Why Every Diagnostician Needs an ARD Calendar & Evaluation Log System
If you’re a diagnostician, special-education teacher, or anyone supporting ARD/IEP compliance, you know one truth: organization is everything. Between annual reviews, initials, revisions, re-evaluations, parent requests, teacher data, and district deadlines, it can feel like you’re juggling 100 moving pieces at once.
The ARD calendar and evaluation log included in my Diag Starter Kit were designed to tackle one of the biggest challenges we face in this role: staying organized, compliant, and on top of constant, shifting deadlines. These are the two tools I rely on every single day. They have saved my sanity, improved my workflow, and helped me maintain compliance even when schedules change at the last minute.
That’s exactly why I created the Diag Starter Kit—so other diagnosticians can use the same streamlined systems that have completely transformed my daily workflow.
👉 Check out the full Diag Starter Kit here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Diag-Starter-Kit-13472945
How the Diag Starter Kit’s ARD Calendar & Evaluation Log Work
✔️ ARD Calendar
The ARD Calendar provides a master schedule for every ARD meeting you handle throughout the school year—whether it’s an annual review, an initial, a revision, or any other type of committee meeting.
With this calendar, you can:
Log the meeting date and time for each ARD
Track who needs to be invited (parents, general-ed teachers, special ed staff, district reps, service providers, etc.)
Note special factors or needs—such as interpreters, behavior supports, transition planning, or assistive technology considerations
Record follow-up actions after the meeting, including how the IEP document was sent home and when it was sent
Maintain a running log of all ARDs, allowing teachers, campus staff, and district personnel to all reference the same calendar and to stay aligned on upcoming meetings.
The ARD Calendar truly acts as your command center, helping ensure nothing is missed and the entire ARD team remains coordinated.
📋 Evaluation Log
The Evaluation Log is where you track every evaluation in progress or upcoming. This covers everything from initial evaluations to re-evaluations.
With the log, you can:
Track all open evaluations—including what’s requested (suspicion of disability, area of concern, etc.), whether they are initials or re-evaluations, and when they are due.
Document what needs to be gathered prior to testing: teacher input, parent input, vision/hearing screening, referral checklist, previous records, important documents (e.g. consent forms) and more.
Track what you’ve completed and what still needs to be done, from data collection to formal testing and report writing.
Provide a clear overview of your caseload: what’s pending, what’s completed, and what’s coming up — which supports time management and accountability.
This log becomes your evaluation hub, keeping everything organized and compliant.
🛠️ Other Helpful Components in the Starter Kit That Tie In
The Diag Starter Kit also includes several companion tools designed to integrate seamlessly with the ARD Calendar and Evaluation Log, creating a complete caseload-management system, including:
ARD Checklist – guides preparation and follow-up for each ARD meeting.
Evaluation Checklist – plan out your assessment battery and track every step of the evaluation process with a clear, nine-week checklist that ensures nothing is missed along the way.
Transfer Student Tracking – documents receipt of IEPs/FIEs, next steps, and what has been completed or is pending.
Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) Checklist – A structured outline for managing timelines and key evaluation components
BOY (Beginning-of-Year) Diag Checklist – A detailed guide for starting the year strong with file reviews, setup, and task prioritization
Caseload Log – Maintain a running record of your entire caseload with key student details
Together, these tools create a ready-to-use organizational framework that adapts to the demands of any diagnostician’s caseload—helping you stay structured, efficient, and compliant year-round.
Why I Created the Diag Starter Kit
I created the Diag Starter Kit because, over time, I discovered systems that truly worked for me—tools that kept me organized, compliant, and sane throughout the school year. As I shared these tools with other diagnosticians, many of them reported the same experience: the structure helped them stay on track, manage deadlines more effectively, and reduce some of the stress that comes with juggling a full caseload.
What I loved most was seeing how each diagnostician adapted the tools to match their own style—revamping templates to fit how their brain works, customizing layouts, and personalizing the system in ways that made sense for their workflow.
That’s what ultimately inspired me to turn these tools into a kit. I wanted to give others, especially new diagnosticians, a strong starting point. A place to begin while they figure out their own organization style, build their workflow, and learn what helps them stay compliant without becoming overwhelmed.
The Diag Starter Kit isn’t meant to be a one-size-fits-all system. It’s a foundation—something dependable to build upon as you develop your own rhythm as a diagnostician.
👉 Get the Diag Starter Kit here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Diag-Starter-Kit-13472945
Final Thoughts
Special education runs on timelines. Being organized isn’t optional — it’s essential.
The ARD calendar and evaluation log inside the Diag Starter Kit were created to help you stay ahead, stay compliant, and stay sane, even during the busiest months of the school year.
With the right structure, you don’t just manage the workload — you master it.
