Arizona Public Education Agencies have two weeks to prepare for the Arizona October 1 data collection.
The Arizona Department of Education’s Exceptional Student Services team will open Phase I on Friday, October 2, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. This phase collects each PEA’s special education child count and special education personnel full-time equivalency data.
The work starts with a clear question: Which students received special education services on October 1, and which employees or contractors provided those services?
What Phase I Covers
Phase I begins the annual October 1 Data Collection process. Each PEA must report:
- The number of students receiving special education services on October 1
- Full-time equivalent personnel who provided special education and related services on or around October 1
- Both employed and contracted personnel
The ADE October 1 Data Collection page explains that Arizona reports this special education data to the federal government each year.
Prepare the Count Before the Window Opens
A clean Phase I submission depends on coordination before October 2.
Start by confirming the list of students who received special education services on October 1. Then, work with special education, human resources, and business-office staff to confirm personnel FTE information.
Before the collection opens, teams should check:
- Student service records and active special education status
- Staff assignments and contractor records
- FTE calculations for special education and related-service personnel
- Local processes for resolving missing or conflicting information
- Ownership of data entry, review, and final submission
This early review can prevent reconciliation issues later in the process.
What Happens After Phase I
The Arizona October 1 Data Collection includes three phases.
| Phase | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Phase I: Personnel and Verification Count | Report the October 1 special education child count and personnel FTE data |
| Phase II: Reconciliation | Confirm that AzEDS reports all students who received special education services on October 1 without errors |
| Phase III: Non-Reconciliation | Complete additional steps only if Phase I and Phase II student counts do not match |
During Phase II, PEAs must ensure that AzEDS includes every student who received special education services on October 1. If the Phase I count and AzEDS count do not match, ADE may require the PEA to complete Phase III.
Therefore, teams should address AzEDS special education errors as early as possible.
Training and Resources
ADE will hold Phase I training on October 1, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The training and the October 1 Data Collection Manual can help teams review the collection process and reporting expectations.
PEAs should also check ADE’s Important Dates page for the complete FY 2027 timeline and submission deadlines.
For questions, contact the ADE ESS Data Management team at essdatamgmt@azed.gov.
Need support organizing special education data, preparing AzEDS records, or managing state reporting deadlines? Learn more about MeasureED’s state and compliance reporting support.
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