ARD Requirements by Rebecca Russell https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3 en-us 2023-07-02 18:21:27 UTC 2026-03-05 22:22:51 UTC hello@padlet.com Slide #1 Professional Perspective/Audience/Topic rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639351 I am Rebecca Russell and I will soon be starting my sixteenth year in education. I am currently a high school math special education teacher and case manager while going to school to become a professional school counselor. I chose ARD Requirements as it is not only something I will be involved in when I become a professional school counselor but as I am also involved in ARD meetings for my caseload of students. I have always enjoyed helping kids who do not always have someone in their corner so when I became a special education teacher this became even more important. I believe as a professional school counselor you should have as much knowledge as possible about all the different populations you are working with. Knowing more legal requirements of ARD meetings will allow me to not only be more well-rounded as a counselor but also allow me to be able to advocate for students who may not have a strong support system otherwise.]]> 2023-07-02 18:34:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639351 Slide #2 Summary of Topic rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639470 Special education is a large population of students and a continuously growing population, as well. Special education also has a lot of legal requirements within a school district. School counselors are often one of the first people that parents or students go to when looking for advice on how to approach a situation. The more a school counselor knows about special education and ARD requirements the more beneficial they will be to a population who often needs guidance.
An emerging issue related to special education and ARD requirements is families are becoming more educated on their rights, therefore, the school must know everything they are supposed to be doing to make sure they are covered in all aspects. A lot of school counselors have a hand in scheduling so if they are able to help make sure teachers are doing their duty to follow accommodations or meeting schedule of services minutes then they will be able to help make sure all requirements are met for the special education students. Counselors can also help guide teachers to make sure their students are being as successful as possible so if that could possibly mean helping with a special education referral then having that knowledge will not only help the teachers but the students as well.]]> 2023-07-02 18:34:45 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639470 Slide #3 Professional Association rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639589 Professional school counselors are available for students of all backgrounds to help them understand how to reach their full potential no matter their background. School counselors are meant to support students in all their academic endeavors and encourage family engagement and support in each child's academic career (American School Counselor Association, 2022).

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Students-with-Disabilitie

American School Counselor Association. (2022). The school counselor and students with disabilities. The School Counselor and Students with Disabilities - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Students-with-Disabilitie 

]]> 2023-07-02 18:35:29 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639589 Slide #4 Current News Article rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639694 When a student is struggling it does not always mean they have a disability, however, when a teacher or parent requests a student be tested the timeline starts to have the student tested for special education services. Not all students will qualify but the school must provide the testing and determine whether or not they qualify. There is not a maximum or minimum number of special education students a school can have but every school must provide every student with an appropriate education (Arundel, 2021).

https://www.k12dive.com/news/why-having-too-many-or-too-few-special-education-students-matters/600659/

Arundel, K. (2021, June 1). Why having too many or too few special education students matters. K-12 Dive. https://www.k12dive.com/news/why-having-too-many-or-too-few-special-education-students-matters/600659/ 
]]> 2023-07-02 18:36:06 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639694 Slide #5 Current News Article rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639712 Special education students in Brookfield were not being serviced properly due to the district not having a proper plan in place. The program was lacking staff which was in turn not allowing all the students to be met. Brookfield is developing a strategic plan to implement to improve the education their special education population is receiving (Fox, 2023).

https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/new-review-brookfield-s-special-education-program-18141878.php

Fox, S. D. (2023, June 12). New Review of brookfield’s Special Education Program calls for changes, starting with a strategic plan. NewsTimes. https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/new-review-brookfield-s-special-education-program-18141878.php ]]> 2023-07-02 18:36:15 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639712 Slide #6 Original Sources of Law at the Federal Level rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639889
  • Rule §89.1050 The Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee
  • The Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee, 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 89.1050
  • Administrative Law
  • https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=2&ch=89&rl=1050
  • Every school must form a committee representing each student who qualifies for special education services. The committee must include the parent of the student, at least one general education teacher who teaches the student, at least one special education teacher, an administrator, a diagnostician, the student, a related services representative if applicable, a career, technical, and education (CTE) teacher of the student, and if he student is emergent bilingual a staff member who is on the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC). Parents must be given written notice of at least 5 days of the meeting which parents may attend in person, over the phone, or through video conference. If the parent provides written notice of wanting to hold an ARD meeting the school district must schedule it within 5 school days or provide written notice explaining why the meeting will not be held. The school is responsible for providing an interpreter for the parent if they do not speak English. If the parent does not agree with all decisions being presented they are allowed to ask for a recess and for the committee to reconvene at a different time all while the school should be accessing different options, collecting more data, preparing more documentation, and/or ask an additional people who may assist in reaching a mutual agreement. When a student moves to a new school district in Texas the new district has thirty school days to have a transfer ARD to verify the needs of the student. If a student moves to a new district from out of state the new district may determine whether the student needs a full evaluation or accepts the full initial evaluation (FIE) from the previous district. These decisions must take place in the timeline outlined by the district. The previous district must provide the student's paperwork to the new district within 10 school days (19 T. A. C. § 89.1050).

