The Admission, Review and Dismissal Process
A.R.D. is an acronym for Admission, Review and Dismissal. An ARD meeting is held to admit a student into special education, as well as a minimum of once per year to review the child’s program and progress. An ARD meeting is held to dismiss a child from special education if and when they no longer need specially designed instruction or related services.
An ARD meeting is a meeting of a group of people who help to determine whether or not a student is eligible for special education due to a disability and a need for specially designed instruction. That same group of people will be the ones who develop the Individual Education Program (IEP) if the student is eligible. The IEP is a kind of map for the school year that contains individual goals and objectives, as well as accommodations and/or modifications needed in the general education classroom. The ARD committee determines which state assessments a student will take, as well as any needed supports on those assessments. The IEP provides the type and duration of special education services and supports for each student. The IEP is highly individualized for each student; therefore it is essential to have an ARD Committee made up of people who know the student and are able to make well informed decisions on the student’s behalf. As students get older, they are able to participate more actively in the IEP process.
