IEP Support Check-In: What Parents Should Look for in Progress Reports

By October, the school year has been underway long enough for you to start seeing patterns.

Maybe your child seems more confident in reading. Maybe math homework is still a struggle. Or maybe you’re hearing that things are “going well,” but you just aren’t sure what that means in relation to the IEP goals you spent so much time discussing.

Your child’s progress report gives you an opportunity to check whether the IEP support your child is receiving is helping them move toward their annual goals. 

But instead of simply filing the report away with the regular report card, take a few minutes to compare it directly with your child’s IEP. Here’s what to look for.

Start With the IEP Goals

Pull out your child’s current IEP before reviewing the progress report. Ideally, you should be looking at the two documents side by side.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, an IEP must include measurable annual academic and functional goals. It must also explain how progress toward those goals will be measured and when parents will receive periodic progress reports.

That means each progress update should connect back to the goals already written into your child’s special education IEP. To assess this, start with a few basic questions:

• Is every IEP goal addressed?
• Does the report explain how much progress your child has made?
• Is the same measurement method being used that was listed in the IEP?
• Can you tell whether your child is on track to meet the annual goal?

Look for Actual Data

Statements like “making good progress” or “improving” may sound encouraging, but on their own, they don’t tell you much.

Say your child has an IEP goal to read a passage with 90% accuracy. A progress report that simply says they are “improving in reading” leaves you guessing. A report showing that accuracy increased from 60% to 72%, on the other hand, gives you something concrete to work with.

Depending on the goal, that data might include percentages, reading levels, frequency counts, correct responses, work samples or behavior data. The format can vary, but the information should help you answer one basic question: Is my child getting closer to the target?

Compare Progress With the Time That Has Passed

Progress isn’t always a straight line. Your child may make a big leap one month and move more slowly the next. Even so, a progress report should help you understand whether they are moving toward their annual IEP goals at a reasonable pace.

If several months have passed with little or no measurable progress, take a closer look. The same applies if report after report simply marks a goal as “in progress” without showing what has changed or how much progress has been made.

Federal special education regulations require IEP teams to review and revise an IEP when appropriate if a student is not making expected progress toward their annual goals or in the general education curriculum. You don’t have to wait for the annual IEP meeting to raise concerns. If the data shows your child is falling behind, you can start asking questions now.

Check Whether IEP Services Are Being Delivered

A progress report focuses on your child’s goals, but it can also help you spot whether their IEP services are being delivered consistently.

Your child’s IEP should spell out the special education services, related services and supports they are supposed to receive, including details such as frequency, location and duration.

If progress is limited, it’s worth checking whether those services are happening as planned. Ask yourself:

• Has speech therapy been provided at the scheduled frequency?
• Is specialized academic instruction happening consistently?
• Are classroom accommodations being used?
• Have there been staffing shortages, scheduling problems or missed sessions?
• Is your child receiving the amount of support listed in the IEP?

Limited progress doesn’t automatically mean services have been missed, but it can be a signal to look more closely at how the IEP is being implemented.

Watch for Goals That Are Hard to Measure

Sometimes the progress report reveals a different problem: the IEP goal itself is too vague to measure well.

Words like “improve,” “understand,” or “make progress” can sound reasonable, but without clear criteria, they may leave you unsure how success is being measured. A measurable IEP goal should give the team a concrete way to track change over time.

If the progress report can’t show meaningful data because the goal is too broad or unclear, that’s worth discussing with the IEP team. The problem may not be the reporting itself; the goal may need to be written more specifically.

Pay Attention to More Than Academics

Your child’s IEP goals may cover much more than reading, writing and math. Depending on their needs, progress reports may address communication, behavior, social skills, organization, attention, independence, motor skills or other functional areas.

Give those sections the same attention you give the academic goals, since they can reveal important changes that grades alone may not show.

Your own observations are of great significance, too. Maybe your child is coming home exhausted, feeling anxious about a particular class or struggling with homework even though the progress report looks positive. That information can help fill in gaps and give the IEP team a fuller picture of how your child is doing.

What to Do If the Progress Report Raises Concerns

You don’t need to wait until the next annual meeting…or until a small concern becomes a bigger one.

If something in the progress report is unclear, ask the case manager, special education teacher or service provider what data they’re using and how your child’s current performance compares with the annual target. If progress is limited, ask what may be getting in the way and whether changes to instruction, services, accommodations or the IEP itself should be considered.

Keep progress reports alongside your child’s IEP, evaluations and other school records so you can spot patterns over time.

If you’re still unsure whether your child is receiving the right IEP support, Advocate to Educate can help. Our special education advocates work with California families to review IEPs, make sense of progress data and prepare for conversations with school teams.

Contact Advocate to Educate to schedule a consultation and get support with your child’s next steps.

FAQ

How often should I receive an IEP progress report?

Your child’s IEP should state when progress reports will be provided. IDEA requires the IEP to describe when parents will receive periodic reports on progress toward annual goals. These may be issued quarterly or at the same time as regular report cards, depending on the IEP.

Is an IEP progress report the same as a report card?

No. A regular report card generally reports performance in classes or subjects. An IEP progress report focuses specifically on your child’s progress toward the annual goals written in the IEP.

What if my child is not making progress toward an IEP goal?

Ask the IEP team for the data behind the progress report and what changes may be needed. Federal regulations provide for revising the IEP, as appropriate, when a child is not making expected progress toward annual goals.

Can I request an IEP meeting before the annual meeting?

You can raise concerns with the school team before the annual review rather than waiting for the next scheduled meeting. If progress data suggests the current program may need to change, discuss your concerns with the team and ask about reviewing the IEP.

What if the progress report is too vague to understand?

Ask for the underlying data. You should be able to understand how progress toward each measurable annual goal is being evaluated. If the reporting method does not give you enough information to tell whether your child is progressing, that is worth discussing with the team.