By: Frances Shefter, Esq. (and mom)
One of the biggest concerns I have been seeing lately is the disconnect between what an IEP progress report says and what the actual information in the report shows. As a special education attorney, advocate, former teacher, and mom, I review a lot of progress reports. Too often, I see a box checked that says a student is making “sufficient progress” toward a goal, but when I read the description or look at the data, the numbers tell a very different story.
Let’s talk about what “sufficient progress” really means.
When a student has an annual IEP goal, the expectation is that the student will achieve that goal by the end of the IEP year. For example, if a goal states that a student will complete a task with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials, the student’s progress should gradually increase throughout the year. By the end of the first quarter, we would expect to see progress that suggests the student is on track to meet the goal by the end of the year. By the second quarter, there should be even more growth.
However, if we reach the third quarter and the student is only performing at 50% accuracy in 2 out of 5 trials, it is difficult to realistically conclude that the student will meet an 80% accuracy goal in 4 out of 5 trials within the remaining nine weeks. In that situation, simply checking a box that says “making sufficient progress” may not accurately reflect what is actually happening.
I recently posted a short video about this topic, and it generated a lot of comments. One recommendation I often make is to ask the school for the data that supports the progress report. Many parents responded by asking, “How am I supposed to know what I’m looking at when I get the data?”
The answer is simple: you have the right to ask for an explanation.
If the school provides data and you do not understand it, the case manager, teacher, or service provider should be able to explain what the data means, how it was collected, and what it shows about your child’s progress. Parents and guardians should never be left confused about whether their child is making progress toward their IEP goals. You have a right to understand how your child is doing in school.
I also want to address something important. Whenever I discuss progress monitoring and data collection, I often hear from teachers who feel overwhelmed. As a former special education teacher myself, I understand completely. Teachers are being asked to do more than ever before. They are expected to teach, manage behavior, communicate with families, implement accommodations, provide specialized instruction, collect data, and complete mountains of paperwork.
The lack of support many teachers experience is real.
At the same time, progress monitoring is not optional. The entire purpose of an IEP is to help a student make meaningful educational progress. If we are not tracking progress, how do we know whether the interventions and supports are working? How do we know whether changes need to be made?
When I was teaching, I carried a simple notepad with me throughout the day. I kept a page for each student and wrote their goals at the top. My goal was to jot down at least one piece of information about each student every week. Was the data neat and organized? Absolutely not. Was it pretty? Not even close. But it gave me real information about how my students were performing. Later, I could use those notes to create accurate progress reports and meaningful present levels of performance.
Over time, collecting data became part of my routine.
Parents and educators should work together to find systems that make data collection and reporting manageable while still providing meaningful information. At the end of the day, this is not about paperwork. It is not about compliance. It is about students.
Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. To make that happen, parents, teachers, service providers, and administrators must work together as a team. It truly takes a village.
If you are unsure whether your child is making appropriate progress toward their IEP goals, or if you need help understanding the data you have received from the school, we are here to help. Schedule a free Case Analysis with one of our Intake Specialists to discuss your concerns. Together, we can determine whether a Strategy Session or a Strategy Session with Document Review may help provide the clarity and direction you need.
