How to Read an IEP: Arizona

Arizona Administrative Code R7-2-401 et seq. covers special education services for the approximately 130,000 students in the state with IEPs (~13% of enrollment; OSEP 45th Annual Report to Congress). Code R7-2-401 et seq. includes specific guidance on charter schools, which run their own special education programs. This reflects the reality that 20% of Arizona students attend charter schools– a percent surpassed only by DC. 

The state regulations also include detailed bilingual IEP procedures for the 8ish% of Arizona students who are English Language Learners, and specific guidance on serving Native American students in reservation-border districts. The state’s Autism identification is above the national average (~16% of the special education population). Other unique aspects of the state’s special education policy (called Exceptional Student Services) include the dyslexia-specific instructional approaches that have to be included in the IEP as part of a 2022 state law.

In terms of IEP resources, the Arizona Department of Education Exceptional Student Services (ADE ESS) provides an IEP Essentials training series, a comprehensive FAQ document, practical suggestions, and a technical guide to IEP writing. 

For parent resources, check out Raising Special Kids—Arizona’s federally funded PTI, offering workshops in English and Spanish—and the Arizona Center for Disability Law for advocacy. The Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) provides autism-specific IEP guidance throughout the state.

To see what IEPs look like in Arizona– and guidance on how to read IEPs (and how to know if they are well written!), check out the IEP section guide below.