Who Are School Advocates? 

School advocates are professionals who have knowledge and experience working with parents, guardians, educators, administrators, and other professionals or stakeholders to create appropriate educational resource plans for students. Assessment psychologists, like Dr. Arduengo, often provide school advocate services to help parents and students navigate complicated educational resource meetings, reports, and processes. In addition to partnering with parents and students for support during IEP meetings, Dr. Arduengo can also provide school advocacy resources in the following situations: 

• Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) Reports – these are typically required prior to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meetings, which will be discussed below. They are in-depth reports that compile all of the existing information about a student’s resource and support needs. This may include assessments by private practices like PEARS, PLLC, evaluations through the school system, academic ability and aptitude, classroom observations, interviews with educators and caregivers, and other pertinent details. 

• Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Meetings – these are meetings between representatives of the school and a student’s guardians. During these meetings, the FIE reports will be reviewed, and an IEP will be developed for the student. 

• Section 504 Meetings – section 504 is a federal law that protects the rights of individuals with special needs to gain equitable access to programs that receive federal funding, which includes public schools. Additionally, section 504 outlines what responsibilities the federally funded programs must provide a comparable experience for all participants. In school systems, that means laying out the roles of educators and administrators when it comes to removing barriers that limit or prevent individuals who are seeking education. 

• Response to Intervention (RtI) or Multi-tier System of Supports (MTSS) – for students who receive educational or environmental accommodations, RtIs are necessary periodically to reassess the value of accommodations and ensure they are still providing the necessary support to help students achieve their goals. RtI can be a part of MTSS, but MTSS has a broader scope than RtI. MTSS also incorporates academic and non-academic (social, emotional, and behavioral) areas.