Tips for Understanding:
Why are you called IdentiFIE and what is an FIE?
Great question! If you are new to the special education process, you will quickly learn that one of the first steps in determining if your child meets 1 of the 13 disability categories under the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is to have your school district conduct a Full Individual Evaluation, aka an FIE. In this evaluation the assessment team will identify the cognitive, academic, and behavioral strengths and weaknesses of your child and present them to the ARD Committee. At IdentiFIE, we are evaluation experts.
What is an ARD Committee?
The ARD committee is comprised of parents, general education teachers, special education teachers, school administrators and therapists. As your child becomes older, they too will become an extremely valuable member of the committee. This group determines whether your child meets special education eligibility and what services will make them most successful in the educational environment. Once a child begins receiving special education services, this group meets at least yearly to create the highly specialized education plan that is specific to your child.
What does ARD stand for?
ARD stands for Admission, Review, and Dismissal. I agree with you. It has a silly name. But it does have some meaning when you understand its context.
What happens in an ARD Meeting?
In an ARD meeting, the ARD Committee sets and revises academic goals for your child on their IEP as necessary at least yearly. The team also determines how and where all special education services will be implemented.
What is an IEP?
Individualized Education Plan - as opposed to the General Education Plan that all non-special education students follow. This education plan is tailored specifically to your child.
Your very first special education meeting is the one where your child gains Admission into special programming because they have demonstrated a need for specialized instruction. Each year after, you will have a Review meeting for your child to review academic progress towards their individual academic goals and set new goals for the upcoming year. If/when your child has made so much progress that they no longer require specialized instruction, you will then have a Dismissal meeting to exit them from receiving special education.
What is an IEE?
An IEE is an Independent Educational Evaluation. In the event the parent is in disagreement with the results of a child's FIE, a parent has the right to request a ''second opinion''. The IEE is conducted by an independent evaluator not associated with your school district where they independently determine the educational strengths and weaknesses of your child.
Do you conduct IEEs?
YES! Contact us today to learn more about this service AND we are BILINGUAL!
Need help understanding all the legal acronyms and “fancy words” in your child’s paperwork? Text us at 832-755-9646!
