pinal Counties
East
Maricopa County (480 Area Code)
Barbra.Ross@azed.gov
Jana.Bays@azed.gov
Amy.Dill@azed.gov
Jana Bays
Amy Dill
Barbra Ross
928-537-0250
480-759-1029
480-607-3030
West Maricopa County (623 Area Code)
Cochise, Graham, Greenlee Counties
La Paz, Yuma Counties
Jana.Bays@azed.gov
Amy.Dill@azed.gov
Barbra.Ross@azed.gov
Jill Castle
Nilda Townsend
Teri Rademacher
480-699-0067
520-249-2834
928-344-0141
Cochise,
Graham, Greenlee Counties
La
Paz, Yuma Counties
West
Maricopa County (623 Area Code)
Jill.Castle@azed.gov
Nilda.Townsend@azed.gov
Teri.Rademacher@azed.gov
Nilda Townsend
Teri Rademacher
Jill Castle
Pima, Santa Cruz Counties
Coconino, Mohave, Yavapai Counties
520-249-2834
928-344-0141
480-699-0067
Central Maricopa County (602 Area Code)
Kathy Gray-Mangerson
Allison Meritt
Nilda.Townsend@azed.gov
Teri.Rademacher@azed.gov
Jill.Castle@azed.gov
Maureen Mills
928-289-5834
520-572-0896
602-410-8123
Allison.Meritt@azed.gov
Kathleen.Gray-Mangerson@azed.gov
Maureen.Mills@azed.gov
Coconino,
Mohave, Yavapai Counties
Central
Maricopa County (602 Area Code)
Pima,
Santa Cruz Counties
Allison Meritt
Maureen Mills
Kathy Gray-Mangerson
For more information, contact the PIN/Child
Find Coordinator: Becky Raabe, (928) 679-8106,
or Becky.Raabe@azed.gov.
928-289-5834
602-410-8123
520-572-0896
Allison.Meritt@azed.gov
Maureen.Mills@azed.gov
Kathleen.Gray-Mangerson@azed.gov

For more information contact the PIN/Child Find Coordinator: Becky Raabe, (928) 679-8106, or Becky.Raabe@azed.gov.

Arizona Department of Education
Exceptional Student Services
Parent Information Network
1535 W. Jefferson St, Bin 24
Phoenix, AZ 85007
# 05678