ARD Forms – A Guide for CTE Teachers

1. ARD Forms – A Guide for CTE Teachers • Click on each link to play the video featuring ARD form examples. • Click on each Icon to listen to the accompanying narrative.

2. Introduction • CTE Teachers often wonder about why a certain student with special needs was placed in their classroom. A question they might ask is “How does my class relate to this student’s educational needs?”. The answer to this question can be found in the student’s Admission/Review/Dismissal (ARD) paperwork. These packets are contained within the district’s original special education folder but often a copy is retained by the student’s special education teacher. In this presentation we will show you examples of these documents are and how their contents can help you understand the student’s transition needs and consequent placement in your classroom.

3. Transition Document • Play Video • These first examples are “transition supplements” to the ARD packet. The document contains updated information about the student’s needs, preferences and interests and courses of study. In addition, this document notes the student’s post-secondary goals in reference to post-secondary education, employment and independent living situations. Note that the most important information in this document for CTE will be the student’s post-secondary goals and the recommended courses of study.

4. Present Levels of Performance • Play Video • This next example is a document that consists of information related to the student’s present levels of performance or PLOPS. Here, the CTE teachers can learn about the student’s current level of academic and vocational skills. This knowledge will enable CTE teachers to appropriately match their curriculum to the student’s abilities. Additionally, the document also notes any behavioral or health concerns.

5. Modifications Form • Play Video • Within the ARD packet will be a document similar to the one displayed. This document shows modifications that must be in place for the student currently placed in your classroom. The modifications are designed to enable the student to successfully meet your course requirements.

6. Individualized Education Plan • Play Video • The Individual Education Plan (IEP) document related to your class can be found in the ARD packet when the student requires a modified version of your CTE curriculum. If students only need accommodations to access the general curriculum including them in an IEP document will not be required. This document lists duration of services, present levels of competency, short-term objectives or benchmarks, mastery criteria, methods of evaluation, annual goals and allows you to record the student’s progress. CTE teachers can use this document to report back to the ARD committee on the student’s performance in their classroom and to suggest updated IEP objectives and goals. The next example is another version of an IEP document pertaining to the same information.

7. Individualized Education Plan • Play Video

8. Graduation Plan • Play Video • All students are required to have a graduation plan in their folders upon entering 9th grade. The graduation plan for students with special needs is especially important for CTE teachers because they can quickly access the student’s recommended programs of study, credits and grades previously earned. Students with special needs can stay in school up to the age of 21. The graduation plan will note the expected date of graduation thus enabling the CTE teachers to determine how many years are available for students to meet CTE competencies. Teachers might also make a note of the students’ extra-curricular activities listed on the plan to gain further knowledge about their students’ interests. Graduation plans may also have a notation with regard to appropriate course substitutions.

9. Signature Page • Play Video • This final example is a required ARD document which contains the signature of everyone present at the last ARD meeting. This is an important document for CTE teachers to determine who the student’s special education representative is and/or the diagnostician. In addition, the document will show who represented CTE at this meeting. This is important because the concerned teacher would be able to determine who to go to for answers to pertinent questions about the student in their classroom.