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:37:03 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639889     Slide #7 Original Sources of Law at the Federal Level rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639915
  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  • Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).
  • Statutory Law
  • https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/
  • Schools are required to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for any student who qualifies for special education services. IEPs should be unique for each student’s needs and should include the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) for each student which entails an inclusive environment in which the special education student can be the most academically successful. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) details that special education students should receive the services they need to make them as successful as general education students. IDEA ensures that appropriate testing is applied for each student who may need an evaluation completed. IDEA ties to the ARD requirements as collaboration is the key to special education because one person cannot make all the decisions for a student it needs to be reviewed through a committee to compile opinions and data from parents, teachers, special education staff, and any other school employees who have an educational purpose to benefit the student (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 2004).

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:37:12 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639915     Slide #8 Original Sources of Law at the Federal Level rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639928
  • American with Disabilities Act
  • Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990).
  • Statutory Law
  • https://www.ada.gov/
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is derived from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and protects people with disabilities from discrimination. ARD requirements are connected to the ADA as students must have the appropriate accessibility they require. If a student is wheelchair bound they must have the same access to classes, buildings, restrooms, etc. as general education students do via wheelchair ramps, places to sit in classrooms in their wheelchairs, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms to name a few (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990).

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:37:17 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639928     Slide #9 Original Sources of Law at the Federal Level rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639945
  • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
  • Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 (2015).
  • Statutory Law
  • https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn
  • ESSA assures all students be taught high academic standards which will make them successful in postsecondary education. ESSA also states that standardized testing cannot hold a student back from obtaining a regular high school diploma. The ARD committee can decide after substantial attempts at standardized testing that it will not be required for graduation (Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015).

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:37:23 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636639945     Slide #10 Policy or Rule from a School - Administrative Law rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640044
  • MVISD Special Education Teacher Manual
  • Mount Vernon ISD. (2022). MVISD special education teacher manual. https://docs.google.com/document/d/154tFSyIB0Ck9FRwVfjfHqb47a7MAt7tMlUvRWWVR8lQ/edit
  • Source of Law: Administrative Law
  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/154tFSyIB0Ck9FRwVfjfHqb47a7MAt7tMlUvRWWVR8lQ/edit
  • Each special education student will be assigned a case manager who will track their student caseload in Plan Management. Case managers will respond to calendar invites through their Google calendar. The case manager will gather data from teachers to determine the basis for information being input into the Individualized Education  Plan (IEP) for the student to present to the ARD committee (Mount Vernon ISD, 2022).

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:37:58 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640044     Slide #11 Ethical Principle rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640102 A counselor's responsibility to students in marginalized populations is to advocate for systematic changes so that they have the same chance at an appropriate education as everyone else. If teachers or others are not doing for special education students as they should a school counselor should step in and advocate for what is right for the students to have their educational needs met (American School Counselor Association, 2022).

    https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

    American School Counselor Association. (2022). Asca ethical standards for school counselors. ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf]]>     2023-07-02 18:38:24 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640102     Slide #12 Non-Law Source rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640182 Educators 4 Social Change has provided a website to help educators with helpful lesson plan templates, articles related to special education, informational sites, and more. They have also provided apps that could be beneficial in teaching different special education students according to their disability (Educators 4 Social Change, n.d.).

    https://educators4sc.org/using-online-platforms-for-students-with-special-needs/

    Educators 4 Social Change. (n.d.). Teaching with online platforms for students with special needs. Educators 4SC. https://educators4sc.org/using-online-platforms-for-students-with-special-needs/ ]]>     2023-07-02 18:38:56 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640182     Slide #13 Recommendations/Best Practices for Compliance rhord2 https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640318
  • School counselors should help all students and encourage parental involvement at all grade levels. The more parents are involved in their kid's education the more support the students will receive which is especially important to special education students.
  • Schools should always have multiple eyes on special education students in making sure all their needs are being met per their IEP not only because it is the right thing to do but also because an IEP is a legal document and it must be followed.
  • When evaluating a student or planning an ARD meeting the ARD committee should always meet deadlines and make sure they have provided everything they are required to to the parent and the student.
  • IEPs should be unique for each student because they are an Individualized Education Plan and no two students are exactly the same.
  • All schools should meet ADA requirements because they never know when they may have a new student move in that has a need per ADA and their IEP that the school may not be able to meet at the time but will have to modify their staff or structure to meet the requirements.
  • Standardized testing cannot hold a student back from obtaining a regular high school diploma.
  • Counselors should advocate for all students especially those who do not have anyone to do so. Even if a systematic change needs to be made counselors should push for the right things to take place.
  • There is an abundance of resources available to help teachers make sure all students' needs are met, always ask others for guidance if you do not know the best way to go about meeting the needs of an IEP.

    • ]]>     2023-07-02 18:39:31 UTC https://padlet.com/rhord2/7tnpgz8mt8wwyhs3/wish/2636640318