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Mock ARC Refection
In order for children to get the help they need, Admissions and Release Committees
(ARC) are often formed with the goal of providing students with special needs the best
educational setting possible. These ARC groups are made up of the student, parents, general
education teachers, special education teachers, school administrators, and often times
professionals such as a psychologist or speech pathologists, depending on the disability and its
severity.
These groups will first meet when a student is referred to special education and suspected
of having a disability, usually by a general education teacher. The ARC group then meets to
discuss the situation and work to determine if the student does indeed have a disability and if
they are eligible for services. If they determine that the student is eligible for services, they meet
again to develop an individualized education program, commonly called an IEP. This document
is created and agreed upon by all members of the ARC and its goal is to provide an
individualized education plan, different from general education plans, to students with
disabilities in order for them to be successful in school and in the future.
Once the IEP is developed, it then has to be implemented by the school. The general
education teacher may have to make accommodations and/or modifications to the general
education curriculum, or they may have a totally different curriculum in which the special
education teacher has the responsibility to put the requirements stated in the IEP into effect.
Once an IEP is developed and implemented, the ARC group has to meet at least once a year to
evaluate the IEP and if needed, discuss any upcoming transition periods and make any needed
adjustments or changes to the current IEP.
In order for our class to grasp the concepts and importance of an ARC, will were given an
assignment called a “Mock ARC” where we were divided into six groups and each given a
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different scenario to display in our own ARC groups. My group, group five, was given the
responsibility of meeting for an annual review for an 8th grade student named Jo who was about
to make the transition from middle school to high school. The purpose was to review the results
of the current IEP and revise it and determine Jo’s least restrictive environment (LRE) for high
school. Each member of our group was assigned a role including; student (Jo), mother of
student, general education teacher, special education teacher, chairperson (principle of the
middle school), and the high school guidance counselor. In this case, all members of the ARC
were happy about the progress Jo was making and had no major issues with the direction that Jo
was headed.
In my personal opinion, this assignment was very beneficial and helped us to realize what
the ARC is all about and how important it is to students with disabilities. After watching all
groups conduct ARC meetings based on different scenarios, some where all members were
happy, some where a parent was angry, some who had to determine if Jo needed an IEP, and
others to evaluate progress of a current IEP, I have learned so much and realized the sincerity of
the process.
One point that really seems important to me is the reality of the relationship between
parents and school personnel. I now understand that not everyone is going to be happy about
what is best for the student. Parents may be in denial about their child’s disability or not be
impressed with the progress they are making with an implemented IEP. In the real world, not
everyone is going to be happy but often times, be in disagreement and not always be looking out
for the child. Another issue that I realized through this process was the intensity and depth of
what’s involved in an ARC meeting. I would have never guessed that so many people with so
many different abilities and tasks are involved in this process. It was interesting to see how
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even people without direct daily contact with a student are involved in the decision making (i.e.
high school guidance counselor for Jo).
The most important idea of the ARC process is collaboration. Our group had to make
collaborative efforts to perform the duties of an ARC. In respect to Kentucky Teacher Standard
# 8, we not only identified students whose learning could be enhanced by a collaborative effort,
but designed, implemented, and analyzed a plan of action for that student. The importance of
effective collaboration cannot be expressed enough in words. Without the effective
communication of those who care for a student, they cannot possibly work together well enough
to develop a plan to help the student be successful. Without a common goal among these
persons which should be to give the student the best possible education, they cannot possibly be
successful in having the child’s best interest at heart.
Overall, I really enjoyed this ARC process. All students with disabilities and special
needs need people who want them to succeed to work together for their benefit and be their
advocate in life. I personally feel that the ARC process is set up well and is extremely needed
for all students who desperately need help to succeed in school. In the future, I know that I
myself will be a part of ARC groups. I understand that I will take part in advocating for students
and helping to develop an IEP that will allow them to succeed in school and I am joyful that I
will get a chance to experience that.