The draft IEP says your child will "improve reading comprehension skills." You nod, then wonder: improve from what, to what, and how will anyone know?
That question is the whole subject of this guide. It is a fair question, and the federal rule gives you a reason to ask it.
What the rule says
An IEP has to include measurable annual goals designed to meet the child's needs that come from the disability and to help the child take part in the general curriculum. It also has to describe how progress toward those goals will be measured and when you will receive periodic progress reports.
The rule does not define "measurable." Teams, therefore, fall back on a working test. Two people looking at the same data should be able to agree on whether the goal was met.
The four-part test
| Question | What it looks like | If it is missing, ask |
|---|---|---|
| What will the child do? | An observable skill: reads, writes, requests, starts, stays | What exactly will I see my child doing? |
| How well? | A level: accuracy, speed, frequency, independence | What counts as success? |
| By when? | A date or the end of the IEP year | When will we check? |
| How is it measured? | A tool, task, or observation, and how often | Who measures it, with what, and how often? |
Most vague goals fail the second and fourth question. They name a skill but not a level or a way to check it.
Vague and measurable, side by side
| Vague | Measurable |
|---|---|
| "Maya will improve reading comprehension." | "Given a grade-level passage she has not read, Maya will answer 4 of 5 comprehension questions correctly on three of four weekly checks by the end of the IEP year." |
| "Jordan will increase positive peer interactions." | "During unstructured time, Jordan will start a greeting or invite a peer to join in 3 of 5 observed opportunities per week, recorded by staff, by the end of the IEP year." |
| "Sam will demonstrate better writing skills." | "In response to a writing prompt, Sam will write a paragraph of at least five sentences with a topic sentence and two supporting details, scoring 3 of 4 on a class rubric across three samples." |
| "Lena will be more independent." | "Lena will complete her morning routine checklist with no more than one adult prompt on 4 of 5 school days, tracked on a daily chart." |
Each measurable version names the task, the level, the timeframe, and the tool. You can see how a different teacher would score it.
Words that need a second look
These words are not wrong, but each one needs a number or a described behavior beside it:
- Improve, increase, decrease, progress
- Demonstrate, show, display
- Better, more, less
- With support, as needed, when appropriate
- Age-appropriate, grade-level, functional
"With support" is worth a special note. Ask what kind of support, from whom, and how it will fade. A goal where the support is never defined cannot be compared year to year.
How to ask for a change
- Point to the goal by page and number. "The second reading goal on page 4" is clearer than "the goals."
- Say which of the four parts is missing. "I cannot see how it will be measured."
- Offer a fix, not only a complaint. "Could we add a weekly check using a grade-level passage?"
- Ask for the result in writing. If the team says no, ask for its reasons. When a school refuses a change you asked for to your child's services or program, it generally owes you prior written notice with reasons.
Measurable is not the same as meaningful
A goal can pass the four-part test and still miss the point. Three things to look for:
- Wrong target. The goal measures something your child already does well, or something that is not tied to the need the evaluation found. Ask how the goal connects to the present levels.
- Too easy or too narrow. A goal that your child could meet in the first month, or that is scored on a single friendly task, will not show real growth. Ask what level the team expects by the end of the year and why.
- No path to get there. A goal needs teaching behind it. Look at the services section and ask which service, by whom, and how many minutes, will help your child reach each goal.
If your child's goals do not line up with the services listed, say so plainly: "I see a goal for written expression but no writing support listed. How will she get instruction on this?"
Check the baseline, too
A goal is only as clear as the starting point. Look in the present levels section for the matching baseline. If a goal says the child will reach 85 words per minute but the present levels do not say where the child is now, the goal has no anchor. Ask for the baseline to be added.
When the answer is still no
You can bring the same request back at the next meeting with data from the first few weeks, or use the options in your procedural safeguards notice. Your state parent center can read the draft with you and tell you whether the wording meets what your state expects. For the full question list, see questions to ask at an IEP meeting, and for the yearly cycle, the annual IEP review. If the team will not discuss your concerns, read what to do if you disagree with the IEP. Terms are in the glossary.