Tracking Progress: How Do You Know If Your Child is Growing?
As autumn settles in and the first quarter of the school year wraps up, many schools are sending out report cards and progress updates. These reports offer a snapshot of how your child is performing academically and how they’re developing important study skills and work habits.
For families of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), this time of year also brings an IEP progress report. These updates are critical tools in understanding how your child is progressing toward their IEP goals. Most school systems use a 1–5 scale or a letter scale (i.e. ES = Emerging Skill), and the report shows whether a goal has been introduced, is in progress, or has been mastered. These data points help ensure that instruction and support are aligned with your child’s unique needs.
But what can you do with this information?
Here are a few key questions to ask yourself and your child’s IEP team:
- Is my child making steady, measurable progress toward their IEP goals
- Are the goals still appropriate based on my child’s current strengths and needs?
- How is progress being tracked…through classroom performance, data collection, observations?
- Are services and support being delivered as outlined in the IEP?
- How is the school team ensuring that my child is receiving a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)?
It can be concerning to see little or no progress noted on an IEP report. But this is also a valuable moment to pause and ask. Lack of progress doesn’t mean failure; it means the current approach may need to be adjusted.
Here’s what you can do:
Request a Team Meeting:
If your child is not progressing, or progress is stagnated, for example a goal has remained at a 3 or ES for progress monitoring for three quarters. You have the right to call an IEP meeting at any time. Ask to meet with the team to review the goals, data collection, support, and services in place.
If your child is not progressing, or progress is stagnated, for example a goal has remained at a 3 or ES for progress monitoring for three quarters. You have the right to call an IEP meeting at any time. Ask to meet with the team to review the goals, data collection, support, and services in place.
Review the Data:
Ask to see the evidence being used to track your child’s progress. This might include work samples, data sheets, classroom observations, or assessments. If needed, ask to see work samples/data collection sheets throughout the quarter. Understanding how progress is being measured can help you see where the gaps may be.
Ask About Adjustments:
Could teaching strategies or accommodations be revised? Is more frequent or intensive support needed? Do short-term objectives or benchmarks need to be added to break down the annual goal. Are there additional areas of need that need to be addressed? The IEP should be a living document that evolves as your child does.
Finally, each year, your child will have an annual IEP meeting. This is the minimum requirement for the IEP team to meet and track progress. Prior to the annual IEP meeting (at least two business days/VA Code), you will receive a draft of the newly proposed annual IEP.
One key area to pay special attention to is the goals that have changed, particularly those that were not mastered under the previous year’s IEP. Sometimes, the revision of goals means that skills still needing work are incorporated into the updated goal. However, if an entire goal “disappears” or is no longer addressed, it’s important to bring that to attention at the annual IEP meeting, as it may indicate a gap in the child’s support.
Ensure that the IEP team documents their rationale for any entire goal or area of need that was previously addressed but is no longer included in the IEP. While it may not be intentional, removing a goal that the child struggled to demonstrate progress on could relieve the school team of their responsibilities under FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). It’s essential to make sure that the decision to remove a goal is thoroughly documented, so there is a clear understanding of why it was taken out and what plans, if any, are in place to continue addressing the child’s needs.
Progress reports are more than paperwork. They’re a window into your child’s learning journey. Whether your child is soaring or struggling, you have the right to understand what’s happening and to be a strong voice on their team. Stay engaged, ask questions, and remember: your advocacy matters.
Have questions? Need support?
Reach out for a personalized plan and support.
chaydon@ftcbehavior.com